"Amelia," I continued, after much talk, "I am come here to help your mistress." "To help her, sur,--'ow?" "I cannot tell you now. In fact, I can tell only her. Could you not arrange that I could see her?" "See Mistress Nancy Molesworth, sur?" "Yes." "No, sur. She is always watched. She caan't laive her rooms without owld maaster knowin'." "In what part of the house does she reside?" The maid told me. It was in the same wing as that in which my own bed-chamber was situated, but the floor above. The door which opened to it was also watched. "Are the watchers faithful?" I asked. "Sam Daddo and Tom Juliff, sur. They'll do nothin' but what the owld maaster do tell 'em." "But why is she watched so closely?" "She've tried to git away once, sur. Tha's why." "Then she loves not the Killigrews?" "She haates 'em, sur. But I caan't tell 'ee oall." I tried to devise a means whereby I could see her, but none were feasible. Force could not be used until flight was arranged, and that was not done. Indeed, I had not seen the maid yet. "But," I said, "doth your mistress have no outdoor exercise." "She cannot go out except one of they Killigrews go weth 'er, and so she doan't go at all. The last time she was out, Master Otho went wi' 'er. She waan't go no more now." "But she will die cooped up in rooms where she hath no fresh air." "She sometimes walks on the leads at the top of the 'ouse; but that's oall." "How does she get there?" "There's a stairs from the room." "Ah! But there must be other ways of getting to the roof." "I doan't knaw, I've only bin there a vew months. I wudden stay now but for Mistress Nancy." "But I can trust you, Amelia?"--and then I satisfied myself that she would be secret. "Tell her," I continued presently, "that if she values her liberty or her honour, if she cares for John Polperro, to be on the leads to-night at midnight. If I do not get there it will be because I cannot." With that I left the girl, and hurried back to the house. I entered the side door without notice, and then made up the broad stairway towards the room in which I had been told old Colman Killigrew slept. "Will you tell your master that Master Roger Penryn waits to see him?" I said to the man who paced the corridor. I gave my false name without wincing this time, for my blood was tingling with excitement. The thought of seeing Mistress Nancy Molesworth, together with wondering what the outcome would be, made me eager for action. A few moments later I entered the old man's room, prepared to answer any question he might put. He eyed me keenly as I entered, but spoke scarce a word for several minutes. Little by little, however, he got to talking about King George, and the feeling in the country concerning him. "You say Hugh Boscawen is busy raising an army?" he queried presently. "Do volunteers come quickly?"