A white face, with eyes full of fear, looked in at the dark window. It was Danny Fayle. "Come in," said Mona; but he would not come. He must speak with her outside. She went out to him. He was trembling with excitement. He told her that Kerruish Kinvig had returned, and brought with him the men from Castle Rushen. There were eight of them. They had been across to the old castle and had opened a vault in St. Patrick's chapel. There they had found rolls of thread lace, casks of wines and spirits, and boxes of tea. This was not important, but Danny had one fact to communicate which made Mona's excitement almost equal to his own. In a single particular the arrangement suggested by herself and agreed upon with Mylrea, the magistrate, had been altered. Instead of the whole eight men going over to the castle, four only, with Kinvig as guide, were to be stationed there. The other four were to be placed on the hill-side above Bill Kisseck's house to watch it. This change was an unexpected and almost fatal blow to the scheme which Mona had all day been concocting for the relief of the men on the "Ben-my-Chree" from the meshes in which she herself had imprisoned them. Mona's anxiety was greatest now that her hope seemed least. Rescue the men--Christian being one of them--she must, God helping her. Like a sorceress, whose charm has worked only too fatally, Mona's whole soul was engaged to break her own deadly spell. She conceived a means of escape, but she could not without help bring her design to bear. Would this lad help her? Danny? She had seen the agony of his despair wither up the last gleam of sunshine on his poor, helpless face. "Did you say that Mr. Kinvig is to be with the men in the castle?" "Yes," said Danny. "Is Mr. Mylrea to be with others above your uncle's house?" "No. They wanted him, but he was too old, he was sayin', and went off to find Christian and send him to be a guide to the strangers." "That is very good," said Mona, "and we can manage it yet. Danny, do you go off to the castle--the tide is down; you can ford it, can't you?" "If I'm quick. It's on the turn." "Go at once. The men are not there now, are they?" "No, they came across half an hour ago." "Good. They'll return to the castle just before nine. Go you at this moment. Ford it, and they'll see no boat. Hide yourself among the ruins--in the guard-room--in the long passage--in the cell under the cathedral--in the sally-port--among the rocks outside--anywhere--and wait until the Castle Rushen men arrive. As soon as they are landed and out of sight, get you down to where they have moored their boat, jump into it and pull away. That will cut off five of the nine, and keep them prisoners on the Castle Rock until to-morrow morning's ebb tide." "But where am I to go in the boat?" asked Danny. Mona came closer. "Isn't it true," she whispered, "that Kisseck and the rest of them go frequently to the creek that they call the Lockjaw?" "How did you know it, Mona?"