The simple way out of the difficulty would have been to take Duncan Leslie into their confidence at once; but in her agitation, Louise shrank from that. She knew his stern integrity; she had often heard of his firmness with his mine people; and she feared that in his surprise and disgust, at what seemed to her now little better than a trick played by her brother to deceive them, Leslie would turn against him and refuse to keep the secret. On the other hand, Harry, suffering from a fresh access of dread, but now strung up and excited, placed his lips to her ear and bade her be silent on her life. The silence was for a few moments terrible, and then Harry's breath could be heard coming and going as if he had been hunted, while Louise, in her agony of excitement, sought vainly for words that should put an end to the painful encounter. No one moved; and in the midst of the nervous strain a sharp puff of wind came sweeping up from the sea, like the _avant-garde_ of a storm, and the casement window was blown to with a loud clang. Harry started as if he had felt that his retreat was cut off, but he kept his face averted, and dragged his rough hat down over his eyes, though the action was unnecessary, for the darkness was too great for him to be recognised. As he started Louise clung to him, and for the moment he struggled to escape from her, but he clung to her the next instant, and quivered with fear as the silence was broken by Leslie's voice, so cold, deep, and harsh that it seemed as if a stranger was speaking. "I suppose I have no right to interfere," he said; "but there are times when a man forgets or puts aside etiquette, and there are reasons here why I should speak. Miss Vine, where is your father?" Louise made an effort to reply, but there was only a spasmodic catching of her breath. "Send him away. Tell him to go," whispered Harry. "I said, where is your father, Miss Vine?" said Leslie again more coldly. "At--at Mr Van Heldre's," she murmured at last. "Mr Leslie--pray--" "I am your father's friend, and I should not be doing my duty--Ah! my duty--to myself," he cried angrily, "if I did not speak plainly. Does Mr Vine know that this gentleman is here?" "No," said Louise, in an almost inaudible voice, and in the contagion of her brother's fear she seemed to see him once more hunted down by the officers of justice; and the terrible scene on the pier danced before her eyes. "So I suppose," said Leslie coldly. "Send him away," whispered Harry hoarsely. "It is not in Miss Louise Vine's power to send me away, sir," cried Leslie fiercely; and the poor trembling girl felt her brother start once more. "You, sir, are here, by her confession, clandestinely. You are a scoundrel and a cur, who dare not show your face or you would not have dashed out that light." Harry made a harsh guttural sound, such as might be uttered by a beast at bay. "Who are you? I need not ask your object in coming here. I could not help hearing."