Eustace was well pleased with all that he heard, and returned to his lodging, where, in the evening twilight, he was deeply engaged in consultation with Gaston, on the number of followers to be raised, when a light step was heard hastily approaching, and Arthur, darting into the room, flung himself on his neck, exclaiming, "Uncle! uncle! go not to this Castle!" "Arthur, what brings you here? What means this? No foolish frolic, no escape from punishment, I trust?" said Eustace, holding him at some little distance, and fixing his eyes on him intently. "No, uncle, no! On the word of a true Knight's son," said the boy, stammering, in his eagerness, "believe me, trust me, dear uncle--and go not to this fearful Castle. It is a trap--a snare laid to be your death, by the foulest treachery!" "Silence, Arthur!" said the Knight, sternly. "Know you not what treason you speak? Some trick has been played on your simplicity, and yet you--child as you are--should as soon think shame of your own father as of the Prince, the very soul of honour." "Oh, it is not the Prince: he knows nought of it; it is those double traitors, the Baron of Clarenham and Sir Leonard Ashton, who have worked upon him and deceived him." "Oh, ho!" said Gaston. "The story now begins to wear some semblance of probability." Arthur turned, looking perplexed. "Master d'Aubricour," said he, "I forgot that you were here. This is a secret which should have been for my uncle's ears alone." "Is it so?" said Gaston; "then I will leave the room, if it please you and the Knight--though methought I was scarce small enough to be so easily overlooked; and having heard the half--" "You had best hear the whole," said Arthur. "Uncle Eustace, what think you?" "I know not what to think, Arthur. You must be your own judge." Arthur's young brow wore a look of deep thought; at last he said, "Do not go then, Gaston. If I have done wrong, I must bear the blame, and, be it as it may, my uncle needs must tell you all that I may tell him." "Let us hear, then," said Eustace. "Well, then," said Arthur, who had by this time collected himself, "you must know that this Chateau Norbelle is one of those built by that famous Paladin, the chief of freebooters, Sir Renaud de Montauban, of whom you have told me so many tales. Now all of these have secret passages in the vaults communicating with the outer country." "The boy is right," said Gaston; "I have seen one of them in the Castle of Montauban itself." "Then it seems," proceeded Arthur, "that this Castle hath hitherto been in the keeping of a certain one-eyed Seneschal, a great friend and comrade of Sir Leonard Ashton--" "Le Borgne Basque!" exclaimed both Knight and Squire, looking at each other in amaze.