At this moment the lame ostler came up, and grumbling at us as if he had never seen us in his life before, and never wished to see us again, took our horses. We went into the kitchen, and taking the first chance of slipping upstairs to No. 15, we were admitted with the same precautions as before, and descending the shaft gained the cellar. Here we were not, as we had looked to be, the first on the scene. I suppose a sense of the insecurity of our meeting-place had led every one to come early, so as to be gone early. Penruddocke indeed was not here yet, but Kingston and half a score of others were sitting about conversing in low tones. It was plain that the distrust and suspicion which we had remarked on the previous day had not been allayed by the discovery of Clarence's treachery. Indeed, it was clear that the distrust and despondency had to-day become a panic. Men glared at one another and at the door, and talked in whispers and started at the slightest sound. I glanced round. The one I sought for with eager yet shrinking eyes was not to be seen. I turned to Master Bertie, my face mutely calling on him to ask the question. "Where is the prisoner?" he said sharply. A moment I hung in suspense. Then one of the men said, "He is in there. He is safe enough!" He pointed, as he spoke, to a door which seemed to lead to an inner cellar. "Right," said Master Bertie, still standing. "I have two pieces of bad news for you nevertheless. Firstly I have just been recognized by the Spanish Ambassador, whom I met in the courtyard above." Half the men rose to their feet. "What is he doing here?" they cried, one boldly, the others with the quaver very plain in their voices. "I do not know; but he recognized me. Why he took no steps to detain or arrest me I cannot tell. He rode away by the north road." They gazed at one another and we at them. The wolfish look which fear brings into some faces grew stronger in theirs. "What is your other bad news?" said Kingston, with an oath. "A person outside, a friend of the prisoner, has a list of our names, and knows our meeting-place and our plans. She threatens to use the knowledge unless the man Clarence or Crewdson be set free." There was a loud murmur of wrath and dismay, amid which Kingston alone preserved his composure. "We might have been prepared for that," he said quietly. "It is an old precaution of such folk. But how did you come to hear of it?" "My friend here saw the messenger and heard the terms. The man must be set free by sunset." "And what warranty have we that he will not go straight with his plans and his list to the Council?" Master Bertie could not answer that, neither could I; we had no surety, and if we set him free could take none save his word. _His word!_ Could even I ask them to accept that? To stake the life of the meanest of them on it?