“You are in the palace of his lordship, the Baron Weichel,” answered Nina, dropping her eyes, while a guilty flush mounted to her brow, beneath the penetrating gaze of Miss Dupont. “But how came we here?” interrupted Madame Alroyd, with a sharp glance at her, as she noted her evident confusion. “You were brought here by the baron’s own orders, madam.” “And what authority has he to order us here, I should like to know?” said the old lady, indignantly. “And another thing I want to have you explain to me; and that is, how were we brought here during the night without our knowledge?” “His lordship arranged all that,” said Nina. “Well, then, I must say that his lordship is no gentleman, to allow people to enter a room and remove its sleeping occupants,” returned madam, with a good deal of asperity. “No one entered your room to remove you, madam——” “No one entered our room!” repeated the now angry woman, with hands upraised in absolute astonishment. “Do you suppose you can make me believe such an unlikely story as that?” “No, madam, unless you choose,” was the humble reply. “I am all out of patience with you. Do, Dora, try and make her explain this mystery,” urged Madame Alroyd, with a look of perplexity upon her face. And Dora, with a charming expression of good nature, which won the servant’s heart at once, went up to her and said, sweetly: “Now, Nina, please to dress my hair; and, in the meantime, tell us all you know about this singular transportation during the night. You must realize that it is a very trying situation to us.” Dora seated herself, and the girl went to work, with nimble and willing fingers, to bind up and arrange her abundant golden tresses; and after a few moments’ hesitation, replied: “Mademoiselle must excuse me, for I cannot answer her question.” “Why not?” asked Miss Dupont, with a pout upon her red lips. “Because—because the chief—I mean his lordship—will do that,” stammered Nina, in confusion. Dora was startled from her seat by a sharp shriek from her aunt, who sprang frantically from the bed, wringing her hands, and exclaiming: “The chief! the chief! Do you hear, Dora?—the chief! Oh, heavens! we are in the hands of a band of robbers—in the hands of those awful smugglers that we heard about at the hotel! I see it all now—the trouble with the horses, their plunging and rearing; that dreadful noise as of some one falling; the unnatural tones of the driver, which was not Thomas at all! All—all is as plain as day to me now. Oh, Dora, Dora, my darling, we are lost!” Dora, with a pale face, turned to Nina, and demanded sternly: “Girl, what have you to say? Is what my aunt suspects the truth?” “Ah! pardon, pardon, mademoiselle, but I dare not tell!” cried the poor girl, with streaming eyes and clasped hands, for she was touched to the heart with their cruel distress.