Charles Holland, in order to avoid the likelihood of meeting with any one who would question him as to where he was going, determined upon leaving his room by the balcony, which, as we are aware, presented ample facilities for his so doing. He cast a glance at the portrait in the panel before he left the apartment, and then saying— “For you, dear Flora, for you I essay this meeting with the fearful original of that portrait,” he immediately opened his window, and stepped out on to the balcony. Young and active as was Charles Holland, to descend from that balcony presented to him no difficulty whatever, and he was, in a very few moments, safe in the garden of Bannerworth Hall. He never thought, for a moment, to look up, or he would, in an instant, have seen the white head of his old uncle, as it was projected over the sill of the window of his chamber. [Illustration: The admiral watches Charles’s midnight departure from the Hall.] The drop of Charles from the balcony of his window, just made sufficient noise to attract the admiral’s attention, and, then, before he could think of making any alarm, he saw Charles walking hastily across a grass plot, which was sufficiently in the light of the moon to enable the admiral at once to recognise him, and leave no sort of doubt as to his positive identity. Of course, upon discovering that it was Charles, the necessity for making an alarm no longer existed, and, indeed, not knowing what it was that had induced him to leave his chamber, a moment’s reflection suggested to him the propriety of not even calling to Charles, lest he should defeat some discovery which he might be about to make. “He has heard something, or seen something,” thought the admiral, “and is gone to find out what it is. I only wish I was with him; but up here I can do nothing at all, that’s quite clear.” Charles, he saw, walked very rapidly, and like a man who has some fixed destination which he wishes to reach as quickly as possible. When he dived among the trees which skirted one side of the flower gardens, the admiral was more puzzled than ever, and he said— “Now where on earth is he off to? He is fully dressed, and has his cloak about him.” After a few moments’ reflection he decided that, having seen something suspicious, Charles must have got up, and dressed himself, to fathom it. The moment this idea became fairly impressed upon his mind, he left his bedroom, and descended to where one of the brothers he knew was sitting up, keeping watch during the night. It was Henry who was so on guard; and when the admiral came into the room, he uttered an expression of surprise to find him up, for it was now some time past twelve o’clock. “I have come to tell you that Charles has left the house,” said the admiral. “Left the house?” “Yes; I saw him just now go across the garden.” “And you are sure it was he?” “Quite sure. I saw him by the moonlight cross the green plot.”