This was a hard question to answer. He could not tell her a falsehood, and it would be useless to do so if he could, for she would soon find out for herself the painful truth. It was worse than folly to lie to her; he must tell her the actual situation, and he might just as well do it then as a few hours later. The Maud was bound for England; and Scoble had no doubt bought the vessel for the sole purpose of taking her and her son there. “You don’t answer me, Louis. Why are you silent?” she asked, fixing an anxious gaze upon him when he hesitated. “We are not returning to Southfield, mother, I am sorry to say,” replied he, seating himself by her berth, and taking her hand. “You must be very strong and brave, mother, for my news is very disagreeable.” “What is it, Louis?” she demanded with a gasp. “This vessel is the Maud; John Scoble is in command of her, and we are bound to England.” The poor woman covered her face with her hands and said not a word. CHAPTER VII THE CONFERENCE IN THE STATEROOM Louis felt that he had done no more than his duty in telling his mother that they were in the power and at the mercy of the enemy; and he regarded John Scoble as an enemy in the worst sense of the word. He was not disposed to give way to despondency, though the prospect before him and his mother was anything but assuring. His two male friends were prisoners in the hold, and until he could deliver them he could hardly hope to accomplish anything for the party, of which the circumstances appeared to have made him the leader. Scoble did not yet show himself; for he seemed to be satisfied that he had won a complete victory in the capture of his wife and her son, and was willing to let them recover from their astonishment before he took a second step. What the next step would be was a trying question to Louis, and he wished to make himself ready, if he could, to meet it. He could hardly believe that the conspirator would take Captain Ringgold and Felix to England with him; and he was anxious to free them before any other disposition was made of them, for he needed their aid. Louis was not afraid of Scoble; all he really feared was that his mother might grow weak in the battle with the enemy. He felt that he must strengthen her, and if possible increase her power of resistance to the insidious magnetism of her former husband. There could be no better time than while she lay in her berth recovering from the effect of her sea-sickness, and he might not have another opportunity to converse with her. He might be defeated in any enterprise in which he engaged, and then be a prisoner in the hold with his friends from the Park. “I suppose I am to blame for this misfortune, mother,” said Louis, as he bent over her, and spoke in a low tone, fearful that Scoble might be within hearing distance of them.