Page 15

and that his spurs clanked upon the oaken flooring, and that he still whistled, to beguile the loneliness of his watch, it would scarcely seem safe even to converse in the low whispers which the fugitives used. Suddenly then Bertha grasped the arm of Markham and spoke more hurriedly. "1 can perceive," she said, "that the Marquis of Charlton is in full uniform, according to his rank in the army, and, since he has come only from St. James's- Palace, his regimentals are not so smirched and Boiled
as yours ore, Markham, by the many adventures you have gone through." " That is true enough, Bertha."
" Moreover, Markham, you are known probably to the soldiers as being under arrest and sought for, while the marquis's name may never have been mentioned." " What may all this lead to, Bertha i" " 1 have an idea, Markham. You may call it on
extravagant one, and there may be some danger in it." " That we shall not shrink from." " No, I know you will not ; but if it bo that the Marquis of Charlton is not implicated m this search his appearance im Whitehall as a well-known officer of rank might carry with it military authority." " Ah ! I see.'' " Yen, Markham, you understand ; but do not let him rush into peril for my sake, since I will strive to endure— and what ie there that I cannot endure tor your
soke, Markham i" " It is a happy thought, Bertha, and may savo us yet. Charlton ! Charlton !" Tho marquis stepped up to them, and Markham ex plained to him Bertha's idea, all the risks and all the chances of which he saw in a moment. There was no hesitation, however, in his mind upon 11 le subject.
" If my name has not been compromised already," h« said, " in this search, my military authority must b«.' paramount, since it is not at all probable any officer ox" my rank is present in the building." " You will try it, then, Charlton F" "Indeed will I." ." But be careful." " That I will, for all our sakes. I must consider the best means of getting into the gallery." The marquis considered for somo few moments, and ho spoke again in whispered tones. " Yes. Thero will be no other way. I might fully succeed by stepping boldly out and facing the sentinel, and quietly closing the secret panel behind me, as
thuugh that were the way in which I chose to enter the gallery ; but if his orderH go to the length of arrest ing me such a step might compromise us all." " How will you act, then ?" " We can hear that he walks some distance on his post to and fro, and by a little doxterity I think I may emerge into the gallery while his back is towards the panel. He will not know then how I entered it, and I
can call to him or meet him face to face." It was quite evident to the mind of Markham, as well as to that of the Marquis of Charlton, that, taking everything into consideration, this was the safest course to pursue. There was no hesitation whatever on the part of the marquis, and he now stood close to the revolving panel listening to the fijotsteps of the sentinel and waiting the most favourable moment for action.
There was a perfectly prominent handle on the side of the panel nearest to the secret apartment, for no disguiBO was there attempted of the only mude of egress —that is to say, tho only mode with which the little party there assembled was acquainted. With his hand upon this handle, the Marquis of Charlton listened intently to the Blow measured tread of the sentinel without. He let the soldier take two or three turns, in order that he might thoroughly accustom his ears to the dif
ferent gradations of sound before ho moved. Catching tho moment, then, when the sentinel's
march was within two or three paces of its furthest distance, the marquis drew the panel sharply open and stepped out into the gallery. This movement was not effected without some noise, nor did the marquis affect unyjinesse in the matter, for rapidity and boldness of action were the only elements of success in what he was about to encounter. The sentinel turned abruptly, but the marquis was free of the panel, and had closed it again. The light in the gallery was very dim, since it only arose from a lantern which the soldiers had placed on the pedestal of a statue.
The sentinel challenged at once, and brought his carbine to the " present." " Who goes there ? Stand ! or I fire." " Guard," cried the marquis, as he advanced, with out a moment's hesitation, " guard, recover arms." The command was given in so unhesitating a tone of voice, and the light, dim as it was, so unmistakably showed it was an officer who uttered the words, that the sentinel flung his corbino back upon his arm at
once, and stood at " attention." " There is no longer any occasion," said tho mar quis, " to hold this post. Whero is your sergeant ? or have you a commissioned officer on duty hero ?" " It's only a sergeant's party, colonel," replied the Soldier.
" Very well. You must summon your sergeant, and I will order him to collect and bring in the sentinels." " Yes, colonel." The manoeuvre was perfectly successful, so far as regarded this sentinel, and he left the gallery at onco to seek his sergeant. Of course the orders from a superior officer did any
thing and everything. Tho sergeant soon appeared, accompanied by a couple of troopers, and looking a little suspicious. " Halt !" cried the marquis. The little party obeyed mechanically. *
The sergeant then ceremoniously saluted the Mar quis of Charlton. " I know your honour very well," ho said, "but I
was afraid for the moment that the sentinel on duty here had made a fool of himself, since one of the per sons whom we ore placed here to arrest is an officer of
the guard." " You are quite right, sergeant ; but, as it does not happen to be me, you will tako your orders." " Yes, colonel. I presume they "are in the name of the king?" " Certainly. Every officer of his Majesty gives every order, however minute, in the namo of the
long." Tho sergeant thought it necessary to " saluto " again at these words, for they sounded very imposing in deed. " You will collect all the sentinels," added tho mar quis, " both outsido and in this building, and report yourself to the adjutant on duty at the Horse Guards." A third time tho sergeant saluted. " Right about face ! March!" A few moments more, and the Marquis of Charlton was alone in the picture gallery of old Whitehall. He paced slowly to and fro, «over even casting an eye upon tho panel which contained the portrait of the first Charles, for he had no means of feeling perfectly sure that the whole proceeding was not watched by some scrutinising eye. As minuto after minute, however, passed away, and all remained profoundly still, the marquis became re assured as to the success of thn stratajrom, which no
doubt by that time had cleared Whitehall of its un welcome intruders. He opened a door at the farther end of the gallery and listened intently. There was not a sound throughout the whole extent of the vast building. It was tolerably clear, therefore, that the sergeant's guard of the king's Light Horse had obeyed the order given them, and duly departed for their quarters at tho Horse Guards. The time for action had come. If escape were to be achieved, the next hour must see the fugitives well on thoir way, for the dawn was
very rapidly approaching.
CHAPTER LIV.
CONCLUSION.
The Marquis of Charlton struck heavily upon the panelled picture, in tho way he had seen the Mystery in Scarlet do when introducing tho little party to the secret chamber. The panel yielded at once. The same harsh grating sound that before had very nearly proved a discovery of their placo of seclusion echoed through the dismal gallery. But there were now no ears to listen to those sounds that were at all mimical to tho chances of escape. " Now," cried the marquis, " now is the time. All seems to be well ; but which of us shall say how long such a condition will last ?" Bertha hesitated for a moment, and then, with the instinct of duty even before her best affections, it was her father she clung to. Another moment, and they were all in tho gallery. The marquis thon turned to Dick Martin, tho drum mer, and, placing his hand in a friendly manner on the boy's shoulder, he said—
" Make your way to tho back of Whitehall as quick as you can, my boy, and see if all is clear down by tho river. I think that will be the last service we shall want of you to-night." Dick Martin "saluted" wfth military exactitude, and then hastened on his errand. About five minutes elapsed before the boy returned. " All is clear, colonel. Thero is not a soul about, and the rain has even scattered tho watermen, for I could not see one in chargo of the wherries." " Then in good truth our time has come." " Yes," replied Markham, " our time, but not yours,
marquis. There can be no reason for you becoming a
fugitive." " Nono whatever," added Bertha, "and I do not think wo ought any further to hazard your safety or compromise your good name." " I must, at all ovents," replied tho marquis, "see you safely embarked. You ore well aware, both of you, that duty and affection chain me to England. I
do not think that Agnes, Miss Kerr, and I are in any danger, for we may be well assured that the queen will keep our secret inviolate."
V It may be remarked here that tho Marquis of Charl ton could have no knowledge of tho treacherous and insidious conduct of Norris the valet. He, as well as Markham, considered the attack upon Whitehall as only another effort upon the part of the
king to f^&t possession of Bertha. Dick Martin had found a ready passage to tho back of the building, and he now led the way, as light of foot as he was light of heart. " You will be very happy," whispered Bertha to the
Marquis of Charlton, " very happy, as you deserve to be, and who shall say but in somo future time wo may all meet attain ?" She hela out her hand to the marquis as she spoke, who pressed it in silence, for he was very anxious to seo them out of the precincts of Whitehall, and could scarcely control the agitation that possessed him. Out into a long neglected garden, covered with weeds and rank growth of every description—down a
narrow paved causeway, upon which moss and creeping plants luxuriated in thick profusion — thon making their way with some trouble through an undergrowth of bushes between some trees—and then, with the cold air of the river blowing upon them, and the black turbid stream heaving in the night light, they stood at tho top of a flight of stone steps, which had in distant
times formed a handsome river entrance to tho old palace. In those steps, so as to suit various altitudes of the tido, there were poworful hooks and rings, for the con venience of tho numerous boats and barges which used there to tako up and sot down illustrious person ages. But many years had passed away since those steps had been trodden by the footsteps of tho gay and tho gallant. Not within t&o memory of living man had finely- bedizened boats and barges, with silken canopies and fluttering pennons, thronged that once courtly spot. The jrenius of neglect and desolation had taken pos session of it, nnd the glory of the water-gate of White hall had departed for ever. It was only late at night, when all chance of pas sengers or traffic on the liver had passed away until the next day, that any wherries wero moored at that spot. But at this dim hour of the night there were some eight or ten gently heaving to and fro on the languid tide. Tho fact was that tho place was considered safo and inaccessible ; so those watermen who did not make on apprentice sleep in their bouts at night, as was but too generally the custom, would moor their wherries at these old marble steps, and repair to their various homes in the purlieus of Westminster or Lambeth to rest in perfect security. There was by no means the assortment of twinkling lights upon tho Thames which now may be observed all the night through. On the contrary, you might look right and left for a
good half-mile, and scarcely see above two or three pale reflections of some misorable oil lamp at a wharf
or jetty. But that dawn which tho fugitives had to dread so much was slowly and surely coming. " It is your only and your best chance," whispered the Marquis of Charlton to Markham. " The tide is evidently on the turn, and will bo soon running strongly down the river. You must take one of these
wherries, and row with a stout heart and a strong
will." " Neither shall be wanting," replied Markham. " It is difficult to say how far you may have to go, but, if report speaks true, there are always Dutch gal liots plying high up in tho stream, on protence of fish ing, out really for the purpose of taking off Jacobite
fugitives." " I shall hardly be able to convince them," said
Markham, " that I come under that description." " Well, I can givo you some information on that head. Thero has been, as you know, a special com mission sitting for some time to try somo real or pro
tended Jacobite plotters, and a nobleman, a friend of mine, who is a member of that commission, told me
their watchwords." " A most valuable piece of information, marquis." " It is just this : —When you run aside any vessel that you think answers your purposo you are to call out. 'There is a King of England. ' "
'•la that all?"
" Not quite. If they merely staro stupidly at you, and seem not to understand you, you must just go on rind try your fortune elsewhere, but if the reply is, ' Where is he f' you have to answer, ' Not at St. James's,' and then you will be taken on board, and if you have money to pay handsomely the Dutch, Flemish, or French captain, as the case may be, they will take you to any port you like." " A thousand thanks, marquis. Let mo echo Bertha's hopo that we may meet again in happier
times." There was no difficulty in securing one of the wher ries, and, with great care and tenderness, Markham seated both Bertha and her father in it. The latter bent his head down and clasped his hands
over his face. He seemed to feel that all his dreams of greatness