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 captor, who quietly replaced the pistol in his coat.

"Mr. Dare," says the Captain with great suavity, "might I suggest that you change your clothes before my men can note them."

"On the contrary, Mr. Dare," says I, "I would suggest, for my part, that you advertise yourself before them in this attire. For I do not doubt that they will rejoice to learn what handsome fools they are."

"My Lady Barbara is surely hard upon them," says the Captain. "Something should be allowed for her powers of deceit."

"Would you insult me, sir?" I cries, dying to pick a quarrel with the man. There are periods when one would forfeit willingly one's figure in the world to have a virago's privileges for a short five minutes. However, I saw full bitterly that railing could not avail.

Perforce I kept my gaze from the white-faced prisoner. I could not endure to see the lad. Not that he took the matter ill. He was outwardly as calm as was his foe. But there was something in his mien that made a dreadful coward of me at a time when I could have wished to be most brave.

A horrid silence presently ensued. The Captain had said his say already. And I had much to speak, but for my life I could not speak it then. As for the prisoner, when I stole a look at him, he was staring with grim eyes at Sir Peter Lely's picture of my mother, hung upon the wall. But he stood