“Has any thing been heard or seen of him whom we seek?” demanded Spikeman of a soldier, as he entered the room wherein he had left Joy.

“Nothing, so please you,” answered the man; “and Philip here says that our search will be bootless, for that he is not in the house.”

“A fine soldier thou, and a shrewd,” said Spikeman, contemptuously, “to trust what a prisoner may say!  Call me Lieutenant Venn.”

The soldier went out, and presently returned with the lieutenant.

“Hast thou discovered nothing on thy watch on the outside?” inquired Spikeman.

“We invested the building so closely,” answered Venn, “that had a mouse attempted to run away, we had seen and captured it; but no sound has broken the silence, nor aught met our sight.”

“Has the whole interior been thoroughly searched?”

“But short time does it require to unshell the kernel of a nut like this,” returned the officer, looking round; “and Cowlson reports to me that everything in it, save in the woman’s quarters, (which his modesty did not permit him to search,) is as well known to him as the contents of his own cabin.”

“I fear that the principal object of our undertaking is defeated,” said Spikeman, with a look, of disappointment.

“Yea,” said the officer, “the prey hath escaped even as a bird from the snare.  What is to be done now, seeing that Sir Christopher is not to be found?”

Spikeman did not hesitate, for he had been considering the course to be adopted in the contingency, and he therefore promptly answered—­

“We have not entirely failed.  We have at least the woman, and important information may be obtained from her.  The hope of working her deliverance, or of making terms with us on her account, may also induce the Knight to put himself in our power.”

“I like not,” said Venn, “a foray, whose achievement is the making prisoners of Miles Arundel, of honest Philip, and of a sorrowful-looking woman.  Meseems it redounds but little to the credit of a file of twenty men.”

“I understand not,” continued Spikeman, as though the remark failed to reach him, “by what means the man was apprised of our design.  Or it may be, that, by mere chance, he is absent; for some evil purpose, doubtless.  It will, however, avail him nothing, for sooner or later he must fall into our net.  I have lingered in the hope that he might return and be caught by the men on the margin of the wood—­a hope I give not up yet, and, therefore, perhaps it were better to wait awhile.”

“I pray you, sir,” said Lieutenant Venn, “to do me a pleasure in one thing.  Delay not our departure until it be so late that the sun is risen when we enter Boston.  I confess to some shame on account of this night’s work, and desire that what was begun in darkness may be ended in like manner.”

“What fanciful follies be these?” said Spikeman.  “Art thou degraded by any service which promotes the interests of the Commonwealth?”