"Silence, Arthur!" said the Knight, sternly. "Know you not what
treason you speak? Some trick has been played on your simplicity,
and yet you--child as you are--should as soon think shame of your
own father as of the Prince, the very soul of honour."

"Oh, it is not the Prince: he knows nought of it; it is those double
traitors, the Baron of Clarenham and Sir Leonard Ashton, who have
worked upon him and deceived him."

"Oh, ho!" said Gaston. "The story now begins to wear some semblance
of probability."

Arthur turned, looking perplexed. "Master d'Aubricour," said he,
"I forgot that you were here. This is a secret which should have
been for my uncle's ears alone."

"Is it so?" said Gaston; "then I will leave the room, if it please
you and the Knight--though methought I was scarce small enough to
be so easily overlooked; and having heard the half--"

"You had best hear the whole," said Arthur. "Uncle Eustace, what
think you?"

"I know not what to think, Arthur. You must be your own judge."

Arthur's young brow wore a look of deep thought; at last he said,
"Do not go then, Gaston. If I have done wrong, I must bear the
blame, and, be it as it may, my uncle needs must tell you all that
I may tell him."