He hurried to open, and found the boots without.

"You are the gentleman who called yesterday at Box Court?" he

asked.

Silas, with a quaver, admitted that he had done so.

"Then this note is for you," added the servant, proffering a sealed

envelope.

Silas tore it open, and found inside the words: "Twelve o'clock."

He was punctual to the hour; the trunk was carried before him by

several stout servants; and he was himself ushered into a room,

where a man sat warming himself before the fire with his back

towards the door. The sound of so many persons entering and

leaving, and the scraping of the trunk as it was deposited upon the

bare boards, were alike unable to attract the notice of the

occupant; and Silas stood waiting, in an agony of fear, until he

should deign to recognise his presence.

Perhaps five minutes had elapsed before the man turned leisurely

about, and disclosed the features of Prince Florizel of Bohemia.

"So, sir," he said, with great severity, "this is the manner in

which you abuse my politeness. You join yourselves to persons of

condition, I perceive, for no other purpose than to escape the

consequences of your crimes; and I can readily understand your

embarrassment when I addressed myself to you yesterday."

"Indeed," cried Silas, "I am innocent of everything except

misfortune."

And in a hurried voice, and with the greatest ingenuousness, he

recounted to the Prince the whole history of his calamity.

"I see I have been mistaken," said his Highness, when he had heard

him to an end. "You are no other than a victim, and since I am not

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