The conversation was lightly kept up, when suddenly a tremendous crash was heard, shouts of alarm were raised, and a retainer rushed into the hall, saying that the place was attacked by a force of Roundheads.
"Defense is hopeless," the lady said, as Prince Rupert and Harry drew their swords.

"There are but five or six old men here, and the door appears to be already yielding.

There is a secret chamber here where you can defy their search." Prince Rupert, dreading above all things to be taken prisoner, and seeing that resistance would be, as their hostess said, vain, followed her into an adjoining room hung with arras.

Lifting this, she showed a large stone.

Beneath it, on the floor was a tile, in no way differing from the others.