A soft voice followed him in his retreat.
"Why, Giles, are you afeard of me ?" At this, Giles's head peeped cautiously up, and he saw it was only his sister Kate.
She put her finger to her lips.

"Hush! lest the wicked Cornelis or the wicked Sybrandt hear us." Giles's claws seized the side of the bed, and he returned to his place by one undivided gymnastic.
Kate then revealed to Giles that she had heard Cornelis and Sybrandt mention Gerard's name; and being herself in great anxiety at his not coming home all day, had listened at their door, and had made a fearful discovery.

Gerard was in prison, in the haunted tower of the Stadthouse.
He was there, it seemed, by their father's authority.

But here must be some treachery; for how could their father have ordered this cruel act?
He was at Rotterdam.

She ended by entreating Giles to bear her company to the foot of the haunted tower, to say a word of comfort to poor Gerard, and let him know their father was absent, and would be sure to release him on his return.
"Dear Giles, I would go alone, but I am afeard of the spirits that men say do haunt the tower; but with you I shall not be afeard." "Nor I with you," said Giles.