ROBINSON :P^-: UNIVERSITY OF CAlfWDRNIA Half-forgotten books WHITEFRIARS HALF^FORGOHEN BOOKS. Edited by E. JI. BAKER, M.A, TOM BULLKLEY. Hv k. MOUNTENEY JEPHBON. WHITEFRIA»S. Uy K.M.MA ROBINSON. \Mar(h, 1903. THE rVIYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO. V>\ ANN KADCLIEFE. CALEB WILLIAMS. Bv WILLIAM GODWIN. {April. SAM SLICK. By JUDGF. HALIUURTON. the pottleton legacy. bv alhert smith. Otmlr Volumes to Follow. WHITEFRIARS; or The Court of Charles II. Bv EMMA ROBINSON w iTH AN Introduction by E. A. BAKER, M.A. LONDON GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS, LIMITED BROADWAY HOUSE, LUDGATE HILL MDCCCCIV \'\ 1 9 6'/'/ iv 'I l)M-f Ij J INTRODUCTION. It is almost inexplicable why some novels that have all the elements of popularity, quite apart from their strictly literary merits, should drop suddenly and completely out of knowledge. " Whitefriars " is a story that for sheer melodramatic power, for sustained brilliance, and inexhaustible flow of sensation, has few superiors except among the greatest romances; a story that took the public by storm when it appeared in 1844, and was instantly dramatised; but is now forgotten, save by elderly people who remember it as one of their early favourites. " White- friars "is a real living book, as much as an historical romance can be alive ; not, indeed, by any power of character develop- ment, but by the energy with which the characters of the story live and act. And it belongs to a class of fiction that is by no means out of fashion at the present day, for it was a product of the times when Harrison Ainsworth and Bulwer Lytton, Ct. p. R. James, and many other industrious but now forgotten writers were rivalling the fecundity of Scott, and when a rival v( theirs, Alexandre Dumas, was writing historical romance on a scale and at a rate of speed that Scott never dreamed of. The authoress, Emma Robinson, sent out her book anony- mously, a practice that she kept up with her fifteen other novels and tales. Only one of these came near her first in popularity or intrinsic meiit — the Florentine novel " Cajsar Borgia," one of the best histoiical studies of a terribly fascinating age. But the others are still nad with pleasure by such people as come across well-thumbed copies. " Whitefriars " is a faithful and an illuminative reading of history ; not because its pages bristle with celebrated names, but because the authoress has studied the period thoughtfully, and has made historical issues the motive force in her plot. The most infamous and detestable villain in the annals of our country, Titus Gates, is the villain of the tale; the boldest ruffian, Colonel Blood, who impudently attempted to hang his enemy, the Duke of Ormonde, at Tyburn, and all but succeeded in carrying off the En"lish regs\l'a from the Tower, is his col!e;igue in the office. 5:28 VI iNTnoDucriON. Historical tmisactions, the alleged "Popish Plot" with ils murderous seijuel, Lord Russell and Algernon Sydney's conspir- acy, and that other conspiracy within a conspiracy, the Kye House Plot, are the cardinal events in the action. Perhaps the novelist achieved so much success largely because she dis- {jensed with so much of the conventional. Life and move- ment were above all her aims. She did not even pretend to reproduce the contemporary speech, and she seasons her dialogue with very little of the conglomerate jargon dear to the average romancer. She did not trouble to invent very many characters nor yet very many incidents; but simply took a number of personages, from Koyal Charlie down to the " honest " robbvr Claude Duval, and a certain concatenation of events from the records of that turbulent period, and dressed them up to the fancy of an opulent imagination. Her canvas is magnilicent in breadth and colouring, and she filled it with an amazing crowd of multifnrious characters, whose individual lineaments are not untrue to history, yet have the fascination of ron:ance. Every portion of her canvjus glows with colour ; nevertheless, there aro some things, brilliant or lurid, that strike the eye with asingular force and are quite unforgettable. Among them are that splendid and impressive tableau of the Great. Fire, the haunting scenes in the gruesome old mansion on Thames-side, where the miser was butchered, and where Gates and Blood contrived their villainies, the dissolute revelries of Buckingham, Kochester, and the disguised monarch in Alsatia, and the horrors of the mock trials in the City. If the features of old " Whitefriars " or " Alsatia," the thieves' p;iradise, are suggested to some extent by " The Fortunes of Nigel," and if there are reminiscences of " OKI Mortality" in the chapters dealing with Monmouth and the Covenantei-s, that is no detraction at all from the book's freshness and superabvuulance of incident. There is something particularly audacious in that dramatic scene inside the low tavern in "Alsatia," where the King, disguised as a private gentleman, Rowley, is revelling with Buckingham and Rochester, also disguised. Nell (iwyn comes in, mawiueradiug as a gallant, and twits the two c mrtiers with having betrayed their royal ma)«ter b\' wooing — herself. "Now you know the lady's name, gentlemen, you surely have not the cr)nfidence to deny what I have asserted of yon — of you, falso rubles — lor you aro not disguised so much by those b»'ggar's clothes as ye aro in j'our earl's mantles." "Why, what imiof canst tliou allogr, rogue! that wo — that 1, Bucl1. Blood). Eeginald, Louu Meuvy.v, his son ; appears till near the end simpljr as Jlervyii, of unknown parentage. Lady Howahu, fornierly wife of Aunicrlc, and mother of Mervyn. Lord Uowiird of Eskrirke, a profligate iiohlc who elopes with Aumerle's wife; afterwards implicated in the conspiracy of Kusscil, Sydney, &c. Colonel Blood, a ruffian who attempted to hang the Duke of Ormonde, to steal the Crown jewels, and other atrocities. Dk. Titus Gates, denunciator of the supposed " Popish Plot." William Bedlow, another informer. Sheriff Bethel \ Two principal instruments in the persecution of Sheriff Cornish / Papists in London. Sir Edmondbury Godfrey, a London magistrate, murdered by Gates and Blood. Prance, a London goldsmith. ] Coleman, lute Duchess of York's Secretary. I Victims of Oates's Van Huysman, Rector-General of the Jesuits atj allegations. St. Omer. j John De Oliva, Van Huysman's roUe.igue at St. Omer. Judge Jeffreys, }iresides at the (rial of Algernon Sydney. Earl of Shaftesbmy, Dryden's false '* Achitophel," Charles IL's minister. Captain Jack Edwards, a ski])per, friend of Mervyn. Claude Duval, tlie famous highwaynum, another friend of Mervyn. Sir John Itobinson, Lieutenant of the Tower of London. Talbot Edwards, keeper of the Crown jewels. L'owley, alias King Cliarles IL ]juckingham and Rochester, his boon companions in " Alsatia." Nell Gwyn. Moll Creswold, a notorious procuress. Chiffincb, minister to the King's pleasures. I\Irs. Bradley, a tavern-keejier in "ALsatia." Elkanah, a Jew poisoner. Duke of York, the King's brother. Duke of Monmouth, the King's natural son.v William, Ijonl Russell. I Engaged with Mervyn Colonel ALCEitNON Sydney. I in a great consi)irai"y Tjord Essex. / against the Covem- Jobii llaiiipJen, son of the famous patriot, j mtut. ifiiiiibdld. / AuuoRA SviiNEY, daughter of Cul. Sydney, loved by Moivya. Pepys, Wren, Dr. Baxter. Dr. Tongue, Lord Danl-y, Duke of Ormonde, Lord O.ssory. ImuI of Leicester, Earl of Argyle, &r., historic personages that ap|ie«r in the story. Sreufx : Loudon — rhiellv the T city wau?, and gajaesome 'prentices sallied forth on their evening recre- unons. The river present jd an aspect of peculiar tranquillity. It was the eve preceding the sabbath, a day held scrupulously sacred by the great mass of the people, which was still pun- tan. The immense fleet of merchantmen from every nation, stretched along the river ; the barges and gilded wherries of the citizens, decorated with streamers and flags, were drawn up along the quays and wharfs, as if they, too, had a right V) their seventh day's rest. The grey ramparts and turrets of the Tower were lighted up with Itahan brilliancy in the rich colours of the sunset, and were decked out in holiday splendour with innumerable banderols, above which floated, on the highest tower, the gorgeous banner of England. The great beU, which usually summoned the inhabitants within the fortress limits before the gates closed, was toUing, and divers belated persons were hurrying towards them. Among these, riding at a jaded pace, appeared a soUtaiy horseman. He was mounted on a powerful np^, whoso original colour was probably white, but it was at present a dirty brown, and splashed and travel-stained from head to heel. The harness was strong and hcaNy, according to the £uhion of tho period, and the rider was a tall. wcU-mada 8 •WniTEKKIAES. man, who wore a Ligli hat with feathers, a travel] in^-cloai of scarlet, and huge jack-hoots with long spurs. His under- dress, which seemed a sort of livery of orange-coloured cloth, slashed with silver, was visible, from the mantle having slipped off his left shoulder, as if to cover a kiaJ of bundle wliich he carried. A pair of very large pistols, or rather blunderbusses, decked his holsters — ornaments by no means superfluous in that enterprising age, when so many " gentle- men" picked up a liveUhoodas attorneys-errant. In fact, the whole appearance of the rider was that of a dashing retainer to some noble house, only he wore no badge, and that part of the breast which is usually decked, was patched over with new velvet. Still his air was so jaunty and bold, that the warder whom he addressed at the postern respectfully sank his partisan. " Hollo, brother I canst tell me if Master Lieutenant be in the Tower ; and if so, where a man must seek who hath affair ^-ith himP" " Art from over sea ? methinks thy tongue smacks some- thing popishly," replied the warder. " If my English be good enough to be understood, trouble thyself no further," said the stranger, haughtUy. " If not, I shall not mend it for so poor a customer. And now, prithee, let mo pass. I have business with thy betters, which may not bo delayed." " Hast thou the pass-word, good friend?" returned the warder, grasping his weapon, and seeming to eye both horse and man witn no prejudice in favour of either. " No, but I bear an order from the councU to your lieute- nant, sealed with the king's seal, which I must deUver in person to his honour. Here's warranty enough, companion." And the stranger produced a paper, directed as lie had affirmed, which he thrust under tne warder's gaze. " Pass !" was the reply, and the eavaher, touching his horse with the spur, entered the gate. He found himself in a small q^uadrangle, hemmed in by lofty battlements, in which not a smgle hiunan being seemed stirring. Tiio clatter of his horse's hoofs, however, almost instantly attracted attention. An old man popped his liead out of n barred window above, and after listening to tlie horseman's aeeoumt of his objix^t, civilly offered to guide him to tlie lieutenant's presence. A hale-looking veteran, with cheeks as ruudy as tpph^, though his hair was nearly white, now made his anj>eaninee. He stated, however, that the lieutenant. Sir John n«ibinson, was at supper with some friends, and that if the husineM were not very pressing, it would bo better to wait till Lit THE T0\ve3. o liouour had done, oflering, meanwhile, a sloup of canary and a seat by a good fire to the stranccr, who returned his thanka for this civility in a somewhat foreign tone and manner, but declared that his errand required immediate despatch. Then, carelessly throwing the reins to the old man, " Prithee," he said, with an easy air of superiority ; " prithee, father grey-beard, hold my nag's head, lest I stumble and break my youngster's skull, and thereby waste a soul which may be valuable when it is grown." " What youngster, friend P I see none," said the old man. " Look here, then ; thou art old, but didst ever see a , prettier creature P" said the cavalier, lifting his cloak, and revealing a young child nestling asleep in its warmth. " Hast been in heaven kidxiapping cherubs P" exclaimed the old man, gazing with admiration at the beauty of the little sleeper. •' l^ay, 'faith, if aU were told, rather in t'other place," said the stranger, drily. Sillo, mignon! c'est la rtKiUde!" And he chucked his bloomy cheek tUl the child awoke. " And is this fair boy your sou ?" said the Tower-dweller, receiving the child softly in his arms. " It is not qiiite agreed whose son he is, camarado," replied the traveller, springing deftly from his saddle. " But I flatter myself 'tis not impossible. Morbleu I how a man's feet ache after a ten hours' ride ! PritJiee, hast any corner in which to bestow this reeking piece of horseflesh?" " There is a hostel in the next yard, whither I will take it when I have shown you to the hcutenant ; but methinks there is not much fear of his turning runaway." "Never trust a horse or a woman" said the traveller, throwing the rein round a projecting stkAcheon. "But now he is secure ; give mo the child, and lead on, gaffer." The old man complied, with a smile, and opening a door, admitted them into a small chamber, apparently a guard- room, from the military accoutrements scattered about. Thence they mounted a narrow flight of stairs, and entered a corridor, the long perspective of which terminated in massive folding-doors. The old man made a new effort, as they went, to gratify his curiosity by inquii-ing if the stranger eame to see any of the prisoners in the Tower ; and if so, belike some of those confined as abettors in the late popish conspiracy in Dublin. The stranger merely repUed that he Knew not his errand till Sir John informed him. The old man nodded significantly, and said no more till they rcacheil the portal, at which he tai)ped. A tall lackey instaully 4 n-dn£FBlAB8. appeared, excliangod a lew words iii a wbispor, and the doof was tlirown open. The cavalier, then doUing his plumed hat, stepped boldly forward into the apartment, making a cotui;ly reverence to Master Lieutenant and his company. It was a large square chamber, with two bow-window?. opening on the river, and richly furnished ; a table in the middle being set out with much glitter and luxury of viand*. At this sat three personages. One, a grave middle-aged man, with hair curling in iron-grey masses on his shoulders, was evidently the lieutenant, from a warder standing behind his chair witn a massive bunch of keys. The next was as evidently his guest ; a tall, well-made man, with a fat, large- featured face, naif-buried in a scented peruke. He had an habitual smile on his lips, and somewliat weak but lively eyes. He was dressed m the richest fashion of the time, bedizened in velvet, lace, and gold embroidery, with several lustrous rings on his plump white hands. The third at table was a lady past her meridian, but with the remains of great beauty, which she had done her best to revive by all the resources of the toilet, being rouged, patched, jewelled, and laced in profusion. Moreover, she had a voluptuous cast of features, and an eye whose expression did not appear much chastened by her matronly yeai's and station. The two latter persons looked at our traveller with some curiosity, and Sir John returned his salute with a stare and a nod. " Well, sir, your peremptory purpose with us, which could not wait till we ate our strawberries P" said the lieutenant, Bcinxtinizing his visitor. He perceived a face slightly marked with the small-pox, distinguished by a very resolute and audacious expression, and a profusion of hght mustaches and beard. His eye fell then on the boy, who seemed abovit four or five j'cars old, and who stood gazin*:; at him with a fine startled eye, as if in wonder. The child's figure was slight, but tall for his a";e, his complexion extroniely fair, and features so beautiful, tiiat it was iiardly possible to look at him without interest. His hair wa.s long, and curled in brown ringlets down his back. He was dressed in a very rustic style, in a short coat of grey fustian, yellow stockings, and a wide- brimmed hut, buckleu with a leaden chisp. " Please your honour, my purpose is best explained in thia paper," saicf the traveller, in reply to Sir .lonn's question. The lieutenant caught a glimpse nf tlu' seal, and took the letter Avitji a very important "a-lu'in!" Tlien carefully cutting the silk string, lie opciied the paper, atul read th« eonteuta with a grave and thought t'ul l>r<>w. Alean\\hile the THB TOW KB. geutleman at table played with the tassel of his doublet, and the lieut<'nant'8 wife took a deliberate survey of the traveller's person and equipments. " Come hither, man," said Sir John, walking to one of the windows ; " I must guage you a little, to see you have no smuggled goods in yoiu: hold. Know you the contents of this rescript ?" " Thus faa*," replied the traveller, quietjy, sustaining the lieutenant's scrutinizing look. " It is an order from his majesty to admit your honour's poor servant, one Claude Duval, gentleman of the body to the Lord Aumerlc, to his lordship a presence, now confaued in the Tower on cliarge of treason, and of concern in the late attempt to seize on the castle of Dublin. Your honour will judge if ray story tallies ?" " Very exactly well. Your name, you say, is Claud? Duval ?" said Sir John, smoothing his beard, with a musing countenance. " So I have heard these thirty years." " Valet to Mervyn, Lord Aumerle ?" " Gentleman of the body to the Earl Aumerle," said the traveller, with dignity. " And this child ?" inquired Sir John. " The order ot council says nothing of him. What is he, and why is he here ?" " Methought your honour would not refuse so poor a com- fort to a prisoner as to see his only child," said Claude, insinuatingly ; " so I made bold to bring him on my own responsibihty." '• You thought wrong then, sirrah," said the lieutenant, etemly. " Mine orders are positive. The earl is confined on a cliarge affecting his head ; and I did never hear that he had a son." " Not by his lady, monseigneur," said Claude, eagerly : " and therefore have 1 brought liim secretly. I do beseech you, sir, deny not my lord the only pleasure he shall probably taste again on this earth !" " ITis natural son, say you ?" said the lieutenant, hesi- tatingly. " Troth, he is like him enough. "What say you, my lady?" he added, abruptly stepping back into the cham- ber, and addressing his wile, who seemed engaged in nn interesting conversation with the cavalier at table, who was leaning amorously towards her on his elbow. " Hx>w say I, Sir John? Troth, if it be on the article of your breeding, I must needs say 'tis country-taught to leave your gixest so long with an empty goblet," replied the lady, TTHITKtBIABS. with a smile at lior guest, wlio coloured, smiled too, and arranged hia lace frill. " Nay, I but asked you if you marked the likeness between ray Lord Aumerle and this unlawful cub of his ?" said the lieutenant, biting his lip. " My Lord Aumerle is a man of a most noble and courtly presence," repUed the lady, carelessly glancing at the boy. "Good truth! there is resemblauce enouijh to make out a case before any Justice in the land; but the child is fairer, and hath a merrier eye. How deem you. ]\Ir. PepysP" " I never saw his lordship butonee, and then for a moment through an iron grating," replied the gentleuian. "Oh, lie, Mr. Pepya I 1 warrant me you have peen him oft enough at the Queeu'a popish chai)el, whither they say you are not so unfrecpient a visitor as suits the times," replied the fair hostess, with a signilieant smile. " Good faith, lady, 'tis a false report of mine enemies." said Mr. Pepys, eagerly; when Sir John internipted him, some\A hat rudely — " AVell, well, Monsieur Deville, or Duval, or w hat's your name ? wc will indulge the earl in this matter for once. !Mark you, for once. Where is the man who came with voii !* Oh, Edwards," he said, as the old man emerged from a gilded screen ; " take the keys of Lord Aumerle's apartment, and {juide this gentleman to his presence. Lock them up together for an hour — no longer." "Alone, your honour?" said Edwards, with a dubious glanc^. "Yes, alone. "Wherefore not?" replied Sir John, with a sharp glance at his wife. " The order is so worded. An' they were fox and goose, they were ill left together for au instant." " Bring the child hither, Mastir Duval," said the lady, with a tart smile at this last observation. " I would give him some fruit and a fair3'-like tasse of sherris, if hia rustical poll cau bear such unwont lusurv." " And merrily too," said Claude. " .\nd if (.he goblet were ft thought deeper, I would humbly' crave leave to drink bo fair a lady's health." " Thou art a bold companion, ft'ieud," said Sir John, with a glance full of suspicion. "Thou slialt have it, for the valour of asking," iiursued the lady, witli a 8pit<'ful smile at her iiusband. "Mr. IVpys, pmy you fill tluit tankard with the Ihirgundy at your cu)ow, and give it this good varlct, to drink our health." Tho cavalier obeyed with alacrity, and Sir Jolui, throB'in^ THE 101VER. himself iuto liis arni-chair, begaa cracking nuts and humming a tune, afTcctuig to look with indifference on the river. Claude, meanwhile, took his goblet with a profusion of French acknowledgments, and pledging the lady -lieutenant's health, drained it to tlie dregs. The boy imitated him directly, and as if conscious of the mimicry, laughed as he set do^^Ti his little gla.«re, Duval ! — see you these sparkling eyes and perfect mouth ? These bo the gifts of his beautiful bnd mother; God grant he matcli her not in wickedness as in beauty !" " Amen, my lord !" echoed Claude. " But I did just leave the lieutenant and his company, marvelling at his close re- semblance to your lordship. In tinxth, my dearest master — not to quarrel with your opinions on the matter — he is as like you as ever son to father : — but for all that, 1 say not that he IS your son." "Duval," said the earl, with much apparent agitation, "in truth, mine own opinions have undergone a strange revolu- tion. Good Master Edwards, have you, perchance, license to leave us some brief moments alone P" •' An hour, my lord," replied the old man, coloui'iug, and starting from the attitude of extreme curiosity in which he was listening. "For so much then we excuse your kind attendance, old Talbot," said the earl, gently ; and the keeper of the regalia vanished, with some appearance of confusion. " The old man hath his faults, bke all human excellence," said Aumerle, smiling placidly after his jailer ; " among the rest, unbounded curiosity and credulity, which are usual com- panions ; but he hath served me, and his son is to render me some good for much which I did him formerly." " But, my lord," said Duval, anxiously, " methought yoti spoke of some alteration m your opinions concerning youi- — the boy." " Else deem you I should be seized with this dread for his safety ?" said the earl. " If I still believed the — the talc — what should I fear for his life from that devilish pair? Claude, I have learned that w hich — thou knowest how my poor broken heart did ever cling, even when most deceived by those hideous forgeries, to that strong instinct which taught me that every di'op in his sweet veins flowed from this heart, which, even in its wildest madness, doted on him. Yet, who could have thought such unnatural perfidy could be iu woman? that a human mother could rage more cruelly 12 wniTEFKIABS. a^.iiiist lii-r o.Tsjiri'i^ than a famished she-wolf? 'Tis horrible but to dream such horrora — yet they are ! Heaven forsjiTC mo tlie injury mv infatuated credulity has already done thee, my blessed ehilu ! " And with tears gushing in quick di-ops from his eyes, Aumcrle clasped the boy in his arms, and passionately kissed him — ;ui operation to wliich he submitted m silent wonder. " Our Liuly be praised for this !" said Claude, brushiag the dew from his own lids, winch sprang in spite of his effort*. "Yet, by her sweet name! if ever I douoted that Master Mervyn was yours, every inch of him, may I lack her aid when I need it moat ! " " Thou didst ever reason with my madness as with a stormy pca," said the prisoner, more calmly. " But for that, and riiucli more, Claude, if I live, I will prove a grateful debtor." The earl continued pilent for some minutes, gazing intently at the child. " Duval," he said at length, with a sigh, "but for one little grain of doubt, how uectarous were this cup of joy ! to feel the assurance that my ancestors' glories would vet survive in this beautiful and noble form when mine is laid for ever low ! — But at present I have no time for tears, albeit of joy. Cluude, I think — I am sure I may confide in theeP" " To the last drop of my blood, dearest master !" " Well then, I will tell thee," said the prisoner, glancing cautiously around. " My life is in great jeopardy — indeed, I am well persuaded I shall never h>ave these walls alive, not even to play a ])art on Traitors' Green ; but if my sou were safe, death has no terrors to me. I fear Duval — I fear— na}', I know, that neither his mother nor lier paramour would hesi- tate to shed even his blood, if they thought it necessary to secure their inheritance from me." " But is it possible, my lord, they can carry their wickedness to such damnable excess as to bring you to the block on a charge of which they know your innocence P " "I know not, Duval! 'They have c<>ud witnesses — men accustomed to sell the blood of innocence. The king loves mo not — the populace hate the mere sound of my name. Did not Dr. Tongue preach apiinst me in i^t. Mary's, on the Armada day, calling mi- the bloodthirsty Papisf, who only wanted power to be the Hanum of this generation of Israel P A.nd Claude," continued the nrisoner, turning still paler, " know you not that the eliiet oeijurcr a;,Minst mc is tliut murderous villain. Colonel Blood? Jle h.iu s and f.-arB mo too much to leave this work half done !" THlt STATE PBISONEH. l.^ " He was weU immeil the Irish Judas!" exclaimed Chiud--. ** But, my lord, {rive not way to such gloomy fbrebodina;s " " Tut, Duval 1 'tis not for myself I fear," said the earl, hastily, "Life hath but few temptations left for me; my Bun hath gone down at noonday, and left all darkness I say not that I desire to die, for I would fain live to restore my son to his rank and name : but if that may not be — but again I will not indulge in these sad thoughts. Why, as tiiou eayest, all may yet be well; the king hath acceded to njv earnest prayer, and grants me an audience to-morrow in this dungeon of mine, unless my enemies should meantime learn the secret and baffle me ; which I fear not, for it is confided to one man only, my dearest friend, whose importunities wrung this from the king. You have heard me speak oi Colonel Sydney — alas ! and he departed this morn to Den mark P " " But, my lord, what good do you anticipate from " "Listen, Claude," interrupted the earl, drawing a papei from his doublet, his eyes flashing suddenly with excitement " I hold here a document which will go far to clear me in his royal eyes, and will restore my son to all his rights. Careless as he is, the king loves no injustice which he commits not himself. If I Uve. this shall be done, — if not, my son will survive to avenge me." " But, my dear lord, surely there is no reason to apprehend personal violence ? " said Claude, shuddering. " You little know what sort of hounds are on my track," replied the prisoner, M-ith an anxious glance around the chamber. " My enemies have committed themselves too deeply, and ) ".ke murderers after the first blow is struck, they dare not let me live, ^\lio knows what secrets this tapestiy veils ? Troth, Duval, these waUs could tell many a fearful tale, if they had tongues to speak. I have sounded them about, and they give many a hollow answer. But no matter. If they come not upon me in my sleep, they shall not find it woman's work ! My good Claude, it is not their policy to have me die a traitor's death, for then the rich inheritance they hope to possess would be all forfeit to the crown; yet, wherefore they have involved me in this Irish conspiracy, and bribed Blood to include me in the general accusation, puzzles my judgment." " Mayhap they depend on their favour vnih. the king to bar the confiscation," said Duval, anxious to dissipate the still mor^ fearful alternative. " It may be so ; and the belief comforts me," said tiie 14 WHlTBfBlASS prisoner, calmly. " And now, listen to me with attention, Duval, for what I say must be registered clearly in your memorv. Doubtless you were surprised at the hot nast« with which 1 eent you to Ibrinfj this child fi-om Wales to visit me in my durance — I, unto whom his very presence once infused horror, thouijh loviiifj him dearer than mine eyes ; — in this resembling the poor dog-bitten wretch who thirsts unto death, yet agonizes at the sight of water. Listen, then, to the con- tents of this paper, whicli I may well call my salvation, though thou Milt marvel when I tell thee 'tis a letter from my wife, brought at her command by no more m clcome messenger than Blood himself; and this I mean to show to the king, and none shall deprive mc of it b\it with my hfe." The earl continued opening a paper as he spoke, and httle ]\Iervyn, who had now got over his panic, sat on his knee as he read it, playing with a jewelled miniature which himg on his breast. Excited as he evidently was, Aumcrle read in a deep, stilled undertone, as if he feared that its contents might reach some hstener, though there seemed little cause for ap- I)rehension, as they had heard Talbot bolting three doors after lira as he retired. The contents ran thus, slightly broken by the earl's comments, " My Lord Aumerle ! (for it is thus, Claude, that my affec- tionate and faithful wife addresses her imprisoned husband), my Lord Aumerle ! "It is with extreme pain, and much doubt of niv own judgment, that I write to you onco more, and for tlie last time : but I am overruled by those who have a right to exact this complaisance from me. (Ha, truly ! the villain, How ard, — or honest Master Wood P) I wTite not, my lord, to deny that, in the world's eye, vou are a dceply-w rouged man, and I your wronger; how far with justice so judged, your own heart belter knows — you, who, aided by a father whose cruelty I dare no longer acciise to that tribunal before which ho has appeared, tore me from the arms of the only man I ever loved, to lill a loathed place in yourn. Neither do I write to insult your misfortunes in this that I, so injured by you, am now tlie arbitrix of your fate almost ascertainlv as fate herself — and you know if you have ileserved mucli moderation from me. I do, indeed, mc^st BoK-inidy avow before God, and would before men, but that otlur eOMHidi-ra- tions pluck mo back, that 1 ditl ever hate you, ami shall to my dying day and hour. Why woidd you still hold a woman m your chains who abho.-s the mere sound of vour name P But, in truth, I write to resume tlie proposal wliioli I mado THE STATE FBISONEB. 15 jou ofl before, as well ;i8 ou Monday sc'nnigLt, by n-^ frimid, Colonel Blood. And these terms I offer you again, vpry earnestly praying you to regard your life and honour better than to reject them. " You know well (not to speak indiscreetly) that it is in my power either to withdraw the charge on which you are a dole- ful prisoner, or to press it on to its bloodiest consequence. You know with what passion my Lord Howard and I desire to remove aU blame from our life by a public marriage, that our child may not be bom also with reason to curse your obstinacy ; and this may not be without the church's divorce between us two, which hath long been in heart and person. You know, too, that my Lord Howai-d is not rich, and I would not bring him beggary as well as so much trouble ; therefore, I made those terms which, methinks, are as fair and equitable as reason can devise. You are not now to learn tliat I am heir to your title and rich earldom, if you leave no lawful issue, which you will not — if you force me to confirm by public de- claration what I have already affirmed concerning the chUd, Reginald. I am now, however, AvUling to confess that he is your lawful son and heir (as Heaven witness, so he is !), aud to suffer his inheritance, albeit I love him not (which is a fair proof he is none of my Lord Howard's, as I feigned, to madden you, and avenge me), on conditi-Diis which I herein- after name. " Firstly : that you join with me to obtain a divorce, on grounds of disagreement in rehgion, and the compulsion used against me, which, as is just, you must avow. " Secondly : that you settle half the rental of your estates upon me during your lifetime, and the manor of Mevvyn in perpetual ; also, that you charge your son's succession with an annual payment (in case I survive you) of five thousand moidores in gold, Paris weight, which is only an addition of one thousand livres on the jointure settled on me at our marriage. " These terms being satisfactorily complied with, I will withdraw, annul, and disavow, if you will so, in legal form, all that I have done and said tending to the opinion of your Bon's illegitimacy, and I will publicly acknowledge him the true and lawful neir to your estate, blood, and dignity. *' Otherwise, though it were to cover myself witli ignominy to the day of doom itself, I will proclaim you a dishonoured wretch, and your son a bastard, before the peers of England, and demand the inheritance which (from your sickly aspect), methinks I shall not wait for long, unless you are soon let ou< of your donjon to the free air. 16 wniTEFEIABS. "Tlicsc, from the iujurcd wouum \\ hosr t^rcalost sorrow ia« that she is obliged to sign herself your lord^ship's wife, " Elbanob Aumehlk." " Duval," said the earl, gaspingly, as he concluded, " now tell me, in good faith, what think you of this lady H " " In good faith, then, my lord," replied Claude, "your lady hatli even as black a soul as she hath fair body, and mc- thinks that rivals the angeLs. But what answer sent you?" " Canst ask, Claude P " said the prisoner, sharply. " "Wliat answer but that wliich I returned tr> all former threats and persuasions, and which shall be my latest word, whether on the scaffold, or lorn to pieces by the mad populace, or struggling beneath the mui'dcrer's knife — never, never ! They shall nave my heart, ere they have the word they seek !" " But, my lord, surely there is some wondrous cause for so black a hateP " said Duval, soothingly. " She never loved me, man," replied the oav\, gloomily ; " her heart was fixed on this villaui, Howard ; but, seduced oy the knavish folly of her father, and that fatal dower of beauty which was all slie had — I forced him at tlie sword's noint to resign his pretensiou?, and wcdilod her, I must neeos own, against her wiU — but then I knew it not ! " The unhapp}' prisoner paused abruptly, and Claude, not knowing what to say, stood playing with his plume for several minutes. " But are you well assured, my lord," he said at last, not so much weighing what he said as anxious to say somethiug, " that Colonel Sydney will not betray your counsel ? I have jieard he is a near friend and intimate of Lord Howard's?" " Tis true, but his very soul is honour — I will not doubt my friend!" said the earl ; " much as ho loves that rogue, ho hath taken my part thron.;liout this aflair. "Was he not my second wlieu 1 chdlenged Howard, and my wile, disguised as a page, held his liorse wliile he fou^^ht witli meP Ah! hail we not been parted by tlie mcildling watch, I Imd indeed glutted my revenge, ana hacked hiia to pieces before her eyes !" "The tune may yet come, my lord !' exclaimed Duval. " But if I hhotild perish in the meantime," said tho oail, with a gliastly sniilo, "if you should liear that I, tlie melan (holy catholic earl, have committed suicide in the Tower, do thou call it in thy j)rayers, Claude, »n»r(/f/*/ in tliat cuj>c, thou wilt know that mine enemies have tlirowm the gauntlet l4» fate, and it will be in vain to urge my son's claims — tliey will sink with my blood into the earth. I churge thee, cxpoao tHB 8TATB PBISONBB. 17 not Lis life to dauj;er by an}' attempt of tho sort ; the time ■\Till come. Keep liis hidiiifif-placc a secret from tlie world, and his birth from himself, till ho is able to withstand their machinations. Times will alter; aud surely now they ai-e at the worst. These tempests will pui'ify the plaffue-tainted atmosphere of men's opinions, and a sunsliine follow which will m'e tho lilies of justice lijjht to bloom." " but will not silence confirm their possession till too late to be disputed?" said Dural. "And what proofs could be adduced against it?" said Aumerle, sadly. " Tliis letter P — they will call it a forgery ! Oh, what madness was it that blLuded me so that I perceived not her purpose when she rung my consent to a public decla- ration of the child's death, threatening else to expose all ! and I — oh, fool ! oh, wretch ! led by a mad credulity — well, no more ! I may live to repair my pretty Mervyn's wrongs." And he smoothened back the child's fair ringlets with a look of unutterable love and sorrow. " You will live, my lord — we sh^tll allhvc — to htvir Mei-vyn Castle ring with the festival which shall celebrate your heir'e restoration !" said Duval. " Well, weD, I am willing to look on the sunny side of things," said Aumerle, with a melancholy smile; "but — thou Lnowest I am not held a coward — but I did never see that man, Blood, without a chill of horror — not fear. I ("eel as if my evil genius were then in presence — but these, perchance, are but sickly fancies of a troubled soxil — let them pass. Duval, I intend that you sail to-morrow for Calais, and I have devised a plan by which to elude the Dutch and French ciniisers as well as our own. Old Edwards hath a son — a noted smuggler — but at present c;u-rying letters of marque against the French. He commands a little schooner in the river, but having acquaintance and understanding with the whole coast of France, he will be able to land you at Calais, and for a sum of gold hath agreed so to do. Once there, your letters to the provincial are a sufiBcient passport." " 'Tis a marvellously well-seeming plan, my lord," said Claude, filling up his master's pause. " The vessel is lying at "NVoolwich," continued the earl, '• but the crew are principall}' in London, at a house on the bnage, kept by an old servant of my family — you remember her, Temperance Bradley ? The inn is callea, if I mistake not, the Aumerle Arms ; and Captain Edwards is theroi, who will take charge of your safety until to-morrow, when you w^ill sail, weather allowing. Sparc not till you have placed Ifi WHITfiF&tiSS. m^ son in safety at Saint Omer, and on tlio instant returD with your good newa. If you find me alive, vou eball not find me ungrateful." " Ok, my dear lord, do not yield to such sad thoughts." " I cannot help them, Claude ! They come over me like the gloom before the stonn — I know not whence nor how. But I do hope much fi-om my mten'iew with the kin^^ to-morrow." The earl now unlocked the desk before him, and opening a Bccrct drawer secured with a spring, took out a letter sealed with his arms, and directed to tlie Father Provincial, De Oiiva, at tlio Jesuits' College at Saint Omcr, and with it « canvass bag, also sealed. " Here are a hundred gold doubloons, Claude, to bear your cliarges," he continued. "Tliis letter id to my good friend and early tutor, De Oliva, who is now at the college, on his visitation ; present with it this bill on my Paris banker, for, though I know the good fathers need no bribe to do me a service, my son shall owe nothing to charity. I also commission you to place in the padre's custody my jewels and insignia of the garter, which ho may preserve as means to identify my sou at a future day." Opening a gold casket, tlie earl took out the jewcUed chain and dragon of the royal order. Attracted by the fiery sparkle of the jewels, little Mervyn made a bold clutch at them, and the earl, amused by his eagerness, threw the collar over him, and it hung glittering almost to his feet. The ex- ceeding beauty of the child, aud the joy which Ughtened over his face, struck the carl with a mingled nassion of sorrow and delight, and throwing himself back in iiis chair, he hid his face and wept. Mervyn seemed suddenly to siispect that it was he who caused this burst of grief, and exclaiming, " Don't cry, sir — I will not take them away — I "ill not," .eaped into his father's aims, aud kissed him with childish efTorta at consolation. At this moment the clang of a door waa hoard, aud Edward's voice iu angry expostulation. A deep rou^fh voice replied, in a louder key, " 1 tell thee, my Cerberus of jewels, aud jewel of Cer- beruacs, I must, aiui will see this caged earl of yours. Hcrt> is my warrant from a hand which Afiustcr Lieutenant h:itli allowed, cap in hand. Prithee, uubiir the den, and let us into this cat-a-mouutaiu ; ho is too well tamed to tear a body to pieces." Edv^irds seemed to mutter something in rt-jily, and be^ao COLONEL BLOOD. 10 nnfastening the massive door, after knocking to signify bia intention. " It is Blood !" said the carl, turning ashy pale ; and almost as Claude, who, despite his strong nerves, vc&s considerably startled, turned townrds the door, it was pushed rudely open, and a man stepped into the apartment, followed by Edwards. So pecuhar was the whole appearance of this bold visitor, that even little Merry n, screaming lustily, crouched down, and hid his face in his father's mantle. CHAPTEE III. COLONEL BLOOD. " Pabdok, my lord, this somewhat abrupt entrance into your honourable presence," was the new visitor's address, de- livered with a bold scrutinizing glance on all present, and concluding with one of threatenmg inquiry at the earl. " Colonel Blood's presence always brings its own excuse — apparently," repUed the earl, with a deep flush. "But methinkfl 'tis somewhat superfluous courtesy to ask a pri- soner's pardon for entering his dungeon, si'thence he hath neither moans nor right to resist such authorized intrusion." " I shall not trouble yoiu* lordsliip long ; but for tlie brief space which I needs must, I will anticipate i/our courtesy so far as to seat myself," said the colonel, throwing himself with Eerfect nonchalance into a chair, and kicking a stool towards im, on which he leisurely crossed his legs. Claude felt his first emotion of alarm and curiosity at the appearance of a man so renowned for almost every species of daring vUlany, rapidly changing into indignation at his insolence, but he was obliged to suppress all exterior signs, and to content himself with returning the colonel's deliberate inspection. He beheld a figure remarkable, at first glance, for its prodigious strengfi and muscular symmetry, the bidl-like maasiveness of the neck and shoulders, and the somewhat peculiar largeness of the head. His face, however, was what chiefly caught the eye, and fixed it in indistinct fear and sus- picion. The features, considered without their expression, though perfectly Irish in their conformation, were not un- handsome ; the lips, though thin and too wide, had a de- termined cun-e ; and the forehead, although low, with its massive overhati^jing eyebrows, gave the idea of a rude power and energy ot intellect, able to second, but too well, the 20 WHITEFBIABS. volitions of a coarse and sensual nature. Thick curls of close jet black hair clustered round his Iiead, his beard and mustaches were, if possible, of a still more raven dye, and grew about his lips and face in short curly bristles, which gave him a wild-boar fierceness of aspect. But it was the expression of these features, the bloodhound glitter of hia Lu-ffc brown eyes, wliich, in spite of the bold plausibility ot his manners, excited alarm and disgust in all who beheld him. Never m as there a truer index of character than this man's visage. Courage, perfidy, a remorseless energy of purpose and execution, were as plainly visible in the workings oi his eye as in the acts of that strange and sanguinary career which has stamped Blood the most remarkable villain of an age abounding in such. He V as dressed in the usual splendid style of the period, but with something sinister and uncommon in his choice of colours. His doublet was of black silk, slashed with red, his mantle and hat of yellow velvet, profusely ornamented A^-ith flame-coloured ribands. His stockings and rosettet were of different colours, a collar of crimson lace covered his breast, and a sword of fonuidablo length knocked at his heels from a belt in which was also a single pistol, very richlj mounted. Having seated himself to his satisfaction. Blood amused himself for a minute of deep silence (durinjjj which the earl seemed hesitating whether io resent his insolent effrontery or not) by taking a Iseenly deliberate survey of little Mervyn, who looked at him with imfeigned terror. At last he ob- served, with a peculiar smQe, " The little gentleman and I seem to have a kind of mutual recollection of each other — may I ask your lordship to refresh my memory with his nameP" " Certainly, Mr. Blood," replied the earl, with forced com- posure. " But brfore I answer your question, allow mc to uak what urgent business it is which compels you to break so unwrlcomely on my privacy P" -* That will I in as brief space as you might crush a grass- hopper," replied the visitor, carelessly drawmg liis pistol, as if It incommoded him. " But I doubt our audieuce, though few, is not fit." " None fitter, sir ; this gentleman is my most trusted ami roruiaeniuU servant. If what you suy cannot be confided t<» bonoatears, I cine not to bo of your audience." "Honest! are your cars honest, friend F* said lM'><>d, COLOUBt BLOOD. 21 turning to Claude, with affected aatouishment, " Marry, then— look that you do not lose them in the pillory." " Faith, sir, I do not think they run any risk in a country where your honour's are safe ! " replied Claude, sharply. " 'Sbodikins, man, but you answer glibly," said the visitor, measuring Claude from head to foot. " And, by St. Patrick's corns, a ukely man of the sort ! docs your steel ring such jangling music as your tongue P" *' Will you try, sir?" said Duval, colouring and clapping his hand on the hilt of his sword. " Not on such poor cattle as thou art, friend," replied the colonel, with a laugh. " Your eagle wUl not be crammed with oatmeal like a jackdaw, and my prey is not poor sorving- nien and insolent varlets, but princes, Jukes, and nobles of ancient blood." "Peace, Claude!" interrupted the earl, authoritatively. " And for you, sir, either explain your pm-pose, or rid me of a presence which I freely confess is the most displcasaut to me of any on this side death. We are not now to learn of what great felonies and high-soaring vUlanics Colonel Blood is capable." " My lord," replied the colonel, with a complacent smile at this last observation ; " to pass over an eloquent preamble I had prepared to usher in this last trial I shall ever make of your patience, have you maturely weighed the determination m wmeh I had the trouble to leave you, and are you still resolved to sacrifice life and honour to a vain scruple? Pronoimco the word : I am on my way to the council, either to confirm or cancel my depositions against you?" " The justice of England is not yet so deeply polluted in its streams as its source, that I should fear your threats," said the earl, calmly. " I dare not think so meanly of any twelve of my countrymen as to deem that, prejudiced as they are, they will condemn an English nobleman to the block on the unsu]iported testimony ot a man so notorious for his in- difference to aU ties, divine or human, as ]\Ir. Blood." " For all that I have done in the way of tiffs with Old Mother Law, 1 have the king's pardon in my pocket," replied the colonel. " And as for the justice of any twelve men in England, it is worth precisely what the highest bidder will give ; and your lordship knows if, in your present se- qujestered state, you are likely to carry the auction. Once more, then, I beseech you to consider your resolution — for the last time." "It is considered, for the last tmie — hear it!" said Aumcrle, with the quivering calm of concentrated passion. 92 M-niTKFRIABB, " You are como in pood time, Mr. Blood, to witnosg, m common with my Bcrvant, Duval, what I now declare, ami call Heaven to witness, is the determination in ^ hich I w ill live and die. This child, on whom your eye dwells with such pertinacity, though educated as the ofl'spring of a poor Cornish woman, I hereby acknowledjje to be my lawful son a\d sole heir, Reginald Lord Atervj-n. And as such I leave him the inheritance of his ancestors ; sooner than part ■with one inch of which to that woman and her paramour, I will die as many deaths as the utmost rage of my enemies could inflict ! And thereto I call you. Colonel Blood, to bear testi- mony, as I doubt not my faithful Duval will, when the time comes." " With my heart's last drop !" exclaimed Claude. " Say you so, master lackey ?" said Blood, with a glance of speechless contempt. " So, then, this burst of maduosa is your lordship's sober resolution P You refuse to yield a little, and so force those 'n ho have the power to take all ?" "I defy both them and you!" exclaimed the earl, rising, with much agitation. " Begone, and do your worst ! There is One above will avenge me ! Yea, I am certain as that I now breathe and ffpeak, and may soon cease to do either, that even in the small arm of this child Uves a might which shall some day avenge his father's wrongs — ay, beyond even hia father's prayers !" " But of what use is passion, my lord?" returned Blood. amusing himself with snapping in and out a ppring dagger concealed in the pistol. " In truth, if the boy calls you father, 'tis a flattering compliment, for he is of a marvcllouslv perfect cut. Marry, how nis ej-es sparkle to sec this sharp toy of mine leap in and out ! I warrant me now, yoxmg sir, thou wouldst give mo a grape or two to play at this P Como hither, child!" And rudely clutching the boy's ami. m spite of his shrieks, he drew him forward, and with such violence, that happening ti» stumble over tho stoul, ho fell, and hit his forehead against the hilt of the colonel's sword. A red stream instantly gushed from liis brow, and, almost simultaneously. Blood measured his length on the floor, struck down by a vigorous blow from thn earl. To spring again on his feet, and rush toward.i Aumerlo, with lus dagger raittcd, was butm bonetit. tierc— aid me v liile 1 seal these paperi." COLOKKL BLOOI>. 25 Ue prcxluoHl a small flint and steel fiom his escritoira as te spake, and lighted a taper, which Claude held vrhile he •ealed the letter and jewels in a parcel. During this opera- tion, he continued pressing on Duval the importance of erpe- dition, and made him promise that he would not sleep aboTe one night in France, till he returned mth hia inteUigence. Merryn wa.", however, imwiUing to part with hia gUttering toy, and showed undubitable signs oi anger when the carl took it from his neck. " Thou shalt have it again, mv child." he eaid, kissing h« wounded brow. " Who knows, l)uval ? Perchance he mav wear it some day with honour amon^ the peers of England, when hia unfortunate father's very form has mouldered into shapeless dust ! Teach him. Claude, when he is older, how I loved him — dearest when least I seemed t-^ do so ! — Tell him how hia mother wronged me, and then he will forgive me — perhaps shed some bitter tears over my grave. Anc) now, though your loyal heart needa no oath to bind it, swear to me, Duval — awear eternal fidehty and secrecy, if not to me, to my child I " The earl extended the little crucifix before him on the table, and Claude, dropping on hia kneea, kissed the holy symbol, in confirmation of hia pledge. He then, at his master's sug- gestion, ripped a seam in hia mantle, and sewed the paper and jewels in it, together with half the gold intended for iiis journey. The moment of parting had now arrived. Edwards opened the door, to announce that Master Lieutenant's officer was waiting to receive the keys of the wards. Aumerle clasped hia young ehUd tenderly in his arms, and repeatedly kissed the still bloody wound on his brow. •' Grod have mercy on me!" he murmured, in a d»ep under.tone : " but this ia the first time I did ever embrace this beautiful infant as my son, and my soul bodes ii; ia the hut." Little Mervyn began to cry, and clinging to the earl's neck, said that he would not leave him — and asked Claude if he might not stay and hve with the gentleman, if he was a good boy. " My sweet Reginald," said the unhappy prisoner, m a broken voice, " Heaven forbid that I should chain your bright young destinies to mine, which are setting in such darkness. Go with Claude, my child — but be, as you say, good, and we $/tall meet again." The earl, unable to speak further, motioned to CTaude, who fait«ued hii mantle carefully, &nd bent to kiss hi« master'* a 26 WHITBPBIi^S. extended baud, but the latter wrung Lis with oxtrorae emo tion, and uttering only " My faithful Duval !" took Mervyn's hand and led him to the door. Edwards and the warder of the keys were wiuting in the antechamber, and the latter muttered some observations on the carl's quitting the chamber — but broke off involuntarily, struck by the anguish in his countenance. Aumerle advanced a few steps, proudly striving to conquer his emotion, but a few convulsive sobs burst from him. " Bid your father farewell, child — your father !" said Duval, anxious to put an end to the miserable scene. " My father, Claude ?" said ^Ier\'yn, with an innocent look (if wonder, " I thought I had no father ! Good-by, papa." " FareweU, my son ! — Heaven and thr father's blessuig be upon thee for ever ! " exclaimed Aumerle, once more clutch- ing the child to his breast, and kissing it with a gush of tears. Then, as if ashamed of his emotion, he set the boy down, and desired Edwards to let them out at the gate below. Duval pressed his master's hand on his heart, Ufled Mer- vyn in his arms, and followed the old man. In a moment they disappeared down the dark staircase, and the earl returned to Lis prison. CHAPTEB IV. NELL G^VTN'S AJPHBNTICKSniP. Claude, on finding himself emancipated from the gloomy shadows of the Tower, which seemed to him darker than those of any other building Le Lad ever seen, regained his natural cheerfulness. Not so little Mervyn, altliough the night was ver}^ fine, and brilliant with starlight. "Without well knowing why, tlie child was frightened and melancholy, starting at every sliadow of the proiectinj^ Louses, and anxiously iuquinng wLen tLey sLould nave liglit. Claude carried Lim stUl, and sang as Le went, ratlier to nniuse the cLiid tLau from luiy gaiety of feeling, tLougli Lis Lenrt waa of tLat elastic sort wLicL leaps up tLe moment tLe jiressure is past. lie seemed to bo well acquainted with the part Le wa.>« traversing, passing through numberless narrow, crooked, and dark streets, until they emerged suddenly on tlie shore of tho river. Loudon Bridge — old London Bridge, crowded with ill-built houses, Mhich somctimoB crossed tlie road on ari Les — wm rKLt OWTN S APrBKNTICBSHIP. 27 before liim, resting ou its innumerable arclieg, the rirer flow- ing placidlr beneath. A high battlemented gated efended the entrance, flanked by towers of solid masonry, and furnished with a portcullis and spiked gate of massive timber. The portcullis was already down, but a small wicket, in the right tower, was open for the convenience of passengers, who, after passing the scrutiny of the watch, entered a dark passage which opened on the bridge. Inquiring for the Aumerle Arms, Claude learned tliat it was kept in one of the towers — a fact which he had conjec- tured from an emblazoned shield hung over the portcullis, and a bush of birch hanging beneath a lamp. There was also an inscription in huge letters over thearms, which promised well for the kind of cheer to be met within : — Lodgings and Entertainment for Man and Beast. Good Beef— good Hay — Welcome to go — Welcome to stay — Much to have — and Little to pay. Into this hostel Claude made his way, entering a small courtyard, surroimded by a wooden gallery, which communi- cated with all the chambers above, and inquired for mine host of some carriers, who were drinking and feeding their horses. " Do you want the master or the landlord, companion P" re- plied one, deliberately taking the pipe from his mouth, and whifEng the smoke in Claude's face. " Why, the master, to be sure," replied Duval. "Oh, then — she's yonder," said the fcUow, with a laugli, which was echoed all round. "Don't ye see herP Yon 'oomun amucking in the stable ; she's been to see the 'orses rubbed down. Ho ! mistress, ye're wanted." A short fat pimcheon of a woman, with a face as broad as a full moon, and crimson with exertion, emerged, at this call, from a stable at hand, holding a pitchfork, which stUl bore tokens of recent employment. She was attended by a nymph, whose appearance certified the nature of the ofiice she held in the establishment. She was a tail, fidl, well-turned figure, though characterized by an air of habitual laziness and inat- tention. Her face was fat, fair, and finely-featured, with a rich hazel eye, fuU of wanton moistness, and a sort of volup- tuous indolence, which was not without attraction. She seemed good-humoured, from the smUe on her pouting lips, but, on the whole, there was an air of dormant wickedness ■nd craft spread over her countenance, which seemed only to want opportunity to develop itself in deeds. She was dressed iu a blue petticoat and coarse brown bodice, with a straw liaf 2S WJIITBFBIXB8. cruslied shapelessly upon ber head, and tied by a piec* ol tattered riband. Her occupation had evidently been nolding a lamp, while her more vipjorous mistress prepared the stables for the night, and as she threw its gleam over Mrs. Bradley's thick shoulders to look at Claude, it was clear the wench smiled ^^^th no unfavourable sentiments. " Well, sir, and wot do you want ?" was the hostess's courteous query, as she stood puffing and panting, and wipinjj her face with the back of her hand, the palm being deeply tainted with odoriferous matter. " Wliy, Mi.-'tress Temperance, how's this. Have you for- gotten your old friend and admirer, Claude Duval P" said the cavalier, and in-esuming on the license of old friendship, he invaded Mrs. Bradley's plump cheeks with a chaste salute. " Lawk love you, Mounscer Duval ! Save us ! tlie same man, every inch of him !" exclaimed the hostess, smiling from ear to ear, and extending her fat red hand, she buried Duval's in its grasp, wTinging it very heartily. " Well, I'm sure ! and if you ar'n't as welcome as the flowers of May, call mo no honest woman, and my house no better than the Old Swan opposite. And so, Mr. Duval, ye're married at last, and have a family, I see — after all your talkings against mattermony, and what not P" " Ay, av, dame ; after you disappointed me, I took up with the first that came to hand," replied Claude, with a wink at the grinning maid. " Not that I am exactly married — no man that ever loved you could so far forget what he had iost. But the boy is mine, and nothing to be ashamed of either." " You are not my father, Claude," said Mervyn, pettishly. " Papa wears velvet and a gold chain — you are not papa !" " Faith, mounseer, the urchin savoureth sometning too much of my lord's look," said Mrs. Temperance, with an acut« nod at Claude. " Well, well, I can see my way in a fog as well as most people. But, good lack ! to think how my poor master and lord, tnat was so main kind to us all, is him- self corned now to trouble ! Oh, the dcNnls ! — it would make a stone sob to hear how he's a-sorved out by the willainousest ^^'I•etche8 wot ever wa^ !" And Mrs. Bradley burst into a cataract of tears, to the in- finite amusement of her attendant, who stretohod out her grinning face to an inimitably rueful expression, which almost forced Duval to laugh. " Ay, Mrs. Temperance ! ho was a good master to us all, — and mcthiiiks he hath set you up hero handsomely as your doser^niigH, — which is saying a wine word," replied he. " ^^^iy, the plm-o is well enough, and t hieky pen'i} it's NELL GWTN's APPBEMTICKSHIP. 29 b«en to me, the fifty eold crowns my lord tossed me on my bride-day, if I nad not married the laziest, good-for- nothingest, drunkenest little scoundrel as ever drew God's air in thanklessness !" moaned Mrs Bradley. " 13ut howsome- dever, Master Duval, you're entire welcome yourself to the best in my house, for, be praised ! it is mine, and shall be I. line to my dying day, as right it should be, seeing the fellows were all mine : for (would you beheve it, Moimseer Duval?) the little villian hadn't a ha'penny saved, after all his talk and long sen-ice with my lord, who, I'm sure, was not a master to gridge his folks theii' little pickings ! — And butler too ! — it makes me sick, sorry, and sad, when I think of what a fool I was to be wheedled by a httle, drunken " "But where is Mr. Bradley nowP" interrupted Claude. " Where is he always ?" said the hostess, throwing the pitchfork against the wall. "Why, even just getting as drunk as a sow with that dare-devil rake-hell of a captain, young Edwards, and all his crew of buccaneers about him. But that isn't what I find fault with — that may be all for the good of the house — but " " The very man I want to see," continued Claude, " and that is my business here, Mrs. Bradley, next to seeing your own handsome face. I am going to take my boy to Nor- mandy, to live with my relations there, and Captain Edwards is to take me. Can I see him P" "Here — Moll Crcswold ! — where's the jade?" exclaimed Mrs. Bradley, turning sharply round. " I'se here, missus," rephed the damsel, colouring with fear lest the sudden turn had revealed her occupation of making faces at her mistress. " Show the gemman up stairs, to No. 3, among the sailors," >aid Mrs. Temperance. " Tell 'em he wants Captain Edwards." " I w ill hunt him up, myself, dear Mrs. Bradley," replied Claude, hastily. " But I hope you will give us your com- pany at supper over a pottle of sack, to talk of old times. Let us have a stewed clutken, Mrs. Bradley — you were famous at stewed chickens in my lord's time." The hostess smiled at this flattering compliment, but as Moll Creswold had now obtained a link from one of the ostlers, the conversation was cut short for the present, and Claude followed his fair conductress up a flight of wooden steps to the gallery above. Here, by a sudden gust of wind, the torch was extinguished, and the girl, protesting she wat afraid of ghosts, clutched hold of Claude's arm. But his Dtual gallantry deserted him on this occasion ; he shook her 80 WHITEFEUSS. Bomewliat rudely off, and proped his •way along a narrow cor- ridor in darkness. Moll, however, darted forward with croat agility, and unceremoniously threw open a door before him. A curious scene presented itself. It was a large, awkwardly- planned apartment, full of projecting cornices and recesses, and nearly half hanging, like a penthouse, over the river. A vast sea-coal fire burned in a chimney of such dimensions that it looked like a black ante-room ; and around it, seated at wooden tables covered with beer-jugs, tobacco, arms of various fonns, and coarse esculents, sat the most miscella- neous group which Claude, in his wide experience, had ever seen. Some dozen sailors were there, dressed in many varieties of marine costume, but all furnished abundantly with offensive weapons, such as pistols and hangers. The captain of the band was easil}"^ distinguished by the tawdry splendour of his garb, and the general respect paid to him in a rough way. He was a large-boned, vigoroua-lookin" man, about thirty, with a face bronzed by exposure and haro- flhip, features extremely coarse, a clear, bold eye, and an ex- pression of honest good-naliu-e and kindness of heart which made his countenance, on the whole, very agreeable. He wore a blue coat, which seemed so riclily bedizened, though much faded, that it raised suspicion of liaving belonged to some naval officer of high rank ere it passed into the present owner's possession, especially as his scarlet woollen cap and coarsr wnite trousers were by no means of a con'esponding character. He had a steel belt stuck with pistols, ana a verv handsome hanger, somewhat ostentatiously decorated witli ribands. But there was another object which more particularly attracted Claude's observation. Seated on the captain's knee, with one slender arm round his burly neck, sat a young and beautiful girl — beautiful in spite of rags, and the few articles of tawdry finery which she had contrived to decorate herself withal. She seemed scarcely sixteen years old ; her figure wa« light and very graceful, though somewhat low, and her far»» might have served a painter as a nioclol for Hobe, so fair, fresh, and sparkling witli gaiety and good-humour wr3 its every line. Her dress was of the most tattered and poverty- ntricken description, but even her rags were arranged with intuitive grate. She wore a short yellow petticoat, jiutched with all the colours of the rainbow, and a bodice so nigged that the fine turn of jier n»'(k and its Mliitencss were but too visible. Clusters of natural ringlets t>f the purest gold, wiiich she had twined with some ilowers, sluuleu her fair face. A basket of oranges ard u string of ballads beside her, Beome4 KKLL GWYX'S AWBBNTICESHIP. 31 to denote the ^rl's occupation, and when Claude entered, alio waa sinking some sea-bauad to suit the taste of her auditory, but with so sweet and rich a voice, that a king's ear need not have disdained it. ]S'ot far from this group sat a little man on a stool, with a large fat face, a nose of extraordinary dimensions, and small twinkling eyes, who seemed listening with maudlin teare of deUght to the girl's song, — jogging himself and a brimful tankard of ale to keep time. Claude's entrance obviously disturbed the good meeting. The song ceased, and the songstress made an effort to spring from the sailor's knee ; but he pulled her back, with a rough *' D — n it, Nell, what's the go now ? art afeard, girl P" " Not of me, I hope, hw," said Duval, with a flourish of his bat. " No, nor o'th' devil himself when Jack Edwards is by, lot alone a French jackanapes !" replied the captam, with a tierce survey of Duval's person and accoutrements. " Paith, Jack, the gentleman is not a man to frighten one," said NeU, for such was her name. " I am able to take mine own part, pretty damsel, yet I thank you," said Duval. " But Captain Edwards mistakes me ; my business is with him : you, perhaps, know this signal." He whispered a word in Edward's ear, which seemed to produce a great effect ; and exclaiming, " Lord love you ! so, you're come at last ! welcome as Torbay in a gale !" he sprang up, and shook Claude's hand very heartily. Nell took the opportunity to transfer herself to a stool near the fire, and shading her face with her hand, took a smiling survey of the new guest. The latter, as soon as released from the sailor's rough welcome, gave him a letter, which he turned over and over again, without opening. " The fiend take it !" he said at last, throwing the paper into the fire. " I was never at college, and there's an end of it. But I see it's all right ; you ai'e the popisher I'm to take out for ballast. On the skit, eh ? And tlie young un is your kid?" " You are weU informed ; I am tlie man — Claude Duval." " Very well, cast anchor, and take in beef and gi'og," con- tinued the jolly maruier, a time specimen of the fine old blusterous English saUor before white kid gloves were worn on quarter-decks. " We can't sail before to-morrow, 'cause of the tide — meanwhUe you're d — d welcome, and depend on't Jack Edwards takes you over the herring-pond as safe as a keg of brandy." " Aad give me the sweet boy : I wiU nurse him for you. 8!2 t^AITAFBUbS. master ; I see be doth not mudi affect your rough beard," said the girl, extending her arms, and little Merrvn leaped joyously into them. " Ah ! how I love him alreaSy. How like he is to the Cupid painted over the duke's playhouse." " AVhy, what ails the Doy f " said Duval, smiling, " frightened of a pretty gir^ thou milk-sop ?" " JSay, "but I am so cold," shivered the little urchin, creep- ing closely to the bosom of his young nm-se, who, clasping him fondly, and putting her rosy cheek to his, formed micou- Bciously a group of extreme beauty. " Ay, warm thee there, thou true chip of the old block," said Claude. " Where shoidd faith be found in this world, if not in a woman's heart ?" " Hollo, Moll !" exclaimed Edwards, " run and briug a can of punch, and tell your mistress to make it smack more of the brandy ; I'm sure it don't stand her much in customs. And now, sir, try that 'ere beef — prime Hamburg dried, sir." " T have ordered a stewed fowl," said Claude. " What's a stewed fowl to take in for a sea-voyage P" ex- claimed the captain. " It may do as a finish-oil, like bran over the barrels ; but, for a beginning, nothing like a good bottom, say I !" Thus pressed, Claude set to work at the dish before him, and m spite of coarse bread and a dirty cloth, soon found it very appctizino;. It was curious how ouickly he took the tone 01 the society ; he used the slang dialect as if accustomed to it, toasted the ladies, drank with the men, and became in a few minutes a general favourite of all, and particularly of Nell. Claude was surprised at the vivacity and wit of the young ballad-singer, and she seemed pleased with his sprightly gallantry, a circumstance which by no means delighted Cap- tain Edwards. Jtjkos, not renmrkablo for decency, passed ; and Claude reumrkcd with interest that Nell frequently coloured up, as if not quite habituated to the five-aud-casj stj'le in conversation. In the height of this scene Mrs. Bradley entered with the stewed fowl, followed by an idiotic-looking boy, who carried a white stone bottle of brandy, and a silver tankard of sack. These articles were nlaci'd before Claude, and pur- suant to invitation, Mrs. Bradley sealed herself at table with him. Claude asked all around to piu-take, but all re- fused, excepting nieny Nell, who protested, with an arch Amile, that she wan lired of salt beef. There was siuno little dilliculty about fnulin;.' Nell a seat higher than her stool, till Duval bethought him of turning his chair down. NKrX OWYN'S APPBRWTICIsniP. 33 so iliat iLi- sprigLtly orange-girl and he sat balaiiciug cju'li other ; to do which, however, it was necessary at limes to catch hold of one another, to keep the scale true, and the whole affair was conducted with such laughter and good- humoured gaiety on all sides, that Edwards grew more and more suUen and silent. Nobody noticed this, however, until Moll Creswold, who had been silently picking a bone and watching, gave him a slap which broke his reverie. " A penny for your thoughts, my dear ?" said she, with a knowing smile at Kell Gwyn and the courtly valet, who were at the moment jingling glasses together to each other's health. " It's a cram ; I don't care a splash of an oar about her, the slut !" said he, contradicting her look rather than her words'. " Why. MoU, you're as good-looking as her o' Sundays, and don't change with every wind that blows. Come here, girl, and sit on my knee : I'll give thee them gold ear-rings with their bright stones, which I found on the drowned lady at Stralsund. I meant them for Nell, but she's better suited." And with a glance of huge indignation at poor NeU, ho pulled MoU Creswold to him, nothing loth, and triumphantly installed her in the august position indicated. The girl's eye flashed, and she almost snatched the jewels from Eawards as he drew them fiercely out of his breast-pocket. " Nay, then, if you deprive Mistress Nell of her place, she must have another," said Claude, by a gentle movement transferring Nell to his own knee. The girl laughed musically, and for a moment Edwards looked seriously inclined to pick a quarrel, but on second thoughts continued sullenly smoking his pipe. " Come now, darling Nelly, this is all nonsense," said mine liost, speaking for the first time in a subdued tone, as became the helpmate of Mrs. Temperance Bradley. " Do give over your skitting, there's a fine woman, and sing the captain that eong wot you were going on with when mister what's-his- name came in." " Shall I, Jack?" said the girl, smilingly parting Mervyn'i liair, who, having eaten his fill, resumed his place on her lap, for she had extricated herself from Claude. At this moment the loud jangling bell of the inn-vard was heard, and MoU Creswold was obliged to resign ner new honours to answer it. " Do what you like, girl ; you're not what I tookyc for," growled Edwards, puffing his tobacco very fiercely, "Do what you like — it's nothing to me." •• Nay, then, I shpulrJ slap you on the face, for spoiling your S4 KiiiTEraiARS. 5ood looks for nothing," said IS'ell, playfully. " But no^, ack, you don't pretend to like Moll Crcswold Lalf so well as me P" " Why, "NeU — zounds ! you know there's ncthin<» on earth I loves bet for than you, when you behaves > ourself like a lady," said Edwards, looking up with a somewuat brightened ♦xpression. •' Well then, Jack, I'll sin^ you your favourite song, and we'll be I'ricnda again, " said JN'ell, extending her hand, which the honest sailor let his pipe fall to grasp, and wrung it so hard tliiit she scrcanicd out, half laughing at the same time. She was then opening her little ruddy mouth to sing, after bcsneidiing attention with a smiling glance around, when Moll Creswold re-entered, followed by a tall stranger. ClIAPTKK V. THE GBEAT FIBE. The new guest at the Aumerle Arms entered, making a profound l)Ow. He was wrapped in a large white woollen cloak and hood, with liis hat slouched down to his eves. He was armed with a blunderbuss and sword, and ailtogether resembled one of the city watchmen, who, at that period, wore a peculiar costume. " Don't disturb yourselves, ladies ind gentlemen." said the stranger, in a deep hoarse tone. " I am a cove in difhculties, and this here warm covering is borrowed without leave from a cc-ntleman whom I knocked down for following me too close, when I didn't want to salute my ncquaintaiiccs." Duval was disagreeably Ptruck willi Koi:ie of the tones in the man's voice, whicli also seemed, somehow or another, counterfeited. He turned and remarked, without any pleasun*, a pair of glittering eyes fixed upon him; the rest of the countenance was concealed. " Don't be afraid, captain," said Moll, smiling with a goo^l deal of malicious meaning. " The gemman is a real tlasii Bwell — but, gover'ment and he can't a^jree about some little matter; i think they want to grab his scrag, and he dou't encourage the idcer, that's all — eh, Tom P" "That's all, and enouf^h too," replied Tom, with a hoarso laugh. "I hear they've prepared apartments for me in Newgate, and a chaplain ; but I a'nt so fond of takinc miiin »aj»e m irons. They've hunted me out of ^^'hitefriar8 itself — curie 'cm ! — and one of the Woodhounds would have nabbed THE OBEAT FIBE. 35 nic l;ist night, as I took a ride out by Hounslow, but for this old barker of mine. Molly, my dear, bring me a pipeful of that ere bitter backy, and a pot of brown George, and I'm snug for the night." So sayiu.', the worthy drew a stool behind a projection of tlie fire-jilace, and there seemed to give himself up to the undisturiicd enjoyment of the restoratives he had ordered. Clauile's attention, however uneasily called to this person- asje, was now diverted by Nell, who asked if he liked sea-son<:H. Claude gallantly replied that he liked anything she liked, and solicited her to fulfil her promise, and sing. The girl then licgan in her sweet musical tones, glancing from Claude to Edwards with eyes brimful of comic humour. NELL GWYN'S SONG. Tlie sea, the sea, Is England's, And England's shall remain. Till)' the might of France, and the world, advance To contest onr ocean reign ! Quoth gallant Blake, as he sjiread his sails And his cannon shook the waves ; Fire away, boys ! for the day is ours, Or here, lads, foam our graves. Fire av»'ay, boys ! quoth he again, For tlie sea, the sea, is EiiKland'-s, And England's shall reniahi ! The fresh winds blowing loud and strong, The Spaniard fled— which rare is — And we chased them far, and we chased them long, Till they anchor'd in Canai-ies. Quoth our admiral, as their castles blazed With guns, like a stormy night. Do they think to frighten us ? fire away, i)oys. For old England's might and right I " Fire away, boys ! quoth he again ; For the sea, the sea, is England's, And England's «» and cousteruatiou he found that the fire had worked round, and that several houses ou the bridge were already iu u 'nlaze. For some minutes ho was in doubt what to do, but finding jjimself already an object of Buspitious scrutiny to severul iiiudleil men about him, ho thou^jht it best to beat a retreat. Aeeordin;,'ly he made his way down an obscure alley leading to tlio river, intcmlin^, if possible, to get a boat ; but he had Hcarely sliiniltled half-way ilown the uneven eau.seway, ero lie fi'lt iiiniself seized by the collar beiiind, and a voice which niado his heart leap, shouted — " Stop, rogue ! " Turning bharply af this omipouB grcetuig, Claude perceived lU« Tiir: riTpriT, gentleman iii the u-oollon cloak, "svliosc appcaran o Iiad already excited his suspicions. •' Diable ! que vouicz vous ?" exclaimed Duval in his first eurprisc, and fumbling confusedly for his sword ; but the stranger was too shai-p for him, and seized his wrist in euch a Tripe that, embarrassed as he was with the child, he felt it uselfss to attempt resistance. " Don't struggle, it's of no use," said the cantor, very coolly, and raising the flap of his hat, he revealed the coun- tenance of Colonel Blood. " And now you know me, I nippose you have no objection to go with me before a magis- trate? 1 have a warrant — here it is — to arrest you as a French spy. I.have plenty of assistance at hand, so you had better go quietly at once." " It is impossible ; you have mtstaken your man," said Claude. " Fal-de-ral ! " replied the colonel. "Arc you not my Lord Aumcrle's French valet? Surrender, or I blow your brains in the gutter. You know me, I see, by your quaking eyes. IJo more humlj^ig, but come along." " I will not stir a foot. I tell you, colonel, you are mis- taken," said Claude, unawed by the pistol presented at hia head. " Fire, if you dare ; it is murder." " That child in your arms protects you, fool, or we would jump that," gnunoled Blood, dropping the muzzle. " Wo must try another way with you. Ho ! Hill, Green ! dogs ! where are thoy?" He touched the spring of a rattle, wkich gave a peculiar sound, probably well understood by his confederates, and three or four men, dressed as constables and well-armed, ran down the court. Blood then, by a sudden movement, en- deavoured to seize the child, shouting to his comrade to aid; but dexterously taking the opportunity to release his hand, Claude retreated a few steps, drew his sword, and made a blow at his antagonist, which cut the hat off' his head, and grazed his brow. " WTay, tli*^n, have at ye ! To hell, French dog !" shouted Blood, firing his pistol. Luckily, in the darkness and hurrv of hia aim, the biUlots passed Claude, who, meanwhile, sliouted " Murder!" " Robbery!" " Help!" with all his might. In a moment Blood, observing the ill-success of his shot, drew his hanger and rushed to the attack. His satellites followed his exampl*. and in a few seconds Claude was driven with his back against a door, where he stood resolutely defending himself. Some of the inhabitants of this dark region, hearing hu 40 WUtTKFRlAEf. cries, put their heads out of window, and joined the outcry, without atteniptinej any assistance. Blood, however, con- tinued exhortinp his assassins not to hurt the child, and their fear to do so did Claude yeoman's service. Nevertheless, the combat must have been very briefly decided, as, though perfect master of his weapon, it was impossible to withstand such odds, when a new ally suddenly appeared. " Shiver my timbers !" shouted the voice of one coming up the alley, "five to one! — it isn't fair! "NMiat, Mounseer Dooval ! Stand to it, sir, and Jack Edwjirds is your backer." A vigorous arm, wielding a cutlass, followed up this address, which cut one of the ruflians down, and Claude heard a whistle, evidently blown in the agitation of the combat. He was now engaged hand-to-hand with Blood, the child screaming and clinging round his neck, embarrassing his movements, though in some measure protecting him. The whistle produced a siiudar effect to the rattle in summoning new combatants, but on the contrary side. A number of Bailors appeared at the entrance of the alley, who, seeing their captain engaged, instantly knew which side to take, and rushed to the rescue. The superiority of numbers was now on Claude's side, and even the ferocious Blood, observing hia men fly in all directions, found it impossible to keep the field, and ran off, shouting for help in the king's name, and raising the terrible view-halloo, "A popish spy! a popish spy !" Claude knew that this call womd not long remain unan- swered, and after hiu'riedly thanking Edwards for his oppor- tune aid, M'hich the generous seaman swore was only what he would hare done to any man in similar need, let alone his freight, thev consulted about what was best to be done. Edwards, who had a sailor's dread of meddling in matters where the law seemed to thrust herself, advised that they should all get on board his vessel as fast as possible. Claude agreed in this opinion, and they ran to the water's edge, where, at Edwards's sluxit, "Sculler! sculler!" a snudl wherry shot from behind a vessel towards them. Claude, Edwards, and little Mcrvj'n, with two of the sailors, leaped in, and rowed out into the middle of the river, to get clear of the nu)nbcrless boats juul bjirges rushing about. This attempt was, however, soon found a failure. Tho waters near Ix)ndoii Bridge Mere crowded Midi every descrip- tion of craft, barges, boats, rafts, floating furniture, casks, timber, bedding — as if a great fleet had suflercd wreck some short time previous!}'. Claude, who felt certain that Blood's design was not on nim but on his young cliarge. grew every inntant nior* THE PCBSUIT. 41 nervous at the ('(Jay. He represented te Edwards that their pursuers would undoubtedly overtake them on the river, where resistance would be impossible. He therefore thought it would be best for the captam to land him, and bring nig own barge to meet him at the Tower-stairs as early as possible in the morning. This plan was thought feasible, and executed instantly ; they drove their boat on the sands near London Bridge, jyid Claude made the best of his way through back lanes to Eastcheap, while Edwards went in a contrary direction to fulfil his part of the contract. Stepping into an obscure inn, Duval ordered wine and bread for oreakfast, and snugly ensconced in a dark corner, listened to the various and conflicting reports of the nu- merous visitants. He heard that the fire was raging with increased fury — that all attempts to stop its progress were vain — that the Lord Mayor was out of his senses — that Sir John Eobinson and the guards from the Tower were parading the streets — and, that the burning houses were ransacked, as if in a city given up to pillage. As to the cause of the conflagration, opinions diiTered with every individual — the French, the Dutch, the Jesuits, having each their vehement partisans. Unable at last to sit quiet, with his mercurial olood, while a whole city was in com- motion, Claude borrowed an old cloak of the landlord, and sallied forth again into the tumult. The morning was just breaking, but the denseness of the smoke, and the fiery darkness of the atmosphere, made the dawn unnoticed. Soldiers of the city bands were stationed in the streets, to prevent the masses from rushing up and down ; but all subordination was now at an end ; no man heeded authority or entreaties ; terror had broken the bonds of fear and reverence, and society seemed resolving itself into its first wild elements. Claude observed some few who still kept their senses, en- deavouring to pull down the houses adjacent to those already in flames, but the mass of fire driven in tremendous billows before the wind, defied all their eflbrts. The wooden houses, whose projecting balconies furnished a ready-made train, continued to blaze away, and as their owners were principally dealers in oil, pitch, tar, brandy, ropes, and timber, the con- flagration frequently burst out into raging furnaces of the most beautiful white and coloured flames. Men's ruling passions seemed now heightened to delirium ; some cursed and howled imprecations over their ruin, others knelt in the muddy street, sung hymns, and prayed with frantic en- thusiasm, as if the end of the world were come. 42 WHITKI-RIAR?. Thames-Btrect was now reduced to a lieap of red-hot ruins ; Gracecliufch-strcct was all a bla2c, and the two preat iinea of houses on eacli Hide, Lombard and Fenrliurch-street, )iad caught the fiery contagion. Churches, the flaming giants of the scene, txjwered over the ocean of lire, blazing to their very summits. At this time the conflagration had assumed the shape of an immense bow of fire, and the same fanatic who had previously harangued the crowd, pointed this out to them. " Behold the bow — no longer the bow of promise, but of destruction!" he exclaimed, with frantic vehemence. " Behold tlie presage, not of water, but of lire — not of mercy, but of utter up-rooting — not of pardon, but of wrath, for ever! The aiTOwa of God are flaming in it! "Woe to thee, liOndon ! Sodom of cities ! Who shall stand in the gap for thee!" Escaping from tliis madman and the intense heat of tlic flUiTOunding flames, Claude thouL'ht tliat he had best make his way to the Tower, to meet Edwarcbi. But he soon found himself baffled in this plan ; soldiers were iu possession of all the outlets to the shore, and refused, in spite of all his representations, to let him pass without a written order from the Lord Mayor. The latter functionary he heard was at "NVliitehall, where the coimcil had met in confusion, to debate on what was proper to be done. Moreover, the idea oc- curred to Chiiule, tliat such a request from a foreigner at that jimcture could produce no other eflt-ct tlian to consign him 1o a dungeon. Kot knowing what else to do, he now strove to return to his inn, but on approaching it, he found it already in a bla/e. In this dilemma, concluding that he should be least noticed in the deepest confusion, he followed the sweep of the crowd through the fiery city. Even little Mcrvyn's terror hiul now given ]ilace to admiration, and when they flopped before the Excliange, which was in one v:'.8t blaze, he dapped his hands with a kind of joy. The hours of this dreadful day passed in the overwhelming cjnotion of all men's mind, like centuries iu a dream. None kejit count, and nut a gleam of daylight penetrated the c linison air. The sun, indeed, hun:; above like a MiMuly circle, b\it seemed to give neither light nor warmtli. Tho confusion, the outcries, drowned all recollection. Claude, like the rest, was insensible to the passage of time, jle wandered about amidst the confusion, sttmneil and ftupified by the noise ai\d cries, and the universal terror, but no one seemed to heed him. The streets were choked with furniture and goods from the burning houses ; carts laden THE runsuiT. ii\ with the more precious commodities were locked and con- fused together, so as to paralyze all attempts to brini» assistance. Claude stood pazing in mute terror, and almost suffocated with smoke, at tlie gi<^antic mass of flames presented by the burning Guildhall, w hen he felt the tassel of his cloak pulled. He started round, and saw, what, in the dense smoke, ap- peared to be the spectre of a young girl, so pale and ghastly were her features. A moment's attention, however, told him that it was Nell Gwyn, so lately the merriest of the merry. Claude's gallantry had not, however, totally deserted him. " Sweet Mistress Nell!" he exclaimed, when she inter- rupted him with an emphatic gesture. " Don't speak to me that way now, it is too terrible 1" she exflairaed. " I have just made my escape from that wicked lord with whom you saw me — his name is Rochester — but hi« blasphemous wit is too horrible. O, Claude, do you think this is the day of judgment?" '•If not, we shall not see a worse till it comes!" replied Duval. " And that poor child ! " exclaimed the girl, bursting into tears. " But I forget, Claude ; I have been seeking you for hours, to p»t you on your guard. I heard that detestable- looking villain in the white cloak inquiring for you everywhere — describing you exactly — but people are so lost in misery, they cant tell what ho means. Ah ! good Lord, be gracious ! yonder he is." Slie pointed through a rush of fiery dust, to a figure standing on a high horse-stone, and apparently shouting v.hile he directed some operations. A glance at his terrible coui\- tenanc-e, l-.ghtcd by the congenial glare of the coullagration, was euougli for Claude. " I must run for it, Nell — my life is on a cast, and the child's 4;o!" he exclaimed. "But if you would merit Heaven's pardon for any little sin of yours, do an act of charity for me ! You ^a ill find Edwards waiting nie at the Tower-stairs — the sentinels will let you pass — tell him to go on to Whitehall, and be there by ten to-night — if it is not that already." "I will," said Nell, resolutely; "but look to tho child, Claude, he is white as snow." Duval, then, fearful of attracting his persecutor's eye, p'atefully pressed the girl's hand, leaving a moidore in it, and vanished before she could return it, as slie wished to do. NewB that both sides of Cheapside were on fire, turned the ^cat stream of gazers in that oirectiou, and Duval joined it. 44 wniTKKniAns. TLc mob ^^a8 arreetcd in its progress near Mercer's chapel, by the sudden pouring in of four simultaneous fires, vrhirh here met as in a common reservoir, nireadneedle-strect, Walbrook. and liuckJersburj-, now lay open, and immense vistas of tiames were revealed by the fall of all the inter- vening houses. Tlie roar of breakmg timbers, the dust, the smoke, the suffocating smoulder, were succeeded by a solid mass of flames a hundred feet in height. Haising a yell of terror, the mob rushed past, carrying Claude with it, and he presently found himseli one of a vast and silent multitude, gazing on the destruction of the great cathedriU of London — the magnificent St. Paul's of Im-^o Jones. It was a scene such as an imagination of surpassing grandeur might have dreamed, but no numan eye liad ever seen before — the sublime of terror. There was a vast mob, but all were hushed into silence of extreme awe. Innumerable faces, pale, haggard, and as if changed into stone, so fixed was their affrighted ex- pression, were turned towards the spectacle. Claude stood behind a group of horsemen, richly garbed, one only of whom — a tall, olivc-coraplexioned man, with a very brilliant eye — was covered. This personage Claude soon learned was the king ; another rider, covered with dust and grime, he recognized as the Duke of York. The cavalier with whom lie had seen 2^ (.11 Gwyn, was also near the king, holding the bridle of his horse, which snorted with terror as every gust of wind blew showers of burning sparks among them. A few soldiers, fixed like men of bronze, stood around, but no one stirred, — the usclessness of all resistance Beemed tacitly allowed. The heat was now intolerable, and Claude thought tliat the stonei beneath his feet wereturning red-hot ; but the fascination of terror kept all chained to the spot. 8t. Pauls — the great St. Paxd's, the glory of Ijondon — was in tiames ! The whole summit of the church (for the ^\ind had convevcd the ele- ments of destruction there first) was in a blaze. The galleries were wrapped in luminous torrents ; shining volleys of tlame hurst out every instant in every direction, and ballfed all hope of saving the enormous building. Tlie l^ftd was melting lite snow before the sun, from the vast roofs; the stupendous oeams, the enornu>us masses of stone, were yiehlmg and falling wilh denfcning uproar, and crushing in the n>of of the church of St. Faith, which grow like an excrescence on tli* Diaiestic structure above. To add to the terrors of this Bccnc, numbers of tlio sick — some dying of the still-lingering plague — were borne past on their bed), or in bl&id^ett. One wan carried close to CUud«, THli! PORSUIT. 4.') 1» the last atjorioa, covered with purple sores, and jelling k't'ecuely as he pointed to the flames — " Hell ! hell !" The scene had now attained its highest pitch of horror, and St. Paul's presented for some minutes the appearance of a cathedral built of lire, till at length the roof fell in, witli a roar like thut of the sea breaking on a rock in a stonn. All then became one immense pyramid of fire, the flames of which lapped the sky. Yet, even in this terrific moment, Claude heard the king whisper to the cavalier at his bridle, "Oddsfish, man ! metliinks I only need a fiddle, to substan- tiate the comparison with Nero, which my loving subjects are constantly making," " Faith, sire, I think tliis will stop their complaints about the want of fuel," leplied the cavalier. " The citizens may roast theu' dinners here cheap enough. " " liook. Wren ! what sort of iramortahty liave you archi- tects?" continued the kinc, tui*ning to a grave-looking mau, in sad-colourod brocade, who seemed attentively watching the conflagration. " See you there ! Inigo's magnificent portico is fuel for a bonfire." " 'Tis possible to build one that shall surpass it, su'e," returned the architect. " WLU you then be our Michael Angelo, doctor ?" replied the king, smiling. " Yes, an' it please your majesty," replied Wren, smiling too, but with a deep flush, and a luminous sparkle of the eye. At this moment, Claude was conscious that some one waa looking at him intently, over a wall of the churchyard, on which clustered a throng of the lowest populnce. To feel that this gazer was Blood, and that he was detected, was in Claude simultaneous with an attempt to fly. For some minutes, liowever, the turbidence of the crowd made it impossible to force a way ; but he succeeded at length in reaching an open place. Certain now that he was still pursued, he resolved to make for Whitehall as fast as possible. That he was followed was, however, in a few minutes evident, for as ho turned into Holbom — then a lon^ succession of straggling houses and gardens — he heard voices shouting, " Stop liim, stop him ! a Jesuit, a spy !" and louder than all, resounded Blood's dread tones. These cries seemed to lend Claude wings : leaving the buruing city in his rear, he ran, with the child in his arms, OTrer the fields between Holbom and the Strand. Still ho imagined he heard voices calling to each other, and the distant tramp of pursuers; and he continued running r» fast as his 46 WJlITEKKIAas. living burden permitted, until he rcaclied a stile near lue cluirch of St. j\Iartin-in-the-Fields. Here be ventured to breathe and look round : but his consternation was a^faiu excited by observing several men witli torches and drawn swords, crossing the opposite hedge. To leap the stile, and resume his flight, was but a moment's thought ; still the pur- suers had evidently caught sight of their prey, and renewed the chase v. ith loud halloos. CHAPTEli VII. THE FLIGHT. Collecting his fainting strength with a last effort, Duval continued his course rapidly, uTid leaving tho palace and gardens of "^^^litehall on his left, plunged down a passage between two dead walls, whicli led to the stairs where Edwards was to meet him. In a moment, his feet were on the lowest step of the landing-place— in vain ! — not a living soul appeared ; nouglit but tlie river was there, rolling in the fiery fog which enveloped all things, lie drew his sword, and looked around, to ascertain if no less desperate resource presented itself. The balustrade leading to the river had a slight projection, behind which he thought it barely possible to remain concealed ; and he ensconced himself in it almost at the same moment that the flash of torchlight appeared on the summit of the stairs. Ghmcing upward, he porct Lred Blood, followed by three or four of liis myrmidons ; th- former waved a torch, and hung eagerly forward, while hid ill-omened coimtenance expressed extreme vexation and sur- prise. Claude saw that they paused, and entered into lagcr discussion — Blood persisting tliat he had seen him run duwu the steps, another ruiiian asserting that he ran on farther. " Ue must be drowned, colonel, if he went down here," said one. "If that's the case, I don't want his carcase to feed my hounds on," replied Blood, BuUenl}'. *' But I must be sure the brat's safe — I would not for live hundred pounds lie escaped us. Come ou, bullies ! Your torch, Berry !" aini .>^iuitching the brand, he moved slowly and circuuispeclly iloxvii the stairs, looking earnest I3' forward to the water, probably expecting to beholil some signs of recent immersion. Claude's heart beat thick, but ho moved not a muscle ; and the boy, too, seemed hushed by sympathetic terror. .At fhi« OMiiu'iit, ill,- At:t-]\ of oars was heard, ligures approached THE FLiailT. 4/ through the fog, and Claude beard the boisterous voice of Edwarda, sboutinp, " Mr. Dooval, Mr. Dooval!" but music* never sounded half so sweet to his car. " Here I am — help! — murder! — quick !" shouted Claudev *j ringinj; up, and rusliinculler! " A vessel, answering the call, instantly shot from the opposite shore, and Edwards had no doubt but that they should be vigorously pursued. In the first confusion of his escape, Claude forgot hie cloak and everything else ; and when he missed it, intense as was his regret, to attempt to regain it would have been inadness. Moreover, the extreme danger in which they were, quickly absorbed all thoughts but those of self-preservation. A Iwat, well-manned by their pursuers, appeared in the middle of the mer, in their wake, and the deep hoarse vo;ce ot 4R WHITEFBIABS. Blood was heard, cursing and sliouting to tlic people on th« waters, to stop the French incendiaries, who were flying from justice. So gi'eat, however, was the panic caused by the fire, and men's ignorance of what they had to dread, that no one offered any obstioiction. Nothing could ccjual the rapidity of the flight but that of the pursuit ; one boat followed the other like the bloodhound after his prey. Afaay shots were fired by the pursuers, but still the hurry and confusion nia'la floated past, and almost every description of furniture and poods was tossed madly out of the windows into the river. Beneath and amidst this terrible bower of fire, held up bv mere cohesion of rid-hi)t masses, it was necessary to pass if they woidd escape. Edwards's sailors pauaed invuluutai'iJy on their oars. It was indeed a tremendous sight ; the numberless arches '^fthc bridge, and the blazing houses on it, forming a muss of fire which seemed to tower to the sky itself. On each side, fis far as the eye could reach, rolled eddying seas of flame, bounded only by the horizon. In this perilous monu'nt, the native gnllatitry of the English seaman broke out in all it« peerless lustre. *' D — ii it, lads!" exelainu'd the captain, at the pitch of a voice which had often been louder than the sea in a gale — " it shall never be said that .lack Mdwards was tlie man to desert his friend iu nanm-r. I'uU away, boys ; tlu* rascals dure not follow." 'I'he brave Heamen raised a hearty olicer, and seizing their oars again, rusiied into the blaze. Blood and his mynnidona rested, awe.«truck, o»» **«cir o»r». 1"HB FUOHt. 49 bear tlie entrance of this terriffic volcano, probably expecting the destruction of the fugitives. Edwards's boat, and the persons in it, appeared for a moment all crimson in the glare j thej reached tlic burning arch, and as they shot under it, a gunsmith's shop above blew up with a tremendous roar. A whirlwind of black smoke and fire instantly enveloped them, and when it cleared up, boat and voyagers had alike disap- peared from the pursuers' eyes. "W hether or not they had perished in the rush of ruins, it was impossible to ascertain, and IJlood, muttering a fearfid curse, threw himself back, exhausted, in his barge. The fugitives themselves, if interrogated, would have been unable to declare by what exertions, or rather by what chaiuis, they escaped; but they found themselves floating like men in a dream, opposite the Tower. Claude's alarms, however, had not subsiaed, even when in comparative safety, and tliough the loss of his precious cloak nearly drove him mad, he felt that all that could be done was to insure the safety of the voung boy, thus obstinately menaced. Cheering the exliausted watermen with the promise of a gold doubloon apiece if they renewed their exertions, he and Edwards each seized an oar. The burning shores of the river gave them ample light, but it was only by great skill that they avoided the numberless impediments in the waters. The tide was in their favour, and they drifted down to Shadwell without difficulty, when once clear of the bi'idge and wharfs. Edwards's barge, well armed and manned, awaited them there. Once on board this craft, they proceeded on their voyage to T^^oolwich in gallant style ; but it was midnight before they leaped on the schooner's deck, and could pronounce themselves safe. Still Edwards was apprehensive of pursuit, and as the \^ ind served, he raised his anchors instantly, and they shot down the river, at a rate which soon left tlie earthly TartaruH behind them out of sight. When mornuig dawned. Black Betsey, as the schooner was called, had drop[)ed far down the river, and all cause for apprehension seemed gone. The vessel and the crew were both of a kind by no means unusual in those stormy and daring times. It was a tight little schooner, admii-ably adapted to the dangerous coast- trading in which it was, somewnat unlawfully, engaged ; but being originally intended for more peaceful service, it was rather awkwardly fitted Tsath war-gear. Still it was the fastest ■ailcr and the lightest coaster that ever smuggler coveted, and was the darling and pride of every man on board ; indeed. so WBITEFBIAS9. they all spoke of it with a kind of rouj^h affection, u they did of their sweethearts, and would as soon have knocked the man down who doubted the merits of " poor old Black Bess " as him who insulted their ladye-lovcs. "Withal, they were a wUd, ferocious sort of fellows, the very rakings of a lawless and disort^anizcd a<;e ; men of iron frames and unllinchinj» liearts, whose only law was their captain's will. Even nov , thouji;h sailing with royal letters of marque, it was doubtful whether the povernmcnt regarded thera as buccaneers or allies ; and Edwards showed, by his anxiety to avoid the royal fleet, which Liy at the mouth of the river, that he doubted the light in which he was regarded at head-quarter.-^. Claude found that, fiplendidiy as he was to bo recompense*!, it ent<*rc»d not into the captain's head to find auylhing impro- bable in the account which it had pleased Ix)rd Auraerle to give. Accordingly, he him?olf passed as a Popish emigrant, and the boy as his son. .Meanwhile, his anxieties were all transferred to the loss of the papers, jeweb, and part of the mone}' which was to bear his expenses, lie consdled hiin- 8clf, however, by the rellection that no blame could he im- puted to him, since he had perilled his hfe to preserve theni, and that the earl could soon replace his credentials. Claude, moreover, was of a merry, hopeful nature, and troubled him- self little with the dark sule oi things. The wind continued very changeable and capricious, bui Edwards's skill seized advantage from every favourable shift, and on the evening of the second day they were in sight of the French coast. The sky and the sea mirrored each otlicr's calmness, and were both of a clear deep blue. Calais arose every instant more distinctly, with ils grim walls frowning on the edge of the wat<^rs. It m as not Edwards's intention to land them at the town, thither, on account of the war, he dared not approach ; but he hoisted a Dutch flag, althougii there was no vessel in sight, and lay ofl' the coast until sunset. A very brilliant moonhght suceeded, and then the captain •tcered towards a low headland, some leagues to the west of Calais. Every rock and breaker of the coast was as familiar to him as his fields to a villager ; but he waited for several Lours, in expectation of some signal from the shore. Cluudo at last ob.served a bright green rocket shoot from a projecting rock, which was answered by tlie display of a red lainp on their miLst-head, when he w;is informed by the captain that the time had arrived to attempt a debarkation, and tljc U\o EasHcngers, himself, and a few eeamcn, got into the jillj oat. The tide was out, and the sea breaking; in a mourDful mur> rAPTAIN' GATES. •'>1 mur on the grcon rocks Tvliich lined tlic shore, beiiealh chalky rlifTs of great height. The boats stranded on tlie sliallow reels very soon, and they were obliged to walk and jump over the slippery rocks, antU they reached what appeared to be a hole in the chff, scarce large enough to admit a single man. Guided, however, by Edwards, they crawled one after the other in, and soon found the hole widen into a spacious sort of passage, formed in the chalk, which terminated, to Claude's great surprise, in a cottage belonging to a fisherman in league with the smugglers. This man and his family received Claude with unbounded kindness, both as being recommended by Edwards, and being of Norman blood, and they readily agreed to do every tiling necessary to expedite him on his journey. The captain only stayed to drink a cup of brandy, and to exchange a hearty farewell with Claude and little Mervyn, whom he kissed and hugged most affectionately, and then returned to his vessel. The next day behold our travellers on their way to Sainl Omer, well mounted and armed, though without a passport, Mervyn riding delightedly before his protector. All these good things were procured by a liberal outlay of Claude's doubloons, but he dared not apply for a passport, lest inquiry should be raised. The news of the great fire was already the universal topic in Calais, and Claude desired no questioning on the subject ; and as the police of those days was by no means strict, he easily crossed the frontier, and entered Flanders — which was still an appanage of the house of Austria. CHAPTER A'lII. CAPTAIN GATES. It was a fine bright morning, and both travellers were delighted to be once more on terra firma ; but towards noon- day the heat grew so oppressive, tnat Claude found it neces- sary to ieek slielter for a time. The road was skirted on both sides by very rich meadows, and shaded by broad oaks and chestnuts ; and as he had taken the precaution to fill his saddle-bags with such viands as he had deemed good for a journey, he thought they might as well alight and satisfy their appetites, in a pleasant rural way, under the trees. lie dismounted, therefore, and turned his horse loose among the ^recn herbage ; then, hearing the babbling of a stream at uand, he penetrated a woody ravme on his left, to seek itc R3 WHITEFRUHS. cool waters. Ho hatl not advanced many yards, however, ere ho encountered a bony Kosinante of a horse, tied by the leg to a crab-tree, and browsing with famished eagerness. This made him look forward with some anxiety, and he perceired a man stretxrhed, either dead or asleep, on the j^ass. A few steps farther, and the deep nasal snore which greeted him, showed that the latter was the case. Duval hesitated as to whether he ehoidd retire quietly, or take the society which cluince ofl'ered. He had all a French- man's iiking for chatter, but, on the whole, the stranger did not exactly please him. He was of a low, square-set, ill-built form — his neck short and thick, his arms disproportionately long, and terminated by large bony hands. His visage and features were of a peculiar cast, for the moulii was in the centre of the face, and the disproportionate length of the chin gave him the look of a baboon. This natural ugliness, aided oy an expression of low cunning, which the features preserved even in sleep, made it one or the most diBagreeaole faces Claude had ever seen. The man was dressed in a suit of dilapidated rcgiuientals, such as were worn by the old guard of Cromwell, and armed with sword and pistols. A dirty leather wallet lay near him, and the relics of a banquet, consisting of very coarse esculents, were scattered about ; also a grey-hen, or stone bottle, which had contained some sort of strong liquor. On the whole, Claude thought he would leave the stranger to his slumbers ; but it was no longer jjossible ; iVlervyn, Ted by instinctive dislike, lifted a clod, and threw it en the stranger's face. He awoke with a start and a confused curse, and looked around with a pair of small, vicious, pig-eyes, whose expression of alarm almost made Claude laugh. iJut he civilly explained his purpose in French, and told the stranger that, if it woulct not interrupt him, he and his little Doy would take their dinner in the shade of the fine trees around. " I understand no French," said the other, doggedly, and in a very coarse voice. " But if you know anything of Aunglish, speak out, and I'll do what I can conscientiously to pleasure ye." Claude repeated his apology in English, and the stranger iiaving muttered his acquiescence, Claude quietly proceeded to open his larder, consisting of part of a haunch or venison, and a httlo keg of the finest brand}', a parting present fn">m hi* friend, the sniuggler. Observing that his new companion Th?wed these preparations not without emotion, Claude in* rATTAlN OATES. 53 vited him to partake, and aoon found that, whatever he had eaten previously, he had left off with a competent appetite He drank in proportion, and soon grew very talkative. The fire ot London was, of course, the first topic. The stranger had heard nothing of it, but he listened with great interest to Claude's details, interspersing the narrative with oaths and ejaculations of wonder, and testifying great satis- faction on learning that the Catholics were considered or sus- pected as ihe authors of this vast ruin. "And whfit do men say of this paupistical duke of Yoarck P" ho said, in his broad manner. " Do they not consider he is at the boattem — the suake coiled at the root of all this offence? 'Slife, I warrant him, he would bum one half of Aungland to make the other a dunghill of damn- able paupishtry !" "Icannot say I think the duke hath any hand in it," re- plied Claude, " which were, methinks, as if a man set fire to nis own corn to dry it." " Tlien, without doubt, it is the Jesuits," said the stranger, accepting with a nod the brandy-bottle which Claude offered. " Prithee, master," said Duval, somewhat sharply, " speak not so disrespectfully of those Christian fathers — we are not now in England." " Heaven be praised for that same !" replied the stranger ; " for of aU the accursed places on earth for an honest man to live in — 'slife ! a man nad better be a dog in any other country !" " You have been in the army, sir, I presume, from your attire ?" said Claude, inq^uiringly. " Ay, ay, in two armies, those of God and those of man," replied, the gentleman. " But virtue makes enemies wherever it goes, and mine got me kicked out of both services. You may have heard of me — my name's Oates — Captain Oates." " Faith, 1 have heard of one parson Oates, who was chap- lain on board a man-of-war, and narrowly escaped the gallowi for practices which — " "Yes, sir, I am that most injured man ; the victim of a foul ploat," intemipted the stranger, coolly supping his brandy, though the practices alluded to were certamly such as might have brought a blush to the devil's own cheek. " The captain and his boocanier crew of reprobates could not bear the wholesome boldness of my hoioing forth and preaching of the word, wherein I indeed resembled a glon Bed saint preaching to Lucifer and his fiends ; and so thej trumped up that ho which, when the day comes, w ill damf 64 WaiTEFBIABS. tliom all to the lowest depth of the bottomless abyss ! Bui ikcy were obliged to avoucii my unguiltinoss before the com- misBion." " What scandalous tongues men have !" exclaimed Ckude. " I did hear that parson Gates was only saved from dangling at the yard-arm by tenderness to his clotb, and that he was dismissed the service with every possible dishonour and shame." " I would I could hear the man that durst say so to my face !'* said the other, colouring, in spite of the habitual brassiness of his complexion. "13ut, to prove mine innocence, I may tell you I was received with joy mto the army, and by my great courage and massacring of the popish rebels in Ireland, I was made a captain in my company." " And was there some new conspiracy ?" said Claude. " Troth, no, but my preenciplcs were well known, and being good, Protestant, anS honest, the Duke of York took some sudden occasion to break me," replied the captain. " Some of my men took it into their villanous skulls to plunder and murder some family or other, in the wild popish country of Carrickforgiis, and I was made responsible — that's all." "And whither do your bad fortanes lead you now, Mr. Gates?" said Claude. " Nay, faitb, I have left nvy old floundering guide, honesty, behind, and hope to thrive for the loss," said Gates, smiling grunly. " I am on my way to Pauris, where I mean to enter the French king's sarvice ; I hear he needs resoluto fellows to carry on his war against these marsh-waddlers of Dutch- men." " But will not your rehgious principles be against vou, Mr. Gates? You are doubtless one of the independent leaven which Cromwell left in the king's cake ?" said Duval. " 'Slife, I'd be a Turk, or worship a brazen calf, for that matter," exclaimed the captain, who was evidently elated with his brandy. " I don't oelieve one word of all those old trumperies ; the devil take me if I care for him ! Oh no, we imderstand all that sort of thing now I all hypocrisy and state-tricks ! I am not to be bamboozled with a white up- turned eye and a whining twang of the gullet ! I was a parsiMi nivHolf once, and know that it's all tom-foolery, fal-de-ralla ! Did yo ever hear of a quack taking his own nostrum ? — ha ! ha ! ha !" Tiie captain continued rattling on in this strain for some time; but Claude was rnthcr annoyed than amused iiy the blasphemies and unsccnily anecdotes of hi.s accidental ae- quaintaccc. and though tiy no means very starched in Lif Captain oatzs. U Otm principloB, he was almost appalled by those of Captam Oatcs. As their potations deepened, however, each grew more and more confidential, and Claude could not forbear letting some expressions fall which excited the curiosity of his companion. " Ye say the young kid is yours. Master Dooral ?" said the captain ; " and as ye can't aducate him to your raiud in Aiingland, ye are taking him to those venerable men at — where did you say P" " Saint Omer," replied Claude. " But I have a papa in England, who is a grand gentleman," snid Mcrvyn, "only he lives in such a dark, big house, close by tlie water." "Any!" replied the captain, with a suspicious glance at Duval, who smiled, and patted his lip with his forefinger. " I coniprchcud — I comprehend," continued Gates. "The old one is in pound, and this young one is to be di'iven out of the woirs way. Varry good? — poor lamb! I take an in- terest in his behalf, ^Mr. Claude ; 'tis a fair child, varry fair, and even as Eauchel mourned over her fruit, calling him Ichabod, which means, in the vernacular, Our Glory is de- parted, even so I — but you say you were robbed, robbed in the great fire, Mr. Claude ? How in the world (not to ask impertinent questions) do you mean to get on among the Jesuitical rogues without money P" " Oh, they did not scrape me clean out ; I had a fat purse m my doublet, though they stole my cloak," replied Claude, proudly. " W ell, weD, I hope no ofience," said Gates ; " all I mean to say is, I have already told you I am no cant ; I doant care about making any of your long hobbledy speeches about faith, hope, and charity, which are but the stock in trade of hypo- crisy and your soul-dealers ; if I had, I might have been a sleek, evangelical of a rogue still. But this I will saj- — in short, if you want money, Mr. Dooval, to take the poor little wretch to a safe place, here's my purse, and ye're as welcome to dip your hand in it as my own orother." And so saying. Gates drew out a long red silk purse, which seemed, from the chink and glitter within, to be tolerably well lined. " If I wanted it, captain, you should be my Jew among a dozen — but see if I do," said Claude, producing his little bag of moidores, and tossing it somewhat ostentatiously in the air, it fell with a massive jingle. The stranger's whole counte- nance brightened, and ho had some difficulty to suppress the chuckle which involuctarilv mounted to his throat. " The Loord knows, it is well for us the popish hounds ill these parts have no reason, from our appearance, to suspect us of such riches," said he, replacing his purse very carefully. " They say these marshes o» St. Omer are haunted by all manner of vagabond robbers and thieves, that fear neither Goad nor man : indeed, I doubted strongly whether I should go on, or spend the night in the next village, but for your company." "So you're travelling to St. Omer, tooP" said Duval, though not without a moment's suspicion. " Yes, sooth ; I have diverged from my direct route of Paris, to visit the poor scattered remnant _s^Ul left there by the merciless councils of the ungodly paupistical Ahasuerus on tlie throne of France," replied Oate.s. Claude glanced at the short uncomely figure before him, and contrasting it, mentally, with his own fine athletic per- Bon, consented to the arrangement. They continued tueir :;onver8ation for some little time longer, till Claude, ob- serving the trees shot with a deep crimson, admonished his companion that it was tmie to mount and resume their journey. The travellers were soon again on the road, a wild-looking horse-path, traversing the heart of a deep forest, and Oates had some difficulty in making his bony hack keep pace with Claude's good steed ; but the latter, as if from politeness, took care to keep his companion abreast, and never suffered him to get in the rear. The conversation was such as the gloomy scenery jiround uatui-ally excited, and the robberies, murders, and various acts of violence exercised on the road tliey were traversing, of course formed the staple. Oates pretented to laugh at these stories, but the numerous black crosses skirting the road, each the memento of some act of bnrbarit)', argued weU on the other side. From tliis topic, he launched into a disserta- tion on wer.pons, and boasted his own to be the best ever made. To back this assertion, lie handed his pistols to Claude, wlio remarked, with a slight smile at his own inward thoughts, tliat they were not loaded. Ho handed them back, with a great increase of couUdcnce, and the dialogue became once more free and cheerful. Oates, in his turn, admired hii- fellow-traveller's defensive gear, and asked permission to ex- amine the temper of his sword. Claude very readily drew tlir blade, and, Hashing it roiiml his heiul, handed it to the cap. tain, who, apparently by accident, let it fail. Oates made as if he would nave dismounted to pick it up, but Claude, with thoughtless politonoss. insisted that it ^^a3 his fault, and. CAPTAIN 0ATE9. t; flinging the rouis to hi3 companion, kiipod to iL? ground, leaving little Mervj-u on the horse. The point which our travellers had now reached was th« descent of a hill, covered by the forest they were traversing, and which commanded an extensive view ot a elooping wood- land, terminated by the wide marshes of St. Omer. The sun was niph the horizon, but the whole west BtUl glowed with exquisite colours, darkly reflected in the watery moora which spread in wide desolation beyond. Not a living thing, uo human dwelling-place, was visible for many miles round ; only a few wild-fowl fluttered over the pools and reedy islets of the marshes, and the towers of the abbey of Clairvanx gleamed in the distance. To the far cast, indeed, the eye could discern the walls and pyramidal steeples of St. Omer, rising on an eminence which terminated the view, but distant several leagues. It was a spot well suited, by its sohtude, for the commission of deeds of treachery and assassination, and the thought occurred to Claude almost as he stooped to lift the sword. An exclamation of the cliild, and a sUght start of his horse, induced him to spring up suddenly — but it was too late. The captain had seized the pistols from liis holsters almost as he leaped down, and nov presenting them at their owner's head, very cooUy invited him to give up his purse, or prepare to have his brains scattered among the trees. Claude was startled, but after the first moment of surprise Jic began laughing, as if it were a joke. " Come, sir, none of your horse-grinning at me ! " exclaimed the captain, fiercely. I tcU you, you are a fool, and in my power — I am a gentleman of the road. Your money or your life!" " Morhleu ! — and is it possible you are in earnest P" said Claude, with imperturbable serenity. " Never more so," returned the captain. " I don't want to redden a bullet in you, if I can help it, but you must be quick and make your election." " Never fear," repHed Claude, with um'uffled composure. " Do your worst — fire away ! — the pistols are not loaded. Do you think I was so young as to trust a gentlcmjin of your appearance and conversation ? I did but tempt you, to discover your real character — and here it is ! — the balls are drawn." The captain glanced for a moment at Duval, with a mixture of doubt and fear in his villanous eye, still levelling the pistols, but the unalterable coolness of Claude's manner produced il» cfiect. He burst into d laugh, and quietly poking the pistola back iato the holsters exclaimed, "Egad, a yourg fellow ci 68 WHITEFEIAM. infinite courage ! Loord help us ! aud did you really lliiak me in earnest, companion ?" " Faith, and i should have f^und you in earnest, too, had I not been of better nerve than thou art, villain !" said Duval, clutching his pistols, eagerly. " I see thou art one of those dastardly' murderers that do entrap men to their ruin witli caresses, like that Judas who is your patron fiend. Thepistola are loaded, and for a proof, here is a ball throujrh your hat ; the ne.\t shall be through your head, if you refuse, in your turn, to surrender that goodly red purse, vrhich I Mill bestow in charity." Suiting the action to the word, he fired, and was somewhat Bui-prised, knowing that he had only carried off Oates's raised feather, to sec him fall to the ground, as if sliot dead. After pacifying his restive horse, which began rearing, and nearly thi'ew little Jlcrvyn, Claude turned to the fallen highway* man, and giving liim an energetic kick, called upon him to rise. Tiic wrclch, however, had the beetle's instinct, and feigned to be cither dead or insensible. For a moment Claude hesitated as to the propriety of eiTcctually'disabling him from further v.ickedness ; but a na- tural aversion to violence, and even loathing of the treacherous villain, determined him to spare his life. Convinced, how- ever, that he had no ri^ihtful claim to the property in hi? oossession, Claude ransacked his pockets with gi'eat dUigcnce. He foimd some gold and jev.els of considerable value m his breast, and the red purse ; there was also a long knife, and a knotted handkercliief, stained with blood, whii.>h Claude had no doubt had recently done yeoman's service. He also found a leaf torn out of an old London Gazelic, in which he read an exact description of the ca])tain'8 person, and a reward of twenty guineas offered fur his apprehension, on a charge of swindling some tradesmen. Claude very kindly left him this certificate of respectjibility. and mused for some moments as to what he should do with his captive. lie finally detorniiued on tyinji him hamls and feet, and leaving him to the compassion of any good Sama- ritan who might bo tempted, by the reward, to take him into custody, — a^ plan whicli was no sooner thought of than adojited, ijillnitely to httle ^fervyn'a amusement. 'ihe captain only groaned onee as Claude kicked him over. TJieii havii)(j broken tiie flints of Oates's pistols, thrown them Jnlo a ditch, and let his Kosinanto loose, to feed on the rank gra^s, Claude remounted, and gidloped oil' &t a good •j»ced. The BuuSi^t waa rapidly fading intti a brijjht silvery night, TliL JliSriTS. M wLon Claude entered the ancient Flemish citv. The toils of ibe dav were over, and a gay population filled the streets. It •R'as the glittcrinfi: era of tlie grand monarquo, and besides, it was evidently ayiYf-day in Saint Omer. There ■were boiifirca in the streets, the shrines ^vcre decorated with flowers and lamps short petticoats and gaud}' caps appeared on lijjjhtsomo forms at every turn, blue and red stockinets were the only ■vrear. The peasant girls' wooden clogs were painted all sorts of pretty colours, and their smart garters hung rogiiisldy down to their ankles. Dancing was goin"; on in every open space, and Claude heard no sounds but tnose of music and laughter. Inc[uiring of one of the menymakers the way to tho Jesuits' College, he was readily directed, and shortly found himself in front of the antique and massive edifice — the forgo of the llomish church's chief thunderbolts in that day. CHAPTER IX. THE JESUITS. The Jesuits seemed to share the public hilarity of the day, for their convent-gates wero open, and tho good brothers were engaged in distributing wine, cakes, and curdled milk to all who chose to partake — not to mention sprigs of holy rose- mary, good against chai-ms, storms, ?.nd the headache, they having been blessed by the sovereign pontiff hinist-lf. Duval inquired of a girl, who was arrauging her hair after the dance, for tlie Eeverend General de Oliva, who he had heard was on a visitation to the college. The girl pointed to a chestnut-tree of extraordinary luxuriance, just before the college-gates, whose foliage, tinged with tho scarlet-brown hues of autumn, formed a sort of hanging-tcut almost to tho ground. Beneath tkis was a bencli of twisted branches, and a rustic tuoie spread with fruit and wine, at which sat an old but still vigorous man, in the Jesuit garb, and several gentle- men of the province — probably of high, rank, from the ricii- ncss of their dress. The general himself wore a purple cross woven in his liabit, and a rosary of golden beads. Jlis features, though some- what harsh and saturnine by nature, were subdued almost to beauty, by a mild and noble cxprcssioTi of genius and good- ncBs. There were times, indeed, when an indcBcribable OO tTHITEFEIAEa, something in the eye, a peculiar tone of the voice, or an xm* guarded gesture, showed that it was not apathy, but eub- dued passions, which gave him that gracious serenity. At this moment, however, the padre seemed absorbed in enjoy- ment of the merry scene before him, smiling and bestowing his blessing on the happy peasants, as they crowded to offer him nosegays of sweet flowers and reverential homage. — Among these sprightly masses Claude Duval made his way very deftly, elbowing the men, aiid handing tlie girls aside. " What man is this, or rather what peacock P" said the general, turning with a smile to his companions. " From his flaunting livery he shoidd be of Provence, whero the hot sun makes them dote on rich colours," s.aid one of the addressed. " But methinks he is courteous as a new noble shuffling his way to the throne through men whose patents date from Charlemagne." " And mine dales earlier, monsieur," said Claude, bowing reverently. " The Duvals came in with Eollo, and though our family is somewhat reduced., we still keep our pretensions t<) half Calvados, with absolute possession of some seven acres. Most reverend father, your blessing on this httlo traveller and myself." And he knelt at the {general's feet. " Who and what art thou, sou, that thy introduction i.s so brief?" said the Jesuit. "And above all, what fair child is this?" " My name is Claude Duval, servant of the most noble Lord Aumerle," repUed the traveller. " The child is — is one whom Providence and his unhappy father coiumoud to your holy protection." " How — Lord Aumerle ! Explain yourself, son !" said the Jesuit, with a keen and almost startled ghmce at the boy. " I cannot before witnesses, even so noble as those Flemish gentlemen," replied Claude. " Messieurs, excuse me ; every- thing I say or do is trammelled with an oath. But that your reverend lordship may not suspect my iutelligcuco of no worth, f would whisper a word in your ear." Tliis word, whatever it was, seemed to produce a cabalisticai eflLtt. The general entreated his guests to pardon hira, and rose as if to retire ; but one of the principal among them stopped him. " Nay, father, we will dance awhile with those pretty ru;Uicf ." he said. " We know the importance of news from Eiii;l;in(l at tlii^ jr-ncture; iind .nflorwanls, if it plciiat? you, 1 wouKl fain intorro'iute the ^^cnt Ionian upon the feurfal Are which has made Lonaon a hoaj) of aslios." Claude bowed, and after a slight romoustrance from Do Oliva, the gonllcnion retired, and mingled with the rur.d THE JESUITS. fil i&ncer8, among whom their glitteriut( garbs and superior elegance seemed the only distinctions they assumed. " And now tliy business ? — from the earl ? is lie still in tlie Tower?" exclaimed the Jesuit, eagerly. " Alaa ! how the world cliauges ! He was of my best-loved friends." " To begin, then, my lord, I have lost all my credentials, papers, jewels, documents — I know not what — from my master to your reverend lordship," said Claude. " A brief confession — how and when P" said De Oliva, a ehade of suspicion crossing his brow. "At the great fire," said Claude. "But it will take me some good half-hour to explain all fully, when I shall not appear blameable in your lordship's sight. Meanwhile, do you receive no assurance from the child's aspect ?" " Is this, then, the young disinherited, Aumerle's doubtfiJ sou, whom his last letters taught me to expect ?" said the Jesuit, anxiously. " Look on him, sir ! doth not the grape flavour of the vine ?" " Certes, he much resembles my unhappy friend — but your story ?" said De Oliva, extendmg his hand to the child. " Come hither, son ! Alas ! but his beauty partakes much of his bad mother's most exquisite perfection. \Vell, your story r" " Beseech vou, pardon if I first moisten my dust-choked lungs in a goblet of wine," said Claude, very coolly filling Imnsclf a tankard. The padre assented vrith. a srnUe, and Claude swallowed a hearty draught, taking care to leave a few bright di'ops for Mervyn, who seemed to taste it with infinite relish. He then began, as he had promised, with a circumstantial narrative of those particulars witli which the reader is acquainted, from his interview -n-ith Aumerle in the Tower to his arrival at Calais. But he did not seem to think it necessaiy to mention his recent affair with the highwayman. 'rixc Jesuit listened with deep attention, casting frequent f [lances of compassion at Mervyn ; and when Claude concluded lis narrative, the general sat for some minutes in reverie; then, amoothening the boy's fair locks, ho sighed deeply. " Your tale needs no vouchers, Duval," he said, at Itist. "But the loss of all those precious documents — and in such hands — is indeed grievous. What if the infuriate parliament and populace should glut themselves in the eai'l's blood — Uf proof, no testimonies remain in our hands." " It shall be remedied when I return to my lord ; which l purpose instantly, if youj: reverence accept the charge I hav»> DTouglit," said Claude. " I do, 08 if directly tendered me by Heaven I" said the mo (d WHITEFBIABa. Jestiit. " God have merov oa tliat cruel vroman ! I did ever warn the earl tliat — mcthinks I may trust tlicc, Claude K' " With auything but a pretty girl," said Claude. " Or a (joblet of wine," added the Jesuit, emiling thonplit- fully. '* Well, it matters not — yet methinks this whole alTair is stransjer thau au^ht that ever I saw or read, though ia my young days I was fond of the wild romances of this besotted a^jo. You are bouud to secrecy, Claude?" ' By so many oaths that T>urj^atory would be too good fur J if I broke one," said tlic "traveller. " I married them at Bruges, during the king's exile ; and v.hat a change is this !" continued the padre, musingly. "Poor Aumerle ! — and for such a prolligate tlauntcr and midnight wassailer as Howard was thy noble heart betraved !" "And my answer to his lordship?" said Claude, earnestly. " The earl desired me to return only verbal answers to his messages," replied De Oliva. " Tiie care which he commits to me ami to mv holy order is indeed fraught with av.ful responsibility. 'lell him, I accept it with fear and trembling. Assure him, in my name, that all his desires shall be fulliiled to llie very letter. I woidd fain wi-ite him a few words of consolation, but that I perceive it may compromise him with his blood-thirsty enemies if he is discovered in secret corres- pondence with a poor seiwant of the church." " Your reverend lordship promises then, never, by word or deed, to give this young child any iukling of his true quality and birth, ujiless desii-ed by the earl himself?" " So may Heaven help me in my need !" said the padre, solemnly. " I much fear, Claude, that the time is nigh when the knowledge of either would only prove the poor orphan's ruin." " Alas ! iny lord, and I do grievously fear the same," sad Duval. " lIo\A ever that may be, and though I have lost tho moneys whicli my lord sent to you for cliaritable purposes, I doubt not to return A^ith such documents as shall convince you tliat I am in no way an impostor." " I do not suspect thee, friend," said De Oliva, with a smile. " And, in fine, I accept your charge, so now you may join these revellers awhUe, for I sec you ai"c a jovial com- panion." Duval reverently thanked the general, and was going to leave the boy with his new protector, while he joined the merry company on tho green. But Mervyn leaped upon his neck, and clung to him with loud scroams. The padre aroa\ and tried for some moments to soothe him with promises and caresses, but the child was not to be paciJied, aud BecraeiJ THK /E3TJTT8, 63 rather terrified than allured by the Jesuit's foreign-sounding English, though couched in such soft phi"ase as " dear lectle bo}' ! — chiquiio de mis entranas .'" " AVeU, take him with you — he will weary anon," said he, at last. " He has a character, at least — here are two traits — obstinacy and affection. AVlieu his little lids begin to droop, return with him to the college ; we arc not ranch used to tho management of such nursery-scholars, but old Ambrose, a lay- brother, will readily take charge of him." Claude withdrew with a lightened heart to join the revellers, among whom he soon established himself as a general favourite. Independently of his splendid livery, dashing manners, and devil-may-care style of conversation, he danced to admiration, gossiped with the old women, and talked soft nonsense with the j-oung. His presence revived the festival, whicli was beginning to Hag, and a moonlight of surpassing brilliancy had supplied the place of tlic sun. Jokes were cracked, healths drunk, songs sung, and merry games plaj'cdj till old and young were all ;ilive v.ith gaiety. The favovirite but now antiquated sport — the beloved revelry of the Norman peasantr}', and of old England too, before misery and manu- factures had worn the hfc-blood out of our hearty and gallant commons — Kiss in the liing — was proposed by Claude, and caiTied by acclamation of tho young men, and faint "nays" from the tittering lasses. And a mirthful sight it was to sco them all standing in avast ring, maid and bachelor, blooming, and blushing, and giggling, like gi-own-up fairies, beneath the sweet moonlight and chequered shade of the venerable trees. Tho pictm-esque peasant dress of the pei'iod ; the parti- coloured petticoat, little roguish bodice, and gaudy caps of the women ; the gay nether garments of the men, their long dangling garters, and crimson sack caps, made as pretty a grouping as the most expert ballet-master could contrive. The good fathers of the convent (for so they were considered by the people of Saint Omer, whatever the al!rightcd puritans of Eugiand and the Jansenists of France might hold them) looked oa v.ith encouragement and even pleasure ; men whose pens were foremost in tiie fierce controversies of the time, and whose persons were engaged in its most perilous intrigues, Beemed to refresh their study-worn souls with this exhibition of natural and hearty feeliug. At the same time, their presence produced a salutary effect, in restraining any tenaeney to mteraperance or quaiTcl, to which, indeed, the phlegmatic people of Flanders were but little addicted. Do Oliva himself remarked with a smile that Duval obtained by far tli'j greatest number of crowns, to the Texation of hit 64 WUilCFBlABS. compeers ; but liis perpetual good-nature, and evident courage, kept him clear of ttowuriglit quarrels. The Jesuit obscr^'cd also, but w itli deeper attention, the young boy who had been so Bingularly intrusted to his charge. To his surprise, Mervyn, young as he was, seemed bent on sharing all the jollities and pranks afoot, imitating Duval with a fidelity astonishing in one so green of years. He danced, ran about kissing the little peasant girls, sipped wine, and made the old men shake with laughter at the gallant style in which he sang a little English song. But at last the urchin fell asleep in the arras of an old woman, whom he persisted in calling " nurse Alice," and De Oliva ordered her to take the child into the college, and deliver it to the care of the lay-brother appointed to tne office. The great bell of the convent Boon after toUed, and the good meeting Avas broken up. Claude f».amd a straw pallet prepared for him near another for Mervyn, in an apartment plainly but substantially fur- ni.shcd. Jirlioved of the heavy responsibility which had pressed upon him, he cheerfully commended himself to the Virgin, and was soon in a deep slumber. In the morning, Mervyn was sent for to breakfast with the padre himself, while Claude was handed over to the care of the lay -brothers in the refectory. These personages appeared in some little commotion, and Claude learned that the move- ment was caused by the return of ^^an Huysman, rector of the college, a man of great severity in discipline. He had been in England, superintending some affairs of the order ; but as he travelled in the apostolic fashion, with scrip and eaudals, (he community were kept on the alert as to his return. Claude was earnoatly engaged with bis bread and fruit, when a brother arrivea to summon him to the general's jucsence. On entering tlie apartment, his eye was directed on the new ly-arrived rector. His figure waa remarkable for its groat hoight, and the majestic 6.''ape of his shoulders and noiid, but he was lean and bony to the last degree. His face seemed macerated by constant fasting, but the expression was large, severe, and commanding, especiidly when his sunken eye lighted up as it was wont when eai-nestly enga":ed. An habitual stoop, caused by weakness or constant study, some- what detracted from his stature, but pave a kind ot devout meekness to the natural au.stority of liis figure. A glance around convinced Claude that sometliing mo- naenlous had occurred. The padro looked pide, and his lip quivered with i>ervf>u3 ngitr.tion ; Iho rector hiroself seemed THE JESUITS. 66 troubled ; oaly Im^ Merryn was quite at his case, supping' bread and muK. The padre's first words were oir.inoua " It is unnecessary for you to liuny yoursilf, Duval, en your rotia*n to England," lie said. " My friciul, and your unfortunate lord, is no more; he committed suicide iii tho Tower on the night of the fire." Claude stood for a moment thunderstruck, nnd then ex- claiming, "Holy saints! — I dreaded this!— my loi'd is murdered !" sank sobbing into a chair. " Heaven oidy knows," said the Jesuit, crossing himself. " But vengeance is His, and He will repay !" " But is this certain ? or is it but a tale afloat among the mad nimours of tlie day ?" exclaimed Claude. "Young man, it is but too true," said Van Huysmau, in his calm, measured tone. " A jury sat on the earl's body tho evening after, but in such confusion and tremoiu-s, on account of the still raging flames, that little was done. The jury, indeed, complained of the scantiness and perplexity oi the evidence, but they hastily returned a verdict of fclo de se. And so the earl, your master, was buried, as I myself saw, in a rude grave, dug in the Tower-ditch — xincofllncd, Tiilli his cloak for a shroud." Claude fairly wept at this dismal recital, a;i-.l liiding hia face in his hands, sobbed for several minuti'S like a child, Mervyn, xmconscious of the share which he himself had in that grief, ran and threw his arms around Claud's neck, and cried for company. A few drops forced themselves to Oliva's eyes too, but the rector looked on with stoical composure — almost with contempt. As Claude still persisted that the earl's prediction had come time — that he was murdered, and called a suicide — the Jesuits, though they said nothing to Duval, exchannus present, as it were unconsciously, of ancient manners, opinions, and deeda ; the dramatic Bplendour of the narratives in which the THB HEAL POPISH PLOT. ^l glowing fancies of the African fafchcrs have clothed the stirring events of the times in which they lived ; these cauf^ht his atter tion moro than their controversial value. Van Huysman perceived that he had a poetical nature to deal with ; an inert power which accident might awake, as the chords of the /Eolian harp are mute tUl the chance breeze passes which wakes it iiito passionate music ; and he had no wish to stifle, nor even divert, this natural sensibOitj, but rather to direct its enerj^ies into the channel where it was intended they should llow ; for he was too deeply versed in human science not to know that even the eloq\ience of religion is cold and powerless, unless kindled by those fine emotions and sparkling thoughts which only poetical enthusiasm can strike out of the flints of logic. Mervyn was allowed the full range of the noble library TV'hich the Jesuits had accumxilated in their college, and though it consisted, of course, of such works only as had passed the keen ordeal of their criticism, there was much to kindle strange thoughts and yearnings in so young a breast. The activity of his genius, deprived of its proper exercise, vented its wild profusion of power in inert speculation and dreamy revery, which, however carefully concealed in his own heart, increased the discontent which preyed upon him inwardly. As time passed, strange ideas crept into his mind, he knew not how ; indistinct longings to venture out on that brilliant, restless sea of love and glory which his imagination painted in the world ; a vague yearning for power a-iid freedom, which are, in general, the first wishes formed by the aspiring hea»t of youth, invaded his monkish sohtude. The Jesuits, who desired that their pupils should be well qualified to mingle in a world which they were to govern oa?y by the supremacy of intellect, had accumulated in their library the choicest works of human genius, even in branches which they considered frivolous. Poets and romancers were in this latter category, and though, in general, forbidden books, the rector was not unwilling to allow Mervyn's taste some exercise in this direction. Among all these, Ariosto soon became the young student's favourite, and many of his happiest hours were spent over those charmed lays. Ariosto is, in truth, the very poet of youth ; he breathes nought but love, and triumph, and pleasure ; his passions are in their full and beautiful energj', his flowers ia their loveliest bloom : no scent of autumn haunts the deep verdure of his forests. All things are possible in his legends ; the prejudices and harsh laws of Nature and of man yield alike to his magic, or are ■^ot supposed to exist. Even death, and despair, and sorrow 82 TVHITEFBIADS. are but shadowed angcLs, not tlio black fiends cf northern imagination ; his heroes and heroines die, but it is recUning on neds of violets, with the songs of nightingale* sweetly warbUng them to rest. CHAPTER Xn. THB WOBLD AKD GENIUS. As Merry'n's knowledge of the deeds and opinions of men increased, the idea of inquiring from whom he had derived liis existence occuiTcd to him, at first as a subject of curiosity, but filially it ripened into a deep and anxious desire. Circum- stances contributed to fan tliis kindled wish. Kepublican as was the equality which the Jesuits enforced in their acade- mics, and resolutely as they endeavoured to annihilate even the shadows of those distinctions of rank and birth Mhich, in that age, were emblazoned in all the pomp and pride of heraldry, those dirftinctions were recollected and enforced among the pupils with more severity for the prohibition of the masters. Among youths who were principally sprung from the noblest blood of France and England, what but sbame and contempt could be the portion of the almost nameless Mervyn P Even among the pooivr class of students, whom the fathers brought up for charity or policy, he found little sympathy. However vulgar and \inhonoured their names might be, all had iwo — all coidd speak of families and ida- tions. It is true that the fierceness with which he resciited any attack, however oblique, on his obscure ])arentage, and the courage and success which marked his outbursts of pas- sion, discouraged many from trying experiments on his leel- ings. Eut still schoolboys, as well a: men, know how to pierce the soul with those fine wounds which, deeply as they enter, leave no maiks to ajiiical to, or to justify revenge. It was, therefore, after long suQerings and bitter heart- bumuigs, proudly concealed from the gaze of all, that Mervyn at length resolved to venture on a step which nothing but desperation — as he then thouRht — could induce him to take. Often as he had endeavoured, by various means and from various persons, nuustirs and servants, to acquire some notion of his early years, and how he came among those youths who had all little histories of a I'ojit to relate, he obtained only chilUnu negatives, or absolute commandB never to meutioa tlie Buo|ect. THE WORLD AND OENirS. 83 Mcrvrn ^ras ni length neai-l^ goaded to maducss by the reproaches and sarcasms of his compaulons, who, with tlio ii;alicc inspired b}' envy of his personal superiority, circulated among themselves a story, the absurdity of which only added zest to its falsehood. It was said that he was the illegitimate offspring of a robber, beheaded at St. Onic r, in whose late Van Huysraan had taken great spiritual interest, and was said to have accepted the charge ol Ids child from the dying malefactor. One day, \\ hen the whole school was collected in the thca- trum, for it was an examination-day, and not a sound was heard but the studious hum of the scholars, Mervyn stepped boldly forwai'd, his cheeks flushed with excitement, his eyes sparkling, and his whole frame trembling with ncrs'ous sensi- bility. The whole huU watched his movemonts with surprise, aud those who had been the most covertly guilty towards him, were not without terror when they saw him advance to the catlicdra itself — the lofty chair in which Van Huysman eat, enforcing silence and awe with the mere dignity of liia presence. The rector himself seldom or never interfered in the direct business of tuition; but his gaunt majestic figure, the con- Bciousness that his searching eye vras upon all, the knowledge of his inflexible severity, kept more order and submission than could the rods of a hundred ushers. Towards this dread presence, alone, uncalled for, but seemingly undaunted, did Mervyn advance. The rector himself raised bis eyes from a book he was perusing, not without some surprise, audmquired with harsh orevity, " Quid vis, fill 1" " I want you to answer mc three questions, most reverend," replied Mervyn, resolutely, and in French — a forbiddea lan- guage during the acadiray hours. " Tu /" replied the rector, letting his book down on his lip, and gazing with his stern eyes on the 'joy. Tberc was an emphasis on this solitary syllable, w' ^ch made ill tremble but Mei-vyn, " "Will you answer them, father? for till you do, T swear by this holy cross, woven into ;ny clothes and heaj-t, I will never learn another lesson, tbough you kill mc." " Indeed ! and what are thy questions, cliild P" said the rector, in a milder tone than any one expected. " I want to know from whom I spring — have I a father P TNliy do I know a language which 1 never learned ? And why," he continued, bursting into tears, " why do I dream laa things, that make mc wocp, and which yet seem to me^ 84 H'GriTEFBUBS. *hen I wake, like recollectiona of persons and places I haf e actually knovra and BccnP" F"•«• ancient blood-4?7ciSVboS.t^ *'"''" men of proud and nature has created y^?Yn Wl f°^^ ^'^' ^ '^^ Relieve that " Why then am ft J ^ ^^"'l I'^^^^ '''"^ master." insensible at the rectoi^s feet ^ ' ^^'^ ^^°^^' ^« ^^^ll wh.:?rq^S;^,^^^^,l^jn. and administered restoratives resumed his habitual sto?.,-,m nf ^'^ ''''''}'''' immediately the mornj^^^ent 0^^:^^"; tt tS^^^i^lr'--" ^' and eviden ly exhausted wiH.n '''' \'' ™"^^^^''^^^' ^''-^^Pi^g. that the Jesuit hoped to 1/^"^- / ^^« ^" this iLocS fPrings to set in movement witbS "^ ^' ^""''^ "'-•" ^^^^t he had to deal. He sa? do^^ t ?™''? T''^ "^^^ ^l^^h cahner, oraver and rSnS ff> .? ^•^' ^'"^ bed, and in a tone before; Sgln \o e.S!^'^ Jj^ Jf '^'''' T ^^« ^^^^ ^ profoundlv%nd wir^^earJstne^^^^^^^^ He reasoned ^ere not himself altocrpftr^y ? ,^^ seemed as if he English re^b£Ls-on t^e 3 '°^ ^^' ^''^"'^ °^^"i^ of tht of all human dSct?on onfe"T,'^'^^'^^',^^d^deed nothiug to men's op Ss' and vSf p ™l P"^^ °^ «^i^^' being the architect otZo;./ P^ ""^ mastering them ; of clim'butma^mcLt oX?n?'r'' "."^ be sketched a gifts he bad rSed from n^f ^"^ P^"^'^^' ^o which the terminating the v sta bf- „-^ ^"^ " - '"'^''*^ '"''' ^''^ of the Vatican He a/ude/ wifj.^ ''"'^ "^^^. ^^ ^^^ ^ome Mervyn had imagined hccotid foi^ r[f' ™'^;"" *^^^" ^^•^»- own early youth?from whiT tl ' *° ^^"^ misfortunes of his 80 far froVprote; LTht tLt i? ilTt'M^ H' '^^"^ ^^* his sufferings. He did nnV in l i^ ^^^■'^ *^^ ^bief cause of were rmnoL afloat wl^^h' MervvnT'^T ^T' ^"* ^^^-^ some early love for a worn. n If r^"^ ^^^'■'^' concerning tr^cal sequel brought Tb^ tltiranTLr^ofll -^J^tff ,::f ST^^I;? tl. n^^ p,,^. ^lervyn. But the maxims of ;'-,i ^"^^''"'a" ^flc»-ed to youtb.anditspetrifyiitXtHne^n^^^^^^^^^^^^ '',''"" ""^ "^^^^^^ ^o' K tan louden the fcelmgs into tl,at WIUTBVBIABS. 86 tSrW^SVrifu, little .V.CCO,., -i 9''-''?.'^;i The rector observed w% V^^"-'; ^i score of Ins pride, and iskcd bim if lio ni^^.^^ ^% ^f Mif ct tbeb- poor sarcasms bad St-Sactiou of observmg ^^l^at etiut tue R^ ^^^ ^^^.^ 1^ Urn-, Alervyn took fire at tue suyu ^ ^ superior 1„d Vnn Huy»man "Ppl'""'''?. '°f,o^ 1,U coatompt " .:; if ° Do» n « HU 11.0 I'aM.rd ! "», ,r>„,,o(,ll,.,, ,. imd THE WOHLD AND GENU'S. 87 moment, and just as Ibo hunted Mcrryn stood liot acd exhausted at the carriage door. Van Huysman's waved hand hushed the whole hubbut instantly, and there was a deep pause of silence. " Tbis is sinc;ular discipline, brother," said the neTr-comcr^ Bternly. " Is it thus that j-ou allow your pupils to hunt eacb othoi', like savage beasts P And what is this — can it beP Is this poor panting child my — I mean, is it Mervyn ?" As if in reply to the padre's question, all pointed to the bleeding skull of the marshal's son. " what say you to this charge, Mervyn P" said the visitor, in tones of great kindness. " Be not afraid of me, child — I will be your friend, as I have ever been, if you give me not cause to the contrary. Do you not remember me ? " " I have never forgotten you," said the boy, passionately, and snatching the padre's hand, he kissed it and burst into tears. " Your protector, child," said Oliva, gently, for he it was. " And now tell me, why did you tlirow the ball at Dc Grammont's head?" " He called me Ijastard !" sobbed MeiTyn. " Is this true, M. de GrammontP" said the padre, tui'ning to the young Frenchman. " And so ho is, my lord," replied ho. " His reverence told us all he was so, this morning, from the chah'." •' How, brother?" exclaimed Oliva, turning sharply round. " Mj lord, I will explain all," said the rector, meekly ; " but it is not fit that my apology should be heard by these unreasoning boys." " And bastard as you cull me," exclaimed Mervyn, again yielding to the violence of his passions, " I tell you all, French ncblc3, to ycur teeth — that I were prouder to be tlic bastard, if I am such, of one whose fathers conquered at Crc-cy, thau the lawfulest heir of the proudest noble that was conquered there." Oliva smiled, though with some oegroe or reproof; and commanding all to retire to their cells, he entered the college, leaning on Van Huysman's arm. The st^te of Mervvn's mind, which Van Huysman now described with minute sagacity, troubled the padre, and he determined to examine him more particularly himself. Mervyn was accordingly sent for, and entered « ith a modest and downcast visage. The padre was secretly touched with his humility and beauty, as he li«nelt to receive his blessing, and arose revcrculially before him in his plain garb of ■ Toung acolyte. WllITEFBlARS. 88 ^^ .J iriu- •' vour revereud rector " Ho^ ifl tliiB, BOB," he ^'^\}^^}^^^[y,r,o^ieuicd: that you tells n>e you grow_ restless, pmmn. • companions? Ire not satisfied uitlj yo-y;eU^J^ j;,oJ desire? Do not ^^^lat is lUe reason of thisf J*" waiting a few momenta "Glory, my son:' ^ep^|fV,p.. cloryP-of lieaveuorof earth. ^ aishonoured by mjr ^ ..\)f both," said M^^.yy''-: -^.stk.nUicli fate and men'^9 birtli. I --^^SJon'^me^ 'l-ouU^^^^ a name father opinions have mflicted on me. ^g ij^s denied me. i !£a rame ! which tlH3 ^•"^;^^7^f Jife a\veed on a roek.^^ueh ^vould not grow, ^-^^^-^f ' "^^^^r ever, none know whither, tlic ocean of tune sweeps away lore and none care." ^ ^ on the way to wm it. " Father, forgive me , i «Jare ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^ ^^^^ ^^ r eaid Mervyn, r«^«^«"^^/;?:- .^^ ^ven mv duties-as a mm.ster ^Tt in Bic the qualities whuh ^^^^^^i^^^. tJ persuade, nor ^Jlther patience, nor J^e^^-^'j^^ whlh I loan Be not an, I P-?^7\7!/\^,i^1et me die for you ^and the ehureh. - Child, you mistake youi ^^'^^T±ro^^■ you not that the degree of sadness m his onos^ SinLnous will meet same prejudices which dechire you ^ ^^^ you on every haiul ^^.^^^^^Vto wash away ttie staui in your c-haincd to tlie dust ! Sop you i ^^.^^ ^^^^ .^ v.a^e- bloodP or that the P^o^J "^^^ ^^^^ ^f glory which they have born plebeian to reap the ^^"[.y^f ' '.„^^rtv> Know you not ,ong Regarded as then- poculuu^ 1-^ t>^^^^ ^^^^^.^ lUat the class p-o^^^'^l\:^'i:Sse sinews and blood plough " I' ]^;"^Fa;^e7'Sw ht "i doservcHl this piuushiuent h " ^^l-» '«',r^ "^Satt^i^'^Hl to Lik tho iniu,tic« English rep'ibhcuns vaml* aticuu. TUE WORLD AND GENIUS. 80 of a^es , they heve their king back again, and with him tno whoie mountain of tyranny which their levers raised for ac instant only to let it fall with additional force. Judo;e yourseli*. Mervyn — v'^at hare you to expect from the justice of the French nobility ? These boys, who persecute and hate you because your merit is superior to theirs, are your cotem- poraries — wiU in time be the noblesse of France, to whom you look for the reward of toil and b'ood ! " *' Then am I bom a slave, and t, slave shall I go to my grave !" exclaimed Mervyn, with a fi^^sh gush of tears. " Not so, my son ; there is one refuge, one only," replied the padre, with solemnity. " The church opens her arms visibly to receive j'ou — the only true republic where merit may hope to thrive against prejudice, and set her feet on the purple of kings. Deem vou the tremendous empire of mind 18 not worth wielding ? Think you it is nobler lo sway the bodies of men than tlieir souls ? What say you ? Hath not tbe sovereignty over men's thoughts a grandeur more at- tractive to our immortal nature than the mere control of the clay that shrines it ? And let me tell thee too, my son," ae added, observing the effect which his words seemed to produce ; "let me teU you that spiritual as our dominion is, or should be, it doth oft and necessarily involve temporal sway and power. Listen, child ! who, deem you, governs France ? Not Louis, though he be the king ! who Spain ? Not Carlos, no ! But these are secrets too important to be trusted to you as yet. "WTiat say you, son ? will you be one of us, and share the colossal design on which the eyes of Heaven and earth are alike fixed ? " " Oh, if I but thought I could attain such glory, without perilling my salvation, through inability to perform the con- ditions," said Mervyn, his fine features mantling with enthu. siaam, when the padre interrupted him. " You can, you shall, my child ! " he said, with a degree of vehemence very unusual m his subdued nature. " Heaven confided you to my care, like Moses to the daughter of Pharaoh, a helpless infant, redeemed vou from a land of heresy, for the great purpose to which f dedicate you. Yes. my son, your glory shall rioithat of Saint Augustine ! He but converted a barbarous people to the fold of Christ ; you ehall perform a harder task, you shall brink them back to the fold when the wolf has scattered them." Carried away by the enthusiasm of the moment, and of liis own character, Mervyn threw himself at the padre's feet, and in broken accents declared his willingness to accept the task oonfided to him, if he was not altogether unworthy of it. 90 WHITEFBUES. Raising his eyes thea to Heaven, and laying his hands on the boy's head, Oliva solemnly blessed anil dvdicalcd hini to the service of the church, while Van Iluysuian echoed a deep Amen. Mervyn was on the point of rising when the padre observed him start, and saw tliat his eye was caught by some object at the door, w hich seemed to disturb him, like the silent en- trance of a spectre. Van Iluysman, too, turned and beheld a man whom he thought he recollected, though dimly and unpleasantly, as if associated with some disagreeable dream. The stranger seemed indulging in a sort of sardonic grin, probably at the scene he had interrupted, though it vanished the instant the elders turned, and became by some sudden transmutation a emile of hypocritical 'humility. CHAPTEE Xlll. THE WOLF IN SHEEP's CLOTHING. " Disturb not yourself, brother," K«id Oliva, after a mo- ment's pause. " It is one of my attendants, aji acolyte, whom at earnest entreaty I have been prevailed on to place with you here ; but, brother Titus, mcthinks you somewhat exceed your privilege, to dog my privacy here." " My lord," replied the brother, with abject submissiveness of tone, "if you had not bid me wait upon you here, I wckre, as suits me, engaged in the holy pemtencc you have been pleased to impose on me." There was sometliing in the tones of the man's voice sijigulariy displeasing to Mervyn. " Truly, yes : I had forgotten I meant to introduce yon to the reverend rector," said Oliva. " I wUl be eandiil with you, brother, and in your presence say all that I intend to say about you, that you may know on what tonus you stand here. Some weeks ego," he continued, addressing A'au Hujsman, " I received a letter from our brother AVhitebread, in London, \^ hich was brought by this acolyte. Among other matters, tho contents of that letter did roconunend the Ixearer to us, with words to this purpose . That his name la Titus Oates, son of an anabaptist preaclur, discharged from the family of the IJuke of Norfolk, and the chai)lauu'y of a war-ves6el, on accusation of jnvaching popisli doctrines : that ho had at one time exerciseil the martial trade, but growinjf woKry of il and of the world, he desires to be recoucUed tc THK WOI.F I^ SnEHI-'S CLOTIIIKO. '91 ILe church, and to die in her bosom, if you are willing to indulge him •with a trial, brother P " " AVhat hath induced you, friend, to wish to be of our society ? " said Van Huysman, musingly. " Ivcvcrend father," replied Titus, " a deep conviction that it alone can recall the wanderers of Israel, and work tlic ex- tirpation of the Canaanite. But," continued the acolyte " can you, reverend father, have forgotten that you once eaved the life of one Captain Gates, left by robbers bound and bruised in the forest of Clairvaux?" " And art thou he, friend?" said Van Huysman. " I am aU that is left of that sinfid man," said brother Titus, humbly ; " and I will freely confess, that in those days your blessed exhortations fell on mine ear hke corn on a barren rock. But blessed is he who throws bread on aU waters, for after many days he shall find it again." " Ay, brother, but perchance musty and rotten," replied the rector, sternly. " But tell me, art thou cheerfully re- solved to forsake the world and its vanities, and to become a new man P" " Heaven be my witness, I am !" said Titus, turning up his eves till only the whites were visible. " Your name, your country, your parentage, we know," continued the rector, as if anxious to work out some objec- tion. " But, prithee, what is your age ? And are you subject to any bodily infirmity, or owe any man dcbtP" "For the body, 'sbud! I'm as strong as a horse," said Gates, coarsely. " For debts, I have paid all I owe to the last farthing I had to pay with ; and for my age, I was forty-two last Michaelmas." " Methinks, brother, at my entreaty you might admit him *• probation P" interposed the padre. " Nay, I would not be as one of those harsh and heretic builders who reject the stone because it is Hawed," said the rector. " But this roan — no matter. "We admit you on a trial ; go hence to the ccU of the examiner, father LasccUcs, who will write your name and statements in the books." " Son Mervyn, guide the novice thither," said the padre. " We must have private speech with the reverend rector, "Why do you hesitate, youth P" " It likes me not, most reverend," replied Mervyn, frankly. " I do remember this brother's eyes — I have ecen them in a dream." " Tut, tut ! you are a foohsh nhantasist," said Oliva, sharply, " Let us hear no more of these strange reveriPB Go with him, I command you." I) 2 92 WHITEFBIAB8. Mervyn obeyed Lis superior's order, but with a sullen ifl* will which was very apparent. Brother Titus, howerer, seemed not to notice this, and followed him in silonce till they were out of ear-shot in the corridor, when the former observ-ed — " 1 should remember thee, youth — ay, sooth, it was my chance to be an inmate of this convent when thy father abandoned thee here." " My father ! what was his name P They will not tell me— only that he was a thief!" exclaimed Mervyn, with sudden and vivid intf-rcst. " Not a tliicf, but a robber, boy — which is much more lionourable — something between your rogue and your soldier," said Oates. " But, I, too, consider myself bound by the prohibition thou speakest of, and will not now tell ihee his name on any consideration. Nevertheless, the time may come, «vhen I shall make thee wiser," continued Oates, taking the boy's unwilling hand. " Meanwlxile, count me among those who love thee. Leave me, with this message to the father rector — that I know ffom whom thou springest, and that the first proofs I offer him of my obedience and Christian spirit are these — that I will never betray the secret." By this crafty means did Oates estabhsh a sort of influence over Mervyn's mind, as the depository of a secret which he would have given almost life to fathom. A tew days after this ill-oraeued introduction, the general resumed his journey, but he pledged his word to Mervyn, that as soon as he had wortliily fulfilled his novitiate, he should come to him at Kome, and profess. This assurance seemed to reanimate the drooping spirits of the boy, and he separated himself almost wholly from his insulting fellows, plunging with renewed ardour into the severe studies which were necessary to place him at their head. But this fit of application, like all that is violent, was not lasting; the influence of his mercurial nature ivturntd, and inaction began to grow a positive pain. It was in vain that he strove to stifle those thoughts, which involuntarily rose in his heart. A restless voice seemed perpetually to incite him forth, to do — he knew not wlint, but tiiere appeared to bo a nidie in destiny left vacant for him. These vague aspirations might luive at last died awnv, as has been so often the case, had tjiey not found fuel. Oalca had attaelied himself in a particular manner to the young novice, lie laboured also by the subtlest llnttcrios to worm tvimeelf into tlio rector's good graces ; but Van lluysman't THK ^\OLF IW flHEEP's CLOTniNO. 93 cold p notration and knowlcdfre of the world were not so easily deceived. lie conceived a very evident dislike for b'j new inmate, a>id eeemed to have privately resolved that the term of his probation should be tW of Eis residence in the collef:;e. It ^as otherwise with the iinsophisticated novice. Brother Titus soon nianaj^od to overcome the aversion which he had at first found in Mervyn, and to twine himself insidiously into Ills confidence. Against all prohibition and rules, he lent him works which it was little less than treason to intro ciuce into The collope — novels of a prolligate age, which secmec to have lost even that phantom of morality, decency. Th( curiosity of youth induced Meri^yn to read these composi- tions with eagerness, and though his pure mind revolted al the vicious manners delineated, still llierc was something but too fascinating in the excitement and glow into which they cast the imagination. Oates's influence was also increased by Ilia talent in describing the world he had left, having acted many parts himself in its stormy drama. Tnesc narratives, coloured by the vivid fancy of youth, roused the lulled restlessness of Mer\'yn's nature. He longed to join that brilliant march of men and events, and soon began to regard the monastic walls which inclosed him as a prison, barrin;! out pleasure and glory. As Oatos'fl project began to ripen, he increased his artifice! to entangle the innocent boy, whom he had apparently taken into trair.ing. He inflamed his discontent by insinuations which were eagerly caught at by Mervyn. He dropped hints that he doubted the story of his base parentage ; and as all particulars concerning it were carefully concealed, there was abundant scope for the romantic conjectui'es which he threw out from time to time. He stirred the fanciful mind of the boy with vague hints that he was sprung from a noble source, and that the story which gave him a robber for his father, was invented to corer some inicjuitous secret ; and he gra- dually proceeded o instil a notion that the Jesuits were in some black conspi,-? t •«'th those who had cheated him of his inheritance, ana to itY.tsont that England was the only place where he was likely t» obtain any information on this mteresting point. _ Gates si'omed as well acquainted with the political condi- tion of England at ♦■he period, as if he had made it a peculiar study, and he Icnew how to dress out his information in an attractive garb. Mervyn was both amused and e.xciled by the dflBcription which he gave, though without any formed puiv pose or notion why he took such pleasure in them. " And do you sec, brother," eai J OatoB ouo day, as they walked alone in tlie gardens of tlie convent — "do you eee — a Btirring world will there be soon iu England. The Jesiiils have concealed everything from you, though they mean to use yo'i as a hiind inatrumeut. They have a vast plot whereby tliey mean (o bring buck arbitrary government and popery — I mean onr holy Catliohc faith. They hnve gained the king Eocrctly, and the Duke of York is a notorious papist. The ministers are a base and bloodthirsty set, wjio will do any- thing to preserve favour, and keen their enemies on the cold benches. 33ut there are many in JMigland who would rather »ee all in confusion again than lose their precious religion and liberties. Yea, the old leaven of Cromwell is still feruieutin;r m the masses, and what an angel from heaven, what a seconci Salvalor ]\lundi would ho be who could, and would, cxuceo this wicked plot — I mean that Jesuitical plot — wluch is afoot. Neither would he lack powerful friends and men of great quality to back him. There's all my Lord Shaftesbury's party, and the fine old republicans, who hold their lives as cheap in the balance of England's good ; not to mention that lierce and turbulent commonalty of London, which wants but a leader to show itself mighty as under the Eoundhead parlia- ment. But it were a bold man should le£>d them ! lie must not pause or pant, or, like ill-trained blooatiounds, they would devour thcLr own master." " But our fathers — if, indeed, they have any such plan — are too politic men to be easily baflled," said Mervyn. "Ay, there it is!" replied Oatcs. "But I do think, if a man could by any chance get to see the corresnondence which the rector carries on perpetually \\ith I'higlaiui, it would need small explanation to understand how things ai'e going." " Perhaps not," said JMervyn ; " but doubtless, brother, these tilings are concealed, for good reasons." "And yet I marvel that you, who are constantly closeted with Van Iluysiuan — who uuist bo often be left alone with these precious documents — have never had the curiosity to examine into the secrets they contain ?" said Oates, carelessly. " jN^ow, heavc'u forlid 1 should ihime into the time of my birth by such meanness!" replied Mervyu, colouring. "And if this great plan bo indeed formed, it becomes both you and me, as tru<' servants of the church, to forward it with our life's blood, and perforni iu eilence whatever is enjoined by her infallible authority." "No doubt, no do\djt," replied Outes, with one of lag ugljr Bmiles. " Jjut how know you, brother, but that those lett<>r9 may coutaiu soaie i.ukliugs of your true birth and stolon ir- THE TEMPTEK. 95 beritanceP — those especially T\liicli pass between Van Huys- man and the general ? — Ban ! if I were you, and had such occasion given me, I would look over those documents, with proper prudence — and then, if you report their contents to »r.£?, I may be able to dive deeper into these mysteries than your innocence permits you." " I had rather die as I have lived — a beggar, dependent ♦or existence — than ^'c tjuilty of such bctrayju," replied Mer- vyn, indignantly. Oalcs laughed it oil, as he generally did whev he found himself baffled, and quietly turned the conversation into some other channel. But he had laid the first stones of the foun- dation on which he hoped to erect his future s»iperstructm-e of cunning and guilt, and he determined not to forego his Elans at the first mifavourable symptom in the soil on which is pi^posed building was to rest. CHAPTEB, XIV. THE TEMPTES. AL7.loroii this proposal of Gates shook !^^ervyn's grow- uig good opinion of him, he soon recovered his ground, with one so ignorant of the world, and of its wickedness and artifice. Ifeanwhile Van Huysman viewed this intimacy, and indeed all his new guest's movements, with suspicion. Ccrlain facts, which could not elude liis keen observation, very soon induced him to order !Mervyu to cease associating with brother Titus, and to convey information to the lat-ter, that ho must hold himself in readiness to quit the college as soon as a reply could annve to his demand to that effect from liome. This prohibition appeared toMcrvyn, and was represented by Gates, as an act of intolerable tyranny ; and the youth's compassion was excited by obsers-ing the state of excommu- nication in which his friend was shortly placed, lie was not allowed to converse with any of the scholars ; he dined at a Bohtary table in the hall, and was treated in all respects as one out of the pale. Gates apt)cared to bear this with great patience, secretly harvesting his revenge. But Mervyn's heart was touched with the Bcemiug injustice, and he took private opportunitiea oi" aasuring brother Titus of Ida continued sympathy and re- l^turd. But even these stolon interviewe became Buspccied« 96 WHITBFRUS8. and Van B uysman strictly commanded him not to speak to Oates, whom he now openly designated as a crafty spy. Matters were in this state when Van Huysmnn was sum- moned to Paris, to attend a meeting of the order, which wan to discuss certain important measures. The rector exacted A promise from Mervyn that he would not speak to Oates during liis absence ; informing him, at the same time, that on his return that worthy would be expelled, for certain offences which he had committed against the rules of the order. The better to secure his pledge, Van Huysman ordered his pupil to keep in his private cabinet, except at meal-times, and to employ himself there in translating a homily of St. Chrysostom, which he knew would occupy him until his "cturn. Unhappily Oates had already lent Mervyn a book, which, from its being at once so celebrated, and so strictly forbidden in the college, that it stood in the librarj'^ chained and pad- locked to the shelves, had alwavs been an object of great curiosity to him — the novels of Boccaccio. Ihe exquisite ityle of this work, the fascination of its inflammatory descrip- ^ons, the brilliant satire, even the boldness with which the *^.ccntious Italian assailed all that he had been accustomtvi to revere, took a forcible hold of the youth's imagination. Although, in the severe and intellectual order to which ho belonged, Mervyn had never observed any of the scandiUs which form the staple of Boccaccio's satires on the monks of his time, still it seemed strange to him that in the period of her greatest grandeur and prosperity, such rolttmness should be at the very heart of the church. This shook the founda- tion of all his beliefs ; which was precisely the effect, coupled with the awakening influence oi the passionate poetry of Boccaccio's lejj;ends on the dormant emotions of his youthful nature, that Oates had calculated on producing. Mervyn's romantic temperament was flattered at every turn by some sweet melody of hone and love. The hideous prejudii-es of the world, which had long glared at him like the heads of the hydra, Bcenied utterly annihilated. Love conquered and sub- dued everything ; the obstacles of birth and fortiuie vanished at the miTc touch of his roseate lingers. All the cares and Ticissitudes of life, the stormiest turns of fate, were but matters ft>r a midsummer reverie, or an endianting and uwu'f oal tale told to the murmur of waterfalls, and dim vole* uous strains (hat came and went like the breezes that bro*_(;ht them, no man km \v whence nor whither. Willi this scaled book in his possession., still MtTvyn wa« obliged to use the greatest caution iu readiHg it, uid his kj^« THB TBMPTEB. 97 prehensions of discovery perhaps increased his rolisli. The S resent opportunity seemed to him irresistible, and he ahnn- oncd himself to the delicious perusal. Depending a great deal on the facility with which he usually performed his tasks, Mervyn continued to read and read, until information that the rector was expected much sooner than he had calcidated, fi'll like a thunderbolt in the midst of his enjoyments. Ho was obliged immediately to apply himself with great vigour to the homily of St. Chrysostom, which he found much longer than he expected ; and to finish his task he found it necessary to continue it after the college hours ; but as no lamps were allowed, this was sufficiently difficiUt. Unluckily he recol- lected that Oatcs had a little taper and flint which he often used himself, and he slipped a piece of paper into his hand, requesting him to lend them. Gates complied instantly, and with a look so expressive, that though much puzzled by it, iMen'yn saw that his friend understood much more in his words than their simple meaning. Dreading the severity of his preceptor, who he now learned was expected home early m the morning, Mer\'yn applied himself to his task with nervous trepidation and haste, and certainly took little heed of the niceties of the great father's Greet. It was growing late, and liis toils were far fi'om finished ; the moon, which was very bright, shone in upon him and his papers as he sat pale and exhausted, — half quenching the rays of his taper. The college was profoundly quiet, the whole society having retired to rest, and no sound was audible but the sighing and waving of the trees in an orchard immediately adjoinmg. Mervyn felt a deep shado^i of melancholy stealing over him, and once or twice tears gushed to his eyes, and fell on the paper which he was elabo- rately covering. The silence and repose of the night gave hit fevered spirits pause for reflection, and he began to repent that he had ever listened to Oates's advice, and forfeited the Bweet peace of conscience which he had once enjoyed. The strictness of his education caused him to imagine that the faults he had committed were of the blackest dye, inasmucli as he had broken a solemn command of the church. A sen - sation of superstitious fear crept over him, and ho ahno.-t imagined he beheld the Evil One himself at the moment when, raising his eyes suddenly, he encoimtered the einistcr gaze of Gates, fixed upon him. " Sancta Maria ! how art thou here P" he exclaimed, for il was no longer possible to keep his pledge to the Jesuit. " Hush ! maKe no noise ! — have you discovered anything." •aid OatcB, eagerly. 98 WniTEFBIABS. " Discovered any thing ! In Heaven's name, what do yoa mean P" " AraonjT the papers — ;among the paper? !" exdaimed Oatc«, clutching up his manuscript, — " anything, I mean, about your birlli, or — the ploais of these Jesuits?" " Tiiese papers, Mv. Gates, arc but a translation from St. Chrysostoin," replied Mervyn, angrily. " I know not uhat you meai, but I advise you to return to your own apartment instant!}'." " ]5ah, bah ! — a homily ?" said Gates, in a disappointed (one. " You are a calf, to malce no better u.«o of such golden opportunities. Tut ! — is yon the caskei ^vllere he keeps these :-hoice letters of his? — "Who knows! — it maj- contain sor ■> mnrvellous particulars of your birth. You may be a kin j ton. for a\;ght I know." " It is locked, and if it vrcrc not, I would defend it with mj \\i:\" replied Mervyn. " Eah ! bah ! you rave, my yoimg sprig," said Gates, turning sharply. " You dcirc not, boy ! — you arc in my po)vcr." As he said this, he advanced towards an cscritoii of magsivo oak, highly carved and polished, whiv-h he looked at for some minutes with great euriositv, at the same time feeling it round the lid. " He hath them well secured — the contenla must needs be valuable," he said, with much unction. •' Wc will examine tliein, Mervyn, but he shall nnt suspect cither of us. 11.' Bhall tliiiik ho forgot to lock tliis cn:«ket of his." And brother Titus suddculy produced a bunch of skeleton keys, with one of wliicli he t vi.sted the lock open, and tlire-.v back (lie lid. The vista of letters, carefully nacked and en- dorsed, \'jJiich was thus revealed, seemed to Kiiulle his C3'e8 as gold nn'ght a miser's. " Come hither, Mervyn, dear, come hither," he exchumed : " doubtless, tlie great secret of your birth is here — quick, desp;i!ch ! — open some, while I examine these." '* ()n your peril, (oucli not one. Gate's!" said (he boy, epriiiiring forvard and seizing his arm. " AVliat, boy, would you have me murder you P" said bro. ther Titus, jiis eountenancc (laming up like n demon's. " I should l>c lo(!i to hurt you, cJiiKl, bci-ause I have uses for you ; Itiit I liavc cut a tougher throat than yours ere now."' " You dare not, Datin— you are not such a monstrous n:f. Can !" paid jMcrvyn, vehemently, " Ihit you shall not road these paper.", ihou";!! I die to hinder you." " Poon, pooh, fool ! why would \o\\ stand iu yovuc ovm TUB TEUPTKB. 99 light P" contiimocl brother Titus, more mildly. " Go on vritb yotir homily, if your sickly conscience wiU. not let you aid in the work, and leave me to raaunire this stuff. Ifa ! what's this ? letters from blaster Colemau, the duke's secretary ?" " Leave the papers alone, Oatcs, or, whatever be the con- Bcquence, I will summon assistance," said Mcrvyn, resolutely tearinc: the letter from his friend's hand. " Why, then, I must do a desperate thing," exclaimed Outes, gropinff his hand in his doublet pocket. " TMiat will you do. Gates," said Mervyii, turning pale, and his heart beating thickly, for he thought he saw the gleam of a knife in Oates's pocket. " Do ! do nothing ; but I must have these papers," said Oatcs, in an altered tone, and w ithdrawing his hand from the weapon. " I love thee, boy, and would make thy fortune ; and there is that in these papers will do it for us both, liead here, child, read here — from the duke's secretary, I tell you. 'Tis a pious robber}' ; we shall pluck out the Heart of this popish and royal conspiracy ! " " Once more, and for the last time, begone and leave these papers unread, or I call for help!" exclaimed Mer\^-n, with a fierceness and energy on which Oates had evidently not calculated. " Unhand me, imp !" he said, shaking his grasp loose ; " and utter but one word more, much less call out, and I'll— IIu.>^h ! what is that ?" " Some one is coming !" said Mervyn ; " I hear steps. Do, dear Oatcginnings of thy fortunes, which are now on the anvil of destiny; for being freed from these accursed paupistieal trammels, you have only to bear a witness before men in His cause, to obtain all eartlily and heavenly rewards," *' Pray you, brother T^itus, what mean you?" said Mervyn, puz/led with this new and ponderous style. " Never dare to call me by tliat idolatrous title again, boy !" said Gates, lierceiy. " i am Doctor Titus Gates, n humble 1)rofe88or of the (Christian ""vangeleof ihechureh of Kngland." iJut observing that Mervj \ looked at him with a reinarknblo expression, he added more mildly, " Nathless, take courage, wniGS IN THE BEVSyTKETH CENTURY. lOB boy ; fight the good fight, and your crown shall be everlasting light. I do intend, and that presently, to load 3'ou before the great and generous loard whereof I spoke." Mervyn made no reply, but these words broke a confused iight into his mind, and he began to imagine that brotlier Titus was but a wolf in sheep's clothing, and that he had been lured from the flock for no very advantageous purposes, which, however, he could not yet clearly divine. Absorbed in very unpleasant reverie, he followed Gates in all his mean- ders through the dingy alleys surrounding the Tower, until they an-ivcd at a broker's, with whom Gates seemed well ac- quainted. Hero they purchased some very decent second- hand apparel, which Gates cheapened to almost half the price demanded. He purchased for himself a costume which ^^e^vyn at first did not understand, but which he afterwards knew was that of a doctor of divinity. It consisted of a black gown, a plain collar, waistband, and cap with ears, all cut in the most formal and stiff style possible. Mervyn had a suit of very sombre colours, fit for an apprentice in a puritanical family of the period, when not only the broad distinctions between citizen and courtier were exhibited in the style of dress, but almost every shade of religious opinion was so indicated. Tlius handsomely fitted out, Gates no longer avoided the great thoroughfares, but took his way tlirough the heart of the busthng city. Mervyn was delighted and dazzled by the splendour and riches which burst for the first time on his monastic eyes, and gazed in silent bewilderment at the glit- tering wares, the curious signs over the shops and booths, the dark-clad burghers movin^j with solemn pride through their wealthy marts, and richly-bedizened coxirtiers ruffling it haughtily past. The very serving-men in their flaunting liveries shared his admiration, and even the sad-coloured garbs of the puritans, and other sorrowfid relics of the Crom- wellian times, by which they were less distinguished than by their long hard-Doned visages, excited his eager curiosity. The city, as we now emphatically call it, was only begin- ning to lose its pahny dignity as the royal residence, and was still the haunt of fashion as of commerce. The enormous warehouses had not yet usurped the glittering line of shops and party-coloured booths, where all that wealth and luxury could demand were collected by the toils of half the globe. The palaces of the nobility were mingled, as in the middle ages, with the merchants' marts, and the Tower itself was occasionally honoured by tlie presence of the king and court. Consequently, the scones they now traversed wore fiUl of 106 WUITZFEIAUS. objects likely to luiidlc and gratify the curiosity of a boy liko Mervyn, educated in such seclusion. Every gilded coach, as it rolled past with its pageantry of hanging and running foot- men, raised his admiration, and many a wild romance shaped itself in his fancy, as the rich sedan, carefidly closed, bore its burden past, or some masked beauty tripped lightly from it, followed by her stalwart footmen with their j^iljed wands. Xhese agreeable objects quickly chased Mervvn's gloomy anticipations, and splendid visions, such as he had dreamed at St. Omer, succeeded in rainbow-coloured masses. This illusion was broken by the harsh tones of his conductor, who bade him suddenly halt ; and looking up, he found himself before a huge, irregular pile of buildings extending a great distance down a court to his right, and facing iydersgatc-strcet. This, as Oates briefly explained, was Thanet House, the residence of the Earl of Shaftesbury, whom the court accused of fiLxing liis abode there to carry on a more uninterrupted intercourse with the city, then the great strength of the AVhig or country party. Oatcs knocked, and a tall porter, in very rich livery, made his appearance ; he inquired if his lordship was at home " to a humble servant of the suflering church, Dr. Oatcs." The porter replied that the carl had visitors with him, but tliat he doubted not his reverence would be welcome ; and he commissioned a lackey to inquire, while another guided the doctor and Mervyn into a waiting-room, where tliey were Jnft. At the period at which our story has now arrived, the great riasses of tlie people were firmly persuaded that a laborious ]i;';iiy, or rather conspiracy, was at work, to consummate the rv.in of the constitution and of the Protestant Church, by in- (.■•odiicing popery, as it was called, and arbitrary government, on the detested model of France. This conviction had obtauied a deep and settled possession of the public mind, and, as subsequent events proved, it was liut too well founded. The pohlieal horizon was black with tl;e impending tempest, though no man could with certainty predict from what point it would burst. 13ut Oates, or rather the great rarlr which used him as its instnunent, had Ion|» since declned that it should be from that quarter which would collect again all the scattered thunderbolts of the conmion- wealth, and lash to madness that wild ocean of fanaticism which had so long slumbered as if beiu^ath the wand of an enchanter. And this lightning was to be brought down froiu heaven itself. Eeligion, which had broken so many chains, was again to bo invoked from her starry throne, to wave the •word and the torch over mank-nd. WniG3 IN THE SEVBNTBENTH CBNTUBT. 107 Diiicrent and cvon opposed as were the wishes and inteiv tio7i8 of the various cxistinj^ factions, all wore united on oer tain great points by the skill and enersxy of a great political leader, a maji born to be the inaster-spint of a stormy crisis, Biich as that wliieh was fai't approaeiiing. The " false Achi- tophel" of Dryden, tliat Slinftesburv, whose name seems the type of the bold, restless, Machiavellian policy which Fpmng from the sanguinary school of Eichelieu, and adapting itself to the milder forms of the age, still did not scruple to employ violent moans under a darker disguise — Shaftesbury was at tliis period the great idol of popularity, the head of the par- liamentary opposition to Charles, the centre of all the in- trigues against the government. His talents, reckless daring, and unscrupulous morality, his personal hatred of the king and his brother, eminently qualilied him for the tempestuoua pilotage he had assumed ; and his keen sarcastic wit, vehe- ment oratory, and perfect knowledge of the men and motives of his time, rendered him almost unique as a popular leader. Tlic insults and wi-ongs he had sufiered from the court, which had only used him as a tool, his degradation from the ehan- lellorship which he had held with high reputation, and his re- oont imprisonment in the Tower, had raised liiin, in spite of his many shiftings and changes, to t])e rank of a popular uifirlyr, and at the same time exasperated his inborn restless- ness and impatience of control with the vcuom of personal and rancorous malignity. The real wishes and objects of Shaftesbury are still a mystery, for they were so multifarious and changeable thatr.o man can with certainty judge them, even in the silence of all those great passions and interests which have gone to repose •nith the turbiJcnt generation that bred them. That he de- sired to see no power greater than his own is probable, for it was impossible for him to rest under any yoke ; and the com- laonwealth men. the broken soldiery and discoiitented repub- licans of the Cromwell era, looked at him as their leader in the fierce strii'e for wluchthey were silently bracing their loins. On the other hand, the moderate party, T^ ho wished to see a monarchical but strictly constitutional government in England, followed Shaftesbury's counsels with bhnd zeal j and the still smaller faction, who chose the young Duke of Monmouth as their head, and aspired to thrust him on llie throne, also regarded him as their chief suppoi-t. The prin- ciples of his youth, and the destiiictive tendenciea of his own impetuous character, inclined Shaftesbui'y to the re-ostablish- mcnt of the repubhc ; but a still more absorbhig hatred of the Duke of York, whom he believed to be the jiuthor of hia c 2 106 WHiTKfKIAES. disgrace, incliued liiiu to support the pretensions of tlio duko't hated rival. The dreamers and enthusiasts of tie old religious parties \vho thought to estabhsh a theocracy on earth, in imitation of that of Moses; the wild fanatics of the fifth moniu-chy scheme ; the discontented dregs of the royahsts, and even the timorous and wavering of tlie Catholic party, were all uuit<.'d by his singular and Protean art of infusing himself into all men's passions and motives. Thus was constituted a solid and powerful engine, wielded by the activity of one mind, which finally crushed all resistance ; for the temporary suc- cess of Charles II. against his parliament was but the lull which preceded the earthquake of 1G88. It must not be supposed, however, that the clouds which were gathering rose from nought, at the command of a magi- cian, and that the direful phantasmagoria which was shortly to be made visible by the fiendish glare of Oatcs's discoveries, were merely chimeras and shadows of unsubstantial horrors. A plot no doubt existed, though not in the sense and form given to it by the authors and supporters of the pojjish plot ; it was a plan or conspiracy having for its object the over- throw of the great heresy which had so long rent the church, and the restoration of the dominion of the ancient nligion. The impossibility of accomplishing this object with a frcL* par- liament, and without the assistance of military power, was the reason which, no doubt, induced the Jesuits to embrace the idea of establishing an arbitrary government as the basis of tlieir operations. The general and established opinion of their intentions furnished Oates and his fellow-monsters with the ground-work of their plot, and took away all defence and disproof from the government, which neither dared nor could impugn the imaginar}', without allowing the real conspiracy. It was upon the threshold of these terrible storms of state that IMervyu sat tranquilly and unconsciously down, awaiting a summons which, though he knew it not, was the call of his destiny. CHM^TER XVI. SnAPTBSBUUY AND IIlS COLLBAOURS. Tub lackey despatched from Oates returaeit witii a promjjtness whieli snowed that the arrivid wa« one by no means to be slighted, ami desired them to follow to his lord- lliip'a presence. They a.Heendcd a richly -carved oaken stuirease, SHAFTBSB'JBY AND HIS COLtKAQUBS. 109 terminated by a portal of the same materials, which s'.viitii» ODi'n, and revealed an extensive library of fiuely-bouud books. Hiis apartment was furnished witli massive elegance, and ornamented with manv articles of virtu. In a deep recess, formed by a bay window, was a tabic, spread with wine and comfits, at which sat three gentlemen, one of whom — a small but well-shaped man, very richlv^ dressed, and with a very acute and intellectual cast of phy- siognomy, illumined by an cj'e of singular brilliancy — rose to greet them as they entered. The other gentlemen kept their seats. One of these was a dull, heavy -looking divine, with a fat, credulous face, and two little eyes deeply imbedded in the sockets. The other was evidently a man of great quality, from his dress, which nevertheless had a careless, rakish appearance, not contradicted by the worn-out ex- pression of a countenance, once extremely handsome, but now pale and sunken with excess. The extravagance of his dress did not, in this instance, dazzle Mervyn's judgment, for in the first glance he caught of the stranger he thought he detected RO«iething evil and sinister, which kindled a great dislike in his bosom. " Honest, worthy Master Gates, true seeker of the manna, eschewing self, welcome home from St. Omer," exclaimed the earl, shaking Titus's hand with extreme cordiality. " But softly : we have heard you are dubbed doctor — welcome home, then, worthy doctor !" " I thank your lordship m all humility," replied Gates, abjectly bending. " I am here, in good sooth, and glad to be out of the jaws of the whale. But whom have we here, my loardP — all safe?" " Why, Gad-a-mercy, the hght dazzles you, brother," said the earl. " See you not? — a true champion of the cause, my Lord Howard of Eskrickc. and the blessed expounder of the word, whose labours have been crowned witn such in- crease, Dr. Tongue." "Ah, Master Gates — wha", J)r. Gates — welcome home!" exclaimed both gentlemen, Bpringing eagerly up. Gates and his recognized friends embraced with seemmg heartiness, and mutual recognitions ha> ing taken place. Lord Howard filled a goblet, with a tremb ing liand, which he pushed to Gates, exclaiming, " Drink, boy, drink, and rest thy carcase, and tell us the news." *' Ay, sit, good doctor,' aaid Shaftesbury, smiluig. " I had small hopes to welcome you home so scatheless from the den of wolves — I did fear that even your tough heart might fail in the good but perilous light." 110 WniTEFBli.Ii3. " My strengtli was from above!" replied Gates, meekij. " I glory not m my work, though it be well done ; 'tis none of mine. It was tiie cause, my loard — Uie cause of a mightier thiin I, ^^hoso shoelatch I am not worthy to fasten — that supported mc through all my trials." " Ay, without such holy motives we should never pet through half the sin of this world, doctor," said the earl, wltli a slight sneer. " But have you gathered any fuel for the lire — any useful information which may serve to set thia wronged and deluded nation on its guard?" " Kno'.v you aught of this most dreadful plot against our lives and liberties whereof you warned us, even as a shepherd placed on a high rock shouteth to the herd on the precipice ?" paid Dr. Tongue, with an awestruck look at the venenibte Titus. " Oh, my loard, such a dreadful ploat has not been dis- covered since wicked Ilaman's," said Gates, turning his eyes up. " All our throats are to be cut, and the accursed popish superstitious idolatry brought in, over the carcass of ilagna Charta, and all our liberties." " MTiy then, — there will be many a rogue the less in a world that can well spare them," said Shaftesbury, with a satirical smile. " But what boy is this, doctor, whom you have brought in your skirls and apparently forgotten? Is he a young prophet— your Elisha ?" " Nay, my loard, but a poor novice of St. Gmer, whom I have brought over to the true faith, and who is anxious to seiTe your loardship," replied Gates. " Mar.'y, Gates, he may be useful iu cases that need tv. o witnesses — in tlie swearing drudger}'," s:iid the carl, cyeiiijj Mervyn with a pcnetratlug gaze. " Yet, 'slife ! by that prouci blush, I doubt you have scarce hit on the right nail. Are you willing to be of sei'vice to me, youth ?" " In all matters that may be without projudico to my re- ligion and honour," said Mervyn, sharply and oven haughtil}', for he was both surprised and disgusted with the strange assertion whicli Gates had made, though he dared not con- tradict it openly. " ]\rarry, 'tis a lad of mettle — what name may you giro him, doctor?" said Lord Howard, who had been gazing for 8onu^ miriutos in deep and gloomy attention at the youtli. " They call him ^Icrvyn, a poor church foundling, son of Bomc wild rubber executed at St. Onier, and indebted to the crafty brotlicrs of the college for life and education," said 'J'ituH, with a malignant smile at his victim. " Ay, id it BO?" said Howard, hia complexion diu-keuiug | snAFTK3DUIlY AND HIS COLLEAGUEa. Ill " 1 did think — Init uo matter. He is fitter for onr worV." And ho drew liis hand slowly over his brow, as if to wipe away some unpleasant recollection, then turned and swallowed a deep gulp ot wine. " Trouble not at thy parentap;©, youth," said the carl, observing tlie passions which struggled in Mer-ryn's coun- tenance. The greatest conquerors that have ever been were but successful robbers of mankind, and the founders of djTiasties have all been traitors to humanity itself. Well ! — for the present, Oates, I leave him in your service. I know not where he may better serve a 'pronticeship to mine. And now, man, what new facts have you discovered of this royal treason ? Is there aught direct against tlic Duke of York P" " Most monstrous certainties, my loard, since I can clearly convict his secretary, Coleman, of a treasonable corres- pondence with France !" replied Oates, vehemently. " The duchess's secretary now," said the earl. " And thereupon I would advise you to be cautious how you fdl up f'our great outlines, for it is on little matters that gi-eat ones lingc, and the discovery of a mistake in thfe smallest portion of your evidence \^ ill furnish your enemies with a battering- ram against the whole." " Trust me, my loard, I shall ever have my crook raised, as one wlio expects the wolf," replied Oates, with a knowing look. " But here is the brief extract or epitome of that which I have already discovered, and will, please God, eartify before the king and mighty of the land, even as holy Daniel in the presence of idolatrous Bclshazzar, feasting on gold and purple, and turning the sacred utensils into vessels of abomi- nation and iniquity. But methinks it were not amiss if the young acolyte, seeing he is as it were green and tender in the affairs of this world, do retire to yonder recess, where he may find sweet nutriment for thought in the precious tomes which your loardsliip's taste and generosity have collected." Mervyn gladly took tlic hint, for he was embarrassed with the keen observation of Shaftesbury, and bowing slightly, crossed the room to the spot indicated. It was a richly carved alcove, separated from the library by long curtains, which might be drawn at pleasure, so as to seclude the inmate, and was furnished with various luxurious appliances of study. He seated himself at a desk, on which lay an open volume of Lucretius, and seemed to be soon absorbed in the perusal, though from time to time ho glanced at the opposite group with involuntary curiosity. Oates contmued speaking, lor his tliick, harsh voice was audible in aa uninterrupted course, tliouach tlic words wore I xiZ wniTEFBUB*. not sufficiently clear to make any sense to Mervyn. ThiB was the more provoking, as what he said eecmea to excite the most anxious attention in his hearers, and Dr. Tongue's I'oolish face was all agape with amazement. Oates's hypo- critical countenance seemed also the index of a wondrous (r\le; but as the carl listened, an incredulous smile was linking on his lips. Oatcs then appeared to produce liis vouchers, and handed certain letters to his patron, which !Morvyn had little doubt were part of those stolen at i-A. Omer. Shaftesbxiiy took them with avidity, and Mervyn remarked a beam of joy Hght his sallow countenance as ne murmured the contents over to his companions. " This indeed strikes home!" he said, rising and stepping fi-wav.!, as if the restlessness of his ambitious nature re- i;;i:red cvon physical action. " This indeed strikes home ! — i;iy Lord Howard, what say you? Is not here a thunder- bolt which, skilfully forged, will waken the nation from its lethargy, and shake the tlironc of this licentious Jupiter of ours ?" " Methinks 'tis high time, now that our religion and con- .'icitution arc in such mortal pass and jeopardy," replied hi« lordship, carelesslj'. " Faith, Howard, for our religion and constitution, methinks they can incur no further damage," said Shaftcs- biuy, smihng. " Verily, these tidings will summon Israel as with a roar of brnzcn trumpets and drums," said Dr. Tongue. " Yes, we shall live to shake the throne of the mock Nero," 'iintinued the earl, walking up and down in triumph. " The i:ation may yet be saved, and the glorious heritage our ancestors bought with their blood may be transmittea intact to our children. But, Oates, look that your tale be well t-old — and yet it rings like good metal. This design of the papists on the king's life — the resolution to place his brothir on the throne, in order to introduce popery and to set parha- nients aside, since their consent could not be obtained — com- bined with Coleman's cravings for money from Franco to raise an Irish army — are all admirable. But how will you prove it, doctor P" " I will sv, our it, my loard !" replied Oates, energotically. " Ay, ny ; but will folks believe us P" said Phaflesbury, with a peoiliar glance of his glittering eye. "Why. my loard, have I not seen, heard, felt, this ac- cursed i)loat f — have I not lived among the villanous Jesuits, li.^tened at their doors, been at their consultations, carried uct">:igC3, i:»terccpted lettern " BHAFTKSBtJ-.Y AND l.U tOM.KACUKS. 113 " Why, 800th, you are the very bell-wetlior of bhick sheep • — a white Judas !" interrupted the earl. But we shall need Bome strong support, lest the kin^ crush our diseovL-ry !>}' pome suddeu exertion of prerogative, and then adieu, dear Doctor Gates, to your nose and ears." " \Vhat needs, more than your lordship's aud other good pautriotsP" said Titus, with a somewhat dismayed glance aroind. " And, my good lord, methinks the nation is already well primed, and needs but a spark to bring out such an explosion as — as will blow this arbitrary court, and popery, and the Duke of York, and what not, to the devil ! " said the Lord Howard, sipping his wine to fill up divers little pauses of hesi- tation. " IJut now, and when, and where, sliall we com- mence ?" continued he. " 'Slife, I am weary of the common side of the hedge, and would be again among the clover. Besides, I am vexed and stung by those damnable gadflies, a man's creditors." " Do you and Dr. Tongue, Gates, accost the king on his momuig walk," said the earl. " Or, stay — Tongue knows one Kirby, a foolish chemist, who is oft admitted to the honour of cleaning his majesty's crucibles, and preparing aorne of those wonaerfid experkncnts of his, at which the court ladies clap their httle hands and cry * La ! ' What if he proposed the matter to the king ?" " What if all of us unitedly ? I would not seem behind m my duty to the king's majesty, but this if a service for which lie will thank no man," said Dr. Tongue, warmly. " Ay, ay, doctor, 'tis known you have half an cyo on the rich deanery of Wells, which is now held on the tenure of an apoplexy," said the earl, with his tart smile. " But, Gates, revealed only to the king, your discoveries may be stifled in the throes of bringing forth, wherefore we must also have it publicly deposed before some zealous magistrate, who will see it have fair play for life." " Ay, indeed. What says your lordship to the godly and worshipful Master Bethal ? he is a true senrant of the cause," said Gates. " A greedy curmudgeon ! he did deny me a paltry himdred guineas on my own security," muttered the Lord Howaid *' No, no, not Bethel ; he is too eager and headstrong." said Shaftesburj. " Ho would push the matten before its Earts are fitted and coherent ; it needs time to harden ; aiui, eaides, I would not have it brought out too far before the parliament assembles, and we have had time to atody its tremoer. No ; take your deposition before Sir Edmundbuiy i'2 114 WU1TEFBIAB8. Godfrey, in Westminster. 'TwUl seem tlic more impartial, aa men nimour lie is rather inclined to the papishors and court." " My loard, I will obey you in all things ; for as Gideon viCiS sent by God to rally his scattered peoples — " began Gales, when the earl sharply interrupted him. " Obey me ! Not so, Mr. Gates !" he said. " I do think ♦hat in this transaction you follow the dictates of your own conscience ; but, mark ! no advice nor insti;^ation ot mine. I ^•ill have nothinff to do "nith the midwiff-y of this discovci'v ; b'>t bring it forth, and perchance I shall prove a good gossip at tho christening." " Nay, good truth, but your loardship, as head of the true Magna Charta church party, cannot but support mo in n;y discovery of this hon'id, bloody, and execrable ploat F" BaiJ Gates, very humblj''. " I shall in no respect be •n-aating in my duty to my country," replied the earl. " But you know me. Gates. "1 am not fond of working in the dark wheels of other men's con- trivances. We must not appear to understand each other, or it will ruin all. What if they bring evidence to prove you were at St. Gmcr at these times when you say you were in England ?" " Paupish evidence, my loard, wliich is not to be suffered," Baid Gates, grinning. " Besides, I have this boy to Bwcar 1 was not there till — till I choose." " I tell you again, you have mistaken your drudge ; there :8 some gentleman's blood in his veins," said Shaftesbxiry, thoughtfully. " And how pale he looks, hanging over that book," said Howard, "as if he had been debauching it last night with me, ftt that drink-bushel Monmouth's ! Is he hungry? ])o you starve him, Gatffs, as Bethel does his cook? Gdd's lifoi that puts me in mind 'tis noonday, Shaftesbury, and wo arc to dine ^\ ith my Lord llusscU, Sydney, and the otlicr couulrj' people." " Faith were we," said the earl, rising, " wherefore I must make scant mauners with you. Doctor Gates, and bid you farewell until such time and place aa I shall appoint, so soon as I shall have heard you are afloat." Gates rose too, and bowing profoundly shook Tonguo'n hand, which was extended in eager friendship towards hun. " But 1 have forgotten a small matter," said the eju'l, draw- ing Oates aside. " How are you olf for the king's portraits, old boy P Ha, wouldst dislike this small nest o'em r" "Giring to your lordshin'a liborulity, I kck nothing. SAINT OATEB. 116 replied Titns, condescending, however, to take the oflcrcd purse. " Nay, nay, yoii must not •want," said Shaftesbury, v. it}i a Bmile. " If llie state knows not liow to honour virtue, I d-* ; and tlicroby honour myself. " Younp man," he added, turt- m«i; to Mcr\'yn, whom Gates had beckoned out of liis studio, " I see you are of rising metal : do but what this worthy gen- tleman tcUs you, and you will live to see great things." Merryn choked the reply which rose to his lips, with some difficulty, and after the usual ceremonies of adieu, the worthy Oath's marched ofl'with his young coadjutor. " Tlicro he goes, for a most pestilent liar, thief, and dema- gogue !" exclaimed Howard, almost as the door swung on his heels. " I do marvel your lordship v> ill have anything to do with such a vicious, perjured, bla^sphemoua, foul-mouthed, monstrous — " " Egad, brother, you woidd not have me clean a pig-sty with a silver fork !" interrupted the earl. " The man is fit for his work, and his work for the man, and, as the saints say, did not the end sanctify the means, I could be Loth to but it is diuner-hour, and we must not keep my Lord Eussell's stately lady waiting." And the politicians moved off together, leaving Dr. Tongue to finish the bottles alone. CHAPTEll XVIl. SAINT DATES. Afteh this satisfactory interview. Gates left Tlianet House in a state little short of ecstacy, and Mcrvyn shared the genial effects of his good-humour. He leaned patronizingly on his ann, and began talking with him very famiJiarl}^, asking him how he liked the carl, his mansion, and the splendid dress of the Lord Howard. " You see, child," ho said, with swelling importance, " I have not deceived you ; I am a man of some little consequence in England, ana may turn out more than you yet dream, boy." " But what is all this coil about : these strange mela- moqjhoscs, these mdicensed assertions in which you deal, ]\lr. Gates ?" said Mervyn, hastily ; for little as he had overheard of the late scene, and small as his knowledge of the world most certainly was, the high rank of the personages, and much of Gates's c/)nduct, filled him with suspicion and in- quietude. 116 WHITAFBIAHS. " I cannot and will not explain autjlit at prosent, cliild," eaid brother Titus, after a glance of rat-like alami at the youth. " But know that I — that I — Taitus Gates, will loon be as much dictator of this good nation, as ever was Sylla of the Koman state. In ray hands shall be the judgment of life and death, triumph or defeat. You have but to support mc, child, and your fortune is made." Leaving his young victim time to ruminate on these strange anticipations, Oates plunged into a cliaos of entangled alleys and by-streets, whence he emerged in the Strand, near St. Clement's. He proceeded a short distance, and arrived before a silversmith's shop, which displayed a scanty pet-out of glittering wares in the window, and suddenly entered. There was a large, fat, and eminently foolish-looking man sitting at work with an ill-looking, pug-nosed apprentice, chasing some ornaments for a fruit-basket. Oatcs's entrance caused them both to look up, and the master's countenance underwent a curious succession of changes, from a very deep and evidently disagreeable surprise, to a forced expression of delight. "Good lard! Mr. Oates! who'd a-thought itP" he ex- claimed, and, as the fashion of the day was, locking his visitor in a fraternal embrace. This was followed by an earnest invitation into his little back-parlour, which, coupled with an assurance that he was just going to dine, proved irresistible. " Well, and where nave you been so louy it, though, * said Oatcs, with a chuckling laugli. " But what new trick ii this he hath played P"' "Oh, la, so mighty funny, 'tw«re enough to make a skeleton grin," said the silversmith. "You know old avariciou* Bethel, that was the famous sheriff — And hehold you, last wet k comes a letter from one of his correspondents in Darby, offering him n. wonderful bargain ia sheepskins, but, forsooth, he mxist go well provided witli cash — hard cash. Off he goes, and for saving, without any attendant, on an old horse, with a heavy bag of gold ; and between Darby and Ashby, on the moor there, what meets him but Mr. Duval, who makes him sur- render all he has — and when he goes to Darby, light of his bags, he finds me out that his correspondent knows no more about sheepskins tlian the mutton, aud it was all a trick of Duval's— lia, ha !" " But they say he is mighty courteous and civil to his prisoners," said Oatcs, joining the laugh, despite his assumed gravity ; " in especial to the ladies, wherein he is a Frenchman to the Ijackbone." "Agad, that ho is," said Prance, wiping his eyes, which ran over with mirth. "Have you heard what passed between him and beautiful jMistress Aurora Sydney P My lord Leicester, some few months ago, was coming to town in liis coach-and-six, with his footmen and flambeau- men, and what not, and his lady grand-daughter. Mistress Aurora, with hira. Slie was coming to the court to be pre- sented, on occasion of being named maid of honour to the queen, at the personal request of the Lord Shaftesbury, just before lie was knocked out of ofBcc — he-he-he ; — but that's neither here nor tliero. Well, well, as I was saving — Claude Duval and a lot of his fine fellows meets 'em on Sounslow, as Bure as a ghost, and there Mas notliin;j for it but stand and deliver. And when Claude looks in the coach, seeing such a charming young lady in it (for they s.iy she beats even Mistress Stuart, and my Lady Castlemaiuc is a fool to her), what does ho do but insist on dancing a minuet with her I And in spite of all her ifs and ans, out slie must upon the hcatli, and it being a fine moonlight night, foot it away for a highwayman's pleasure. But I have heard Jack, (he coach- man, say lie danced as solemnly as any courtier, witli his hat under his arm ; aud she being a witty pleasant Indy, was so taken with the mirtli of the thing, that slie danced as if with his Majesty. And after the luiiuiet, he hands her safely back to my lord, who was uigh bursting with rage, and say«i,s[ ho coald not think of robbing soiierfect a lady of her adorumenta, 8AIST OATliS. 119 pives lier back a casket which contained hor jen-els ; and away they go wiUiout further molestation." " A marvellous protty talc, an' it be true," said Oatcg, with an vmeasy glance at Mervyn. "But know you, brother, ^o?- acaso, as the Spaniard hath it, ■where Colonel Sydney now is ?' "In England, but rather under cover," said Prance. " He hath not yet obtained formal permission to appear, but ho came back to attend the old earl's death-bed, and is now in a sort of hide and seek at Lord Howard's house, who is his special friend." " Ay, mdeed ! and prithee, arc there any news concerning that persecuted Protestant, Colonel Blood P Is ho still at hide and seek with the law, about that aflair of the Duke of Ormonde F" "Yes, and dare not be seen for his hfe," said the silver- smith, shrugging his shoulders. " Wliy, Mr. Gates, that was a terrible afl'air ! My Lord Ossory swears to make mince- meat of him wherever they meet ; and though Blood cares as little for threats as any man, there is a warrant out, and a reward of a thousand guineas for his apprehension. I warrant me, lie is in some of his old lurking-places in Whitefriars ; but here comes dinner, by my nose — boiled beef, boiled beef, Mr. Oates ! and here comes Goody Prance in all her bravery." Mrs. Prance entered as he spoke. She was a tall, fat, jolly woman, very fair and well-conditioned, with a little pouting sensual mouth, good colour, and cxcelleut eyes. She was dressed irresistibly, in her Sunday kirtle and a handsome sacque, with a huge chain of blue stones crimping into her fat Jieck, and with her hair very finely curled, powdered, and B,^ented. The greeting between Oates and this fair lady was edifying, from its affectionate eagerness, and the large blush which overspread her vast bosom and cheeks, as Oates squeezed her hand in silence for several moments, wliile she poured forth her acknowledgments for the honour of his visit. They now eat down to a hearty subsi antial repast, in the olden style, beef with suet dumplings, and such small matters as Mrs. Prance had liastily cooked up for the distinguished guest; and strong ale and brandy, which had the additional zest, as Prance whi:^pered, of being contraband. Oates ate away at everything before him with shark-like voracity, and seaeoned the feast with deep draughts of the brown home- brewed, all the time discoursing, very lengthily and eloquently, about the state of religion, and the persecution which the church laboured under, and Mervyn thought at moments that iJic doctor's discourse had somehow or other a more earthly 120 WH1TEFIUAK8. meaning, which Mrs. Pniuce understood. Tliia was parti- cularly remai'kable at those times when Mr. Prance wa« called out to attend some customer, though the dialoj^^e still continued in that allegorical and mystic style affectca by the saints of the period. "Ah, sister Prance !" groaned Oates, on one of these occa- sions, " I do grieve to see how the withered lea^'cs stUl hong on a fruitful vine, and that the unhappy paupistical blindness 18 still on that stray sheep, your husband, for all he hides it carefully under the ved of the ark, like a rotten sore covered with a golden plaster." *' Yes, verily, 'tis not in man or woman's wit to save a beam of wood from the burning temple, though it be of the cedar of Lebanon, worthy Master Oates," replied the lady. "I'm sure I've tried, soul and body, and now he is unhappily hardened in his idolatries by the queen's giving him her Eomish idols to make, and his behef that the Brazen CiUf is once more to be set up among us." " He will live to repent it, poor man !" sighed Oates. " But you don't take a drop of anything, doctor," said Mrs. Prance, hUing his glass with brandy. "I am sorry as the widow of Sarepta, dear master, that I have nothing worthier of a prophet in Israel ; but such as I have, is entirely at your service. But godly Master Oates, I do pray and hope on my bended knees, you will never breathe a word of my poor husband's prevarication, which I trusted to you in strict con- fidence, that, knowing where the shoe pinched him, you might apply spiritual salve and lint to Ids wounds." " Heaven forbid ! Madame Prance, Heaven forbid !" said Oates. " We wdl but weep and pray over him, and reveal not our cognizance of his frailty. But I am minded that I cannot indulge me longer in your company, for this season," said the reverend gentleman, after listening to a cuckoo clock over the fire — " it is nigh throe o'clock, and I have calls on my time which even you do not understand, sister in love." " Pooh, pooh, man, you'll stay and taste a disli of nmlled sack I have wai'miug," said honest Prance, who retnrneil at this moment. " Why, there ai-e some of the rarest apples roasted you ever caught sight of, all from the king's garden Hi Hampton." But Oates, for some reason which he did not find it ncces- •ary to explain, declined even this geuiid invitation, and declaring his business admitted of no delay, took his den.irture. The usual greetings were exchanged, and once more Mervyn found himself following his worthy master through the hot noonday stroeta, in great tribulation iis to his own poaiti)B A KDVAI, RhVKI,. 121 aud prospects. He was now convinced that he had committed a great but irreparable act of folly, in (rusting himself to the protection of this false brother. Still he felt that ajiything was better than the ignominy from which he thought his llight had saved him. His situation was, nevertheless, ctcu to one so young and thoughtless, suJiiciently embarraasing. Ho beheld himself without friends or relations, iu a strange country, in the power of a man who, to his extreme surprise, he found to be an apostate from the religion he professed, and who seemed engaged in dark and dangerous manoeuvres, involving the greatest personages and events. But his money- less condition forced him still to temporize ; against whicn, as a matter of morality, his education among the Jesuistical casuists presented no obstacle. He however determined to seize the first opportunity which presented itself, to escapa from the trammels of his hypocrital master. CHAPTER XVIIL A EOYAL BEVEL. On leaving Prance's house, Oates directed his course to the river, where he hired a sculler, ordering the boatmen to con- vey them to Wliitefriars, and land at Water-lnne. Mervyn was of course ignorant of the evil fame of the locality, and if he had not been so, Oates was not in a humoui- to consult his opinions on the subject. StUl he thought he had never seen any place that seemed a fitter receptacle for the ofl'-scum of fermenting multitudes, the sink of a great city's crimes and wretchedness. The entrance of Water-lane was distinguished by a rude stone cross, mai'king the boimds of the sanctuary, and near this, day and night, stood sentinel one of the Friars, as the refugees were czilled, with a horn at his gii'dle, to give the signal for mustering forces when any sheriff's oflicers made their appearance without a miUtary iorce (which they seldom did), ana then to give the alarm to their intended prey. Once f)a8t this sacred Ime of demarcation, a maze of dark narrow anes, blind alleys, and courts, very conveniently ending on the water, presented themselves to the bewildered stranger. The population of this wild district wa« of a character extremely suitable to the haggard desperation of their locai habitation. Whitefriars, or Alsatia, as it was called in the tilang of the day, had reached its highest excess of nuisance under Charles 11. as a sanctuary for all manner of crimet 1^2 fTHITEFBIABS. and lawless villanica. Fun;itivcs debtors, murderers, and rob- bers — bad men and women of every sliade of vice and misery — were there congregated, iu open and almost secure defiance of the law. Debauchery of every kind rioted in undisturbed inipimity. Brandy-shops, gaming-houses, and others of a Ftill more revolting character, whence, night and day, issued the roar of ruffianly contention, ending not unfrequently in murder ; a few shops, kept by Jews, devoted ostensibly to the sale of old rags and kitchen-stuff; and some filthy lanes in \\ hit'h a clamorous fish-market was carried on, seemed the only means of subsistence possessed by a part of the inhabi- tants ; but tlic great majority lived no man knew how. Thieves and beggars, who spent the day exercising their gil\a iu otiicr parts of the metropolis, came here to roost at night, and scatter iu debauchery >Yhat they had earned at the risk of their ui-cks. Occasionally, however, might be seen the gaunt withered frame and thi'cadbare garb of some unhappy debtor, forced to take refuge in this horrible place from tlie fangs of his creditors. Nevertheless, this district, lawless as it appeared, was governed by certain regulations, which for the common good were rigidly enforced ; among which was most remarkable the law by w Inch all were bound to resist any invasion by justice, vi ct arm is. Gates stopped before a public-house on the borders of the temple, which had for sign a battered coat of arms over the gate, under which was hewn in stone — " The Heaven." But as it happened that this house, which was part of the ruined palace of the bishops of Salisbury, had escaped with little damage from the gieat fire, the piouo owner had added the title of " The Braiul from the Burning." Gates paused a moment to adjust his coif, and the youtli happening to raise hia eyes, read with surprise the motto round the shield — "Esperance aud advance, !Mcrvyu !" He pointed this name out to Gates, who said in a grufl' tone, "Ay, ay, there are more Toms in York than one. lour rogue of a faiher gave j-ou the name of a fiuiiily he served, but henceforth I bestow xiuon you one more appropriate, and presume not to prick thine ears to any somid but Icliiibod." Ho then stalked majestically into the house, and was met by an hostess, whose flushed fiu-e, disordered garb, ami rakish eye, bore tokens of recent iiu>briatiou. Is'evertheless, she rejoiced in u name which promised better things, and was in truth our olJ Iriend, Temperance Bradley'. Of her Oatca inquired whether Mr. Butcherlaw was there. "^\nd wlint do you want with him, my ma/iterf" rrpUed A BOTAL REVEl. 123 the hostess eyeing him suspiciously. " If you mean to do any good with the colonel you should have brought a file of musketeers." " I am liis friend, good woman," said the doctor. " Why, Mistress Bradley, do you forget an old friend in a new dress, or are you too proud to own him ?" " Good lackadaisy ! Captain Gates in a parson's rind !" exclaimed she, cordially returning his salute. " What, on your tricks again ? Well, if you must see him, he's upstair-^ drinking and boozing with some ruffling gallants of the court, come on purpo-^e to see him now he's in trouble." " Tell him, good madam, I must see him directly, alone, in your little back tap," said Gates, stepping on through «ome barrels into a little dark room, with the air of one familiar with the place; "and let them bring me a pint of your best red canary, with a t:)ast." Mrs. Bradley nodded, and Gates closed the door on himself and his companion. Disgusted and weary with the day's occupation, Mervyn refused any share of the liquor, although Gates pressed him with a quaint smile, and seated himself moodily in the window-sill. He sat looking into a ruffianly court below, until Butcherlaw, or as the reader has perhaps divined. Colonel Blood, made his appearance. Years had made little perceptible alteration in the athletic frame of this worthy, but a good deal in Iiis dress, for he was clad in a very worn and faded garb, though once of rich materials. His face was deeply flushed with wine, and he had altogether the look of one disturbed in some drunken debauch. Mer\')-n remarked that while he wi-ung Gates's hand with affected cordiality, he glanced around, and that as their eyes met, his complexion grew livid as lead. Gn his own part he felt an inconceivable dread at the mere sight of the man, which induced him to turn aside, and divert his unpleasant feelings by watching a fight between two ragged boys in the court below. Meanwhile the two friends discom'sed in a low key, and in ft cant which !Mcrvyn did not understand ; but at last Gates turned to him, and said, " This is the young gentleman, Mr. Butcherlaw ; this is Mr. Butcherlaw, Ichabod, who is a near relation of yours, And will tell you all about your parentage, when times serves. At present he is good enough to take you under his protection till wc can do better for you." The colour again forsook the colonel's countenance as Mervyn looked at him with extreme eagerness ; but he mut- tered something about his satisfaction at the oCGcc, and wiped ii 2 124 WHITEFHIAB9. the dark dew from hiii brow with an ague-like shudder o?ef his whole frame. " Tell me then who is my father — is he alive P" said Mer- vyn, hastily. " I have told you, sirrah, that this question is forbidden you at present," said Gates, severely. " In a short time the objection to telling you will be removed ; till then you remain as I have said." Mervyn felt strongly inclined to inquire by what right he was thus turned over to a stranger, but the bait thus artfully thrown out, and his own forlorn condition, deprived him of power. Gates then bestowed his blessing upon the boy, and obsei'ved to the colonel that he should take a sculler, and attend a godly meeting which he heard was to take place in Holborn Fields." " Tut, man, never lie to the devil," said Blood, coarsely. " Thou'lt deceive neither liim nor me. Say at once thou art away to sec thy old acquaintance. Mother Creswold." " Mr. Butcherlaw, you are in liquor," said Gates, with dignity. " But you will be sober enough when we meet again." And with a peculiar glance at Mervyn, the meaning of which he could not in the least fathom, he left the apart- ment, " If ever the fiend took human form — " muttered Blood, but checking himself, he turned to Mervyn, and asked whether he had dined. Mervyn replied in the affirmative, but he remarked that the colonel watched him as he spoke with intense interest, and seemed rather listening to the sound of his voice than to what he said. He then took a turn or two in the room, and stopped abruptly. " Be of good cheer, youth," he said, in a low tone. " I like your appearance, and will prove a better friend than most relations. Follow me ; I mean to introduce you to some of the best society in England." And with a swagger of no common significance, he strode up a dark nan*ow stau-case, Mervyn following, though with considerable repugnance. As they mounted, Mervj'n distinguished sounds of loud merriment from above, a chorus of voices roaring out some bacchanal staves, to an accompaniment of cla.«hing gobleta and thumps on the table. Blood went first, and threw onen the door of a large aparlmcnt, battered and decayed, out evidently the relics of one of considerable magniliconce. Indeed, it was a remnant of the episcopal palace of whose ruins the inn consisted. There was a table in Ihe middlf A ROYAL EEVEL. 125 covered with wiiic, fruit, dice, and a steaming bowl of punch, round whicli sat a number of gallants. Mine host of the Ileaven, large-nosed Simon Bradley, pre- sided over the nectar, and was at the moment rolling in his chair, in a fit of laughter, caused by an observation of one of the guests, a tall, dark, muscular man, dressed in a flaunting livery. Next to him sat two gallants, who looked like worn- out rakes of tlic town, but both handsome, well-made men, whose high-bred manners strangely contrasted with their out-of-elbow appearance. There was a fourth, whose glitter- ing habiliments instanlly atti-acted Mervyn's attention. He was a handsome gallant-looking cavalier, verging perhaps on forty, with long curled hair, mustache and beard of the newest cut. His dress was somewhat military, though not strictly the uniform of any service. He wore blue slashed small-clothes, high boots, and a scarlet coat richly laced, a collar of the finest work, iev.-els on his fingers, and a cocked hat. A long basket-hiltcd sword hung by his side from a steel band, and a pair of pistols lay at hand on his cloak. " ^Miat ! an addition to our company ?" exclaimed the gentleman in livery. ■' Ay, faith, and a proper addition too, old Eowley," re- turned Blood. " My nephew, gentlemen, just arrived from foreign parts." " AVhat, hath he been cooling his heels in the Low Countrieg, running from the French P" said one of the gallants. "Or hath he been to the Italian, studying the art of cutting IJiroats in the refined manner P" " Nay, he liath been but latel)^ in France, Saint Wilmot," replied the colonel. " Oh, I understand — at Paris, learning to poison under ]'rinvilliers P" replied Wilmot. " I'y the mass, no ! he looks an honest youth — I say it, though he be thy nephew, Butcherlaw," said the personage styled llowley. " ^\ hat say'st thou, boy — art honest as times go?" " Methinks it will not increase my welcome to this good comjiany, if I say yes," replied Mervyn. " Yet he who say»8 no, 13 a false knave, and lies." " A^']ly, then, thou art a very great curiositj%" said "Wilmot, " Honest ! prithee, let me see thy face ; thou art as rare as a squeaking mandrake." " You had as well look at a basilisk, for an honest eye must heeds shame you to stone," said Mervyn, vehemently, for he Via irritated Ly the mode of this reception. 126 WHITEPB1AH8. "Well answered, hj these nails!" shouted Eowlrtj. " Come hither, boy ; I like thee. Thou hast a reedy wit and a daring — and as times go, these are good qualities. Sit thee here beside me. Methinks tliere is some favour in thy coun- fenance which I should remember, coidd I see through the kogshead of punch in my sk\dl. But tlie ima^e I shouid recall wavers m its glimmer. Wilmot, whom doth he flavonr of?" "My father must have travelled iu England, since I am likened to so many," said Merv}'n. " Faitli, ITackum, it strikes me too," said Blood, addressing (he cavalier in scarlet, who was gazing with remarkable mr- ucsfuess at Mcrvyn. "Deem you not he smacks something of your once master, the lord who murdered himself in the Tower r" " Say, rather, who was murdered," replied the cavalier in a low tone. " Sahn'c Vierffc ! but 'tis even so. Prithee, b'.y, look not on me ; thine innocent eyes do seem to reproach my villanous friendship v.itli tiiis man." " Thy villanous friendship !" exclaimed tlie colonel, fiercely. " Wliy, sirrah, did I not got you out of tlie gallevs sonii- short ton years agono, furnish you v.ith the hlo and the cro\T- bar, have a boat wailing for you, and linaily hide you in Alsalia till the hue and cry was over?" "And then you took advantage of my despair, and ra.iiio me what I am," said the cavalier, obviously much excited. " But for the life you gave me, did I not break tlio oath which bound me to avenge my master's blood in yours ? — And have I not repaid the service man)' times? But, villain, I have shaken thy trammels off again ! My master's ghost is here, and I will have tliy life, or tliou mine — so have at thee!" "Fool! — he is mad with brandy and lemons," said Blood, contemptuously- " Look you, gentlemen, how the chance resemblance of an Irish nose and eyes to some English ones, long since rotted into dv:st " " What ! wei'e you boru in Ireland, boy ?" said the cavalier, eagerly. " Faith, I know more of his parentage than he knows him- Bolf," said the colonel. " And I promise you, 'tis a chick from a real Irish o^rg." "Tell me, b.v, v.hu was thy father?" continued Ilnckiim. " I liad no father, sir, that ever I knew," said .Mer\'^ri, innocently. "Nay, tlicre is a proverb concerning that," said Wilmot. "And born in IroiMiidP" muttered irncknin. " Come, come, friend, let not the w iue make u fool of tbco,** A BOTAI BEVEL. 127 laid Blood, coaxingly. " Thou knowest it is not safe to jest with me." " For whoso sups with the devil, should have a long spoon," said Wilmot, laughingly. *' Menace not me, Blood. I despise thee and thy threats," returned the cavalier. " 'Slife, thou hast told me lies unnum- bered, how thou didst mistake my purpose that nights — thought I was sold to the villanous countess, forsooth, and touched with compassion, laboured hi* roscue ! But 1 did never put faith in thee, and will choke my thoughts no longer ! I tell thee, Blood, despite aU the enterprists wherein we have been brothers, thou art a black and felonious murtherer!" " You lie, scoundrel ! I did never slay any man but in fair fight," roared the colonel, yielding to his hitlierto suppressed fury. " Ha ! the lie ! take it back again with this, thou cruel rufllan !" returned Hackum, and seizing a decanter, he dashed it at Blood's head, but it missed, and fell from the opposite wall in fragments on the flocJr. With a savajjc cry, resembling that of some wild beast. Blood sprang forward, his sword flashing out, and meeting that of Hackum v,ith a fury which sent sparks aroimd. The whole company rose in confusion. "Rochester, Buckingham, part them!" exclaimed Uowley, seizing the colonel's ann. " Blood, I command yoii, sheathe youi' slit-bully — what drunken brawl is this ? Marry, is the gentleman some pai-tisan of the Ormondes ?" "I am none of the faction- — I scorn it," said the cavalier, fiercely. " Unhand me, sirs ! 'tis an old quarrel suppressed many years ; but there is truth in wine, and I tell you, he is a monstrous atrocious vUIain, not fit to Uve." " Tut, every man knows that : have you nothing new to vj"ge against him?" interposed Rowley, in a peace-making tone. " Heard you ever of man who became a White Friar for his virtues ?" " But the man is a devil !" shouted Hackum, boiling up again, after aglance at the pale and aflrighted countenance of Mervyn. " He is a devil, a devil, a devU ! confess, thou vil- lain ! didst thou not with that felonious hand murder the noble Lord Aumerle, when he was a prisoner in the Tower P" Blood raised his sword irresolutely, but Eowley held him back ; his lips were covered with foam, and he looked black in the face, as if about to fall into a fit. "What, man alive, art dreaming?" exclaimed Wilmot. " My deal" friend, believe me the punch hath flooded your jadgTuent, AVIjy, f'vorybody in England knows the t^i/vd 138 WniTEFBIABH. Aumerle committal s licide in the Tower, the night of the great fire !" " Bowai'C, sirrah, beware !" said Blood, liis teeth chattering with rage, " or bj this liglit of heaven, I will reveal who you are !" " AVhat care IP have you a file of the king's guard at vour heels?" returned Ilackum. "Gentlemen, I care not; liear me ! I am Claude Duval — Claude Duval, the highwayman !" " Claude Duval !" echoed all the gallants, with great asto- nishment. " Yes, Claude Duval, sirs. Shrink not back — I have met you in friendship, and no man lives who can say that Claude Duval ever betrayed his religion or his friend." " Are you the great robber?" exclaimed Mor\-yn. " "V\niy, then, I rank myself on yom* side. For all he says he is my uncle, robbers are of a nearer kindred to me." "I am proud to make your acquaintance, gallant Duval!" aaid Rowley, after a moment's pause. " Here is my hand ; I have long wished to see you, for of aU the rogues in England, you are the only one that dares to be a villian hke a man." " "V\Tiy, so say I," exclaimed Wilmot ; " so lot us all be so- ciable and friendly, man ; you ai-e in sooth the only honest robber of us all." " But methinks j'ou wrong your friend, the colonel," said Rowley. "He introduced you as a nun-rv companion to our meeting, and if you be so much a gentleman, as we have heard it said, you should not interrupt our fellowship with a private quarrel. AVhy, man, I was on the jury ahich judged ray Lord Aumerle a suicide, and we did it on perfect proof. I saw with my own eyes, that it was impossible for any one to have got in to murder him; there were tluco massive locked doors, man, and unless the colonel could get in at the keyhole — " " Besides," interiiipted "Wilmot, " why should he murder Lira when he had only to leave hi.'* dagger's work to the axe of the law ?" " It is a belief which I will stick to in my dying houi-." said Claude, in a melancholy voice, and witli teni-s standing in his eyes. " But, gentlemen, as you say, there is no proof — and every man is innocent till lie is found out — it will be judged some day !" " 1 have borne more from thee, Duval, than ever I thought at any man's liand," said Blood, slowly droi)ping his swv'rd'i point. " YcH, truly. I am of use to you," replied Duval. " But, thank Heaven, you have ucvcr coaxed me into anf of youi A EOVAL UKVEL. 129 bloody deeds, Ihouiili I bave sliared more of your crafts and robberies than 1 elinll know how to account for." " What, were you not with me in the rescue of Captain Mason from the dragoons P" said the colonel, with a black Bmilf^. "Ay, but it was man to man, a fair fight," returned Claude. "Isonsense, man, the wine darkens your better judgment," said Blood, sheathing his sworil. "And so my quarrel ^as with the v.ine, and not with ClauJ.e Duval. Here is my hand, sir, and reserve your cold iron for cold hearts." The persuasions of the company induced Claude, with mutb reluctance, to accept the offered hand, which was rrmarkaOiC for huge size and the deformity of its thumb. All then resumed their seats, and the host suddenly made his appearance from under the table, where he had tala-n refuge. A fresh bowl of punch was ordered in, and Rowley laboured, not without success, to restore tlie joviality of the meeting. By degrees all recollection of the recent quarrel vanished in copious drauglits of the nectar, and Mcrvyn saw with astonishment, that as they grew more and more intoxi- cated, the belligerents' rancour decreased, itntil at last they actually embraced each other, protesting they were the \Ksi friends in life. Accustomed to the sobriety and severe decency of manners enforced at St Omer, almost every word he heard brought blushes to ^lervyn's young cheek, and he sat gazmg and listening like an innocent sheplverd straying bv chance on the orgies of satyrs. The free opinions delivered on all topics — v.omcn, religion, laws human and divine — made his ear* tingle with shame ; but there was something fatally capti- vating ill the licentious vivacity of these gallants. Eowley seemed a man of great humour ; there was a satirical depth in what he said, which showed a long acquaintance with man kind, and liis two fompanions were cWdently men of f;reat parts and brilliant wit. But even these two were distin- sruishcd by deep shades of chnracter. Wilmot's wit was bitter, mi^anthiopical, tinged with gloom at times, at others libertine to excess; Viilicrs's was rather sparkling and am- bitious than malignant, yet often extremely sarcastic, espe- cially when rattling awuy at Wilmot, wi*h whom he waged a continued skirmisli of repartees. Mcrvyn thought lie could discern that these companions were ol higher rank than they prLtended to be, and thero waa something of ma.stery assumed by llowley, to which all iho others seemed to yield. iStill he was shocked with the irreUgion and blasphemy which all seemed to take pride ia 130 WHITKFBIABd. displaying. But Eowley coiitiuucJ lo drown his scruplea in lan^htcr and wine. In vain he resisted ; he wa.s jcerca at as a milksop, and forced to swallow ;,das8 on eI&sh, till, excited by the liquor and his own natural vivacity, lie launched out in a style of daring which, from its freshness, seemed to delight those wild companions. CHAPTER XIX. A NIOHT IN ALSATIA. " Thou art a morry little dog, Ichabod, with thy Jewish name !" sp.id liowlcy, throwing himself back in his chair. "MethinUa I shall love thee, and be of service to thee." " Canst thou eat mutton, child, then ?" said Wilmot, emUing. "If so, thy fortune is made." "Ay, that can I, but fat ven'son better," replied Mervyn. " 'tore heaven, Rowley, and is not this better than churn- ing om- brains to curds in the whirligig of state affairs P" said A^llliers, blowing the froth from his punch into Rowley's plate. " Yea, this is the only life for men of sense — an' it would last for evor," said Wilmot, mth a sigb, "TMiat sings old sage -'Vnacreon i' " CoiUd polJ prolong our lil'u's brief (spuu, One moment snatch from fate, I, too, would heap the (;littcrin^ dross > I, too, toil early— late; That if Death chanced to jounicy nljjb. He mi^ht fake somcthinjj and pass hy. " liut if one cannot purchase life Wliy siph in vain and weep ? And it Death's steps are fated, how Can (fold resist his sweep? So be it mine to (jrow divine, 'Mid gtfiiinl IVicnds, in purple wliic !" " I have noted thee. Jack, these latter times," said Rowley, ns Wilmot concluded iiis recitation. "And take my word for 't, tliou wilt not die in the jolly fellow's faith. Thou wilt re- pent aiul turn a whimr." " Of a surety and verily, for his spirit quaileth," said Vil- lierrt, with a Handiinonious twang. " Miml you not lust sum- mer when he had the fever, how he wim-cil, and called in tho harKh Scotch canter, Hnrnct, to pray by his bedside?" " 'Ihe devil was sick then, gallant."*," leplicxl Wilmot. A NIOHX IN AX8ATIA. 131 "Well, well, fill up your glasses — but though it be a merry life to lead, I doubt me if it end in so cheery a death." " Pooh, pooh, man, enjoy life while it lasts, and take death when it comes," said Blood. " Why, Jack, the saint and the sinner both come to the same tiling — a statue cut in flesh, that's all." " I warrant me, you have chiselled many such a statue with your dagger and Toledo, Blood,' said Duval. "And to my thought, I can see one of your handiwork even now." " What canst thou see, fool ?" said the colonel, gi^'ing a fearful glance round the apartment, and with a forced laugh he began sipping his wine. " Let us have no more of that folly, gentlemen," inter- rupted Rowley. " But no marvel we arc tm-ning into the green and yellow leaves of discourse : our punch-bowl is empty as an honest man's purse — Mine host, look to it." " Punch for ever !" exclaimed Simon, bustling up. " I wonder if the water boiled last bowl — methought it smacked too much of the lemons." And he tottered out with, the nectar-pot, as WUmot called it. " Come, come, Claude, murder or no murder, 'tis ten year8 agone," said Rowley, watching the melancholy musing counte- nance of Duval. " And as the rascal Scot says, let bygones be bygones ; though, by the by, they themselves never foi^ive. Cheer up, Jack ! — what avails looking so sad, man ? — Why art so down in the muzzle ?" " Faith, my lord, I have been in better spirits," replied Wilmot, with an absent SQule. " My health fails, and methinks, if what Dr. Lloyd warns me be true, I shall die a horrible death." " AVhy, man, you are still in the summer of your days," said llowlcy, cheerfully. " 'Tis time enougli to repent when you can do no better — at worst, 'tis but turning Catholic and getting absolved. Besides, if you are damned, lad, 'tis in rare good company. What says old Shirley ? since you have given us a slice of Anacreon." He then began singing, or rather murmuring, the fbio stanzas, which are recorded to have been his favourites, in the Contention of Ajax and Ulysses. " Tlie glories of our birth and state Are shadows, not substantial things ; Tlierc is no armour apainst fate : Death lays his icy hands on kings : Sceptre and crown Mu-st tumble down, Aud in the dust be equal made With the poor crooked sc)-the and spa^^.*' 132 WHITKFBUBS. "I would yo\ir j^ace had a hotter voice — yon Iwirc a good will," said Wilmot, whos(! evciJ were full of tears and wine. " Well, well, I shall not 1 ve vcrv loiij; to wish so, and when I die I shall go to the derii — eh, lilood ?" " An' there ue such a person, doubtless," replied the colonel, carelessly. " But nang it, here comes old Simon with tlie punch — so no more words — Ihey interrupt drinkintr." "And now," said Rowley, after a moment's pause in the conversation, " tell us, Blood, how dost thou prosper with that affair in the Tower thou wotlest of P" " My liege !" exclaimed the colonel, in an alarmed tone. " How ! thy liege ? Am I the devil or the Duke of Mon- mouth P" said Eowley, sharply. " Why, I do prosper mightily, sir," said Blood. " 1 have paid the old keeper sundry visits, and he is thorougldy per- suaded that I am a most religious, puritanical, Baxterian divine. And I have broached a small matter how I will wed a son of his — a rough sea-captain — to a fair daughter of mine, that is rich by some grandniotlier's will." "And doth the poor old man really take thee, with thy villanous countenance, for a man of decency and morals P" said Wilmot. " Yea, and we do discourse godly matters, in the perfect style of the saints, so that it is a balm out of Gilead to hear us in spiritual communion," said Blood, in a hypocritical whine. '* But how is this, my masters P — our puuch-uowl dr}' again, and I have never lipped it !" "Go, Simon, and mix us a little more of the pleasantness of lemons with the strength of brandy, aiul hxik that thou put less water, and yet that it be tillcii," said Eowley, with great solemnity. " Ay, ay, more punch I warrant me — merry gallants, good troth,'' stammered the host feebly, and laughing with n tipsy silliness. " So, so — I promise you I know my way. There 8 one of my eyes sober yet." But honest Simon had scarcely moved from his chair ore lie fell prone, j)unch-bowl and all. Bowley picked him up, but all efforts to sober him were in vain, anil they were obliged to let him snore in hi.^ chair. They then rang a bell on the table, iind Mrs. Teinj)erance entered, somewhat excitcil her- self. Siie dcimirrcd, however, to the di-niand for more punch. " ILc have drunk enough, gallants." she said, resolutely, " and 1 don't know how I'm to be paiil. There's the culonel heru owes me a three months' score, and 1 have never, ud I'm a Uhristian woman, seen an angel of it." "Nay, now, woman, what foolery's thisP" Baid I31ooi| ▲ KIOHT IN ALSATIl. 133 " wo'M you shame me before my gueats ? Thou ahalt be paid all in ^ood time ; aad meauwhile dost thou not owe me u kiss, for slappuig my cheek this mom till it blushed !" And seizing the hostess by her shoulders and stout waist, Blood indicted a very hearty salute. This seemed to mollify Mrs. Temperance, and calling him a " deceivous honey of a man," and her husband " an ugly little snoozling porker," she picked up the broken punch-bowl and made her exit. " I pity thee. Blood," said WUmot ; " 'tis a penance to wipe out half thy sins, having to kiss such lips for thy board." " I would not for my life," added Rowley, groaning. " Faith, your grace can afford to eay so," replied the colonel, " seeing you have the pick of London's fairest ladies." " Why, man, thou must be enviable by the king himself, favourite aa he is among the fair English aames !" exclaimed Claude Duval, awaking from a long reverie, during which he ■at contemplating Mervyn's countenance. " Nay, come, I am not so much to be envied, an' it were aU known," mutttred Rowley, in a discontented tone, "for what says old James Shirley ? my father, that had not wit enough to keep his head on his shoulders, loved him well. " The glories of our birth and state Are thadows, not sub " " Gradskilly ! what manner of chant is this for Alsatia P" exclaimed a new voice, and following Mrs. Temperance and the punch-bowl, entered an exceedingly handsome young man, wearinc the uniform of the king's guard, but apparently dis- ordered in some recent sciiffle. " Good now, gentlemen, excuse me," said Mrs. Temperance. " Indeed, I cannot help it. This young gentleman comes me roystering in, and understanding what good company yo were by the tingling of your glasses " " Oh, make no par donnez-mois, good hostess," interrupted the young officer, " all rogues are brothers in Alsatia. I have just killed my man in Holborn, and ran here for shelter, where I know that virtue never lacks it — till my friends make the matter up." " Thou killed thy man ! surely thou hast begun early, my slasihing blade !" exclaimed Rowley. " But no matter ! A» I said before, an' the devil come he is welcome. Bring him a tankard, mother Temperance — name but not thing ; but that is the age's fashion." " Wliat had the man done to rouse thy wrath, thou sweet epitome of the times?" said Wilmot. ' " Had he trod on thy com, or sworn tliat thou lackest beard, as, by my blue garter, thou dost most sraockiahly !" 134 WHITBFBIAB8, " l^ay, not so bad as that, or I had eaten him loo," replied the young homicide ; " he but called my mistress no better than ehe should be, and it was the truth too ; but it suited not with mine honour to hear it said." " And prithee what green girl hath thee in leading, for lack of a monkey !" said Wilmot. " Oh, I can tell you she is none of your small fry," said the officer. " I know two great men that have shown a great deal of foll^ to win her smiles, and there is a tliird, a very great man indeed, who would give the world, an' it were in his gift, to keep her faithfully his." "Here's some new scandal of our virtuous court," said Rowley, winking at his companions. " Wliat nobles are these that do affect thy Dulcinear Are they of the rogues in, or the rogues out — court or country — speak !" " Oh, they are notorious for being anything that hath a relish of villauy in it," replied the fugitive. " To-day they are for the king and court, but what they may be to-morrow depends on the winds and weather. Yet men say they have good head-pieces, and they are reputed (though it may be falsel}'^) to be the sons of two notorious profligates, my lords of Buckingham and liochcster." " Villain, thou liest !" exclaimed both Wilmot and Villiers, starting up and clapping their haiul.^ on their swords. " Peace, gentlemen!" exclaimed Kowley, laughing heartily. " And you, sir soldier, restrain your choleric valour, when I 'ill you that these worshipful squii-os are 8er\'ants to those cwo great lords, and love them so well that they hold nothing dearer in eartli or heaven." " Oh, 1 tliouglit by their look they could be nothing better," said tlie officer, contemptuously, and sheathing liis half-drawn sword. " Sit down, sir, and drink to the drowning of all unkind- nesB," exclaimed Kowlev- *' Odds fish ! he takes me sharp enough on the word! iJut prithee what great niiui do you speak of, and what is your lady's name, that we may drink her health in a bumper P" " That is a secret everywhere but in our mess-room," replied the young officer. " But I'll not drink your punch for nothing, for I'll teach A'ou to reform your singing. Is that dole/ul ditty of Shirley's a song for Alsatia? And when there's so choice a novelty composed by that rog>u\ SedleyP Listen to it, and join chorus: 'tis veiy wicked and plca'unt." He then sang, in au extrcmt'ly Bweoi but feminiuo roic«^ the folio rtiuj{ souj^ :— A NIQHT IN ALSATIA. 13:" THE JOLLY WHITE FRIAllS. " We arc all jolly friars — well met, brother rog-\ie ) Tkauph the name's out of fasbion, the thing's much in vog^ei For stripp'd of the surplice, the robe, or the sword, The devil can't tcU a whipp'd thief from my lord; And if truth may be suiipr, if 'twere not for the name. My lady and Hess are extremely the same . So, jolly White Friars, our toast slirink from never — Here's success to all rogues — Wine and Women for ever '. " We are all jolly friars — ne'er blush, brother knave 1 'Tis a title as common and old as the grave ; If the priest call you infidel, lauf;h in his face, And ask him, what were he without his grimace. If the soldier call coward, the lawyer cry lliief, Ask ttiem both what they are without red coat or brief. So, jolly White Friars, our toast will fail never — Here's success to all rogues — Wine and Women for ever I" " A very good song, and veiy well sung," said Eowley, eyeing the young officer with a ludicrous mixture of drunken- ness and curiosity. " But prithee, there's a sweet fellow of thine inches, do tell us what wench is this whom those two great lords affect ? I'll never bctrav thee ; thou knowest there is honour among thieves, and wnoever trusts mc trusts a rogue." " Nay, youth, it were not consonant to the excellent honour of thy recent murther and future expectatious, to betray thy lady's confidence," said Villiers, eagerly. " I'fay, she told it not in confidence ; all the town may know but her foolish Liniberwcll," re])lied the oflicer, laughing. " Look here — I show it in all companies — 'tis a present she made me this morning, laughing very heartily at the fond Solomon who gave it her scarce an liour before !" Aiid he threw down a diamond armlet of exquisite workmanship and brilliancy. " A present to thee !" exclaimed Eowley, snatching at it fiercely. " Wliy, thou girl-faced popinjay, thou liest worse than the Black One ! A present to thee ! Kogue, thou hast stolen it." " Stolen it ! I scorn the word," replied the officer, con- temptuously, " and but that I see you are mildewed with liquor — why, I tell you, man, 'twas Mistress Gwyn that gave it me, swearing she would never have parted with it but to a fellow of my infinite merit." " What, Neil Gwyn — Nelly Gwyn I" exclaimed Eowley. stuttering with rage. "Why then — I say — odd'.'^ life, I'll never stand it ! Give me the bracelet, boy, and I'll see thee hung yet an' I bo not myself." 13G WHITEFBIl^fiS. " Only with my life ^Till I eurrender it," retortoJ the Eouth, putting the bracelet in hifl bosom, and cocking hii at fiercely. " Why, then, with thy life," returned Eowlcy, maiini; a ■ucccssful catch. " And now, an' thou wouldst win it baok, out with thy rapier. I'll not show the white feather so 808 — the man you love P Wljcre were vou now. but for one bold hand &iid THK UXNATUHAL MOTHKR. 141 nnrtincliiup; heart? — In brief, lady, I must have money, and you cannot in gratitude — you dare not in policy — refuse me ! "what I need is a mere trifle, to preserve an old friend from starvation— absolute starvation !" " Why, two pieces of copper a day might do that," replied the lady, bitterly. "But I know you too well, Blood, to think that you limit your doraands to an anchorite's prayer. You are a man of 8})u-it, lead a gay life, have your quality in- trigues ! But, sir, I tell you, I will no longer be the slave ot your menace.*!. Do your worst! — what can j^ou do?" "What can I do !'" repeated Blood, with a dark smile. " I vrill answer you, lady. I can, with a breath, a word, jirecipi- tate you from wcailli, magnificence, honour, and love — into poverty, shame, detestation ! The heir of Aumerle — the rightful heir — lives, and I have it in my power to restore hira to all his rights." " Thou liest, unearthly villain, thou liest !" exclaimed the countess, turning deadly pale. " The heir of Aumerle was drowned — burned — wlielmcd at once b}* lire and water! You yourself, monster, assured me of this, with all the pledges that could bind even the fiend to truth." "And so I thought mvself at the time," lady, said the colonel, calmly. "But I was deceived. It was an ancient and good maxim of the Cardinal Richelieu, never to believe his enemy dead till he saw his carcass. Who over found the body of the young Keginald .'' Ko, lady, I warn you. The waves and fire have given up their prey, and, in the .-iuint's language, he may perchance prove — the avenger of blood!" " Methinks that were small advantage to you, colonel," said Lady Howard, with a spasmodic smile. " And still less to you, madam, for you have more to lose," answered Blood. " And surely the hand that sharpens the knife is as guilty as that which plunges it?" "Ihaveoeen but too much accustomed to this language from your mouth to resent it," said the countess. " But who, let me ask you, Mr. Blood, would listen to such an accusation from such a tongue ? But you say, the heir of Aumerle lives ! Let ua see this heir — whore is ho ? " Speak low, madam, or he will hear you," said Blood, calmly. " He is here, in this house, in this hail of his ancestors — a stranger !" " What mean you, audacious man !" exclaimed Lady Howard, with a quivering spasm of lior whole frame. " Be not alarmed, lady," said Blood ; " as yet he knows nothing of his birth, nor of the events which have made him a wretched foundling, depending ou charity for life and bread." K2 WH1TEFBIAB9. " A pleasantly-imafflned romance, Miistor Colouel," eaid the countess, with a lau{);h iu wLicli there was no mirth. " But think not to make me the fool of a sorry imposture. I can produce against your new testimony that which you gave at the trial of Claude Duval — that you saw him perish — for which testimony you received two thousand pounus from my hand." " A pleasant document, methinks, to be produced in a court of justice by a mother! But I have writinj^s which, without implicating; myself, v.ould overthrow all your defences. In brief, Claude Duval saved the chUd, and transferred it fiafeiy to St. Omer, thoui^h, to baffle our bloodhound scent, he stated, at his trial, that it perished on the nijjht of the great fire. And, briedy, I have inveij^led the youth into my power, to be used as I please, or rather, madam, as you determine." " I see it all ; 'tis a base forgery, coined to extort money," said the countess, vehemcntl}'. " But think not, Blood, think not any longer to play upon the strings of terror in my woman's heart ; you have worn them out. God help me! I do scarce care if you accomplish tJic worst your hate can threaten — which methinks I siiilir in the feaiung." " Force me not to that pass. Lady Howard, or it will be ill for both," said the colonel. " You forget that I am a man of sudden resolve?, and though I sold you the jewels iind pre- cious documents found in Duval's cloak, I rcs' rvcd ceitain papers for mine own use." " Villam ! — but 'tis all the coinage of tliy false heart !" ex- clauned the countess, passionately. " JVay then, you shall not doubt it ; you shall see him," said Blood. "Ho there — Ichabod!" " One moment, Blood, one moment!" ejaculated the lady, turning perfectly white. " Is he — is he — like him !" " The late curl — ^judge for youi'self," replied the colonel. " Ichabod '" Mervyn emerged from behind the screen, and adroiiced with the timidity and hesitation natural to one so unac- customed to tLe world, his line complexion mantling with u deep blush. The countess collected herself by a strong eflbrt, and though she was still deadly pale, her eyes were li.\ed upon liini with a wild intensity whidi increased Ids confusion. AVhat thoughts were passing in lu'r mind ! what a confusion of recollections! what vivid contrasts of what «•<(.» with wh.nt miijht have hven, as iSIervyn, her disowned and only child, stood before her! Even Blood grew some- what alurriud at t)io length and Hxeducss uf this scrutiny, THE UNNATUBAL HOTHEB. 14J* but he was toj perfect a master of dissimxilation to suffer sn-.y emotion to be vnsible. "Madam, he said, after a momeiil's pause, "here is the youn^j orphan of whom I spoke." " Pray you, good youth," said the countess, hrn'riedly, " stand forward iu the hght." " \Miat ails you, madam?" said 131ood ; for, as the hght fell on Merryn's face, the countess uttered a loud exclamation of surprise. " Nothing, nothing !" said the lady, shutting her eyes with a strong shudder. " Blood, are you man or devil, to gaze unhlenchingly on that face ?" she added, in a stifled whisper. " A comely youth, indeed, as you say, my lady," replied the colonel, in an unaltered tone. " Indeed there are not lackiniT men who say that he something resembles your own Ulustnous family of Auraerle." '• What is your name, youth, and of what lineage P" said the countess, after a pause. " My name is ]\rervyn, madam," replied the youth, in a voice which thriUed tlu-ough the countess's nerves. " Mervyn ! ay, but your Christian name ; surely you have two names ?" she said, hastUy. " I never heard myself called aught but Mervyn, yet Colonel Blood says my name is Ichabod." ""What! have you no father, child?" said the countess, leaning forward, and gazing iu his face as if she could read into his very soul. " I had neither father nor mother, ever to know them," he murmured, with the same lingering sadness of tone. " Nor mother !" repeated Lady Howard, with a glance at Blood. " Nor mother ! You hear lum. Blood, and my heart does not break 1" continued the countess, iu a low tone ; " prithee let liim go, ere it swell too full of anguish, and burst my breast." " Mervyn," said the colonel, gently, " the noble lady likts you, and may hereafter do something for you. Now kiss her ladyship's hand and retire." "No, no, I cannot, I may not!" exclaimed the countess, starting from her chair as if at the approach of a serpent. " On your life, touch me not, boy ! I mean," she added, with an hysteric laugh — " I am afraid, for they say the nudign spotted fever is still rife in that unwholesome district whence you come ; — not that I fear it, — not that I fear it !" And she laughed long and wildly, untU, sinkuig exhaustedly into her chuir, a shower of tears came to her rehcf. " Ketire, Mervyn ; my lady Howard is subject to thcee 144 TrniTCFDiARS. His," said the unrelenting colonel; especially wliou sbc jccs li youth of your iigure ; for many years ago she lost a eoHj w ho, had he lived, would have beeu mueli of th}* incht'S." Mervyn bowed Inuubly to the lady, and rcsuni*»d liis dia- lant station behind the screen. "Well, madam, arc you convinced?" said Blood, as the boy disappeared, "or must I bring those wriiton proofs in plav «hicli •will surely reinstate him iu all that should right- ful fy be his P" " la this, then, the drug to restore me the calm sieep whereof your too ready villany deprived me for everf" eaid Lady Howard, passionately. "'riiey wlio dice witli fate, lady, must stand the hazard of the throw," replied he, significantly. " But take not on 60 sadly ; ail may be well again if you but will it." '• Speak — what would you? 1 am the slave of your spell," said the countess, in a tone of deep despair. " Lady Howard," replied the colonel, ajjparently somewhat moved by her emotion, " beautiful lady! I'or whom I have perilled soul and body, lured by what magic I dare not now remind you ! uothing but my extreme necessity should force me to use tlii.s engine against you." "Weil, what do you need, sir?" said the countess, iu tho same tranquil tone of despair. " Cost what it will, I must conceal that horrid by-gone from Howard ; I cannot afford to lose the only heart that loves me." " Five hundred guineas will deliver you for ever from my importunities," replied Blood. " Five hundred guineas ! Well, it is but gold," t-jaculated the lady. " And yet Howard but now craved a snuiller sum of me in vnm. But wilt thou swear tome (lor I have knuwa thee true to thy oath, llirough perils which would ):ave dashed to ])iece3 the faith of houester men) — wilt thou swear never to trouble me more on this aeeount r" Blood uttered an asseveration wliieh made even Lady Howard shudder. Siio then drew her chair to the table, where there was a silver staiulish, and lu'^an writing, while Blood continued to ga/.e on her beautiful countenance, which, llusbed as it was ;\iih violent emotion, wa.s still indescribably lovely. Suddenly", however, she paused, and seemed lost in reverie ; then, raising her eyes to his, «ilh nw exjuTssion so euipliatie that it needcil not words to make her meaning ap- parent, she munnureil in a hollow, uneartlil}- tone, " Under- Bta.'idme without speeth ! Wouldst thou lor twice, forthriee, — this sum, — /•/(/ me of this care — -for erer /" As Blood stared in astonishmeut at lier worda, ahe Jiviucc' THE UHNATUBAL MOinBK. 115 the mciiniufj of his looks, and continued — " Nay, not tlsat— ' heaven forbid !" said the countess, huiTiedly, and lehipsing into deadly whiteness. " But there are other means — the plantations ! Oh, Blood. Blood, you know not to what m:v\- ucss I am driven ! And it is too late to repent — too late! — "What if this boy be the destined avenj^er of his father's " •' Suicide F" said Blood, calmly flllinif the pause. " But no, it 18 impossible. He knows nothini!^ of his birtli. suspects notlung. Trouble yourself no more about liim ; he shall never even dream what may oflend you. Henceforth your troubles with both of us are over — and I kiss your fair hand on my oath." And sayinj^ this, the colonel gallantly raist-d her hand to his lips, and pressing it with a little Irisli warmth, she with- drew it abruptly, and with displeasure visible in the dark flash of her eye. He aflected not to notice this, but quietly examined the paper, and rautterin;^ that he should have pre- ferred gold, bowed to the lady's impatient ^^ aive, and moved a few steps as if to retire. He returned, however, so sud- deulv that the countess started. " You are alarmed, madam," he said, in a deep, warning tone. " But keep your faith with me, and you have no cause. Attempt not the life of this orphan, for if you do, I shall know tliat mine own is in jeopardy. So lonjf as his person remains uninjured, I will never cross this threshold without vour permission ; but the instant f/uit is attempted I will hunt, harass, let myself loose upon you ! So look to it." Saying this, he passed into the antechamber ; motioned .Mervyn to follow him, and passed into the street, attended b}' his young victim. CHAPTEE XXJ THE POPISH PLOT. The colonel and Mervyn now directed their steps weat- ward, and were turning into the Mall, when they met Oatea in full canonicals. The two worthies greeted each other with infinite glee ; and Jew as he seemed, the worthy doctor did not disdain to take Blood's ann, aTid i)anule himself along,^ to the great admiration of the passers, who ascribed it to Christian humdity, or concluded he was making a convert. Mervyn followed his benevolent master with the seemingly «*'oluntary steps of a man walking to execution, because he knows tliat no cannot resist. They now proceeded to a money-changer, Mho, for the convenience ot the profligate lid WHITEFRIARS. oourt aud of Lis own, dwelt at the sign of the Bra^s Balls, in St. Martin's Lane, where Mcrvyn saw them present a piece of paper, and receive in retiu'u a heavy bag ot gold, which was divided between them by tlie two dignitaries. From the money-changer's they returned down "NVhitehall to the Mall, and continued talking, in a low but deeply-Interested tone. Mervyn understood but httk^ of what they said; but ho heard Blood inquu'e if the yeast were working; to which question Gates replied that Kirby, the chemist, had broken the matter to the kinif, who aflected to make light of it altogether ; but that Dr. Tongue intended to renew the sub- ject on his majesty's morning walk, whicli he usually attended to receive commands about the royal laboratory. As the two friends discussed this subject, they entered the Mall, where, from the number of glittering cavahers and masked ladies abroad, they concluded that the kuig had made his appearance. They took a station under a miuberry-tree, where some persons were conjrrcgated round a wo aian singing ballads, aud shortly after Mervyn saw a groiip of some twenty gentlemen, very richly dressed, and all bareheaded, approaching rapidh/ down the Mall. Among these he readily distinguished the tall, swarthy fi";ure of the king, who wore his hat and a jewelled tuft of feathers. He seemed walking, or rather striding, at a rate which had evidently put some of the courtiers out of breath, and he looked vexed, which might readily be accounted for, as Dr. Tongue was by his side, talk- ing away with great earnestness. The royal group approached, and as the king parsed without observing them. Blood stepped boldly forward, and bowing^inan oriental style, exclaimed, " Vivat Rex!" " A Polish Jew P" said Charles, pausing, and looking at him with curiosity. "Well — Vivat Judieus .' But, friend, it seems if divers of iny well-wishers have their own v. ay, you will soon cry ' Vivat ' to tickle a pair of longer eai-s. In brief. Tongue," he continued, turning to the diNTue, "the sum of your discourse is — there is a plot afoot by that exceedingly happy and highly-tolerated people, the UathoHcs, to make n vacancy by cutting my throat, and to set my brother on tho throne. Tliere is a general revolt, and 1 know not how many invasions, ]>lanncd by Jesuits and others, who nhall be mune- ]es8. In'uw all this is enough to frighten me out of my appetite, which 1 take not kindly of n man who understancij ouemislry, and it is altogether too great a matter to bo dis- cussed before dinner." " Please your majesty — ," began Dr. Tongue, when th« king inteiTupted him. THE rOPISn PLOT. 117 " Zounds, man alive, tmdcrstand us — you arc inipoeed on !" he exclaimed. "And I have no time to waste on any man's follies but my own." " In God's name, sire, lot us sift this pretended plot to the bottom," said the Duke of Backini^liaiu, who was ot the train. " We may clianre to find some pearls among the clialinfrs of an oyster. Moreover, it would no your majesty inealcidable advantage to have it believed that the Papists arc in con- spiracy against your life — as my Lord Danby seems to think by his sweet smde." " Ai\d pending such dangerous conspiracies and horrible massacrcing plots, my liege," said the Earl of Danby, with his crafty smile, " tlie maddest parliament on earth cannot refuse your majesty supplies for our present military power, and perchance an increase instead of a disbanding, seeing wo have two such potent enemies to light against as the pope and the devil." "Excellently good, gentlemen," said Charles, seating him- self in a rustic chair luidcr the mulberry -tree. " But it is dangerous sport setting one's neighbour's house on fire to warm one's own. But 'slifc, Master Tongue, we arc some- thing fevered with this morning's hot tennis work ; and how comes it, Rochester, you look so like your own ghost ?" " I was at my devotions so late last night, sire," replied the nobleman, whose complexion was, indeed, ashy pale ; " for I am papistical enough lo be a jolly friar." " So, then, your majesty will run the gauntlet of these shocking, execrable, popish conspiracies ?" exclaimed Dr. Tongue — "yea, be as it were the target for a thousand arrows shot from invisible bows, but all aimed at your sacred hfe, and honour, and dominion." " Faith, no, I had rather reign, like John Lackland, with my crown at the pope's footstool — Antichrist as you call his Teverence in your opiate sermons. Tongue," replied Charles, glancing with a smile among his courtiers, who had formed a half-circle round his chair. " Why, man, I nothing doubt thy very natural wish to be a dean, but — a word to the wise — this is not the way to make thee one. I have not so much leisure as to waste it on every cock-and-bull story a parson may chance to hear in a fit of the muddles." " Nay, but, aire, do but hear tho plain straightforward narra- tive of that godly man and zealous lover of your majesty's service, Dr. TitusOates," said Tongue, with extremeearnestness. " Indeed, my liege, it will please neither parliament nor rabble if we seem too remiss in making at least inquiry into the truth of these horrible statements," said Lord Danby. 148 f^niTBFUIABS. " It will not dj, Danby," replied the kinjj, looking at hini with a significant smile. " If you raise the dovil, you will be like the map;iciun's foolish scholar, and not beinj; able to find him work ciiouj^h, lie will tear liis summoner lo piec-es. " Wc may, ai least, without danjjcr, examine tliis allcijed witness before the council, and set men's minds at rest," said Danby. "I am told my Lord Shaftesbury intends to badjjer me about it to-night. \\'here might a messenger find this Gates, Tongue ?" " Not far from this spot, my lord," said the-divine, " for, in good faith, methinks I see him in that tlironi; to the left, and will, if it please vou, call him P — Dr. Gates !" "]Ieor! — ready to obey the call of the Loard and tho trumpet of Gibeou," exclaimed the reverend personage thus addressed, stepping boldly forth. " He hath a villanous mien," said Charles, in a low voice to Dauby. "And, moreover, hear ye not? — his voice hath tho paints' twang! — can good come out of Kazareth ? — And bo, reverend sir, your name is Oaths ?" " Oatca, au't please vour majesty," replied the doctor. " The Loard be praised lor thc:t and all other his goodness." *' And your motiier, too, ungrateful prodigal I" said Cliarlos, reproachfully. " But 'tis well you thank Heaven, though you have so little cause. — And you are the gentleman pro- lesshig to have discovered all these «ond]"ous secrets, by living among the Jesuits, and aiding and abetting in all their consj)iracies, and plans, and i)lnt.s, for the overthrow of the reformed religion, and a massacre of nine millions of innocent protestants by some sixty blood-thirsty papists!-' "T did live among them, sire, but as David anumg tho Canaanites," replied Oates, raising his eyes and jiressing his heart. " But God and his holy angels know that I never changed my reHgion, but went among them for the sob' pur- pose of betraying them." " Wliy, then, man you are a black villain, a cursed .ludas! But think not I will ofler the thirty pieces of silver for innocent blood," said Charles, sternly. "Come, gentlemen, wc will hear no more from such a perjurous rascal. Tongue, I never thought thee otherw ise than an ass, but this deinou- fltrates thee one as clearly as any lormuia of aly;ebra." " But, my liege, tho populace will not be thus satislled," Raid Danby. "We must not seem to stitle this matter ; it should be Holamnly investigated, and perhaj)s we may find at the bottom what will serve your miijehty'.-* intiTests. Th» council sits this evening, and if you have any proofs that will ■taud sifting, produce them there." THE POPISH PLOT. 1-10 "And if, my lord, I do not prove a most monstrous black conspiracy, a Jepuitic;',!, abouiinable, popish " began Gates with unabated effrontery. " Peace ! we have had enough of this holy Billingsgate," interrupted Charles. " Danby, if you will play with hot irons, marvel not if you burn your fingers : but I'll have nothing to do with it. Come, my lords, we will on, and leave this reverend man to hatch his crocodile's egg without the sun of our favour." The king rose and moved sharply forward, followed by the whole court, and Brother Titus was left alone, excepting a few of the rabble, who continued gazing at him from a dis- tance, and whimpering. After a moment's deliberation, Gates turned aside, and rejoined the Polish Jew. " Courage, brother ; never pucker thy ugly face to frighten the devil," exclaimed Blood. "I see thou hast not found such a brilliant reception as thy virtues entitle thee to ; they do not know thee as yet. We shall see the day when the scarlet lady herself will shake on her seven liills to hear thy name." "Nay, 'tis a fair enough beginning; the acorn grows to an oak at last," said Gates, wiping his brow. " I only want to set the matter afloat on men's talk ; and now I am going straight as a witch's wand before Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, lest the court suddenly stoifle me and t!ie ploat togetlier." Blood highly commended this notion, but as he was not desirous of sharing the public attention, he agreed with Gates to follow at a distance. The small knot of rabble h;id by this time increased to a considerable crowd, and as soon as the doctor moved they began to follow, though without dis- tinctly comprehending why or whither. But a London mob is inexhaustible in curiosity, and not to be deterred by any trouble or peril in gratifying it. Blood and Mcrvyn, whose curiosity was also strongly excited, mingled with the mob, and succeeded in squeezing their way into the justice-room. Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, whos^e name was doomed to carry so tragical a sound in the ear of posterity, was one of the most popular magistrates of the day, and the only one whose suspected leanings to Popery were pardoned by the mob, in consideration of the extreme srverity with which he administered the laws against Papists. He was a man of singular habits, but of great courage and unsuspected integ- rity. He, almost alone of the magistracy, during the paniu caused by the great plague, remained in the diseased city, and by Iiis vigorous severity kept order in his vast and desperate district. He was kniglited by Charles for tlicso services, and, though a man of a harsh and melancholy dis. position, continued a favourite of the populace througk all 160 WHITKFBIABS. the changes of that eventful period, by the same inflexible quiilities AThich had first won him their admiration. Sir Edmundbury was a rpiiTarkiible-looking man, and bon» traces of liis character iuiprlatod on his whole appearance. He was tall, dark, and hard-featnred, but his height was dimmishod by a constant stoop, and tliere was something flcvcro and sad in l\is down-drawn lips and knit brow. He was atth'cd with studied plainness, and wore a broad liat with a gold band, the large flaps of which added a darker shade to liis austere countenauco. His hair was long, lank, and iron- grey, and on this occasion there was a troubled expression in his sunk grey eyes, as if in presage of the dreadful fate which awaited him. " WLnt-a-merey! what manner of hubbub is this, ofllcers P" eaid the magistrate, glancing at the rabble which tumultuously flooded the bar. " What do ye want, my masters ? Let the broken heads speak first. Fie ! a rioter m canonicals !" " Your worship, neither I nor these wortlu' brotliers in Christ are such," replied Oatcs, loudly. " I am come to make a deposition before j'our worship and God Almighty, concciTiing a dreadful plot of the uaupishers, which it hath been His pleasure I should be the earthly instrument of discovering." " 3tctlunks a man of 30ur reverend garb should have put that great name first," said Godfrey, slightly raising his liat at the word. " But as you please. Yet I had nilher you took the afiiiir before some other justice, as j'ou know what the vulgar say — that I favour papists on account of some kindness rendered me by his royal liighness — though it is false." " For that self-same reason that your impartiality caimot be questioned, I have selected j'ou from all the magistrates of tnis great sinful Sodom a:ul Gomorrah," replied Oates. "And I call upon you by (be oath you have taken to ad- mini.ster the king's justice, to take my allidavit anent this horrible ploat of the Jesuits to overthrow the church of God, and introduce Arbitrary Power and the Inquisition in this hitherto free and gosi>eriand." " I do not refuse; I have not the power to refuse," replied the justice. *' But I would advise you to weigh well your words befo. c you give (hen> forth ; for (he begini\ing of eon- tenlidii is like the letting out of waters, and no man knowa whither they may go." •• Here tlien is my written deposition, my testimony a^&inst unbelieving ;Vliab,' said Oates, triumphantly produeing a /h -lied paper. " I am ready to make oath to (lie truth of nil TUE l-OnSU PLOT. 151 the flmrscs heroin contained, ^\ orahipful sir, and my strength cominj^ from above, will prove them before the parhaniont and people of Enr6 the 162 :vuiTjjrKiA«s. council had examined it. He read, in liis loud coarpe tones, amidst the most eaj^er silence of all present, the outliiiOd of that terrible plot whicli was destined to shed so much blood ere it coiled itself up in peace. The f^roundwork of this plot uas the supposed and impli- citly credited fact that tlie catholic church was enj^aged in a strenuous effort to crush the great northern heresy. This no doubt was true, and the same might be allinncd in general of all subsequent times, and certainly with much more emphasis in that age which beheld the Iteformation extirpated m the south of Europe, and gradually narrowing in the north. The chief ministers and propagandists of the lioman church in working these wonders, were undoubtedly the Jesuits, the most prudent, subtle, ambitious, and successful of all the great societies forming the armies of Catholicism throughout the globe. The English people of the seventeenth centiiry, educated in the naiTowest and fiercest fanaticism, considered this society as little better than a direct emanation from the devil, and its members were endowed in the popular imagina- tion with little less power and inclination to do evil, than the fiends who surround the throne of Beelzebub himself. The vulgar hatred represented them as the cause of all the evils which befel the nation at home and abroad. It was the Jesuits who turned the swords of catholic Spain and Frai.ce against the great bulwark of heresy ; Ine Jesuits who destroyed London by fire, and devastated its population w ith the plague ; the Jesuits who caused the perpetual quarrels arising between Charles and his subjects ; — for it was tacitly imderstood by the masses that their king, his brother, and the court, were engaged heart and soul in the stupendous pro- ject of the re-establishment of popery. It was ou these foregone conclusions, ah'eady sileutlj grounded in the national mind, that Gates built his wild and incongruous structure, which, cemented as it was nilh blood and terror, finally fell by its own weight, leaving a ghastly ruin to warn the future, if nations ever gathered wis- dom from experience. To accommish thoir grand plan, the Jesuits, according' to Gates, founa it necessary to destroy all the barriers of English liberty and pave their way with the ruins of the Ix asted English constitution. JJul it seemed they suspected that the king's wayw.irducss aiul epicurean indillcrcnce made him aa unfit in.stninicnt of their designs, aiul it was determined to get rid of him, and to substitute the Duke of York, who was allowed to be n papist to the backbone. 'Joellcet tliis object. Gates accused Putlicr La Chaise, the French king's coufessor, THE POPISH PLOT. l&b rir Lo Sliee as he called him, of liaviiij? ludged two thousand Sounds in the haiul-< of a Loudon goldsmith, to bribe a mur- erer ; Olira, and the Spanish Jesuits, he added, granted the eanie suiu ; the Benedictines, bcin^ poor, merely subscribed their prayers. There was to be a rising in Ireland, a grand massacre of the protestants there, and the French were to assist with a large army. In England, the Duke of York was to dissolve the parliament, and assume all the powers of j;OverDment in his owu hands, France and Spain assisting with arms and monc}'. The great facility with which the nation changed its rehgion at the bland persuasions of axe and faggot, imder Mary, was to form the model and encourage- ment of the Jesuits in their grand labour, and the same pot«nt argument was to be employed in converting England again to the faith. Oates liu-ther deposed that a genend consultation of the Jesuits was held in May, 1678, in London, at the White Horse Tavern, which divided itself into five or six minor sections, iu as many apartments, all debating on the best means to murder the king and bring about the other desirable results. According to the testimony of the reverend witness, he — though suspected, and even personally maltreated by the provincial of the English Jesuits, Van Huysman — was em- Siloycd to carry tickets of resolves from company to company, 'ut he declined to state, in his affidavit, what these resolves were. He declared, however, that Sir George "Wakeman, the queen's physician, was to have fifteen thousand pounds for poisoning the king, a sum which he had received in part, and that Coleman, the Duchess of York's secretary, was in treasonable correspondence with France. Oates also inti- mated that the fire of London was caused by the Jesuits, for the sake of plunder, and to promote confusion. He affirmed tkat the pope had in grand consistory decided that the realm of England was forfeit to him as heretical ; and though he certainJv intended to make the Duke of York a sort of crowned viceroy, his holiness had exercised his sovereignty, by appointing a vast number of lay officers, among whom Oates had carefully included some of the m-incipal cathobc noblemen and gentry. Sir Edmundbury's surprise and even terror increased with every word of this extraordinary deposition, but his rigid countenance showed no emotion whatever, while the groans and exclamations of the auditors evin'*ed the intensity of theirs. Blood himself was amazed and somewhat nlarnicd at the multiplicity and magnitude of the charges. Oates'i bappy impudence, however, proved that h<^ had been selected ]5i WBITBFBIABS. for Ilia task by men perfectly acquainted with the instnmieuta they judj^ed necessary for their work. ■' I receive yoiir deposition, as I needs must, !Mr. Oates." Biiid the magistrate, alter a brief pause : " you may take your oath ; but whetlier you are a most monstrous perjurer, or the saviour of this nation, God alone knows, and time will show." " And rest assured, worthy Sir Edmundbury," said Oatce, kissini^ the sacred book, without flinchinj^, " that by this sipn I shall conquer — and the corn and wine are to' him who reaps and vintages, as well as to him who sows and to him who prunes." "tor my part," replied Sir Edmundbury, with prophetic gloom, "Is/tall have no thanks for mi/ pains, and, J believe, [shall be thejirst martyr." Oatt'S smiled, somewhat darkly, and began repeating the solemn words of the adjuration after the clerk, when Blood wlusperedMervyn,"Letusoutaud wait him there : Ishouldn't wonder if the roof were to fall !" And he shouldered his way rery rudely out, followed closely by the amazed acolyte, who, recoUcctiugthat Oates was at St. Omer in May, 1078, had liis own private reasons for doubting the stability of the justice- room. CHAPTER XXIT. THE HiUNTED HOUSE. The colonel halted in the vestibule of the olGce, which was closely besieged by a dense throng, whispering and discussing the important revelation, as it was communicated to them by the more fortiiiuito listeners within. Mervyn had no time to Tent his surprise in words. TJie doctor followed almost im- mediately, having, as he expressed it, set the stone a rolling, and was received with loud manifest^itions of gratitude, res- pect, and curiosity. lie S(>parated himself with diflieulty from the crowd, and bestowing upon them a gracious bene- diction, proceeded down the street amidst deafi'iiiiig hurnihc. lie 8()on, however, thought proper to elude this pi>|>uhirity by slipping down an alley leading to the Strand, where he was n-j'^ined by IMood and his yonn^ prot^g^. "What think j ou of matters now, nnister colonel P" h«» exclaimed, in a tone of triiimnh. '* My Iy<">ard Shnfteshury Bcaree (liought me worth the lionour ol his contempt somo few hours since, but what mnv P In a fortnight. I shall have THE HAUNTED HOUSE. 155 prouder heads tliau his ducking to me, or I will bring them to the block." " I would, then, thou couldst include mine enemy old Or- monde, and his spitfire son, in the list," said Blood, grinning savagely. " But, doctor, since our affairs are in such a prosperous train, you must come with me to my poor house m Alsatia, and dine on such hermit fare as an outlawed man can muster." Gates readily consented, and the hospitable colonel c£dled a sculler which, at his direction, rowed them down the river. ]Mcrvyu's eyes were now in some measure unsealed, and the light which was breaking in on his understanding was anything bxit welcome. The extraordinary revelations which Gates had made, coupled with his own dim ideas of the drift of the Jesuitical policy, confused at once his judgment and his feelings. Gn one hand, were all the prejudices of his youth, the love and reverence in Mhich he had been educated ; on the other, a vision of horrors, of dark and iniquitous policy, which he knew not how to connect. His ignorance of the world in general, and of the actual position of men and events, contributed to suspend his decision and to perplex his mind, almost beyond the power of forming any opinion of the truth or falsehood of Gates's statement. StUl he had an instinctive abhorrence of that bad man ; and had he been aware of the terrible consequences which were to flow from his perjuries, it is probable that nothing but actual force could have induced him to follow his fovtimes farther. As it was, he seemed rather bemldered into non-resistance, than submitting to an authority which he recognized. " Yonder is my house, or mansion I may call it, for such it hath been in its palmy days," said the colonel, pointing over the dancing waves to an antique and ruinous-looking building with a high balcony, which seemed hanging over the river, and which was crowned with a mass of tall cliinineys. It was an isolated building, surrounded by a high garden-wall on the land side, which separated it from the wildest and most haggard district of the Friary. Mervyn thought he had never seen so dreary and comfortless a dwelling. The wooden- work and pillars of the balustrade seemed all rotten and fall- ing down, the latticed windows were broken and stuffed with rags, as if to exclude the cold winds of the river ; indeed, the whole mansion seemed only to stand until a strong gale came to blow it down. The original frame of the house had been altogether wood- work, but it seemed to have been patched and repaired, at some remote period, with bricks, which lay in riunouB piles j, 9 156 WniTEFBlABS. Mcrvvn shuddered as he contemplated his fixture home. " And was this augiast building part of your iuheritanoo, fiolonel P" eaid Gates, lauj^hing. " If so, 1 marvel not Lit grace of Ormonde hath left vou quiet possession of it." " Nay," said Blood, lauo;hing too, " I do but call it mi'.e, to take from it the reproach of belontjing to no one; but, thank Heaven, I pay neither rent nor taxes for it. Indeed, I do not know its owner's name, nor if it hath any. I tonk possession of it because no man else had courage enough to live rent-free at the risk of being frightened to death by the ghost of some old miser, who once lived in it ; ay, and died m it, before he was due in death's books by fair computation." " How mean you, brother ?" said Oatos, more seriously. " Why, it was deserted on accoimt of some superstitious story concerning its former inmate," rephed the colonel — " some horrible legend, which makes even the most houseless wretch in the Friary prefer the stormy heavens for a covering to any shelter which its broken roof can afford. They call it the Haunted House, and it has been tenantless these thirty years, until 1 (he continued, lowering his voice), who seek not men's herding, chose it for my den, wherein I have spent many a quiet night, with my good conscience for company . Yet 'tis something dismal to be alone there, and this ooy'i society will be of mfinite satisfaction to me." " What story do you speak of, sir P why do you call it the Haunted House P" said Men-yn, earnestly. " But are you not afraid to let these men hear you P" whis- f»ered Gates, glancing at the watermen, two strong, ill-looking eUo^^s, in a garb wTiich was something between a tattered livery and a sailor's. " Not I, faith ; they are both honest fellows — that is, dia- bohcal rascals," replied Blood. " They may be of some future use tons. Gates, for one of them is a discarded footman of the Catholic Lord Bellasis, for whom your deposition is to procure a lodging in the Tower." "Well, what haunts this house P ghost or devil P" said Gates. " 'Tis said," replied Blood, " that an old miser, tlie last possessor of my mansion, was therein murdered by his own and only son, a profligate wretch, to obtain the unhappy old man's gold." " AJack ! that a man should toil all his life merely to quicken his own destruction," exeliiimed Jlervyn, shuddorinjj. " You will generalize that observation when you get older," replied the colonel; "mcauMhilo this legend diiruses a saiu- tary terror round my abode, which makes me enjoy a sohtudB TUB HAUNTED HOCSE. 157 to which the deserts of sandy Arabia are populous. And now I must turn pilot, for it asfcs some small dexteritf to land when the tide's in." The colonel then posted himself at the hehn, and directing the men to lull their oars, turned the seuUer, and shot right across the water with great dexterity, although tine tide ran hiyh on their broadside. As they approached the shore, the ruffianly lanes and had himself his protector, Mervyn began to feel the full horror and uncer- tainty of his position. At the same time he felt powerless to extricate himself from it, and that his only resource for the j)resent was submission, lie spoke not n word to Oates, but I)u»icd him.^elf in .l;indlii\g the fire, and chopping (he wood; but the doctor, dismayed at the decji silemc of the deserted mansion, began ciucstioning him as to his opinion on the events of the day. iSIervyn ehulcd these inquiries as well in ho could, but idtimately tliey must have pri'duced replies by liO meuus ugreeablo to the (juestioiuT, wheu fortuiuitcl) THE HATTNTBD H0U8B. 159 Blood returned, announc'njr his approach by the same pro- cess of bollins? and barring. He bad a basket of beefsteaks, two or three loaves, bacon, egjjs, and a larjje plaice, besides divers relisliini? matters to eat with tbrm. As for drinkables, he stated that be had a barrel of as fine claret as was in the king's cellar, and some brandy of the first quality, which he bouubt of a 8mii d'£tat 103 a^08, n ho caine and went ho knew not wliy nor whither. Blood artfully contrived to i-cconcile him to this extreme Bccludion by roproscutincj that, owing to the ferment into which Gates's discovery had thrown the nation, the Jesuits were an-ested everywhere, and severely maltreated, and that he, as a disciple of St. Omer, would run j^reat risk. He even tried to frighten the youth, by hinting that, in the present state of the popular mind, he ran some danger of being torn to pieces, if he were discovered, and gave an appalling descrip- tion of the maltreatment of the five Jesuits already seized on Oates's evidence. "Not wa.s this dread without ample foundation. Shaftesbury and his party secretly took every measure to increase the vulgar fear and rage, till it rose to an ungovernable height, and the national mind rushed from a state of apathy into absolute madness. The fatal effects of Danby's policy were now evident. But for him the plot might have been stifled in its birth, under the king's contempt and the nation's in- difference ; but that great hallucination of a statesman else remarkable for his sagacity in steering clear of storms — the persuasion that it was possible to retrieve his popularity by joining the rush against France and popery — led him on to his own ruin and that of the cause which he sought to serve. During those long and solitary hours which ilei-vyn was now condemned to pass, many gloomy reflections came to him, touching the events of his life, his diisgraceful birth, his un- fortunate escape from St. Omer, and the accidents which had befallen him since his arrival in England ; and all these puzzled and grieved him alternately. It seemed, indeed, as if he were led along, by some irresistible fate, to an end which he could not divine, but which was certain, inevitable, not to be questioned, but obeyed. His imagination was haunted, too, by a bewildering idea of some connection between his fate and that illustrious name of Aumerle, which had met him at every step. This idea was strengthened by accidentally stumbling, in one of his rummages in the rat-haunted library, on a genealogy of the Aumerle family, shrined in the pages of Gascoigne's " Min-or of Honour." By this he learned that the secona title of that most ancient and wealthy house was Mervyn ; and though Gates had hit upon a happy reason for this curious coincidence, it did not satisfy our dreaming hero. \ ct what relations could exist between the son of a French robber, executed at St. Gmcr, and the high baronial house whose deeds and renown were part of the history of England herself — ancient, all-glorious England ? He had queptioned Blood, in a very round-about and in- 164 WHITKPBIABS. genious manner, as he thought at tlic time, couccming thi« great house of Aumcrle ; and he learned, with some emotion, that it had been extinct for many years, the last earl — he who had conimitled suicide in the Tower — having died with- out issue. He was very importunate also to learn from Blood his father's name, as he professed to know it ; but the colonel assured him that, for certain reasons, it was necessary to defer the communication ; and this imposed another strong restraint on Mcrvyu's impatience. Aleanwliilo the colonel treated him with great kindness ; with much more indeed than could have been expected from his rugged nature. lie took delight in teaching him the use of the sword, of which he himself was a perlect master, and 8uch points as might be useful to him in his destined j)ro- fessioii, V, hich, according to him, was to be that of a soldier. Ho told long but amusing stories of his own campaigns, and of Cromwell's battles, in almost all of which he had been engaged ; and never failed, on returning from excursions, to bring in budgets of news and anecdotes afloat concerning the plot. Whether by design or not, these revelations constantly afforded glimpses of Oates's resil character and motives, which amazed the innocent scholar of St. Omer. Blood seemed to enjoy his wonder and horror, probably contrasting his own seared and unquaihng conscience with the freshness and spotless simplicity of the youth's, and smiling at his igno- rance of the vicious theatre on which he was destined to play a part. One day the colonel ventured out in broad daylight, though in a very elaborate disguise, and returning about sunset, found jNiervyn engaged in a melancholv reverie over an old missal, which he had brought with liim from St. Omer. Blood was evidently in high spirits, and remarking, with a smile, tliat thej' wore going to have company, told Mervyn to help him in preparing the iijiartnient for the reception of visitors. The youth mechaiiie;illy obeyed, and was soon persuaded, from the pains which J^lood took, that the visitors must be of some di.stinction, and by no moans sucli as had rei'cntly honoured them with calls. Blood swept the he:irfh, made a bright lire, brought two or three trusses of straw to serve instead of chairs, and lighted some torches, which he placed at intervals about the room. Having arranged these things, he sat himself down with a liearty eursi>. and a half comic, half wondering exclamation at the turn of fortune which had made a houscninid of one of CromwcU'H Ii-onsides. After tlii>, !..• i lun^eil the strain lo THE COCr D'iTLt. 165 irjpalicut oxclamalions at the delay of bis frieuJs, and at last, wTappin;; iuniself in Lis cloak, he went down the slairoaso leading to the corridor, by which he usually made his exit, and which he never suffered Mervyn to penetrate, intendinj^ as he said, to look out for these visitors. Half an hour elapsed before he returned, and then it was in company with a man who, however wrapped up and disguised, Mervyn instantly recognised as his venerable friend, Dr. Gates. " And how doth Joas like the sarvice of tho temple P" said Gates, greeting the youth with a crafty smOe. " He prefers any to the devil's!" replied Men-^'n, with a complimentary glance at the doctor. " Let queenly Athalia then beware, for Joaida will doubtless find it some day in his interest to betray her," said Gates with another of his unsightly grins at Blood. " "When that day comes, thou prophet in Israel !" replied the colonel, " thy neck will be as near the hangman's rope as ever to thy canonical cravat !" " Why, man, I have ate, drank, and slept these twenty years -n-itli that rope round my neck ; but never yet saw 1 the Death's valet to tighten it," replied Gates ; "and I trust I never shall ; for methinks I am now v.ithin sight of a rich harbour, where I may lay up my sea-worn timbers, and go to pieces at leisure, in a quiet, honest way. And let me tell you, Blood," he added in a particularly gloomy tone, " were it for nothing but for the toil of mind and restless fears of this kind of life, 'tis good to be virtuous. Yet for all that, brother Mervyn, methinks I shall make as good a Protestant Saint as ever was catalogued in your Popish martyrology." " The fiend, for aught I know, might make the same," said Mervyn, his eyes flashing with tears of rage. " But I tell thee, Gates — I tell thee, devil ! as surely as thou hast betrayed the holy faith thou mockest, with a Judas-kiss, so surely shall thy perjuries be made manifest, even on earth, and thy name become the synonyme of detected crime !" " Wilt t/iou bring on this scarecrow sequel, my young mouse in a tran?" said Gates, jceringly. " I will peril life and health, soul and body. Heaven assist- ing, in that good work!" replied Mervyn. " Why then we must spike you in the trap, instead of tying you by the taU, and playing with you awhile ere wo bestow you on the cat, little brother Mervyn," returned Gates. " You forget, friend Titus," said the colonel, significantly. " 'Tis true, the cheese was yours, but ihe trap is mine, and 1 have taken a liking to my little mousey — and I should liko 16G wniTEFfiiA!:.-. to pee the man that dare but look unkindly on the thinfj I love." " Nay, I like little Ishmael well enough myself," said Oates, changing liis tone very suddenly, " and of that I shall give proof some of these fine mornings." " 1 liad rather a serpent crushed me in his folds," replied Mervyn, and seizing his missal, he seated himself, in a per- turbed silence, on the hearth. " Well, v.ell. Blood, talk as thou vrilt," said Oates, after a moment's pause, " but 'slife, I had rather thou hadst the breaking of this wild young steed than I. Methinks I can easier guide the course of that mad elephant, popular opinion." " Look that it tear thee not to pieces in thy turn," replied the colonel. " The good steed doth but rear and play, but throws not his experienced rider. Hark!— PaiU's tolling twelve — these gallants should be here !" There was another brief pause, during which the crackling of the blazing wood was alone audible ; then came a splash of oars, and a slirill whistle without. Blood started up, seized a torch, and left the apartment. Mervyn continued to read, without even looking at Oates, whose dull, malignant eyes were, how ever, fixed on him. The sound of footsteps ascending the stairs was soon audible, and several voioes in eager conversation, some of wliich Mervyn thought he had heard before. The door opened, and Blood appeared, lighting in four cavaliers in long roquelaures and slouched hats, the two foremost of whom he recognized as Sliaftesbury and the Lord Howard. Tlie third was a tall, stately-looking gentleman, but with a countenance singularly proud and morose. The last cavalier, a young and very handsome man, dressed with elaborate richniss, as ap- peared when he laid aside his cloak, had a cheerful, winning countenance, though characterized by the reckless profligacy remarkable in almost all tlie portraits of Charles the Second s courtiers. This cavalier was, in fact, the brave and beautiful " Absolom" of Drydeu's satire, he who " Wliatc'cr he did was done witli so much eue In him alone 'twas natural to please : His moUons all acoompiuiy'd with f^racc i And Paradise was oi)cncd in his face." " You see, my lord duke, men stand no more on pre- cedence in plols tlian in battles," said Sliaftesbury, bowing to Monraoutli, as he entered first. " Nay, I mil dispute no man's right tc be hanged or shot THB COrP D'iTAT. 1G7 before me," replied tlie duke, smiling, " and least of all, yours, my Lord Shaftesbury." " 'Tis for his majesty to regulate all such honours," said the Lord Howard, glancing sharply round. " Ha, what — Mr. Odte&'s prote'a^ a^&in ?" " And Colonel Blood's, my lord," said that gentleman, with a slight smile ; " and I hope, when the Monmouth and Shaftesbury administration commences its glorious career, the prot^gd of all 3'our lordships." "Tut, colonel, I am no administrator! I want only (he Bword of the state in my hand!" rephed the duke. " Give me that — soldiers not clerks — and let wno will wield the pen." " Your gi'ace chooses more bravely than wisely," said Shaftt-abury. " Tlic days are past or passing when torce held the sway, and a time is coming when a grey goose-quill shall be more powerful in good or evil thau the sword of Alexander." " Meanwhile let us keep ours sharp," said Monmouth, smihng sarcastically. " Trust in the Lord, brothers ! as Cromwell said to his Ironsides, but keep your powder dry." " At all events, my lords, you are all very heartily welcome to my poor roof," said Blood. '* Beseech you all, take a rude soldier's greeting, and be seated. But I thought, my Lord Shaftesbury, that Colonel Sydney and Lord ItusseU were to be of the consult !"" " Thou art still a novice in men's affairs then, sir," replied the earl. " These are not the men for such a business as we come about. Russell is too honest, and Sydney is too in- flexibly just, to adapt themselves to the tortuous policy the age demands. To work well, such men must believe in their cause, and suspect no shadow of wrong in its brightness. AVell, Mr. Gates," continued he, turnmg to tiiat personage, " since we last met, you are grown a great man. Prithee, is your doublet too narrow for you yet h" " I hope, my lord," said the duke, " that though our friend be of a sudden and a monstrous growth, he will not prove a marsh-mushroom, and shrivel into nought as soon." " Whatso foot crushes me, I will juake his path shppeiy, my loard," said Gates, emphaulcally. " Our ground is slippery enough already — we elide on Matery ice," said the thira cavalier, in a gloomy voice. " Mr. Gates, whether this popish plot be true or not, rests with Tour conscience : I pretend not to burden mine with the Knowledge ; but it is my solemn duty, believing in its ex« ifltence as I religiously do — " 168 WHITKFBIABS. " And I," Interrupted Howard, with a peculiar grimace. " And I, niy Lord Essex — but take it in any light you will, 'tis the most marvellous contrivance to oust our enemies that hath been hit upon since the days of Machiavelli." " And yet the good Danby thinks to ride our storm as if he were the Magus raising it !" said Shaftesbury, tartly. '• Poor courtly gentleman ! as if a lord high treasurer could ever become a tribune of the people." " But liirthinks the whole discovery is tat a sickly bant- ling, that will ne'er see manhood," said Essex. " It needs crutches, Essex, only crutches," replied the earl. " We must strike some grand coup — such as liichelieu would havtA stvuc k, not Sydney's Marcus Brutus ! I will confess, Master Oatos, I did anticipate little or nothing from the first divulgement of your great plot ; but it takes mar- veUousl}^ and if we can but preserve its life till the parlia- ment meets, I wUl engage to make an engine of it that shall thrust these ministers from their seats for ever." " And my blessed uncle of York !" exclaimed Monmouth. " I care not to play the babe in the wood, to be mossed over by all the robin-redbreasts of faction in the world." " You cannot love his highness loss than I do," replied the earl, with a malignant smile. " But you are too hasty, Monmouth — sudden and rash, not politic and slow, as hath been the way with those who would mount by pulling down. Some day you wiU run yourself within the meaning of the statute of Edward III., from whose meshes my utmost skill can hardly keep myself disentangled." " Then I will rush into it sword in hand, and so cut the cords !" said Monmouth. " Do not cat your fruit in blossom, my master," said Shaftesbury, calmly. " The day may come when it wUl be fitting to storm the ciladel ; at present we are merely throwing down its defences." " Why. faith, I am weary too of this hesitating policy," ex- claimed Howard. " I am of Prince Kuport's opinion — to fight first and reason afterwards." " He was of that opinion at iMarston Moor," said Shaftesbury. " And yet I doubt if matters came to a full push, my lord " " You doubt fl hat, Shaftesbury ?" interrupted HowarJ, colouring deeply. " ^Miat mean you by (bat pause P" " Nolliing, Lord Howard," replied the earl, very r|uietly, " nothing — but that no good husbandman scythes Ins corn while it is green. And inethinks that you, who have the fairest wife and richest estate in England, should plny mor« THE COCP u'kTAT. lf'9 cautiously iu tuch a desperate game than we pooi- mclancholj bachelors." " The lady is fair, but then — she is my wife," said Howard, carelessly. " And as to the e.^tatc, faith, we liave shackled it cursedly during her life, and after that it is entailed to a remote rascal of the Aumcrlcs." " 1 ]ia\ e a wiff wliom I dearly love, and children whose rights I would not peril for the ap])le of mine eye," said the Earl of Essex, " forasmuch as 'tis better to be a dog of a curious breed in England than a poor man : but I will wager all — life, children, wife, property — sooner than submit to arbitrary power and popish tyranny." " And I," said Monmouth, " hare a sweet misti'ess whom I love better than ye all do your wives, but she as well as I will tlirow life and love on the rich die of a ci'own, though fate hold the stakes against us." " Let not Sydney hear you talk of a crown. Monmouth," said Shaftesbury, gravely. " I have heard him swear he cares not, if there must be a tyrant, whether James of York or James of Monmouth be he. Sydney is for a free and glorious Eepublic, caring not whcllicr himself be the first or last of its citizens, so that the gradations be allotted by merit — as indeed he need not, for that would place him foremost." " Well — let him bring back the old Republic, and then they will need a Cromwell," said Monmouth, laughing. " T3ut methinks, colonel, the air of this chamber is too damp for anything but a frog. Have you a cellar here ?" " It were argument of great ignorance of the court to icvite the Duke of Monmouth without some such provision," said Blood. " Ichabod, go draw iis a tankard from the black cask to the right as you enter, chalked, Lachryma; C." " Prithee, plain Canaries for me, an it suit your cellar-bill, mine host," said the duke ; "I'll drink none of your Italian popish wines, lest Gates here iiidict mo. And is this your Ganymede, old Thunderer ? A comely youth, good sooth." " Ves, and fit for a better sei-vicc, which your grace may some day afford him," replied Blood. " Faith, yes, an lie can wield a sword," said Monmouth. " Thy fortune is made, child, if thou art as well fitted for the fields of Mars as those of Venus. Can he draw blue steel, Blood P" " In a good cause, my lord duke, to the death,' replied Mervj'n, boldly. " !My lord duke !" repealed Shaftesbury, " How knows ha that? — Is he safe. Blood, that you trust him so farP" " I will answer for hi* honour with my life," said Bloot up, friend, when the thrice- fortunate discovery of Colcmati's letters occurred ; but rest assured they wiU only condemn him, not justify you. People are already coming back to their senses, and yoiu" credit stands a chance of waning away in a slow consumption, and its owner of ending at Tyburn, like poor Mocedo." " But, my loard, that cannot be," said Gates, tremulously. " The nation has clearly taken part with me in tho iliscovery of the ploat, and Colenum's letters, though doubtless con- firmLng me in no particular, do in all the general matter most amply and substantially eonfirra my tidings out of Gath." " At all hazards," said Howard, " it will not do to let the f)lot fall. 'Tis a miue that will burst on the engineer, or, ike an overcharged cannon, Mreak its t^ury on those who loaded it ; and we shall but iiave raised the popular fui-y to gorge itself in our own destruction." " And if I fall, it shall not be alone, nobles of Israel," said Gates, "loomily. '• And I \\\\\ make but sorrowful sport for the Philifaiues.'' " And what can such a poor forlorn wretch as thou art do, with a parcel of truuriery inventions P" said the earl, with ineffabb contemp*. " Tis but to let you sink by the weight of your ov. n lies to the bottomless pit of ignominy." " Nay, now ; but what I mean, my lonrd," said Gates, in an abject tone of submission, " is but this, that though I am willing to save the nation by any path your lordships can ])oint out, I feel not within nu> the courage necessary to wiu a li;if in Fox's Book of Martyrs, when Dr. Tongue brings out his new edition." " It were indeed too much to burn thee out of one lire into another," replied the earl. " And hark ye, man, we do not mean to abandon you," said Monmouth; "so look a little less like a ciuideinued yhost. THE COUP d'6taT. 171 for know, we are all embarked in the same boat, and will sink or swim together." " My Lord Monmouth, you are good at the oar, but pray you meddle not with the helm," said Shaftesbury very sharply. " And men say, Shaftesbmy, you are fond of navigatin«T stormy waters, and showing your dexterity by coasting amidst shallows and breakers when the open sea would better serve," replied the duke. " 'Sdeath, my lords !" exclaimed Blood, unpatiently, " me- ihought it was allowed at all hands that the doctor's credit is to be supported by hook or by crook, at all risks." " The colonel is right ; policy forbid we should desert so good a cause !" exclaimed Shaftcsbur3% after a deep pause of rumina- tion. " Be of good cheer, brother Oatcs. Costa die costa, we must support you and wUl. The existence of the plot must be supported by some fine stroke — something to fix suspicion on the Duke of York — such as the ill-treatment of some popular magistrate mixed up in the affair ! — what if assaulted by Catholic ruffians masked and disguised V " Would you slit some worshipful nose, as the court — or rather the colonel here — served poor Coventry," said Howard, laughing. " If it be aught that needs a strong arm, I have one at the devotion of the cause," said the colonel. " Well, 'tis no treason to drink to the success of all honest designs," said Monmouth. " Where is the sack ? — Ha ! Ganymede. The boy is surely warming his blood at thy expense, colonel ; but indeed it must be nigh frozen." " He is here, my lord," said the colonel, turning to his young cup-bearer, who was standing motionless with surprise at these revelations. " 'Slids, Blood, I like not two witnesses to -what a crown- lawyer may construe into a variety of queer shapes," said Shaftesbury, hastily. "And methinks tis late tor such a more boy to be from the pillow : send him thither, colonel." Blood reiterated this command, though in a very mild tont*, and Mervyn witlidrew in proud silence. Blood, however, recalled liim to receive a goblet of wine and a torch, for ho was going without either, and, bowing respectfiilly to the company, h9 retired. 172 WniTF.FBI.VH3. CHAPTER XXIV. WANDERINGS IN AN OLD MANSION. With a sad and hesitatinfr step Mcrvyn left the apartment, and as the door elosed, and he found himself aloue in the ruinous corridor, the full desolation of his position rushed overpoweringly upon him. He proceeded however, mechani- cally, up the silent staircase, to his own miserable chamber, and there placing his lamp on the floor, ho sat down beside it in utter despair. He thoufjht of that sweet and iivnocent peace of his young days at St. Omer, under the severe but benevolent eye of Van Huysman, atd drew a melancholy conti'ast between his present wretched condition and the golden reveries of ignorance which had lured him forth on the troubled waves of tlie world. Unacquainted as he was with the passions and politics of the times, Mervyn still had ample materials for fearlul conjecture, concerning the projects of the extraordinary society assembled with so much mystery in such a place. Eigidly educated as he had been in submission and filial love to the church, in w hose bosom he had been reared, his conscience was fretted and stung by the certainty which he now possessed, that he was in the power of men plotting against her veiy existence. As he meditated long and deeply on this circimistance, recollections of the solemn benediction by which Oliva had dedicated him, came in full force upon him, and his present condition, in the service of the churcli'.s bilter enemies, assumed the hideous aspect of a crime :!i;ai;isl Heaven itself. While these ideas thronged upon him, he began to meditate the propriety of escaping from w hat he almost considered as shaclvles of the Kvil One. 'J'hc prospect of throwing himself alone and friendless on the \\ orkl had no longer such terrors to him, for he felt an energy and resolution which his excited fancy represented as promptings of son\o good angel. The time, too, seemed propitious ; his captors were absorbed iu their own dark projects, and he need fear no espial on the part of Blood, who generally watched liis movements with anxiety. lint then, was escape possible P Mervyn sat ruminating for some time, and at last, with a vague hope that he might find some outlet which had yet eluded his researches, he rose, took his torch, and left the apartment. He listened for a moment with one foot in the corridor, throwing his light far and searchingly arouiul, above and below. But all was silent as the grave ; the thin rays of inoonligbt, piercing among the dusty beams of the roofi WANDKBIN'OS IN AX OLT) IfANBIO.V. 173 cTOSBcd each other in fantastic form?, and illumiuatiDg th«' hall bdo^, threw into it shadowy and indistinct masses, whioh at the lirs-t glance seemed like an assunsbly of dark spirits watching his motions. A moment's observation served to dissipate this illusion, and he proceeded cautiously on his survey. Room after room did he open of those communi- cating with the corridor, and found in all the same darkness and the same disappointment. Bare walls mouldering with damp, rotten floors that yielded an insecure footing as he crossed them, high and narrow windows blocked with triple bars, and some few decayed relics of former habitation, probably not deemed worth removing, were all ihe discoverieB nc made. A'exed and chilled with the result of his gloomy survey, he returned into the corridor, and stood for some minutes leaning wistfully over the balustrade. "While thus engaged his eye fell by chance on the staircase below, which, touched with white beams of moonlight, seemed of carved stone, and reminded him of a flight of steps which he had observed in his last visit to the cellar, and which he remembered had e.xcited his curiosity as to whither they might lead. The idea occurred instantly, that perhaps, in this jealously-constructed mansion, those stairs might lead to some outlet not known, and therefore not secured, by Blood. At all events he determined on exploring them, for if they led to disappoint- ment it was but one added to many. Accordingly he descended the old crumbling staircase, taking great pains to prevent any creaking which might betray him, and reached the hall, where he paused and looked round him. Hearing and perceiving nought, he trod along with a bolder step, and opening a door imperfectly concealed by its resemblance to the panels of the walla, he entered a wide kitolicu, which seemed capacious enough to have cooked a dinner for an army. But even the tiled floor was overgrown with grass, and frogs hopped about on the very hearths ; indeed, there were many tokens of a visit from the river, on a level with which were the kitchen windows. A pantry communicated with this apartment, in which was a trap-door leading to the cellars. Down this Mervyn boldly proceeded, and a {"cw steps brought him to the floor of the cellar, Avhich was of large extent, and suited the general proportions of the mansion. The walls were dripping with damp white moss, and the air was so dense that Mervyn's torch seemed as if burning in a mist. On the opposite side of the cellar, over a range of arches, was the night of steps which he ha 1 remarked It was very narrow, and unrailed. as if formed 174 WniTKFBTATJB. ruM-ely by tlip jultinfj out of iu;i?8ive stones at intervnia from tlie wails, aiid iiirov\ii)g liis torcliliijht upwards, Mi-r- vyii saw that it terminated in a black archway aboTe the cellar. The younij adventurer hesitated not a moment to continue Lis cxpl'iration ; and though the stones were covered with slippery incrustations, and some of thcra trembled as he tmd, he bolaly pr.iceedcd. Some fiftei'n of liies«; steps broui;ht him to a level with the archway, which, a? a frlance informed him, terminated in a very n;irrow doorway. The door, how- ever, was evidently of massive materials, th')U;ili it yielded easily to his pressure, and swunt; heavily back on its hiDf;e9. Mervyn was on the point of sttpping forward withcmi rc- flectii^n, when hiclcily he perceived, but with a deadly sensa- tion of horror, that he was about to tread into a d- eite threshold after the ehuck. Lookmjj upward, a dangling WANDEIilSGS IN AX OLD MANSION. 175 rope caueht his eye, ajid reflecting that it must needs be of great strength, and well fixed, to bear the weight of gold wliich the rich miser had daily lowered into the weD. he caught hold of it, and examined, it carefully. Though some- what wcTn and blackened by time, he still thought the rope strong enough to bear his light weight, even if obliged to trust to it wholly ; and he confided much in the skill and actinty which had always enabled him to bear the bell among the students at St. Omer. He began to fear, however, that he should be obliged to abandon his torch, which was no very pleasant alternative on such an adventure ; but again, on deliberate thought, he imagined that he could keep it in his left hand, while with his right he grasped the rope. This idea he paused not to weign in very nice scales, fearing lest his resolution might fail, and winding the rope round his hand and arm, he leaped. The events of the next two moments, for it occupied but a brief flash of time, ever afterwards appeared to him like the recollection of some insane dream. lie remembered that his foot slipped on the very edge of the tlireshold — that he was thrown back, and in a moment hung struggling over the abyss, with a dreadful pain in his ehuulder and arm, as if his weight were dragtring them off. And then he seemed to grasp at the rope witli his left hand, still tenaciously keeping the torch, and with a sensation to which no language can do the faintest justice, he saw the flame mingle witli the rope — fire it ! The rest was a mere effort of instinct, for mind was lost in intense horror. But he found himself, he knew not how, standing secure on the stonework of the doorway, sliU grasping the torch and a piece of the rope, the remainder burning above him till it came to the iron roller, where it became extinguished. IMcrvyn's lirst use of speech and reason was to utter a fer- vent Laus ! which came sponlaneou.^ly to the lips of the young acolyte of St. Omer. He then endeavoured to move the broken door sideways, but its prodigious weight made that impossible for his strength ; and certain that he coidd not return the way he had come, he was obliged to apply his efforts to pushing it forward. In this he succeeded, and the massive portal fell with a thundering bang on the floor of the apartment, seeming to ring in echoes through the whole man- sion. At the same time a thick cloud of dust rose, and almost stifled the young adventurer, and he heard a sudden sound of scrambling in the chamber, which made his heart palpitate violently. A moment's reflection convinced hini that thia clatter was caused by rats, and he plainly distiji- 176 WIIITEFHIAnS. guishod three or four crossinj; the llxund himself on another floor. It was some moments before the confusion of his ideas, and the deep darkness around, allowed him to form any notion as to where he had landed. He then conjectured, by some scanty beams of light struggling through apertures in the roof, that he was in some large garret or loft. He now felt certain to find an exit, most likely into the upper corridor, and resumed his operation of groping. He had hardly com- menced, however, ere he heard a low murmuring sound of men's voices, engaged in a muttered conversation. The sound evidently came from below, and he concluded that he was near the conspirators whom he had left in discussion. He observed at the same time two or tliree darts of thin light in the floor, and on examination he saw that some of the boards were rat-gnawed into holes, which extended through the ceil- ing of the room below. Applying his eye to one of them, Mervyn perceived with considerable surprise that he was directly aoove the apartment in which he had left the con- spirators, and that tliey were all below, seated round the wooden table, engaged in close and eager conversation- Shaftesbury was speaking, in his low deep tones, and Mervyn caught nothing! what was said but a continuous murmur, until the Lord Howard spoke in a raised and angry voice. " Not so, my Lord Shaftesbury !" ho said, vehumently. " I yield to no man in admiration of all the dull commonplace maxims of morality, — they are so useful to deceive the mob ; butmethinksif, as I have oft heard you say, the end sanctifies the means, and as I know myself, success justifies all — I seo not that the preservation of this great nation is not well worth the sacrifice of one poor old mumbling puritan." " I will have no concern in such bloody handlings, Howard," replied the earl, sternly. " I care not to be hanged in a silk rope, which they toll me is the proud distinction of our rank. But for any small matter which should stop short of such Newgate ruminations — suppose, for example, that the Vapi^is inveigled him into some lone desert tran, like this old man- sion of yours, Blood, which I marvel the devd still props above your head ! — that masks (jolly fellows, whom tJu'C4)lonel could easily levy among his Tynurn resolutes) ceized, bound, and gagged him — jicnhancc conveyed him to some pl.nce where 'tis known the duke's pmvcr extends, f\s if to li:i\c him there murdered ; and then, by some JUion\inou3 bet ray d, hit WA.VDEEINOS IN AN OLD MANSION. 179 lifo may be sarcd, — and the popular fury be lashed into as wild a madness as if the quamt old gentlemau were hacked into mmcc-meat for the pope's supper." " ^'erilj, and on my salvation, I think I know the way to work your lordship's counsel," said Oates, eagerly. "I know one who hath the custody of some chambers belonging to some of the DiJiC of York's paupistical knaves in Somerset House, whither our poats of the atonement might easily be conveyed." " And, faith, I know no man of the whole batch that could be easier trapped!" said Howard. "He goes out alone, at all hours, in blind lanes and alley.s, on the scent of thieves and beggars (on both which scores he is thine cnemj'. Blood), Indeed, he hath of lale conceived a notable project, which should make some of us Jew-ridden lords tremble, for he rmis on a monomania of taking up all mendicants and vagrant poor, to force them, forsooth, to work ! " " 'Twas not without an eye at these peculiarities that I selected him from among so many worshipful of the faction, for the doctor's debut," said Shaftesbury, " though I warrant me there were hundreds — Shcrifl' Bethel and my Lord Slayor, for example — who would have made better handselling of it." " XnA. did not your loardship note his word, about being the first martyr r" said Oates, in his crawling tones, which made Mervyn feel sick at heart with loathing. " But are you sure of your little cock in the loft; P — Is he pound at roost r" said the earl, uneasily looking at the door. "Where is he? — I would not he were playing the eaves- dropper; for as Dr. Tongue j ustly observed on a late occasion — 'tis too strong meat for babes.' " Nay, he is fast asleep by this time, I'll wairant him," said the colonel, taking a lamp " But, however, I wiU go and see, for 1 love to have tv.o nails always in one hook." Men'vn sprang up on this intimation, and instantly per- ceived, by the gleam of Blood's torch, ^\ho was now in the corridor below, that there was a door to his lefi;. To open it, leap over some old tubs piled on the landin'vplace, trip down the con-idor, and throw liimsclf panting and breathless on Lis hammock, was but a moment's work. The next, and Blood peered in at the door, throwing his lamp over head, and blaring with hLs large wolfish eyes towards the youth, who ept Iiimself perfectly still. Luckily, the colonel contented himself with the assurance that his captive v. us safe, without subjecting him to any close inspection, and retired on tiptoe, leaving Mervyn in a state of anxiety which cfTectually pre- cludca all hope of changing his assumed "uto a real slumber. i 180 WUlT£i"KIAUS. CHAPTER XXV THE CONSPIBACT. Meevyn spent nearly an hour after his vain rcsearchwi, ruminating on what he h;id seen and heard, but unable to detect any clue to the tortuous labyrinth in which he waa involved. The only clear conclusion he deduced was, that some insidious treachery was meditated by the faction in which he found himself involved, but against whom, or by what means, he could not divine, only he understood in general that it was to support Oatcs's villanous aP8ertion!». He was too thoroujjfhly unacquainted with mankind and the reckless politics of the age, to imagine the real drift of Shaftesbury ; and he thought it impossible that a nobleman of his high rank, once the second magistrate of the kingdom, could really instigate so daring a breach of the laws. Unable at last to bear the suspense into which these cogi- tations threw him, he resolved on returning to his hole in the garret, and ascertaining, if possible, some exacter meaning to the discourse he had overheard. On returaing thither, ho-.v- ever, he found that all the company were gone excepting Gates, who was sitting over the fire, engaged in a murmuring conversation with Blood, but in so low a tone that he could make out nothing distinctly. The two worthies were solaciiig themselves with some burned wine, which Blood had on tho tire in a pipkin. Finding it impossible to make out what they were discuss- ing, and fearful of being discovered, Mei-vyn at length re- turned to his hammock, and endeavoured to compose himself from the nen'ous excitement into which ho was thrown. Tt was long, however, before ho could accomplish this, and he only succeeded at last, in some degree, by forming a resolu- tion that, on the first opportunity, ho would question Blo'>d himself as to the meaning of what he had overheard, and if his replies were not satisfactory, he vowed to venture all — life itself — rather than remain in his power. With this deter- mination, he dropped into a perturbed and droam-hauntoJ slumbfir, from which he did not awake till a late hour tht» following morning. With the morning, however, returned his Imbitual dread cf the man he was to take to task, but he persevered in l>>s resolve, though with somewhat diminished courage. He descended ^ith a Hushed countenance and feverish pulse, but found, not without a scuso of relief, that Blood wa« not THE COKSnUAtY. 181 there. The house was completely desolate ; the staircase bj which the coJ^ncl made his exits, barred and bolted ; and, according to custom, he had provided the youth's breakfast, and some cold game-pie for nis dinner — leaving the ki-y of ♦ho cellar significantly beside it. Ilours passed in this melancholy solitude ; night came, anJ ■with it darker and sadder fantasies, readily prompted by liis forlorn situation and recollections of the scenes of the previous night. But every thought was at length lost in impatience and indignation at Bloods prolonged absence, for it was mid- night before he heard the doors unlocking and the colonel's step on the stairs. Another disappointment awaited him. Blood was accom- panied by the two watermen whose ruflianl^ appearance, while rowing them thither, Mervyn had previously noticed. Late as it was, tliese gentlemen were invited to sup with their conductor ; but he was determined to have his explanation, and for that purpose sat out the whole of tlie banquet, some- what to the dissatisfaction of Blood, as he evinced oy frowns, and various hints on the harm he did his health by sitting up so late. Merrv'u, indeed, took no pains to conceal his dis- content ; and tlie colonel, afraid lest his companions should notice it, suffered them to withdraw on the first intimation of their wish to that effect. During his absence, wliile escorting his guests to the exit, wherever that might be in this enchanted mansion, Mervyn endeavoured to rouse his courage, and succeeded in putting on an appearance of caim when the colonel moodily re-en- tered, with the keys jingling as usual at his belt. He resumed his seat, witli a stern out somewhat anxious glance at the youth, and deliberately stirring the fire with a flaming piece of wood, inquired what the fiend he meant by staring at hin\ with those large melancholy eyes of his, whicli he declared were enough to make a cat drown herself in a fit of despon- dency. " I mean, Sir. Blood," said Mervyn, passionately, — " I mean that I am weary of being imprisoned without cause, and desire to breathe the free air, which is denied to none but criminals." "Do you, indeed, Monseigneur P" said Blood, quietly. " Well, and I, too, should be very glad to take the air of the Mulberry Gardens, at open daylight, but am, nevertheless, obhgcd to content myself with rambling out at night, like a welir-wojf, as the musty -headed Germans call it." " But I have never committed any offence that I should b-^ mewed up liko a chicken fattening in a coop," exclaiuied 182 WHITEFBIAES. Morvj'D, for the ice once broken, even his reasonable dread of tlie colonel could not prevent tlie utterance of his pent-up feelings. " But you are a little Jesuit, my master," said Blood, " and ns such, tit for enterprises of great mark and moment ; and there arc fifty pounds blood-money on the capture of all Jesuits. No'.v, though you arc young, boy, yoii may have heard that the ichneumon destroys the crocodile m the egg, eh? Besides, my dear Ichabod," he added, with a kind of jeering earnestness, "'you are at tliis very moment crossing the huge Atlantic, sold as a slave to a planter in Virginia !" " What, then. Colonel Blood, am I to be kept a prisoner all my hfeP" returned McrN-yn. " Something other ails thee, Mervyu, than the mere loss of liberty — which cannot be much to a student of St. Omcr," Siid Blood, looking at him suspiciously. " You colour, my master ! — trota, child, that complexion of yours will never do for this world. Confess the truth — you have heard somewhat of last night's confabulation, aud know not what to make ofitP" " 'Tis true, colonel," repUcd Mervyu resolutely. " I deny it not, and I suspect that you intend to commit some act among you, of I know not what lawless violence, to support the lies of the black apostate. Gates !" Blood looked at the young speaker, for a moment, with a ferocity of expression which made him tremble, but it suddenly changed to its usual crafty calm. " Thou art right, young Jesuit," he said with a gloomy smile. " Thou art right — aud I am glad, child, you have broached the subject, for I wished to speak to you on it. Learn, -Mervyn, that reckless and violent as I may appeiu- to you, I am incapable — that is, I could not do— ahem ! — any act that savoured ratlier of treachery than valour. But I am a poor man, and money, at this season, is of unspeakable i-on- Bcqueuce to me. Did you understand agauist whom tliis plot was laid'" " Some puritan magistrate, methought," replied ^fcrvyn, without hesitation. " But the nuUtcr seemed knavisuly turned against the Duke of York." " Kight again," said Blood, his eye dropping from the steady gaze of Mcivyn. "JJiglit again, nephew. But there ia Bomethiiig m thy noble frankness of disposition which encourages mo to trust thee in something more than a half- confidence. Sheriff Betliel, as he is still called, a most vehe- ment partisan of the faction, is the man ^\ho is to be seized; but, Mervyn, I confess to thee, I am only in the plot to betray THE CONSPIRACY. 183 it! Shaftesbur}'^ bribe is already in my purse, bo that motive's gone ; and, nephew, I ^\ as born in the calhoHo church, and intend to die in her forgivinji bosom. But our holy mother, Religion, gives notliing for nothing : and what greater service could I do to her than to expose this monstrous plot, contrived for her overtlirow ? ITa, Mervyn, do you feel marrow enough in your bones to aid me in this great work ?" " Death itself would be pleasant to me in such a cause!" exclaimed the youth, cajoled by Blood's earnest tone and apparent feeling. " Oh, we shall not die, but reap a rich reward for our wdl- doing," replied Blood. "We shaU obtain the favour and gratitude of the duke, which, metuinks, may wcU be balanced against the giddy patronage of a wild taction, which will provoke the king at last to hang them all like a string ot onions. Moreover, child, do you remember in whose com- pany you first saw me ?" " I know not, but it seems to me as if I had seen you long ere these times," replied Mervyn musingly. " Pho, pho, child, you never saw me before that night with the king and his merry men," said Blood, very sharply. " Well, and as they seemed to treat you with great respect and confidence, I marvel at your ingratitude in joining their enemies," said Mervyn. "Nay, if you gape at man's ingratitude, your mouth will be wide enough ere you die, boy," returned Blood, with a sardonic laugh. " But in this instance I am the exact opposite of my fellows, for they appear true and are false, while I appear false and am true. In short, Mervyn, I am devoted Boul and body to the court, and all I do is at its dictation, that I may lead the conspirators on to the point whence their own plots may be driven back upon them." "Good angels! — you are a spy of the court?" exclaimed Mervyn. ' Yes, and of the church, whose redemption is in this hand, stained with blood as some deem it!" said the colonel, raising his hand vehemently, and clutching the air with his deformed thumb and finger. Mervyn shuddered, and some painful but indistinct thought ran through his mind, the traces of which he lost instantly. " Colonel Blood," he replied, mournfully, "you well know that from my childhood holy hands dedicated me to the service of the church ; but vou do not know what I now tell you — that I would freely shed the last drop of my blood to obtain her forgiveness, and mine own just revenge on that cunning monster, Titus Oates !" 184 WllITEFniAKS. ""^Tij then, dear boj, I will Ix' your coadjutor," cxolaimoQ Blood, seemingly in a transport of delight. " You ehall bo my medium, my interpreter, and \"'m the applause oC all loyal and good men. — At the same time your desire of a change shah be gratified, and I need not ekulk about, at the deadly SL-ril of my life, on ray diliiculL m^gotialions with the court. lut before I Inist you with my whole mystery, Mervyn, swear to preserve my secret inviolable, against everything but the rack." " And tlie rack too — no torture shall wring aught from mo but blood !" said iFcrvyn, with enthusiastic violence. " Well then, boy, our royalist counter-plot is also ripe," .<«aid the colonel, in the same tone. " I have received the icing's orders to malce a deposition of all I knov.-, concerning this traitorous conspiiacy, before a niadstrate. Amono; all the Loudon justices, his majesty selectca him before whom Oates made liis first deposition — (Sir Edward — what is his name? — Oh, Sir Edward Godfrey) to receive mine; and this because the duke hath done him service, and he is kno\\"n to be well afl'ected to the royal cause. Thou wilt see — our counterblast will blow up this protestant mine, aud spare a whole ocean of innocent c:;lliolic blood, beside advancing the great planscf the church. 13utof thismoreto-morrow.Men'yn ; at present we are botli weary, and I would not engage you in my dangerous plans (for they are dangerous) without giving you time for due rellection ; aud so, consult your pillow, and good night." Pronouncing these words. Blood arose, and handing a torch to Mervyn, began making preparations for bed, by unclasping the hanger and pistols from his girdle. Knowing that it would be useless to attempt in-otraeting the conversation, Mervyn retired to his dismal chamber, with a somewhat lighter heart than he had left it. In the morning, when he descended with renovated and brightened looks, he found Blood preparing breakfast. It was not long, however, before he resumed the conversation of the previous night, by inquiring when his new Bcrvicee were to commence. " This very morning, if you will, eon," replied the colonel. "I have received private and .•iure advice that the Ormondes BQSpect I am rei'iiged in Alsatia, and spies are about in every direction. Therel'ore J dare not stir out on peril of my life — yet the king enjoins me tu make my deposition in time to save Coleman, aiultlie live attainted Jesuits." "But how — but how, Mr. Blood P" exelainied Mervyn. " I am in powcBsiou of certain tokens by which 1 doubt not THE C0N8PIBACT. 185 to induce Sir Edward — I mean, Sir Edmiindbury — to meet me in some privy place, and tliere take my deposition — if I could find a messenger of fidelity," said Blood slowly, and cautiously eyeing his 3'outliful victim. " But he must oe one 'ndeed of fire-proof fidelity and courage, for if the faction do but suspect my purpose, regard for their own lives will compel them to sacrifice mine suddenly. Dost understand, Mervvn?" " But Sir Edmundbury Godfrey ! — why he in particular ?" said Mcrvyn. " I know no other whose prying disposition, courage, and secret leanings to our cause, would allow him to accede to such a request," replied Blood, quietly. " Moreover, I have here a letter from the Duke of York, assuring him of the perfect safety, and advantage to the king, with which he may comply with my request. But the messenger ! — I know not whom to trust on such an errand." "And what is this messenger expected to do? If it be only to die rather than betray you, Blood, I " said Mervyn, but he paused suddenly, startled by the cold malicious smile in the colonel's eye. At the same time a vague but momentary suspicion of some darker play flitted over his imagination, but vanished instantly in the bright daylight of his young heart. " Expected to do, chUd ?" said Blood, affecting not to notice this flash of doubt. " Why, he must be merely a messenger — no tell-tale babbler, prating on all the vain fancies and fears that haunt the brains of idle men. He must, in short, know nothing — be nothing but a messenger — or he may chance to run his neck into a halter. Then you must swear — I mean, if you have heart enough to work your own and the church's triumph — that if the justice will not observe the conditions noted in this paper, that neither threats nor entreaties shall induce you to guide him or his myrmidons to this den of mine." " But what conditions are therein noted, Mr. Blood P" said Mervyn ; " are they yours or the duke's ?" " Both," repUed Blood " But mine are briefly these — that if he come at all, he come alone. I know better than to trust a head with three thousand pounds upon it, within reach of Mother Justice, and that he inform no man whither nor on what purpose he comes. For the duke's, he will not object to them unless he have some peculiar dislike to change his knightship to a baronetcy, and his beggarly justiceship for the mastership of his highness's household." " I will be your messenger though death pay the postage," •ail Mcrvyn, in a tone of solemnity which touched even G 186 WHITSFBUBS. Blood. " But mark mc, colonel ! If there be any treason in the core of this mystery, I will not survive the moment which makes me its unconscious instrument. If you mean any -nTong beneath this fair seeming, depend on't, I will rather die than suffer it. I will bring all Alsatia about your ears ; you shall murder me ere you harm one hair oi his head." " Gad-a-mercy ! what manner of talk is this ?" said tho colonel, staring with partly real and partly aflfected surprise. " Do you think, inr, I am a murderer by profession, and wish particularly to bring a London mob to hunt me out of Alsatia ?" " No, Blood, I will trust in you," said Mervyn, earnestly. " I will trust in you, if you will swear to me, by all your hopes of pardon above, you mean nothing but fair play ; for I will throw my life on the die." " Dost Chink that such an oath were difBcult to take by a man who could have such designs P" said Blood, grinning. " But be it as you will ; I swear it. So may Heaven absolve or condemn me for ever as I mean harm to Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, in life or limb ! But now, Mervyn, you must in turn pledge your word that if you fail in your enterprise, you will not attempt to escape — tush ! I mean you wdl return with the news. ' " I pledge my honour. Blood," said Mervyn. " A Jew would not lend you a penny now on that pawn," said Blood, smihng. " But you are a gentleman of nature's making, and I will take your word sooner tlian a merchant '* bond." " But what if Sir Edmundbury disbelieve my tale, and have me seized P" said Mervyn. " He will not — he dare not — after he has read this letter," replied the colonel, producing one sealed with the royal arms. " And if he does, 1 have the king's pledge that pardon shall be extended to you." " But how shall I get him to come hither P" said Mervyn, with lingering hesitation. " Will not tho very locality frighten him from coraingP" " 'Slifo, no, 1 warrant ye," said the colonel, eagerly, "Wliy, man, he is in the daily and nightly habit of prowling about the Friary in all manner of disguises ; and when he hath marked his game, of a sudden the bloodhounds o( the law invade the sanctuary, and sweep away like kites among chickens. Well, well, if yok to your feet, lest they bo entangled unawares in SDnie j)ai)istical snnre!" " >'ay, Jvichard, nay," said J^ir Kdniundbury, hurriedly ; " I have oft enough been in tlie district whither 1 aui going, and am notliing the \^orso for it at this tnno of day. There arc matters in ♦JiIh document I may not doubt nor hesitate SIR KDMDXDBUBY OODFBET. 189 apon. And deem you this youth looks like a messenger of UI faith?" " It was of your spiritual, not bodily, safety I spoke, brother," replied Baxter, coldly. "Ana for the youth. I dare be pledged he is honest, for he hath honour written very fairly iu his countenance. Nay then, go, if your duty be foncemcd." " You say you know naught of the matter wherewith this paper charges me, youth?" said Godfrey, eyeing him rery earnestly. " I am to conduct your worship — whither you know — to meet the writer," replied Mervyn. " If thou, with thine honest face, wilt guarantee my security," began the justice, and then paused with a forced smile, and taking out his snuff-box, inhaled a long aromatic pinch, adding " but what canst thou, either to save or slay P" " I pledge my own life and honour on your worship's per- fect security," repHed Mervyn. " Well then, precious Master Baxter, I must go," said Godfrey, rising and tinkling a little bell beside him. " I shall be at tome at two o' the day to dine — (Kachel, bring my cloak and sword, 'tis by the clock) — and hope to find you here, brother." " Prithee, let me be thy companion," said Baxter, shifting his position uneasUy. " This is a cruel and remorseless age, and who knows what plans may be afoot against us all, now that the Jesuits find themselves circumvented and des- troyed ?" " By your leave, that must not be, sir," said Mervyn, firmly. " rfo, certainly — no, Eichard," said Godfrey, putting on his hat and cloak, which Eachel held, demurely pursing up her mouth beside him. " I am too old a bird to be caught with chaff. But I do not fear harm : the strong faith that walked beside me through the great judgments of fire and plague, and kept me alone, of all those girded with authority, at my post, will preserve me still. If not — His will be done ! — ray appointed course is run." He then put on that peculiar hat of his with the gold band, and buckling on his sword, shook hands with Baxter, and prepared to depart. " Yet I hope thou wilt not leave this staff of spiritual life behmd," said Baxter, offering the thick Bible. *' Methinks no Christian pilgrim should venture forth on the sandy deserts of the world, unaccompanied by that most holy and pre- doMM pillar of fire walking before him in the darkness of sm !'* 190 WHITBFBIAB8. Godfrey readily complied, and put the volume in hi« pocket, mutterinjT it would be necessary to take the depoei- tione, and they left the apartment. Sir Edmundbury repeat- ing his assurance that he should be at home to dinner at two. They found the sculler waiting for them at Westminster Stairs, where they embarked, and immediately rowed off towards "Whitefriars. There was a heavy Coji on the river, which prevented the voyagers from distinguishing lught but a confused pile of houses on the shore, and Mervyn was so absorbed in reverie, that when the boat ran up the archway of Blood's house, he started, and could scarce imagine they were there. One of the watermen now produced a massive key, which he said the colonel had given him in case he was out when they arrived ; Mervyn applied this to the lock, and with some difBculty turned the rusty bolt, while Godfrey looked around with deep and curious attention. The door swung heavily open, and Mervyn invited Godfrey to enter, who complied after a singular pause of hesitation. He then closed the portal with a slam, and bolting it, found himself alone with Sir Edmundbury in the ruined hall of the Hsunted House. CHAPTER XXVII. OATES'S VISITATION. On the moruing of the same day on which the events above detailed occurred, Titus Gates, or St. Titus as he was now almost considered by the populace, was observed to creep down the Strand, and finally to enter the shop of Prance, the silversmith. He found the poor man, as usual, very busv, and protesting that he would not disturb him, as he merely came to bring Mrs. Prance the plan of a charitable subscrip- tion which he was raising, requested one of the apprentices to announce him. But the events of the few days \\ uich had made Gates notorious, had totally altered the relations be- tween him and the fat silversmith. Prance had, in reality, /lever liked him ; but droad of his wife, and an.xicty to con- ceal his })opisli tendencies, had made him ai^sume great cor- diality towanls Oates. Now, however, he regarded liim a« little less terrible than the fiend incarnate himself"', and there- fore treated him with a lavi.sh cordiality tliat even astonished the doctor. Apologizing again and again on the score of »y;.jeut business, he escorted liim tothe door of his wifo*B sittini;- OATKS'S VI81TATIOK. 191 room, and lefl liim, with as deep a sense of relief as if escaping from the rack. Gates knocked modestly at the door, and a female voice, mild with suppressed ill-temper, inrited him to enter. Mrs. Prance was seated at a comfortable fire, engajjcd in knitting a pair of scarlet stockings ; but her jolly matronly visage grew still ruddier when she saw the reverend visitor enter. " Keep your seat, sister, keep your seat," he said, in a tone of condescending importance. " I am the same poor sarvant of the Loard whom ye were the first to receive with honour. Is the diamond's value increased because tliat the jeweller hath polished it ? But ye have doubtless heard what hath hap- pened, and how I have been called upon to take up my testi- mony, and become a prophet in Israel." " vVe have heard indeed. Master Gates, with most sincere upliftings of the heart," said Mrs. Prance, with a sigh. " But how you can spare me a moment's precious time from your weeding and pruning in the vineyard, is indeed the crow n of goodness, ana a precious sign of humility." " My present PTand, sister Susan," said Gates, solemnly, "is nothing less than the salvation of your husband, and yourself too, from ruin and beggary !" " What mean you, Master Gates P" said the matron, letting her work fall, and eyeing the saint with peculiar earnestness. " Be not thrown of a heap ; I intend you no hann, but good," replied Gates, taking her fat white hand and press- ing it tenderlj' in liis own. " You know I have always regarded you with — with a brother's love — a holy friend- ship passing the love of carnal men. You know too that I am now powerful to save or slay — that a word of mine — or at least an oath — could send your husband to the gallows, and make you a widow in the prime of your years and beauty." " La ! you, Mr. Gates ? I hope not," said Mrs. Prance, with a slight dimple in her plump check. " I urn sure I shoidd look horrid in black weeds ; and pocr dear Prance ! I am sure it makes me cry hke an onion just to think of it." "Your husband is in danger, Susan; his practices have been discovered !" said Gates, emphaticall}'. " Something more than his life is at stake; for, when his servings at the altar of Egyptian idols is discovered, his property as well aa his neck is forfeit to the crown." " Save us, Mr. Gates ! you don't mean that P" exclaimed Mrs. Prance, considerably alarmed. " But I do, sister Susan," said Gates ; " his tergiversationa aad dealings with the traitorous Jesuits are known in the 102 WHiTKFiiiAna. ?uarter whence Jiowa this blufltering wind whereon I nde. t is in design to bring upon him all the horrora of popish recusancy !" " Goounct4rant d.litt, I shall obtain and use an ttuth'uity to bring him to a sense of his errors. After that, perehaiu-e, for he must know much, I mav associate him in ray gi and crusade against the .Jesuits, which is like to bo a pro- litalile iis well as holy work." Mrs. Trance lislened to this crafty proposal with consider- able doid)t, as appeared in her countenance. ^Vith all her unbounded resj>eet for her religious adviser, his proposal staggered her; for there is always an indefinable want of probability in the moat artfully concocted falsehood, which eODFBET's LAST BXCUIBIOK IK AL8ATI1. 193 mingles a grain of doubt in the most implicit swallowcr'i draught. But the cajoling tongue and promises of Oatcs, and above all, the terror and majesty which his recent ex- ploits had conferred on him, finally induced her to promise as ne desired. And thus the interview terminated, at least so far as our chronicles are concerned. CHAPTEE XXVnL oodfbey's last excuhsiojj in ALSATIA- Almost at the moment when Gates concluded his agi'ee- ment with sister Susan, the unconscious object of its crafty provisions followed Mervyn into Blood's house. He looked round, at first, somewhat surprised at the silence and desola- tion which seemed to reign ; but without saying anytliing he followed the youth, who ascended to the apartment where he expected to find the colonel. Mervyn thought, as they reached the corridor, that he heard the door below locked after them, but after an instant's hesitation, imputing it to the nervous state of his feelings, he hurried on. They entered the Paiuted Chamber, where Mervyn ex- pected, with certainty, to find Blood, but to his surprise, it was quite deserted, a few embers in the grate being tJie only sign of habitation. He concealed his surprise, however, and observing to Sir Edmundbui-y that the gentleman who was to meet him must have been detained by some accident, began blowing the embers into a flame. Whilst he was thus engaged, Godfrey seated himself, shivering, apparently with cold, and cast a long and anxious gaze round the apartment. " Is not this the old, ruinous house," said he, with a slight shudder, "that is known in Wliitefriars aa 'Aumcrle's Folly P' " " I never heard it cailed aught but the Haunted House," eaid Mcrvvn. " But tliose Auracrles seem to have been a great family ; wherever I go I hear something of them." "Yea, a great and glorious race, of a blood which has flowed, untarnished with Norman mixture, since the Hep- tarchy," replied Godfi-ey. " It is their proud boast that not a drop of the base and rabble blood of the adventurers who accompanied William the Bastard on his conquest, has ever tainted the course /if their pure descent. They are aa Enghsh, sir, as the oaks. I should know iomcthing of thoni; 194 WHITBFBUM. my grtndl'ather was, for half a century, their chief Btcward, and dwelt in this house." " But they are extinct now — all P" said Mervyn, with an anxiety for which he himself could not account. " Afy Lady Howard is their last descendant and heir," re- plied Godfrey. " And as she is the last so is she as it were the essence of all their good and bad qualities. She aban- doned her most noble, wealthy, and loving husband for the poor prodigal, Howard ; and when death broke her cliains, conferred hei-self and all her wealth on her seducer ! But I marvel at this choice of a meeting-place. The house hath an evil report." " But siu-ely your worship is not afraid of ghosts ?" said Mervyn. " nTiy, what manner of ghost do they say haunts here?" said Godfrey, musingl}'. '• Oh, a thin old man with a long grey beard, dressed in russet, with a pair of largo leaden buckles in his shoes," said Mervyn, trying to force a laugh. " Ay, such I recollect my unhappy grandfather," replied Sir Edmundbury. " What! are you are a descendant of the old miser, sirP" exclaimed Mervyn. " Are you aloue of all this scandalous city ignorant of thatP" replied Godfrey, with melancholy gravity. " I am the son of tliat miserable wretch who imbrued his hand in a father's blood, and. Hying the just punidhment of Ins offence, joined the unbelieving Turk, and fell under his banner at Belgrade." "God assail him, if it may be!" said Mervyn, crossing himself. " Amen !" said Godfrey. " But still it puzzles me that the Duke should invite rac to a meeting hither." " Duke, sir! what duke P" said Mervyn, nc'dcing this word for the first time. "I see, boy, you are not admitted into the secret," replied Godfrcv. "Time will explain all. But be not curious to learn the dangerous secrets of state, for great men heed not what iimoeent (lowrrs they tnunple on their way to triumph." " Pi'ny, you, worshipful sir, explain the matter to me," said Mervyn, earnestly. " I dread no consequcnre to myself, but to you. Tell me, did you expect to meet the Duko of Mun- mouth 'lere Y" " N(i ', Heaven forbid !" saul Godfrey, with a start. He 1 va then silent, and remaineil for some time plunged iB profound and gloomy cogitation, which Alervyn cared not to OODFRBT's last EXCITRSION IN AL3ATIA. 195 interrupt, being busied in his own troubled fancies. During this pause he stirred tlie fire mechanically, and while so doing, heard the distant bell of St. Paid's toll three o'clock. Godfrey counted the strokes on his finger, and then ob- •erved with a smile, " How oflen in my childhood have I listened to that solemn toll as it swung over the waters, and wondered from what remote world it came. But the duke is late to keep his appointment. I warrant me now, if this were a fair lady instead of an old magistrate — but I suppose that weary business of the Dutch battle keeps him at the ad- miralty." " And in addition, your worship's dinner-hour is past," said Mervyn. " But though we are not superfluously well off for furniture in this den of ours, Heaven be praised we have plenty of creature-comforts, and to spare for a friend ;" and Mervyn produced the contents of his larder, together with a tankard of sparkling claret. The old man eagerly swallowed a goblet of the wine, and grew by degrees more cheerful as the claret and a venison- pasty disappeared under their exertions. As they chatted away over their repast, the deepening darkness of nightfall increased the natural gloom of the apart- ment, and the conversation began unconsciously to take « more sombre tinge. Mervyn in secret grew more and more uneasy, for he could divine no probable reason for Blood's prolonged absence ; although it seemed to argue the integrity of his purpose. Godfrey, too, had his under-current of thought which rippled on the surface of the conversation, and some- times disturbed its flow. In fact, the dialogue gradually dropped away into monosyllables, and, finally, into reverie. Ihis silence lasted some minutes, and was broken by God- frey, who drew from his pocket the Sacred Volume with which Baxter had furnished him. "It was well done of that reverend man," he said, " to arm me with this blessed slorraer of salvation. Cased in its promises as in complete steel, did I, in the time of the great plague, stand at my post when all my comrades had lied, ana confronted the invisible arrows of death without one moment's trembling of purpose. And thi.-i remembrance, youth, is now one of the sweetest consolations of my sorrowfid old age, and will stand like an angel of light breathing celestial peace over my deatlibcd! And know, my son," he added, with peculiar solemnity, " know, that when all the power and riches of this world fail to yield us a single balmy thought of comfort, the recoUect'on of one good deed imcllfl as sweetly in the nostrils of Death as violets to a young 196 WHITEFEIAB8. bride. Bead me some portion — unless indeed you dare trust no TeraioijL of this good Book but that whica Hath Douay on its title-page P" " Nay, I do fear no basilisk in a twist of type," said Mer- Tyn, affected by the old man's earnestness. " Where shall I read ?" " Open at hazard, child ; thou canst light on naught but what is good," said Sir Edniundbury. " I will but trespass on your patience another half hour, and then if his highness comes not, depart." Mervyn opened and began reading, and by a curious coin- cidence, the first words which he lighted upon was that terrible denunciation of a vengeance whieh was to visit the iniquities of the father on the children to the third and fourth generations. He broke off abruptly, and Godfrey smiled, but with a ghastly expression, as he bade him road on. " I am not afraid to liear the truth, boy," he s:iid, " though doubtlesi that denunciation is the darkest shadow on my life's path. But what can be the meaning of this long delay ? It is gi'ow- ing late !" he added, abruptly, for a sudden Hash of the fiery embers showed him how dark the apartment had become. " I know not," replied ilervyn. " I did expect to find the colonel wailing us here." "The colonel! — what colonel?" exclaimed Sir Edmund- biiry, in some surprise ; but presently he added, " Oh, I see into your caution ; but you carry it too far ! I tell you, the duke in his letter told me of your quality, and bade me trust myself implicitly to your guidance." " Duke ! — what duke P" exclaimed the bewildered Menyn. " The Duke of York, boy, with whom I v.as to meet and discuss certain matters concerning Coleman's trial, and how he might be aided against the villanous perjurer, Oates.*' " Holy Virgin I — the dukeP "Were you not told — I mean, did you come hither — to receive the deposition of Colonel Bloo'dP" " Colonel Blood ! — it were better for me to meet a famished tiger," replied Goilfrey, suddenly pausing. "Youth, thou hast not a traitor's eotinlenance — bxit I tell you I had r.ither face the 'e not to take my warning, and he leaped out of the balcony below into the river." " "Why, then, ho must be drowned, for every body knows Sir Edrauna cannot swim !" said Gates, with malicious exultation S02 VHITKFEIABS. " Say, rather, dadlied to pieces, man, for it is low water," eaid Blood, gloomily. " At any rate we will go and examine ; but if lie is dead, his blood be on hia own obstinate old iron skuU-picce, and the young fool that persuaded him." He then, considerably to Mervyn's surprise, who had hoped they could find only ingress by the well, moved directly to the trap-door, and after casting a dQigent look below, pro- posed to descend. He had some diiliculty, however, in thrusting his bulky body in ; and that accomplished, with many bitter curses at the lean old miser who had planned it, he stLU seemed afraid to venture in the dark, and took the lamp from Bedlow. That worthy also followed with Gates, who showed considerable reluctance, which was only overcome by a greater dread of rousing Blood's wrath. Mervyn fol- lowed, believing he should thereby show less apprehension, and crossed the apartment to the open balcony, without during to cast a glance at the bed. CHAPTER XXIX. THE FIBST VICTIM OF THE POPISH PLOT. Mkbvyn foimd the colonel hanging over the balustrade, and tlirowing the light of his torch as far as possible down the river, as if to break the shadows, and perhaps expecting to behold the old man's mangled body. The moon shone through a white mist, and showed nothing clearly, but Mer- vyn saw that it was ebbtide, and that naught was visible below but the green slimy foundations of the house, and wavy mud strewed with « eeds and rubbish. A careful survey soon convinced Blood that the object he expected was not there, and he returned to his former opinion. Accordingly, the assassins resumed their search, and, at Oates's suggestion, in the miser's chamber. During the ritjid examination which ensued — and they looked under the bed, on the framework, ui> the chimney, in all the nooks and crannies of the ancient cliamber — Mervyn Buffered the extreme agonies of fear and suspense. With admirable nerve, however, he showed no emotion, uttered no word, which might by any tJiance direct them in their search. By a curitms neglect, winch yet frecpiently happens in similar cases of hurried research, Blixul anil his aeconnilices forgot to look in the beil ; and tioilfrev lay so (lal ami mofionlosa, and the bed seemed so undisturLcd, that no one thought of examining it. THE FIRST VICTIM OF THE POPISH PLOT. 203 " He ia not here, at all events," said Blood, at last, throw- ing himself into a chair ; " he has escaped, though I cannot divine how." " Why, if you think he ha« escaped, colonel," said Gates in evident terror, " I think we had better escape too. There is nothing for us but flight ; for on the least peril our parly will disavow us, and send us to the gallows to prove their own innocence." " Thou art ever for keeping the rascal in those ^-illanous ill-shaped limbs of thine !" said Blood, bitterly ; " but that is not the way that men of honour and courage get out of their difficulties. So then, Master Mervyn, this ancient gentleman has escaped by your connivance ? Ha, what is here ? So ! the saint has left his Bible behind him ! " And he raised the volume which we have already mentioned, and after a moment's examination handed it to Gates. " Well — he hath left it behind him," said Mervyn, as the colonel's eye again fell upon him ; " and if you were wise. Blood, you would join m my thanksgiving, for you are thereby saved from blood-guiltiness, and the direful ever- lasting punishment denounced by Heaven against miirderers !" The colonel's face flushed a deep crimson, and he muttered something which no one distinctly heard, but he added, in a milder tone, " And prithee what hast thou revealed to the old scarecrow, most sapient sir ?" " Nothing but wnat was necessary to make him understand his danger and fly from it," replied Mervyn. " What is to be done, colonel ?" faltered Gates. " By this time, if ever, the old man will be at home, and about des- patching his musketeers to seize us for gaUows-fruit. What must we do P" " Anything but run away. Gates," replied Blood, scorn- fully. " Let us all be firm, and we can easily outface the mad old greybeard. Courage, Titus ! dost thou pretend to raise the devil, and run away at a whisk of his tail ?" " I cannot think he has got out of the house," said Bedlow. " Nor I," said Blood. " Come, gentlemen, let us search the mansion, the cellar, the boy's hammock — everywhere." This command seemed to remove a moimtain of lead from Mervyn's heart, and he followed the clumsy ascent of Gates with indescribable satisfaction. Still he could scarcely be- lieve in this extraordinary escape, until Blood himself, last of the band, sprang out of the loft, and secured the trap-door after him. The ruffians then proceeded on a deliberate ran- sacking of the house, poking with their swords into every hole tad comer that might by possibility aJTord a hiding-place,—* 204 WHITEFBIAM. Merryn awaiting tlie result in the painted chamber, every sound causing him to shake like an aapen. Xearly an hour had passed in this manner, and his palpitating nerves were beginning to calm down, when suddenly he heard a dismal shriek, or rather yell, which he knew at once to be in God- frey's tones ; at the same moment he heard a rush upstairs, and Blood ran past with two or three of his confeaerates, shouting, " There he is — whoop, whoop !" Mervyn's hair actually bristled on uis head, and in an in- stant — he knew no more how than in a wild dream — he found himself in the haunted chamber. A horrible spectacle await^^d liim. Blood was already grasping Sir Edmundbury's shoul- der, w ho was sitting upright in the bed, ghastly pale, his eyes nearly out of his heaa, his hands clasped, his whole frame convulsed as if in an ague-lit, shouting and yelling at the top of his voice. " He is my prisoner ! Sir Edmund, yield, since you have no resource, and no harm shall be done to you." "Keep him off! — keep him off!" yelled Godfrey, making no resistance, nor sign of resistance, as if unconscious of the colonel's presence, and pointing forward into the vacant air. " Keep him ofl'! Oh, in mercy s name, let him not clutch me with those long lean hands ! " sobbed Godfrey, whose voioe was now almost inarticulate. " What the flend does he see P" muttered Gates, drawing near to Blood. " Do but look at him yonder, the lean old pale man, with his shrivelled limbs and cold glittering eyes," said Godfrey, sobbing exhaustedly. " Why dost thou grin and mouth at me ? I did not do it, sir ! 'tis not my crime, though my father slew you !" " rte is ripe for Bedlam ; bind and gag him !" said Blood, impatiently turning away. Mervyn, in the confusion and horror of his mind, knew not what to do, and gazed in a stupid manner while Gates aud Bedlow bound their victim, whose yells had now subsided into idiotic murmurs. A slight pause followed, for it seemed impossible to get Sir Edraundbury out of the chamber, bound as he was hand aud foot. At lengtli Blood loosened the thongs, and ordered Godfrey to mount tlie stairs, Gates going tirst to receive him. The unfortunate prisimer mechanically obeyed, and the whole band Allowed, Mervyn being dragged jdong by Bedlow, in a •tate bordering on uneonsciousiiesH, and all proeeedeil to the water-tjate, Blood grnsuini: lii« prison-T by the belt. Mer- vyn anorwards recolleetect Uiut they erotiscd the mud on • THB HB8T VICTIM OF THE POPISH PLOT. 206 plank, and found a boat moored on the edge of the water. All got into it, and Bedlow and Oatea seizing the oara, they 8hot out over the water, which was scarce^'' visible in the heavy mtst. The voyage seemed to Mcrvyn's bewildered fancy inter- minably long, and all the while not a word was spoken. God- frey seemed to sit in a state of stupefaction, but Mervyn thought there was something in his lack-lustre eyes which seemed to reproach him. On a sudden the boat grounded on a sloping jetty, and looking up, Mervyn saw piles of dim and lofty architecture towering in the ghostly mistiness of the moonlight. An exclamation from the colonel informed him that it was Somerset House, then the residence of the queen and her popish court, as it was styled by tlie populace. Oatcs gave a low whistle as they landed ; a gate instantly opened on the left, and a man appeared with a dark lantern and a bunch of keys. Mervyn now concluded that his senses were totally disordered, for he thought he recognized in the pale suspicious features of the person who appeared, Prance, the silversmith. Wlioever he might be, he started back in great alarm, but was instantly seized by Blood. " On your life stir not, booby ! a pistol is at your head," said the colonel. " You have nothing to do but show us Gadden's apartment : all we do is by the duke's order." " But — but — I — I never heard of this !" exclaimed the man, gazing with terror at Sir Edmundbury, " and — and — if there 18 to be bloodshed I can't bear to look at it — I can't. I could never endure to see a calf killed, though my father was a butcher — I can't." " \Miy, fool ! thou wilt be present some day at thine own death," muttered Blood. " But there is no killing in the case. Hast the key of Gadden's rooms — speak ! — lead the way — this instant !" The man made no further demur, but admitted the whole Earty into a narrow terraced garden before the palace, God- •ey mechanically obeying every direction of his captors. They entered the palace by a court, arched around, at the end of which they passed a sentinel, and entered another narrow court surroundod by lofty towers. Sir Edmundbury had hitherto behaved with perfect nassivencss, as if unconscious of what was happening, though Alervyn fancied once or twice, from the expression of his eye, that his reason was returning. Unluckily, at the moment they entered the archway, Godfrey caught an indistinct view of the sentinel, and the hope of liberation probably flashed upon him. He, Blood, and Oatea were some yards in advance of Mervyn and Bedlow, when the 206 ^HITKFRL&Bfl. former belielJ him suadenly wrench himself by a de8pcia(tf cflfort from their ^raap, and shouting, "Help, murther, help !' attempt to draw his sword. All that followed lonj; afterwards appeared to Mervyn Iiko the phantasmagoria of some hideous dream. He saw Blood strike Sir Edmundbury with a bludgeon, who reeled back, etill yelling for assistance, and shouting that he knew them — calling them l)y their names 1 He then heard Oatts exclaim, " Down with him — he knows us !" and all four rushed upon him, and the unhappy man fell struggling, with one deep eulTocated yell. Mervyn attempted to spring forward, but he was seized by his guard — he tried to shriek murder ! but his tongue clove to the roof of his mouth. After thi.>» he recol- lected seeing Gates kneeling on Sir Edmundbury 's breast, who was struggling violently, and then Blood hit him another blow on the head, while Bedlow and the two waiermcu tugged at each end of the victim's cravat. Some faint re- membrance he had of Prance wringing his hands and moan- ing, near the assassins — and then there was a faint choking gurgle — but Mervyn saw no more, for he fell senseless on the pavement. CHAPTER XXX. CONSCIENCB AND POLITICS. Mebvtn's first dawn of recollection was accompanied by a sensation of extreme cold, and raising himself on his elbows, he saw that he was in a bnat rowed by two of tlie masks, whom with a deadly sickness of heart he recog- uized as Gates and Blood. Aitor this he lay for some time in a state of dreamy stupor, during which tiie assassins dis- coursed, but ho distinguished no soiinJs save a continued whisper. At last he was conscious that Blood lifted him in nis arms, and carried him up a tliglit of steps, :uul then his recollection faded away, until suddenly he found iiiiiiself lying on a heap of straw. Something he afterwards reniemberi'd, of a hideous, shrivelled old iiiaii, with a long grey lunrd, who held a sponge to his nose, and felt his pulse. But the sliock whicii he had sustained again overpowered his young stivngtli, ttuA he relapsed into insensiiuiity. To this succeeiled a wild and troubled sleep, liaunted l>y dreams of unsurpassable horror, ami \\ liicli lasted he knew not liow long ; but finally hn awoke \Mi\i a start, imagining himself sinking into a dei>p CONSCIENCE AND POLITICS, 207 eulf of the ocean, with a roar of winds and whirling ware* heaping upon him. This terrible fancy was euccecded by faint glimpses of memory, and the events which he had witnessed rushed in confused masses to his mind's eye. At first, he thought be was but recollecting a di-eam of singular horror ; but the reality of all that had happened rushed overpoweringly upon hiiu, when he suddenly cauglit the tone of Oates's voice in a murmuring discourse, which was going on for some time before he took any ch'stinct notice of it. He raised his swimming head, and gazing intently round, perceived that ho was in the Painted Chamber, on the colonel's bed, or ratlier lair. At the opposite side of the chamber, near a bright are, eat that person, engaged in conversation with Gates. Tlie first words he distinguished clearly took the form of a muttered curse from Blood, foUowed by a short pause, and then a question which Mervyn instantly understood to relate to the Eai'l of Shaftesbury. " Oh, it is of no use — old Aidersgatc wont bite," replied Oates. " I tried him every way, short of a direct confession. But it is in vain to think of coaxing a serpent into a net ; he is too cautions to enter where there is a smell of blood. Wlicn I answered his inquirj' how old Bent-back was stowed, he would not understand my muilled hints, but cuts me short with a declaration, that if he thouglit we had hurt a hair of his head, he would have us all discovered, and sling us on the gallows hke so many onions in a market bunch." "Old Aldersgate were like enough to do that," said Blood, (juietly, " He is of that godly school of villany which, when it hath wrought the deed, flings away tlie instrument abhor- rently. He will be glad of an excuse to be rid of us, Master Oates." " Yet he hath an open hand, this prince in Israel," replied tlie doctor. "Look you here! — he would understand no further but that we had captured the olil beak ; and for that small service, he counts me down forty French pistoles. I saw, though, that he was deadly pale, as if he understood me but too well, and the thoughtless Duke of Monmouth, who v.'aa there, laughed heartily, and gave me this curious chased ring. And then he said he supposed the old gentleman was hungry b) this time, and so it would be but common politessa to write an account of his afflicting situation to my Lord Danby, accusing the Duke of York, and pointmg out where the old victim might be found." " Ajionymously, of course ?" said Blood, and Oates nodded Lis head. 208 WHITKFBIABS. " Ay ; but under existing circumstances that will not do," exclaimed the colonel, in his usual unconcerned tone. " I am certain tlie earl will shrink out of this business, and he is sufficiently versed in the tricks of justice to betray you, Oatcs, without unplicatin|: himself. Besides, a murderer's sho<^« arc always red, ana leave traces which sooner or latQel Sydney, in the name of the common judge of all 226 WHlTBPBIABfl. mankind, if justice, If human feelings still have existence ob earth — cause Blood and the devU, Oatcs, to be arrested — in- stantly !" exclaimed Mcrvyn, wildly. " They are murderers 1 they have murdered Godfrey I I w ill prove it — may light- nings slay me else, even as I s^^***^ •" " Be calm, young man," said Sydney, glancing at Lady Howard compassionately, but she nad turned her face away. *' Bo calm ! 'tis plain that your excited fancy, aa oft indeed haps, hath taken the shadow and hues of passing events, and distorts them into fantastic horrors. If tlu-se dreadful events of latter days exercise such disturbing influence on sane aad sober minds, what must they on a wild and troubled imagina- tion like thine ?" " I tell you. Colonel Sydney, if there be truth in heaven or earth, 1 speak it!" exclaimed the youth, with desperate vivacity. " Monmouth, Shaftesbury, Essex — ay, lady, the Lord Howard himself, though meaning it not — caused this dreadful deed — Blood and Gates are but the executioners !" " I have explained to you, Colonel Sydney, why I take no offence from tliese wild ravings of a diseased fancy," said the countess, in a low agitated tone. " Certainly, my lady, it were unreasonable," said Sydney, significantly. " Oh, surely, surely. Lady Howard, you will bear witness that I came to your house in company with Blood — that I was introduced to you by him" — began Mervyn, when the lady hastily interrupted him. " Mr. Blud ?" she said, with remarkable shortness of pro- nunciation. " Mr. Blud, I do indeed recollect, came here with a message from my Lord Shaftesbury — and methinks he did introduce to me some youth of your inchfs — but 'tia some time since. And yet — now I recollect — alack, poor child, he spoke to me of some infirmity, in your else excellent sense, which at times made you mad ; but the Ct soon passed —prithee be calm." " And, perchance, in some access of thy disorder, thou didst leap from one of the bridges into the river P" said Sydney, sternly. " Madness alone can excuse s>ich an act ; for, know, child, that even the noble Greeks and Ivomans did ever esteem that man dishonoureil who basely threw away a life which his country might still need." "I threw away no life! I perilled my life to save my life'" said Mcrvyn, bewildered by tiie new intricacies of hia position. " I flea from a den of munlerers. t'oluiiel Sydney, i liu not v.--\i of you to believe one woixl which I shall not ALOBBKOK 8TDNBY AlCD HIS DAtTOHTBB. 227 ■abstantiate by facta. Get mo a warrant and a few soldiers, and if I lead you not to the very house — 'tis in Alsatia — where they trapped and murdered Godfrey — let me be branded with the mark of Cain, and torn to pieces by wild horses !" " Can it be that this madness is foi^^ued — that this youth ia in the viilanous sen'iee of tlie court, to couateract the recent horrible discovery ?" said Lady Howard, auswering the sur- prised look of Sydney. '• My poor child, if you are engaijed in any such complot, I do beseech you desist, for it will but redound to your own shame and punishment." " The king and his minions are doubtless wicked enough to form such a contrivance, but I cannot believe this fair boy to be of the plot; he may be deceived," observed Sydney, coldly. " Do but feel his piUse, my Lady Howard, now it leaps ! — 'tis delirium, and nis whole frame is on fii'c. En- deavour to banish these dreadful imaginations, youth, and rest will restore your clearer reason." " You will not then believe me P You will not aid me to hunt out these murderers ?" gasped Mervyn, almost choked with emotion. " It is impossible — you are only raving, boy," said Lady Howard, rismg. " We will see you anon, when you are calmer. Come, colonel, the company are waiting us." " Then on your heads be all the blood which shall be shed by the axe of public assassination !" shouted the youth, with all his remaining strength. " Oh, Colonel Sydney ! men call you just — and will you suffer Englishmen to be murdered iu the name of justice ?" " Nay, I would die sooner than one hair of an English head should be plucked unjustly," said Sydney, with his grand smile. " But you are not now capable of rational discourse. I will revisit you when I have dined, and hope to find these wild phantasmata of a sick brain sobered down." " Tell Lord Shaftesbury from me, that he is an atrocious conspirator," exclaimed the youtli, excited to madness by the disbelief of his direful tale. " But I will have no more blood upon my head. I will not stay dozing in bed while honest men have their lives sworn away by hellish murderers I I will out — out as I am — and proclaim it everywhere !" He made a strong, almost spasmodic effort to rise in his bed. grasping the rich quilt as if to use it as a covering, but Lady Howard, uttering a faint shriek, caught him by the shirt- •leeve. His sifjht seemed then to spin round, his brain swelled afl if to burst the skull, and he sank iuscnaiblc on his pUlow. 828 WniTKFBIA«S. CHAPTER XXXn. THE BEIGN OF FAHATICISM. This pause on the rack of mental agony was destined to have an abrupt termination. Several hours seemed to have elapsed, for when Mervyn awoke suddenly it was night, but the room was full of torches. The voice of Sydney wub heard in loud expostulation, the old nurse was wailmg and wringing her hands, and a moment's glance showed ^lervyn that his room was full of musketeers. Then he heard another voice — the abominable voice of Oates ! Its soimds seemed to fill him with indescribable loathing and hatred, and he sprung up, shouting, " Secure the murderer!" till the room rang again. " Oy, oy, gentlemen, secure him ! — that is the viUanoug tool ot the paupishers !" sliouted Oates, turning with a visage inflamed with fiendish rage. " Secure him ! — you have his maujesty's warrant and mine." " But he is not in a condition to be removed, Mr. Oates," said Colonel Sydney, very vehemently. " The phvsician de- clares his life in danger, and it will be at the perQ of yours, if you attempt to remove him." " Indubitably, Colonel Sydney, honoured sir," replied Oates. "If he dies on the way to Newgate, so much the better for him — he will thereby escape the gallows. But I own. Colonel Sydney, I am surprisea to see so excellent a true-blue Protestant and abhorrer of arl)itrary power, support the cause of a young paupish villain and espial, hired to over- throw the true Protestant religion, and stoiile the discovery of the execrable, abominable ploat which " The worthy gentleman had proceeded thus far in his harangtic when his progress was stopped by a sudden tighten- ing in the throat. Mervyn had Ic; ped out of bed, sprung at his throat, and holding it with tlie strcnuou.i grasp of madness, ho shrieked, "Seize him, seize liim!" with all liis force. O lies yelled murder, and attempted in vain to shake his hold loose, till one of the soldiers rushed in, seized Mervyn, tore him ofl" M ith great violence, and handcufled him. Even when secured, Oates attempted to strike his young victim ; but Sydney clutched his arm back, and protested he would not allow tlic boy to be ill-nsed, w liattViT wa.s Iiis oU'ence. "Will you resist the king's warrant, .Mr. Sydney';'" voci- ferated Gates, THE BBIQN OF FANATICISM. 229 " Let me see it, and I will answer you," replied the colonel, with calm dignitj-. " You have made an illegal arrest, Mr. Gates, for you have not shown the prisoner your warrant." " It is here," said Gates, rudely thrusting a parchment into the colonel's liand, who read it deliberately aloud, and fcand that it was a warrant in due form, authorizing the bearer to seize, apprehend, detain, and bring before the worshipful Alderman Bethel, or any other of his majesty's justices of the peace, the person of one Ichabod Mervyn, Jesuit novice of St. Omer. " Well, colonel, do you sxirrender the body of this criminal quietly, at the command of your king and mme P" said Gates, with a malicious sneer. " I surrender this accused person, but no criminal," replied Sydney. " A jury of his country, and not your too-ready lips, must pronounce him such, if such he be ; but you arrest him at the peril of doing murder." " The worst mischief will be cheating the hangman of his fee," rephed Gates ; " so, officers, dress your prisoner — by force, if he resist." " If I am to go before a magistrate, I will go willingly, gentlemen," said Mervyn. " I do but ask a patient hearing to the horrors I have to reveal." " I promise you, my yoimg master, you shall go before a magistrate, ay, and a judge and a jury, and then an airing to Tyburn," said Gates, ferociously. " Methinks for a man of your holy garb you demean your- self more like a fiend than a Christian, Master Gates," said Sydney, slackening the rope which Gates was fastening very tight round the youth's wrists. " This binding and fettering one of the king's subjects, unless he resist, is against the law, and I wUl not suffer it !" " Everybody knows. Master Colonel, it is not by your good pleasure that his maujesty has any subjects at all," ineercd Gates. "And as for your religion, there's not a 'prentice that knows trap from ball but knows you are given to the atheistic, deistic, pantheistic adoration of Greek and Horaan gods, and " " i3y Heaven ! I could almost find it in my heart to dis- honour this sword in thy mean, dishonest blood," shouted Sydney, turning pale with anger, and touching his hilt. " Bear me witness, gentlemen, the colonel obstructs the king's warrant," said Gates, in his screech-owl tones. " Trouble not yourself with this wretch, noble sir," inte poied Mervyn, quivering all over with rage and feverish ex- ?,30 WHITBFB1AB8. citement ; "let Viim but take me before a magistrate, and if I prove liim not so black a fiend that hell will scruple to re- ceive him, let men quote me for a liar untU the last day, which shall proclaim my truth in thimder." Mervyn did not understand what sort of justice is dis- pensed by fanaticism, but the colonel did, and he shook his head sorrowfully. Nevertheless, Gates looked perturbed, and hurried the proceedings as much as possible. Mervyn was soon dressed in some clothes which Sydney lent him, and the colonel obtained permission, rather from the prudence than the humanity of Gates, that the prisoner should go to the city in his coach. Something supernatural seemed to have revived Mervyn's strength. He walked with firmness, thought distinctly, felt no alarm — his course seemed to he so open and apparent before him. He had not yet learned that it is not enough to speak the truth, to be beheved. In a short time the procession was marshalled, and the un- conscious heir of Aumerle was led down the gilded staircase of his own magnificent mansion, in the custody of thief- takers, as a traitor and a felon. By tliis time a mob had gathered round the house, and xmderstanding that their beloved doctor had captured one of Godfrey's murderers, greeted their appearance with yells, hootings, and hisses, mingled with vehement applause for Gates. Sydney, who had determined to accompany the pri- soner, directed the coachman to drive fast, and they were soon out of hearino; of the clamorous mob. The report, however, spread far and near, and when Gates triumphantly escorted his prisoner into Guildhall, the court was already crowded to Bufibcation. Mervyn stood for some moments at the bar before he formed a clear notion of the scene in which ho found himself principal actor, so confused and stunned were his intellects. The sight of Colonel Sydney by his side somewhat encouraged him, and amidst the buzz and uproar of the scrambling mob he looked curiously around, as if he had no more interest in the scene than a common spectator. Ho now perceived that he was in a sort of sheepfold, in the middle of a lofty hall, and before him, on an elovuted chair, sat a stout bloated man, with a round fut face, small, twinkling, vindictive eyes, and a pair of largo hands, tightly clasped on a projecting stomach of aldemianlc diniensiona. He wore tlie scarlet robe anil gold chain of his oflicc, and sat in magisteriiU solemnity, and « ith that look of importance wliich weak nun never fail to wear when thnut into a part beyond their management. This w&i TfiB BBIOX OF FANATICISM. 231 Mr. 8heriflf Bethel, as he was called to the last day of his life, from hia exploits whi\e in that dij^ity — a man who, from hia determined opposition to the court, was considered a great patriot, and idolized by the populace. Mervyn, however, could scarcely reconcile his fat well-fed figure with the cha- racter for extreme niggardliness, which acquired for the sheriff the immortal dishonour of Dryden's satire. " Well, doctor — worthy Doctor Oates — so, so, you bring a prisoner — eh? a Jesuit, eh?" said the magistrate, when silence was obtained. " Well, well, nobody can deny but that you are one of the greatest saviours of our nation which the jliord has raised up these many years. May He keep you iL health and strength, Mr. Oates, to work out the work, and save us from the execrable popish plot, and all our precious livea and hberties. WcU, sir, what is there against this young villain ? He hath a rare hang-dog look — is he, too, m the plot ?" " Your worship," repHed Oates, in a sanctimonious voice, " Heaven knows with what anguish and sorrow I appear against this youth, whereto yet my duty compels me, seeing that holy Abraham did not resist the voice of tne Loard when he was commanded to slay Isaac, even Isaac his only son ! But oh ! with what heart-rendings — for verily my bowels yearn unto him — am I obliged to accusate him, not only of the vilest ingratitude to me, but of being concerned, I fear but too deeply, in the late most shocking, horrible, bloody paupish murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, that excellent magistrate, who, please the Lord, is now among the elect in paradise !" " Do but hear me — a single word, worshipful judge — I abjure you, if you would not have this roof fall on our heads !" exclaimed Mervyn, clasping his hands wildly. " Peace, wretch !" said Bethel, sternly. "What you may have to say in your defence shall be heard afterwards ; but T trow there is no man in England so arrant an ass as to believe anything a Jesuit can say or swear, considering the damnable power of absolving from all oaths alleged by your abominable church, and the Antichrist at its head." " Yea, I do accuse this imp of Satan of being hired by the paupish party — (I would I might say who, but they are too nigh marks for any but God's arrows !)" continued Oates, blackening with passion. " I say again, this hideous Jesuit spawn is hired to trump up some wicked and most calumnious cnarge against me, Titus Oates, to the great stoifling of tho ploat, the putting down the Protestant Eeli^ion and KeformO' 332 WHITBFBIAB8. tion, and introdncing of arbitrary power aud French gorem- meiit, or ratlicr tyranny !" " Have a care, Mr. Gates ! — these are extraordinary accu- pations, which methinks you will have some difficulty in substantiating," said Colonel Sydney. " Let me suggest a fairer account of this matter to your worship. This poor youth is suflering under a delirium to which he is subject, during which, I fear, he did leap into the Thames, whence I rescued hira at some little peril. And he was visited by a burning fevor, during the paroxysms of which his ravings ran per- chance on that engrossing topic of the late horrible discoveries, which turn all men's bosoms into charnel-houses of dismal cogitations." " Havings ! — O, would they were !" said Mervyn, " let me but be heard, and I will prove those ravings truths, fixed as firmly as the heavens above us ! Secure that monster ! He is a murderer ! he murdered Sir Edmundbury, either •n-iih his own hand or by another's !" " He seems to rave now at all events, Mr. Sydney," said Bethel, sharply. " Your worship, he is as sane and sober as I am ; 'ti.s but his factious malio'," said Gates, with rabid fierceness. " He is suborned by tliose who wring gold from tlie blood and sweat of this cloomed nation, to put down our Master's provi- videncc in the late discoveries of a vile, execrable, never-to-be- Bufliciently-detested ploat of Antichrist." " I douot, I doubt, there is some murtherous strong hand in this intrigue, reverend Master Gates," said Bethel, shaking his head with a sinister meaning. "But what particular charge must I commit hira on P Though, indeed, a man may well be chary of doing ju.^tice against papists, since the fatal, liorrible example we have just seen. Nevertheless," said Bethel, addressing his clerk, " Minshull, make out a mittimus to Newgate." " But, please your worship, we must first have some tangible legal charge, else your worship is liable to the new Habeas Act, and what not," s;iid the clerk, a slender red- haired man, leaning over a desk before the city worthy. " Ay, ay, well, well, Mr. Oat<.>s, and what is your charge P" said Bcthi-1, grullly. " Let nic first explain io ymir worship," said Gates, " that tliis Mretchi'd boy is a rol)l)er's fouiuiliiifj, whom the Jesuits of St. Gnier were bringing up in the Egypt iau darkness of paupish superstition, when 1 " " Ha, St. Oiner !" exclaimed a voice in the crowd, " W ho ';p<>ke there P" said Gates, turning sharply. THB BEIGN OF FAHATICI8M. 2H3 " Blessed Mr. Gates," replied a whining voice, " it was a fallant sinfully caparisoned in gUded trappings of Satan, eing crimson oarred with gold ; but he pushed his \s ay out when you turned to rebuke iiim." " Some man-serving slave of the court ; some gay licentiate of pleasure," said Gates, coldly. " But as I was a-saying, your worship, when I came to St. Gmcr I found little Judaa nere in the house of bondage, and, as I thought, loosened hia spiritual chains ; yea, brought him to the fold, even as a precious yeanling of salvation. But I have since found to my coat that he was merely hung upon me as a Jesuitical " Why, thou most abhorred liar and villain !" exclaimed Mervyn. " Peace !" shouted Bethel ; " if you dare to interrupt the witness, I will have you flogged into a proper respect of the court." " That by your leave you shall not, Mr. Sheriff," said Sydney. " The law of England nowhere bestows such power on the magistrate, and I will take care you do not exceed the law." " Why ! wliat is this boy to you, colonel P" said Bethel, with considerable surprise. " He is human ' replied Sydney. " Why for that matter, I hope we are all human, Colonel Sydney," said Bethel, purpling up. " At least I see not that any of us have beasts' heads, though there may be a club- foot among us, for aught I know ! But you hear the people do not like your quibbhngs and fribblings — and you know your own maxim — Vox populi, vox Dei! So if you cannot hold your peace, colonel, you must leave the justice- room." Sydney being silent, the magistrate proceeded. "Well, Mr. Gates, go on for the third time." " An't please your worship," said Gates, with a strained meekness, " as I was saying — seduced by his tears and feigned love for me, I suffered him privily to withdraw from the seminary, and accompany me to this land of light, if we may call it so, notwithstanding the dark clouds gathering over our heads. And look ye, sirs, directly he lands here, he enters into a correspondence with certain high parties who shall be nameless, no doubt at the command oi his St. Gmer patrons. Your worship, I detected him in the very act, coming from St. James's palace, where Heaven knows no good was to be learned to the protestant religion. Yet again, on his feigned repentance, I forgave him. But again detecting him in the 234 WHITEFBIABS. like practices, I discharged him from my sanrice about a fortnight agone, and liave since neither seen nor heard of him till I was informed by the maid-servant of that poor sacrificed gentleman (sacrificed for loving us all better than his own poor life !) that it was he who lured Sir Edmundbury forth ! And Ui'-y do say that he waa disguised as a page of the duke's — but Heaven forbid I should say by any knowledge of his highness ! But Sir Edmundbury was never after seen till we found his precious limbs mangled and bleeding in Pancraa Ditch." " Colonel Sydney," exclaimed Mervyn at this moment, in ft voice of such agony that it in a manner compelled audience, " 1 call down the lightnings direct on my head, if I speak falsely when I say that this man — this monster — brought about Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's murder ! Do but hear me, fentlemen ! On my life, on ray soul, as we shall all some ay meet before the eternal Judge above — " but choked with emotion he broke ofi" and could only point to Gates, gasping, " Murderer !" This eloquence of nature produced a great and general Bcusation. Even Oatcs, with all his impudence, was for a moment appalled ; but he soon rallied. " Oh, thou wolf in lamb's wool !" he exclaimed, " dare you deny that you inveigled Godfrey from his homeP ay, that you wore the royal livery P Look, the remnants are on him still! But here is evidence not to be rcnegated ! Dr. Baxter is there, and the woman-servant, liaohol, who admitted him that fatal morn, and, as she shamefulh' confesses, having her eye pleasantly tickled with his carnal beauty, took so earnest a look at him, that by the same token she recognizes him now." At this point a dismal weeping was heard, and Bachel made her appearance at the bar, clad in a olack cloak and hood. " Do not weep, Mrs. Rachel, your evidence is unnecessary," said Mer\'yii, resolutely. "I cfeny none of the circumstances alleged concerning Sir Edniundbur3''s leaving his house under my guidance, but- " Then, oh, prove where you left that godly martyr, and what you luive done with yourself since !" shouted Oatea. " Nay, if he adinit.s that pn niakv "" said Sydney. THB BBIOM or FlifATICISM. 236 " I will not permit the court to oc dictated ♦o, Mr. Sydney,'' •aid Bethel. You must cither allow buBiness to proceed or quit the court. I am sorry to reprimand a gentleman of your quality, but " " Of my quality !" interrupted Sydney. " Tour worship mistakes ; no man hath any quality in an English court of justice, but guilt or innocence. At least I know it was so under Cromwell, tyrant and usurper as he was, and if under a lawful government, as we all hear it is — but I will say no more, only intreating you, before condemning, to hear the prisoner's defence." " "We must hear the witnesses first, I suppose ?" said Bclliel, peevisldy. " Well, Mr. Baxter : i' faitn, we are proud to see as blessed a witness as erer stood on this side martyrdom I" Baxter appeared as this compliment was uttered, and bow- ing slightly to the court, turned and looked Mervyn steadfastly in the face. It was not in nature to endure this scrutiny without some emotion, especially in connexion with the horrible charges which Mervyn felt were enveloping him like a mesh. Oates pointed triumphantly to his wavering com- plexion, and the venerable puritan sighed heavily. He then delivered his evidence relating to the scene we have described, which was abundantly supported by Eachel's statement. All present gazed with horror at the prisoner, who himself stood amazed at the mass of appearances arrayed against him. Sydney himself was struck. " Well, Colonel Sydney," said Bethel, exultingly, " what Bay you now for your client ?" " He is not my client, sir — nay, he is less mine than yours," repUed Sydney. "Yet though I do see that there is a charge against the prisoner, I see not that it is proved, though Buspfcions may certainly be entertained, which perchance he will remove when he is allowed to speak. It is surely just to hear the youth in his explanations. Perchance he may tell us by what chance I found him in the Thames, stru^ghng for life, and seeming to fly from some demoniac enemy. ' *' That can I," said Oates, eagerly ; " for happening to catch sight of him in the horridest company that ever was, I pursued, for my heart bled with pity ; so he ran down the Tower stairs, and being a fine swimmer, and supposing I meant him some great punishment, he takes me to water like a fish, and so no more of him." " Methought, Mr. Oates, I heard you swear you had not Been him for a fortnight P" said Sydney. 236 WHITBFHI4HS. " I meant in a general sense, as bein? absent from my Bar- vice," said Gates, somewhat embarrassed. " And besides, it was so dark a nij^ht that 1 could scarcely distinguish his face to sav I saw him! " " Pray God there be no malice in this case ! " said Sydney. " I have already warned you, sir, I will not suffer such treatment of the kind's witnesses," said Bethel, fiercely. •' Nothing but my great respect for your honourable name and character hinders me from committing you for contempt, as I certainly shall this desperate criminal, for aidine and abetting in the murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey. But I hope that he will have grace given him to repeat, and merit pardon by an open confession of all his villanies, whoever or whatever it may involve." He then made a sign to the clerk, who with great sang-froid began mending a pen. " Well, then, now hear me — I ask no mercy — nothing but justice!" said Mervyn, in a tone of frantic desperation. "I am innocent, and if I prove not these wretches as certainly guilty of Godfrey's murder as Cain of Abel's, may this roof descend upon us all and crush me alone !" •'A damnable popish artrument smelling strongly of the Bour leaven of superstition," 8ailay for some minutes, beating about with their slaves in \ain. A chorus of voices chanting some melancholy psalm was heard, and cries of " Godfrey's body ! Godfrey s oody !" rang far and near. On hearing this, Gates, who was haranguing the crowd from a high horse-stone, sprang down and pushed into it. The constables, finding the cause of delay, endeavoured to make good their passage before the inflamed masses could arrive. But the pressure was too great, and they were obliged to take refuge with their prisoner on the steps of a butcher's stall, while one of them battled his way back to procure a stronger posse. At this moment Mer\'yu felt his sleeve pulled, and a voice which he thought he had heard before whispered in his ear, " Your life is in danger — be on the alert — friends are at hand !" The prisoner turned, but his unknown friend had vanished in the crowd. He was persuaded, however, tliat it was Claude Duval, and the consciousness that he possessed eveu one friend iu that vast multitude was indescribably cou- Bolatory. The constables grew more and more alarmed, both for their own and the prisoner's safety, for the mob around showed un- equivocal signs of violence, and were pelting them with mud and stones. Luckily the great stream was directed down Cheapside, to meet the body of GodlVt y, w hiih was coming from St. Pancras fields to the Cuildliall, wiiere it was to wait jvn inquest. Put as it was impossible to force a passage, and their position grew every moment more precarious, one of the constables seized thebufcher's cart, which was before his stall, and got into it with the prisoner; Mervyn was seated between two constables, haiulcufrcd ami jiinioned, while the third beat the horse, and urged it through tlie crowd. Mcanwiiile the multitude fearfully iiureased both in num- bers and ferceify. The mob whidi nceompanieii (JodlVev'a body had met aiul mingled intelligeiue as well as 8tren;;tlis, and the news of the capture of i\ Jesuit and aueged inurdenT of the unfortunate magistrate, wpread f\r and near. As they outt'red Newgate-Btrect, Mervyn heard an uproar of marrow- KKSCTTB OB NO BK8CUE ! 239 honea and cleavers, the ixsual signal among tho butchers to assemble, and vast numbers of savage-looKuig men in blue frocks, with bare arms, and wielding the instruments of their sanguinary trade, issued from the purlieus of the market. The shouts and fury of these masses, even the missiles which flew about their heads, seemed not at all to disturb Mervyn : he kept the same tranquillity of despair. Every window seemed clustering with spectator?, every roof was crowded with hanging masses ; and thus accom- panied by tlie yells and attacks of the populace, lliey ap- proached Newgate, the strong -walls and spiked summits of which appeared at a little distance. But the space inter- vening was so blocked up by a mass wedged, shrieking, and struggling together, that it was found impossible to proceed, and the cart stood still while the officers dismounted to forco a passage. vVhilst a desperate fight took place around his vehicle, Mervyn 's eye was attracted by a spectacle which, horrible as it was, seemed to him a naturtil phasis of the confused and stormy dream in which he was involved. A vast mob flowed, wave upon wave, down Newgate-hill, amidst the most as- tounding uproar, part engaged in roaring a hymn, while tho rest yelled and shrieked in direful chorus. Some carried torches which they waved like Bacchanals in tlie air, and by the wild vmcertain glare of this liuht Mervyn saw somethintj indistinctly borne on a bier covered with a sheet, round which the crowd, seemed gathering, and rolling like the sea in a whirlpool. Dark countenances, lurid with fatigue and pas- sion, surrounded the corpse, among which Mervyn's eye could not mistake the detestable features of Gates. The wretch was pointing at him as he sat in the cart, and seemed to direct the popular fury upon him, for at the same moment shouts of " A judgment, a judgment ! tear him to pieces !" ran/T on every side, and many of tlie torch-bearers rushed yeUmg towards him. Knives, axes, swords, glittered on every hand, and showers of stones assailed the constables, who vainly attempted to protect their prisoner. One of them was struck down by a powerfid butcnor, and the other sus- tained a very severe handling ; but the tliird, who stiU sat with Mervyn in the cart, attempted to lash the horse over whatever stood in the way. The mob, however, seized the reins, and beat the poor animal about the head and breast to force it back. But the horse reared and kicked so violently that at last it twisted the harness off its liead, and rushed of? at a fearful speed do^Ti the hill. Tho mob gave vra^ on every 240 WH1TBFBIAH9. eide, yelling, crushinp, and tumbling orer each other. The constable who eat by Mcrvyn leaped ont and fell with a heavy crash, head foremost, on the pavement ; but the prisoner was too well secured to make any attempt at escape. The animal continued its mad speed till within a short distance of the bier-carriers, who rushed confusedly out of its way, but ita feet got entangled in the loose reins, and it fell down power- less on tlie kerbstone, where it lay bleeding and struggling ineffectually to rise. !Mervyn rose with the intent of leaping out of the cart, to save himself from the kicks of the prostrate horse, when Oatcs pointed at him, yelling, in his most horrible tones " Lo, Goad's judgment! — tlie murlhcrer ! the murthercr!" instantly the mob nislicd round the cart, some clambering up the wheels, some behind, some, in tlioir ardour, scrambling over the panting steed. Mervyn was clutched simultaneously by twenty hands, dragged, or rather torn, he knew not how, over the shafts into the street, and amidst uproarious shouts of " No Popery ! — Tear him to pieces ! — No Antichrist !" was dragged on to the bier, amidst blows and every species of contumely. Several of the mob, amongst whom was Oates, bawled out, " Bring the murthercr here, and see if the corpse blootla forth !" and this experiment, fortunately for Mervyn, seemed to suit the taste of the rulGans who had seized him. It was then a general belief, which still holds ground in some remote districts, that the corpse of a murdered person would burst forth bleeding on the approach of the murderer. Severely buflVted, his clothes torn from his back, pale aa the gliastly corpse before him. Mervyn was hurried close up to tbe bier, and Oates duU-hod him in one liand, while with the other he raised the gory sheet. ISo intense was the curiosity of the nniUituile lo ascertain the re.-^ult o[ their philosopliical experiinenla, that the uproar suddenly ceased, and a deep, death silence, swayed the wluiK' mass. Mer^'yn gazed with an icy shudder at the dreiulfid spect^* le thus forced on his gaze. Sir lulnnindbiiry's lOi-pse lay coiled upon the ])ier, covered witli mud and slime. His llesli was already purpling over with corruption, and seemed as if it had lain for some days in water, it was so swoMeii and di^icoloured. Tliere was a deep \\ouiid in the breiust. where his sword was found buried to the hilt, and tlie body wa.<« covereil with slashes and bruises. The neck was evidently broken, for the head hung k>osely on one side, and the ghi/.cil eves wero ffi.iely open, tlie tongue was hanging out, and the llesh WM BB80DE OB KO RE60DE ! 241 gorged and spotted, and other horrible signs of strangnlation were awfully visible. Mervyn gazed upon this fHghtfxd spectacle with no sif^ of emotion but a choked groan, and unable to articulate a word, he looked round, gasping and pointing to Gates, ikgain the wild yells of fury resounded, torches were brandished, and unnumbered voices called to him to touch the corpse. He obeyed mechanically, extending his hand to that of the in- animate mapstrate, and at the same moment Gates artfully tUtcd the dead body, so that a few drops of corrupt fluid issued from the nose and wounds. This was enough. A roar like the sea among breakers re- sounded in his ear, the mob pressed overwhelmingly upon him, and Gates's yell of " Blood for blood, saith the Loard I" {)ierced far above the tumult. Mervyn gave himself up for ost. Some rugged hand seized him by the collar of his shirt — all that remained of that garment — and a butcher, crushing his way through the crowd, aimed a blow at his head with a cleaver, which would undoubtedly have split it in two. But a bludgeon suddenly interposed, and simui- taneously the butcher reeled back imder a dreadful stroke on his own skull. Mervyn instantly recognized in his rescuer — a m^n in the garb of a waggoner — the powerful form of Colonel Blood. " No, no, my masters, fair play is a jewel !" said the colonel, laying vigorously about him with his cudgel. " Hang him if you will, but no murder !" " Have at thee agam, though thou wert the devil or Colonel Blood!" yeUed the baffled ruffian, returning to the charge with increased violence. " Nay, thou art not the man to play me at single-stick," said the colonel, dexterously parryuig the blow, and re- turning one which laid his opponent senseless on the stones. " Have a care, gentlemen, what ye do ! Here comes a king's messenger, to take the prisoner before his majesty's council I Hands off, or mine are on !" As he spoke, a horseman, m the imiform of the king's guard, appeared, forcing his way through the crowd, and shoutixig, " Boom, room, in the king's name !" He waved a J)aper over the heads of the mob, who rushed back in masses r^m the tramp of a powerful horse which he seemed to ride recklessly through them. He arrived panting and breathless, and, without raising the flaps of a large hat which hung over Ilia face, he shook the paper ia Oo^es's eyes, who still held the youth firmly grasped. 212 WHITEFBIAM. " A secretary's warrant!" he shouted. "Surrender youF prisoner, iu the king's name, to be led before the council !" " To be saved by the powers of Antichrist, presiding there !" yelled Gates. " Men of Loudon ! will ye suffer it h" " No popery ! — Tear him to pieces !" echoed the crowd, but none dared approach within range of Blood's terrible cudgel, more especially as several athletic ligures, armed with the same instrument, had ranged themselves on his side, llie messenger also drew his sword, and backin<' his horse, called to Mervyn to mount behind. But, enraged w ith the prospect of their victim's escape, the mob now regained courage, aiid made a rush at him. All Blood's immense strength could not resist the impetus, and he was swept struggling furiously back ; but the cavalier, perceiving the desperation of affairs, stooped from the saddle and tore Mervyn up before him. Then flourishing his sword in glittering circles, he made a furious charge, and shouting, " In the king's name !" plunged forward, and either knocked down or galloped over all who opposed. t'or a considerable distance they were pursued by stones, mud, and every species of abuse. But the 3'ell8 and nii.ssiles gradually grew famtcr and fewer, and the horse, an animal of great size and power, proceeded at the full stretch of its limbs. They turned rapidly down !Fetter-lane, which waa perfectly dark and deserted, and galloping down a narrow street near Temple-gardens, passed the boundary into Alsatia. Dashing up another narrow lane, bordered by a high dead wall, the horseman suddenly paused at a ruinous gale which seemed to admit into a garden ; but the last recol- lection which Mervyn had was, that his deliverer alit'litcd. and exclaiming, " Now, sir, you are safe ! — I am Ch.uds Duval 1" received him insensible into his amis. A DISCOVERY. 243 UHAPTEE XXXIV. A DI8C0VEBY. Mehvtn's first return of consciousness was a scnRation of prickinf^ and cold in the arm, and opening his eyes, he saw that some one held it over a gallipot, and that ho vraa bleeding, but very slowly and tricklingly. He looked earnestly at the person who held him, and saw that he was a thin tall man, with a pale cadaverous counteuanoc, a large hooked nose, small, brown, rat-like eyes, bald, with a long beard, and a projecting under-lip, which seemed in a perpetual tremble. He was dressed in a shabby ill-fitting suit of bUick, with silver buckles, and a long red cap, ending in a tarnished gilt tassel. Claude Duval and Blood were sitting on tho bed, watching his operations with apparent interest. " Are we safe ?" he murmured, after a faint survey of the apartment. " Safe as Dover Castle," said the colonel. " But Oates ! — he will find me out, and I shall be torn to pieces !" " O, ish it a business of Mr. Oates P" observed the prac- titioner. " Give me de list, Mr. Duval — thank you, shir ! — • I do not much care to meddle with Mishter Oates — he do quote the Bible so neatly." " \Vliat if the black villain suspects our share in the rescue, and brings the train-bands on us ?" said Claude. " He dare not — I know too much," replied Blood, sig- nificantly. At this point of the conversation, a sweet ease and oblivion seemed to sink on Mervyn, and he knew no more. Fever, accompanied by delirium, kept possession of him for several days, but he knew not how time elapsed, nor what events filled it up. Sometimes he had wandering gleams of con- sciousness, in which he recollected that Claude Duval and the colonel seemed watching him with ea^or 'Attention. Even after the rage of the fever had yielded to tlie oess'' skill, ho lay for liours and days immersed in thought, of which he could make no tangible meaning. The first sensible question which he asked was, whether Godfrey's murder wax a dream P Blood refused to answer until he was better able to converse j but observing that this prohibition seemed to make liini more restless, he replied briefly that it, was all true. A short 244 WHITBPBIABS. pause followed, and I^Icrvyn inquired ^hat had become of Claude Duval. The colonel was evidently not rauch pleased with tliis Query, and he replied phortly that he was engaged on one of nia robbing excursions in the north. Mervyn then asked by whart means his escape was effected, and on this point tlie colonel was more difluse. lie said that he and Claude Duval, on learning hia arrest by Gates, had determined on a rescue at all hazards ; and he added that if Claude's trick of counterfeiting a royal niL-sssenger had not siKi'i'eded, there was a band of determined fellows in the crowd who were to aid in a forcible rescue. " And the monster still flourishes, battening in blood P" said Mervyn, with a sigh of exhaustion. *' And the murdei of Godfrey is still unavenged !" " And must remain so, unless you would become a parri- cide !" exclaimed Blood. "A parricide!" said Mervyn, starting up and sinking back again with a deadly sickness at the heart. " A parricide !" " Yes, a parricide !" returned Blood, pacing the room wit!i great agitation. " I know you consider mo &a one of the murderers of Godfrey, though my intentions were only to execute Shaftesbury's jilan ; — and as such you would bring me to the gallows. But know, boy, that in so doing, you would hang i/oicr own father I" "My father? — Villain, you lie I" exclaimed Mervyn, his f)ale face kindling and flushing with passion. *' I say it is a ie ! — you are not my father !" " Who but a father would have done for you what I have done P" said Blood, pausing abruptly, and looking at Mervyn with a strangely troubled expression. " Have I not hazarded my life to save yours P — spent my last pistole to rescue you, by means of Gates, from the hands of those accursed Jesuit'*, who were only training you up as a victim to tlu'ir policy. I placed you imder their care indeed — I, a proscribed and miserable wanderer, having no home — hunted by the blood- hounds of the law — placed you, my only child, in their hands. And they taught you — the rogues ! — that you were the son of a malefactor hanged for some peasant-braining at St, Gmer. Never gaze at mo with those unbelieving eyes ! — I swear to thee, Mervyn, I am thy father, and as such am pre- pared to shed the last drop of my blood in thy defence. And now, boy, wilt thou, for a deed which cannot bo recalled, inscribe tiiysolf in the hellish list of those who have e?«iy their father* P" A DI8C0VKBT. 240 "Why not P — this is the house where paiTicidcs arc bom And leared till they have Btreugth to slay,' groaned Mervyn. " Oh, and are you my father r A murderer I And have I longed my whole life, prayed, thirsted, dieamed, rushed madly forth into this bad and cruel w orld — only to learn this H But It is not true, Ulood !" ho continued, witli llui^hing eyes. " You have coined this falsehood to escape the vengeance due to your crime 1 But think not, think not, to elude me so. Bury me if you wUl in the centre of the earth — I will rise and proclaim your jjuilt." " Four feet of solid earth would keep you snug to the gene- ral resurrection, child," said Blood, calmly ; " and, but that you are my son, what liiuders me from silencing your threats with this dagger ? Can you resist ? Could I not lately have left you in the hangman's grasp ? — were not the mob ready to tear you to pieces when I saved you?" " But why have you kept yourself so long concealed then?" exclaimed Mervyn. " Because I could not bear the thought of presenting an outlaw, a man hunted like a wild beast, as your father!" said Blood, in a tone thick with emotion. " But better times are coming. Shaftesbury will soon be in power, and I shall be pardoned — reinstated in my rank ! I meant to own you as my son when I could confer the title without fear, and you receive it without shame." " That can never be," gasped the unhappy youth. " I can- not ii;deed persist in my resolution to bring either myself or the murderers of Godfrey to the scallbld — but to own you as my father without shame, horror, detestation, the most bitter anguish— never, never, never !" " But I will force you to love me, boy," said Blood. " You shall owe much more to me than the life I have presei-ved. I need something to love me, savage, wild, remorseless as I Bcem ! But think not I will persecute you with my relation- ship. I mean to close my life in battle against the Turks, or else to turn a monk of La Trappe — ha ! ha !" " And my mother — have I a mother P" said Mervyn. " A mother I — ^yes — but she is wedded to another," replied Blood, with visible emotion. " Ay, there indeed I wronged thee, boy 1 I did betray her innocence, and she my love ! Enough 1 — she is the wife of a man of high rank, and hates thee worse than poison, death, and hell — all of which she baa deserved." A shudder ran through Mervyn 's veins, and ho turned on hia pillow with a low groan, whi(Ji seemed the farewell ugh S46 WHITBFBTAB8. of hope. Blood stirred the firo violently, and then wiped the clammy dew which gathered on his huge brows with agitation. "I have confided my soul's secret to you, Mervyn," he said at last. " And beware how you whisper it even in your prayers. Your mother herself — the she-wolf — longs for nothing so much as to lap her jaws in your blood." To this revelation Blood added many particulars which stamped an air of probability on the legend. He refu-^cd, in- deed, most positively to state who the personage was whom he called Mcrvyn's mother ; but from hints which he dropped, coupled with the assurance that it was Lady Howard who had betrayed the youth to Gates, a wild conjecture darted into his mind that it might be her. He could oDtain no satis- faction, however, and was left in the dark. The horror and despair of finding such a father furnished him indeed witli sufficient food for bitter meditation. Time passed, and Mervyn regained strength ; but it was only to find himself a closer prisoner than ever. Tlie eolonel's kindness was unremitting, and he left his pretended son alone as little as possible, but still there were many dreary hours of loneliness to be passed. Mer\-yn heard daily news of the pro- gress of Gates — told to keep him in awe, but which frettque- Iautc, aj)d wore a Spanish hat w ith 'argo Ihnw, Mtliich in greit ▲ DISCOTBBT. 24? measure concealed his face. But on rca'chinc; the knding- place he raised his head, and, the torchlight falling full on lua severe and melancholy features, Mcrvyn stai'ted with amaze- ment at the recognition which he thought ho made, Claude outstripped the rest, ran to him, and embracing him with eagerness, whispered, " For heaven's sake, show no surprise !" and began a loud congratulation on the improvement in his looks. Meanwhile the stranger and Blood entered, and the first glance of the former, and his emphatic gesture, seemed to throw Merryn into a nervous tremour. Claude made haste to prevent these symptoms from being observed ; but though Blood politely bade his visitors welcome, he made a sort of involuntary movement to his pistols. " Colonel Blood, you wUl excuse me," said Claude, " but knowing that trouble has taught you compassion, I have brought this gentleman, a French ecclesiastic, to take refuge a few hours with you, for it is rumoured that Gates intends to search the queen's lodring, where he resides." " The gentleman is welcome — your ghostly father as I pre- sume, Claude ?" replied the colonel, with a suspicious glance. " Morhleu ! (craving your pardon, father !) I came not ac- quainted with him in so creditable a manner," said Duval. " I chanced to meet his reverence on the Dover road ; but, having known him in France, I recognized him in time to spare myself a sacrilege." " Yes, and did honestly return me scrip and piu-se, albeit something heavier than tue apostle recommended," said the stranger, with a smUe. "And now he completes his kind- ness by saving me from Mr. Oates's perquisitions." " And you are in England, I presume, on the matter of these late troubles of ours F" said Blood. " I warrant his holiness cannot sleep on them." " I am in England on my master's errand, to brmg back the sinner and the lost one !" replied the ecclesiastic, with an emphatic j^lance at Mervyn. Blood invited the strangers to be seated, and Mervyn tre- mulously offered his services to remove the priest's roquelaure and hat, which were whitened with enow. But he declined this attention with some asperity, and contented himself with laying aside his large hat. He then took the seat indicated, and began discoursing on indifferent subjects. Mei^vyn felt, nevertheless, that his eye dwelt on him almost contmiudly, and though he never dared to meet it, his own emotion gre\f almost Uncontrollable. 24JS WniTEFBIABS. Claude very eeklom visited the colonel m hij den without brinpmg preservativea against a famine, nor had he on thij occasion. He called to Mervyn to help him unload a basket he liad brought, wliich Ue obeyed with great alacrity, glad of an opportunity to conceal his feelings. During the repast, the conversation ran on general subject*, but it flowed naturally into poUtics at last. The French ecclesiastic spoke English well, though with a foreign accent ; and he discussed the pointa mooted with the fluency of one thoroughly master of his subject. He concluded a vivid description of the perils which menaced Catholicism, by ob- serving with a sigh that the church was in less danger from without than within — that there were traitors even in her bosom ; and he glanced at Mervyn. "Nay, he at least is no traitor to the Bishop of Rome, if that be his liege," said Blood, with a gloomy chuckle. " I have heard the story," replied the priest ; " but me- thinks falsehood — to give it no worse name — even against so abominable a wretch as Oates, can do no good to the cause of truth." " I spoke no word that was not true," repUed Mervyn, trusting his voice with evident trepidation. " ^ay, sirs, it was but the ravings of fever," said Blood* carelessly. " But, youth," said the priest, addressing Mervyn for the first time, " I have heard that Oates swore you were his ser- vant, and had betrayed him to the catholic party ?" " lie bed — the villain !" said Mervyn, with vehemence. " He alone betrayed — betrayed me from the first instant I beheld him !" " And how, my son P" said the stranger, with a look of sup- pressed but extreme anxiety. Mervyn glanced at Blood, and though he observed that his brow was deeply knit, ho launched IwKlly into a narrative of his flight, and a passionate defence of his conduct. The ecclesiastic listened with profound attention, but hii austere countenjince betiiiyed little emotion, and in spite of Blood's endent imensiness, iVIervyn contmued his story till he had safely landed himself in England. And then hi» voice grew troubled, and finally he burst into a pa^ssion of tears. '* Enough ! weep no more," said tlie priest, in a fjentle and Tioved voice, "lucre is no sin so great which tiio church cannot forgive to a sincero repentance ! Till me, child, ar« you willini{ i<> return to l.er mul<>riiul bosom i'" 1 DISCOVERY. 249 " Oh, how willing !" replied Meiryn ; " but it may not be I" " It may, it can, it shall be !" replied the strange*, -with sudden enu>tion. " Return, my son, to the anna of the church, which stretches them out to welcome back the prodigal as — as I do !" And Mervyn waa instantly locked m his paternal embrace. " What is the meaning of this ?" exclaimed Blood, fiercely clutching the boy's arm. " I am his father I I demand to know." " His father ! — you !" exclaimed Duval. " Peace, Claude !" interrupted the ecclesiastic, " Colonel Blood, I am here to demand back the orphan whom your arts cajoled from my guardianship. I am the rector of St. Omer. "We are two to one, but I am willing to ransom him with gold — I offer you a hundred pistoles." " I will not play Abraham to an imbelieving generation, sacrificing mine only son," said Blood, bitterly. "And if ye are two to one, I have my backers too." So saying he pro- duced a formidable pair of pistols. " We are not barkers without teeth either. Master Blood," said Claude, producing a pair with equal rapidity ; but the colonel sunk Iiis with a contemptuous laugh, for Mervyn had rushed between them. There was a moment's pause, during which the antagonists gazed watchfully and wrathfuUy at each other, and seemed hesitating what to do. It was broken by a hoarse, famihar voice in the corridor, bawling, " Hoitv, toity ! what's a-doing here ! Whoy, Master Blood, Master Blood, how's this ? Are you turned Norfolk •quire, and keep open house to all incomers ?" **It IB trut devil, Gates !" exclaimed Blood. WniTEFBIAnS. CHAPTER XXXV. THB KSCAPADE. As the colonel pronounced the word3, the worthy tbuB announced thrust open the door, and stepped hesitatingly in. Mervrn Bhrunk back aghast ; even Blood (^lared at hira like a Avila beast surprised Ld his den, and Claude stepped before the ecclesiastic, as if to conceal him : but thp latter would not sanction this manoeuvre ; he turned Duval gently aside, and confronted Oates with a sternness and majesty of look and manner which, for the moment, abashed even his tried im- pudence. They looked at each other in silence for several moments. " Loard be marciful to us poor wayfarers!" exclaimed Oates, at last. " Here's a pretty kettle of fish ! who'ad a thought to meet such worshipful gentry here ! So, so, Mr. Blood, have ya turned priest-hider ? Gock ! there be more cod to catch than I have net to carry ! — But that I should find a popish sarpiut in a true-blue protestant hole. 1 thought only to have found you aud the urchin. Colonel Blood!" " What mean you, villain ! " exclaimed the colonel. " Speak quickly and begone ! By Heaven, I know not what hinders me from doing the hangman's business on tliee !" " Nay, brother, I mean no harm ioyou — else I had brou";ht my company in at the onset," rephed Oat.'S, with remarkaolc coolness. " I only want the kid — do you understand P And since accident has conferred a pleasiurc which all our diligenco coidd not compa.ss, tliis reverend gentlemmi aud popish liigh- ■wayman must lionour us with their society. Ay, stare as you will — I say, must ! "Tis a shame you should live lon-jer at your own expense, for the government hath provided lodgings for gciits of your degree in Newgate and the Tower." " You are mad, tribune — you are mad ! " said Blood. " See vou not you are in my power P AV^ere those geutlemen my bitterest enemies — and they are my very gooil friends — ^1 would hold them safe, though my own life paid the price." " Pooh, pooh, I run no risk ; I know what 1 am about," replied Oates. " Assist me, aud we will share the reward like brothers. A hundred guineas on Claude, in the Hue an/ Cry — as much on this young lioinicide — two hundred moi- doTM oil'ered by parli^uueut on the Jesuit, dead or ahvu ! You THE ESCAPADE. 251 know him not, Blood ! — 'tis the arch-plotter, Van Huysman, chief of that horrible consult held at the "VNTiito HorBo tavern, about kiUing his most sauored maj " " Ix)ok ye, docj, vanish ! — or thou art on the way to receive thy diininable wages," said Claude, levelling his pistols at the villain's head. "Peace. Claude, peace!" said Van Huysman, calmly. " Agauist a single man — or devil — I know not wliich — we run no danger. Yes, Oates, I am ho for whom you take me — Van Huysman ! Wretch ! and do you tremble before me, who have not feared your God ? Serpent, that stole into tho paradise of innocence ! Judas, that betrayed with a kiss ! Vcs, I a?n he who disappointed the benevolent intention of chance, and saved thee from death in the flesh, only that thou mightEt achieve thine own etei'nal ruin, and that of this loved and unfortunate child !" During tliis invective, Gates's eye sunk, he looked confused and iiTesolutc, and kept gnawing iiis under lip. " Oy, oy> yes, yes," lie replied, hurriedly, " you may call me ungrateful, about that presarval too ! The Loard reserved me for a great work ; he made the stones his instruments ; glory, glory ! But I'll be revenged — I will I — The execrable ploat ! Remember how you treated me at St. Omer ! made me sit at a table by myself, as if I had the plague. I'll be revenged. I have a warrant in my pocket to arrest all Jesuits, popish rogues, what not ! I'll do't — it's come about now!" "As you shall find. Master Oates!" said Claude, vehe- mently. " T^> are four to one ; and I do feel well inclined to pay off an old score, by signing thcc a passport direct to the fiend !" " Naw, naw, monnscer, y'are only four to forty," said Oates, steadily. " Ya do not think I am fool enough to trust myself in the whale's jaws without a harpoon — like blessed Jonas P The house is surrovmded, gentlemen — a whistle of mine brings in a boat's crew of musketeers who wait below. You are landlocked, too ; resistance is in vain. I have choked the sentinel's horn with silver, but I come to offer you terms. Blood, hear me," he continued, clutching the I'olonel's arm, and speaking in a low fiendish whisper. "Lady Howard has offered me four thousand pounds to bring thfa younker to the gibbet, and you shall finger a cool thousand —eh?" " Four thousand pounds ! good, excellent, unparalleled murderess !" exclaimed Blood. " Four thousand pounds ! why the fiend ! she only oifbred me a thousand if I would do £o2 WlilTr.KllIAUS. It, and vnth my own hand too ! And am I so much a cheaper villain than this toad of the deril's spawning P By hell-fire ! I'U have it all ; no one shall touch him but myself! I'll die ■ooner ! look to it, Gates ! Make yourself on the instant invisible, or — or — your life is in danger !" " I can't believe you arc such a noodle ! — what ! virtaoua Colonel? — two thousand then !" exclaimed Gates. " Hark ! my men are impatient, and batter at the door." "Where they may batter long enough, devil!" exclaimed Mervyn, entering the apartment, whence he had vanished for a moment in the confusion, without being observed. " Tliose doors are triple brass against everything but artillery ; I have bolted them ! Come, if ye are men ! The back way ; the garden ! 'Tis for our hves !" Then suddenly leaping on Gates, he struck him in the arm in time to discharge his pistols upwards, instead of at himself — the original aim. In a moment Claude was upon liim, dashed away tne pistole, and struck him a tremendous blow with the butt-ends. Gates fell, yelling murther ! with all his might, but Blood hit him another severe blow, which seemed to quiet him. He wao about to strike a third, which would have eflectually Bilenced him, when Van Huysman arrested his arm. " Spare him — vengeance is His!" he exclaimed. "Leave him to repentance, if it may be ! Have you any way of flight, as Mervyn seems to say P If so, let us begone instantly 1" " Hark, below !" exclaimed Claude. A low uproar of voices, and heavy blows at the portal, rang up the corridor. Blood seized a torch, and, pistol in hand, opened the door of that mysterious staircase, aovm which Mervyn had so often longed to penetrate. He bolted the door after them to delay pursuit, and took the same precautions with three others in succession which they encoxmtered. They traversed a suite of deserted and moulderin'j chambers, descended another flight of stairs, and found themselvea in a hall which termi- nated by a ruined portico on the garden. Blood hastily extinguished the torch, and motioned them to halt for a moment in the shadow of the portico. The ruined garden lay before tliem, ^vith its broken statues and weed-overgrown terraces. It was a bitter night, ami though the moon shone with great brillijmcy, the snow fell in such thick masses that even the colonel's expert eye was perplexed. He listened attentively, and for a moment heard no sound but the crackling of the frosty trees. But suddenly the gloani of a partisan caught his eye, and ho counted three in succession along the ganlen-wall, on tiie exterior. Tlie wall at the end iccmed, however, unguai-ded — probably boiause it was fenced TOB ESCAPADE. 253 en the other side with a deep ditch, or rather sewer, floinng into the Thames. Blood saw there was but one course, and he took it in* Btantly. Motioning his companions to imitate his movements, he couched down on all fours, and stole cautiously along the edge of the wall, his hands and feet sinking deep in the snow. In this fiishion they came to the end of the garden, for it was impossible to cross the open ground without attracting the observation of a sentinel who had perched himself on a broken Pedestal at the gate. The wind was very high, and l)lew Blood's hat off into ""ome bushes, but he dared not attempt to follow it. It was evident that the report of the pistol had not reached the ear of these soldiers — probably deadened by the massive walls which intervened, and the noise of the river. The fugitives now paused at a signal from the colonel, still couching like so many monstrous frogs. He then raised himself cautiously, and whispering to Mervyn that he must take care and not smother in the ditch, stooped and desired hun to mount the wall on his shoulders. Mervyn made a pign for the ecclesiastic to go first, but Blood gave him a sharp twitch, and muttering, " I'U be tlie last — he is safe !" the youth dared not disobey any longer. In a moment he was over and up to his waist in a ditch of black and feculent mud, with the slimy timbers of a ship-j'ard before him, which looked so high and steep that the worst part of their task seemed before them. Van Huysman, aided by Claude, followed with somewhat more diflScultv, and with a splash which seemed to attract the sentinel's notice, for they heard one call out, " Comrade, hear ye that P" Claude almost leaped over with his French agility, and Blood followed. " Fly, fly ! — each a separate way," no exclaimed. " If the priest retm-ns to the queen's palace he will be safe — Claude, look to yourself — Mjervyn and I will take refuge in a place in Shaawell. Adieu, all !" And ho scrambled up the timbers of the ship-yard with the agility of a wild cat. " Farewell, my child ! — we will meet again," said Tan Huysman. " Every man for himself," muttered Blood, and clutching Mervyn irom Van Huysman 's embrace, he ran off. Claudo and Van Huysman disappeared in another direction, and not before it waa time, for all Alsatia was roused by the report of the firearms. The friar with the horn, afraid that his betrayal would be discovered, began to blow lustily ; shout« of, "Hep, help! a bailr, a baily!"rang far and nf^ar— "SL'Tiff'i o^cen, shcriiTi ofiBccrs I — Tipstaves, tipetavcBl" 254 WHTTEFRIAR9. The tumult was increased by the hoarse brayiug of the sen- tinel's horn ; windows opened far and near ; men rushed out with naked swords and muskets — women with shovels, fire- forks, or any other weapons that came to hand, all shouting and yelling in the direst confusion. Amidst the uproar, the banlcrupts and others who had any very peculiar reason for avoiding a rencounter with the ministers of justice, ran des- perately to the water's edge, yelling, " A scuJler, a sculler ! — ten guineas for a boat, a boat !" Numbers of small boats instantly put off to the rescue of these unfortunate individuals , but over all Blood's terrible voice was pre-rjminent. A sculler approached, rowed by a gigantic fellow, who, however, kept at a cautious distance from tlie stairs, calling out, " Cash first, cash first ! — wont be diddled !" " Ay, 'tis the only friend in need !" exclaimed Blood, tossing a moidore into the fellow's boat. " Here, here — another at Shadwell Lock." The sculler's head instantly touched the stairs, and a crowd of miserable fugitives made a rush to enter it. But the colonel knocked them down right and left with his bludgeon, threw Mervyn in, followed himself, and instantly pushed off. amidst a general yell of despair from the crowd. But the colonel's heart was steeled to supplications, and he laughed scornfully as every stroke of the oar placed them at a greater distance. " The birds are flown for whom the springe is set," ho observed. " But I'll be revenged on master fowler Oates some day ! — Eogucs ! I'll warrant, they'll have a good swill at my claret !" This thought seemed to be very bitter to him, for he dwelt on it almost till they reached k?hadwell, which they eouu accomplished, as both ■« ind and tide were in their favour. Blood dismissed the waterman on landing, with a moidore more than his fee, to secure his secrecy, and Mervyn found Jiiniself standing on a stone e^iuseway which led to two or three straggling houses. Shadwell at that period was ti mean village, surrounded by marshy fields, and principally tenanted by fishers, and men who picked up a living in variouii ways on the river. Blood led the way up a narrow mir>- lane, and paused before the ruins of a house, ^^ Inch, from the black and crumbling beams visible in a bright moonlight, had evidently been destroyed by fire. I'o Men-yn's very great surprise, the colonel stooped and whistled at a sort "of trap- door, visible amidst the heaps of fallen rubbish by chinks of light all around it, which had gnco been the cellar of tJie ruin. This whistle was answered by another, to which Blood THE ESCAPADE. 255 again replied in a very pccniiar tone ; a noise of unbarring was lienrd, the trap-door elided back, and a woman appeared on a lligbt of stone steps, anxiously shading a torch, which 8ho carried so as to throw its full light on the visitor's face. She was a tall masculine creature, ^^ilh coarse shaggy features, very visible tokens of a beard, and an arm which, being bare to the elbow, displayed a sinewy strength not usually apper- taining to the fair sex. " In the denl'sname ! who, — what — why ?" was her laconic hut expressive address. "By the Lord Harry! but I should know that voice," exclaimed the colonel, examining the Amazonian attentively. " Agad ! but can it be P Yes, it is — and yet no, it tj impossible ! ^Vhy, Tom Hunt, Tom Hunt, have you forgot- ten me P" " Adzooks ! what — by daggers and pistols, the great colonel nimself !" exclaimed the seeming ladv, rushing up and giving Blood a liug which almost made him cry mercy. " Od'« bodikins and tripe ! — why, colonel, colonel, if you an't as welcome as Easter offerings to a starved curate, hang me— that's all ! Hollo, boys, hollo, below there, — the colonel, the colonel !" Tliis gladsome shout seemed to break a yelling chorus of pome strange melody which resounded from the cellar below. There was a dead silence, and then a voice shouted, " I say, Moll. Moll ! what's the blare? Are the hookers there?" " No, no, boys ; all sound as Paul's steeple — the colonel i« come to see us !" returned the Amazon. " Whom have you below. Hunt ?" said Blood. " Oh, only the gang — PaiTot, Captain Mason, Carstairs, Rumsey, and one or two other right-down devil-blossoms," replied the disguised rufSan. "All's safe as one o'clock on a frosty morning when the watch is asleep. Come down, come tlowu. worthy colonel. But what's the squeaker?" " The young useful of whom I spoke," replied the colonel. " Never mind perusing him now, Hunt ; he is in the blush as yet. Lead the way — a)ut how, in the negro's name below, came you in Kuch a trim P" " Oh, it's all about that unpleasant business of the Alders- gate mioer — that fool, Eed-Nose, knocked him on the head tor squeaking, you know," said Tom, with a grin. " But see how I can put it on ! Come gentlemen — this way, gentlemen I La, an't you welcome though — la, though !" And imitaung me mmcmg step of a chambermaid, the Amazon guided them down a flight of stone steps, some of wtiich were very loose, into the liaimt below. 26G VrtoTEFBIARS. Afl they descended, Merryn formed a clearer notion of thd Bociety in which he waa to mingle. It was in a large cellar, evidently once in use as a marine warehouse, the walla bare, black, and dripping with damp, although there waa an enormoufl sea-coal fire blazing, several rough-hewn tables, chairs, and stools, were the only furniture, and a motley collection of men and women were engaged playing at dice, drinking, swearing, and smoking in a kmd of Drown mist, the exhalations of which almost choked Mervyn. The dresses of these gentry were as various and incongruous as possible ; some wore the richest velvets, tricked out in all the flashy finery of the day ; others were in rags and tatters : but a perfect equality seemed to reign among them. Blood's appearance attracted immediate attention ; and no sooner was he recognized, than a loud, long, and vociferous cheer vented the delight and enthusiasm of the company. The colonel received these honours with the calm indifference of one accustomed to them, shook hands with some few, and assumed to the whole band a tone of mastery and chieftainship which seemed implicitly admitted. "Well, gentlemen," he said, as soon as the first uproar had subsided, " thanks for your kind reception, which must needs be disinterested enough, for here is my purse" (and he threw an empty one on the table). " Boys, I must have this tilled again — they have hunted me out of Alsatia — me and my son— but, 'sdeath, they shall find they had better not !" " I have only a moidore, but that is yours, splendid colonel," exclauued Tom Hunt. " Pish ! the fiend taKc it, I have only the change of one. I gave seven sliiilings to a watchman to let Parrot loose." " And so he did ; Jack Parrot is not the man to forgot it," said a long lean individual near a wooden bowl, the coutenla of which he seemed somewhat the better for. " All we have is yours, colonel," shouted another rufilan. " I'll cut the rascal's wizen that says you nay, even if you want the skin from his back !" This threat, or perhaps some other motive, instantly pro- duced a display of purses. " No, no, comrades ! Tom Blood is not the man to take cliarity, even from the men he has made," exclaimed that worthy. " So long as the world produces fools to bow, there will be wise men to roan ; and tiiese pistols of mine bIi&II yield me as good a rental as tlie clearest estate in England — BO pocket your purses again." "Wo must to the old project, colonel. I am sure 'lii alinost rotten-ripe," said Tom Ilunt, with a sly look. s 1! THE ESCAPADE. 257 " Hush ! the May bloom is fresh," said Blood, significantly. " Come, gentlemen, be seated, and go on with your jollifica* tion. Mctliinks I heard some song a-roaring ; if so, roar on. I am in good time to be your chime-master ; for when a man 18 desperate he should be merry, having nothing to fear." The new guests seated themselves, and a mug of punch was handed to each ; after which, at Blood's repeated request, the song was resumed, Tom Hunt leading it off, and the rest joining in a boisterous chorus. When it concluded, drinking and notous conversation became the order of the feast. Mervyn soon felt the soporific influence of the dense at- mosphere into which he had entered from the fresh cold air of the river, and nodded in his chair. This was observed by Parrot, who had paid him considerable attention, and kindly spreading his cloak on a bench, he invited him to repose. This invitation was eagerly accepted, and in a few minutes Mervyn was insensible even to the noise and tumult around him. CHAPTER XXXVI. COLONEL blood's PLOY Some hours elapsed ere Mervyn woke from liis deep slumber of exhaustion, and when he did, the morning light was streaming in through the cracks m the trap-door above. The noisy company had, however, all departed, and only Blood remained, who was anxiously superintending a steak as it broiled on the hot embers. Mervyn felt feeble and giddy, and went to seat himself by the fire, shivering rather from illness than cold. " How pale thou art, child !" said the colonel, in a kind tone. " Courage ! — fortune must be nigh weary of making us her footballs, and the verge of ill is the brink of good. We will not rest stewed up in this cellar ; for thou wilt wither like a rose, deprived of light. An' it like thee, we will out and enjoy tlus bright morning on the water, when we have broken our fast on a collop and stoup of ale." " But shall we not be pursued and caught by those blood- hounds P" said Mervyn, sadly. " Troth, no, if my project holds good," replied the colonel. " But wo must fortli in disguise. Thou art so fair and bear dices a youngster, that I intend thee to pass for a 258 WHITEFRIARS. ipri ; and for myeclf, I sliall assomo the garb of a doctor of divinity — not the first wolf in Bhcep's clothing, Mcrvyn ! And 80 transmogrified, we may breathe God's air, and warm ui in his sun, at freedom, like — ha! ha! the thought will out — like serpents." " Anything to escape from this loatliBOmo robber-hole," said Mcrvyn, hastily. " Yea, and I have a project afloat which may perchanco sail with thee into a good harbour," said Bloou, musingly. " "What think you, boy, if I get you a snug refuge under the very wliiskers of the law itself? — a lodging in the Tower P'' " I can get my board too at Newgate," replied Merryn, doggedly. "But as a prisoner — now I mean vou to be a guest," said Blood. "You must needs think, ifervyn, that as a father, I am grieved to see thee thrown among the villanous men with whom my persecuting fortimo herds me ? "Well, I have an ancient friend who is marshal of the of one of the Tower wards, and who, for the love he bears me, will give yoii secret entertainment till this storm blows over. Oates wQl never think to look for thee there, no more than a cat would expect a mouse to nestle in her fur. At all events M'o will to the Tower to-day, ibr by heaven I the most dangerous spots in England are now the safest for us !" There was a desperate energy in Blood's tones which stnu-k the youth as rather superfluous, but tliere was something 80 delicious in the idea of quitting the ruflianly society in which ho had lately mingled, that ho did not venture to analyse the hesitation with which ho replied to this fine project. " Agad, boy, you shall understand me better ftian hitherto !" continued the colonel. " I have but showed thee the dark side of my character, but there are lights in it, too. JX'S- pcrato as I am, hunted by men's detraction and liate even to death, I mUI show theo how bravo men t^iko Fortune's kicks — even with a smile ! I will have my jest though I dio on't — that is, if Hunt can get tlie liisguises; if not, wo must stay here, and die like rats in a morticed liole." "But what jest do you sju'ak of, colonel? Alas! your jokes in general wring blood, not laughter," said i^lervyn. '• Wliy do you not call mo fatiier, boy V" said Blooil. stornlv. *' Methinks 1 have done cnougli to deserve it, evi'ii if natuio had not conferred it. But fear not, iMervyn — this joke shall bo all lauL'hler and no harm, xiidess men split their sides to hear it; told." iCOLOKEL BIiOOD'8 PLOT. 259 " But what is this joke P — on whom is it to be played P" re- plied Mervyn, impatiently. " It is to serve as a merry prologue to your introduction in the Tower," said Blood, with seeminc carelessness. " But I doubt if the disguises can be procured for our masque." " All's right, all's right, glorious colonel ! here they arc !" interrupted a loud voice, and a bundle rolled at their feet, fol- lowed by Tom Hunt, still in his woman's garb, and frisking merrily as he descended. " The disguises, Tom ?" said the colonel, quietly. " Well, well, don't open it yet — the steak is done, and, with a few mugs of your best aqua vita to wash it down, we will take in provender for our enterprise." " But this jcBt — what is it ?" insisted Mervyn, with an in- voluntarv feeling of distrust. " Well, boy, as I was telling theo when this rough wench broke in upon us," said Blood, quietly lifting his reeking !>teak from the embers — " A^Tiat was I saying ? — some few months agone — Have you never a wooden platter, Hunt P — I was chatting with my old schoolfellow, Mr. Edwards, in the Tower, about the fortunes of my life, or rather misfortunes, and I was something emptily boasting of the many disguises I had assumed, and how I could deceive any man breathing, twice in the same hour. Whereupon old Talbot said that no man that had once seen me, and heard my voice, could mis- take me again, though as aiTant an ass as Balaam's. To ^\ hich I swore lustily that 1 could cozen him, for as wise as he thought himself — and thereupon we wagered a supper and canaries to be eaten and drunk by as many friends as I coulJ briuff vrith me, provided myself was undiscovered." " Excellent, excellent !" said Hunt, rubbing his hands joy- fully. " Well, to amuse myself even in these late great distresses of mind," continued Blood, " I put my project in execution. I disguised me as a doctor of d'ivinity — you do remember, Afervyn, how oft and in what strange garbs I left you in "NVhitefriars P" " Marvellously well !" " About a fortnight ago — Tom Hunt, thy brandy is shame- fully adulterated with water ; 'tis enou^rh to danm thy vint- ner ! — nay, not so long ago— I went to the Tower in that dis- guise, with a woman whom for the nonce I called my wife, under pretext of seeing the curiosities. TTie plot took mar- vellously. Edwards had no more recognition of me than Adam. While we were looking at some of the toys there, my wife feigned to have a qualm In her stomach, and I prayed tht 260 WHITLFUIARS. aid ixciitlprnan to seinl for some spirits, intending to male A juUiliciilion and d\Aiu\cry. But untbrtunutely some stranpors canie in, and I w as obliged to defer mv explanation. Old mother Edwards w&a very civil to my wife, and invited her to repose on a bed upstairs, so that when we parted it was with jvery mark of civility and mutual good-will. This good suc- cess put it into my head to carry the joke out, A few days after, I went with a present of four pair of the best white scented gloves from my wife, with her grateful compliments. In short, being well entertained, I repeated my visits without discovering myself; so that at last the old man took me in so liot a friendship, that having a son, who was daily expected home from sea, and who wanted a wife, he proposed to me, if I had a daughter, to make a match between the families. I \^ as foohsh enough to pretend I had one — a fair likely wench, with a good two hundi-ed pound for fortune, left by some grandame. To make a long storv short, we fully agreed upon a match between the young people, and in token thereof called each other brothers, yestermom it was agreed that 1 should brin^ my daughter to be introduced to her relations elect — and I at first thought of bribing some young slut to play the part. 33ut on deliberate advice, methiuks that were carrying the joke too far, to show them a— a — such a body as a daughttr-Lu- law ; 80 I have determined to take you, Mervyn, in disguise. Then after a Httle becoming mirth, we will reveal the whole sham, and the good humour thereby engendered ^ill float thee at once into the good graces of the honest couple. Wilt go, lad P" " If it be, as you say, only a harmless frolic," said Mervyn, somewhat dubiously. " If! — bah, what i/when tl)e great colonel pledges his im- mortal word 'tis soP' said Tom Hunt, in a lofly tone. " At all events, j'oungster, you are his son, and obedience ia a filial duty. But how will you play your own part, cliild, as a puri- tJiu parson's daughter P Cimst amble tediously, turn up thine eyes on occasion, leer with sanctity, and pluy the devil with tue saintly grimaces of the pure ones P" "I can at least hold my tongue — a virtue which may be practised with approbation by all women," said tlie youth, emiling. "In short, I will be anytlimg, or do anything, to escape from this dungeon." The breakfast waa soon despatched, and they imx^eedcd to dress. Mervyn's toilet was soon comnleted. and elal)omt«-ly finished oQby Hunt, who boasted of liis skill in female habi- liments. A plain looped petticoat of brown stud' concealed his nether garments ; neat grey stockings, black buckles and coLONicr, blood's plot. 2Cl high-heeled 8hooi», fiiiislicd his lower apparel. Stays cf dark fawn-coloured silk, well padded, a clear-starched collar, and a little precise coif, beneath which his dark hair clustered in. thick rings, completed his garb. Blood put himself into his disguise as a doctor of divinity ; he wore a little band, a long false beard, a cap with cars, everything except the gown, in- stead of which he had a black cloak of capacious width. Thus equipped, and having made some agreement with Ilunr, which Mervyn did not overhear, they sallied boldly forth from their subterraneous hiding-place. Ulood took a boat directly, and ordering the waterman to keep on the Surrey side of the river, and not to hurry him- self, they sailed merrily out on the bright waves. It was a clear frosty morning, and the keen bright air braced Mervyn's nerves, and restored the roses to his pale cheeks. Biood wrapped him in his own cloak, and reclinmg indolently on the prow, seemed lost in a deep and gloomy meditation. Mervyn was rather surprised to see that they floated past the Tower, and that Blood gave directions to land them at Whitehall- Ktairs ; but he was afraid to speak, lest he might attract the waterman's observation. They landed at the place indicated, and -walked up a road which led to Chelsea-fields. Crossing tAvo or tnree heuges, they reached a watering-place for cattle, formed by a very deep pond overhung by weeping willows, white with the morning frost. As they approached, Mervyn perceived two or three horsemen grouped together, and handing about a large tin bottle, to which each in turn seemed to apply hia lips with great devotion. They were all dressed as substan- tial puritan burghers of the time — of that sober class which abhorred all court-fripperies, as so many lime-twigs set by the devil to ensnare men's souls. One of them held the rein of an unoccupied horse, of powerful make, as seemed necessary, for it carried both a saddle and a pilUon, as if for two to ride. " Hero they are, notable brethren of the faith, Lord- seekers, all !" said Blood, laughingly. " Look — know you not, Hunt P — By'r lady ! he looks the surly covenanting knave, better than the dimpled wench of a hostelry. — Ho, Parrot, all right?" " As Paul's clock, when it isn't wrong," replied that gen- tleman. Mervyn looked in mute surprise at the colonel for an explanation. " On, it is as Parrot says, all right," he said, carelessly. " To horse, Mervyn ! — I sent a message in the early morning to Edwards, telling him I meant to bring my daughter ana tomo of my friends with mo to seo the Tower, and, as I have 262 WUITZFEIABS. made such visita ere now profitable to him, he has no gainsay." Though not thoroughly satisfied with this explanation, Mervyn could ofler no objection, and Blood, laughing hoarsely, lifted him on the pillion, where he sat sideways like a woman. Blood then vaulted on before him, and, givmg his horse a smtch, the whole cavalcade set ofi" at a sober pace to London. Passing over a succession of fields and marshland, on a very rude road, which, however, was luckily hard frozen, they entered the Mall, and bo to Charing-cross. As they jogged on, Mervyn coiild not help remarking the different stylfli in which they were treated by the different classes of men they encountered, which might have served as an illustration of the conflicting temper of the nation at the period. The men of plain, precise garb — the substantial middle-class burgher — treated them with respect ; paid principally to the puritanical cut of Blood's coat, which intimated that he was one of the expelled nonconformist clergy. On the other hand, the gUt- tering young cavaliers, whom they met taking their morning ride in all the pomp of velvet and embroidery, never failed to treat them with some satirical observation, some tart gibe, and often studied rudeness, which the colonel bore with mu- gular patience and composure, but which made Mervyn'a blood boil. The observations addressed to him personally were such as frequently to bring the blush to his own cheeks, us it might to the yovmg maiden's he personated ; but Blood took no notice, and exhorted him to do the same. " Why, chUd," he said, '* if a man had a mind to punish all the rogues and scoundrels he might meet in this age, all London would go to bed with broken bones ; and, if he kept an even-handed justice, liimself too." He then gave the youth some instructions as to how he was to behave himself in his assumed character, and Mervvu thought he dwelt somewhat superfluously on the matt^jr. Tlie colonel avoided Fleet-street, by threading a numbcM of narrow lanes on the banks of the river, and thev emerged at last in Thames-street. Thence their way to tlie ^Power lay in a long straight lino through a crowded, populous, and splendid street, by no moans resembling the riiiunes-stroet of our day, where conmierce has usurped the place of fashion. Blood seemed desirous of shunning observation, and rode jis fast as the crowded state of the streets allowed him, until they suddenly emerged on a wild broken land, strewed with a few neglected gardens, whicli bordered the Tower moat. The battlemonted rampart aiul hoary towers strcnmii^ wita COLONEL blood's tlot, 2G3 baudcrok, the walls bristling wltk cannon, roused Mervyn'ii admiration, and elicited an exclamation of delight from nim. But the colonel suddenly checked his horse, and turning, with a faoo deeply flushed — " ^Vhy, how now, urchin," ho ex- claimed ; " what the fiend ails thee P" He spoke with sucli a-sperity, and even fierceness of tone, that Merryn ventured no reply. After a moment's consideration. Blood called to his companions, and said they would ride to the Iron Gate, where he was known. They jogged on at a slow pace along tlie shore of the rirer, which tlien consisted of a raised cause- way in a very neglected state, and reined up their jaded horses at last under the frowning battlements of the Iron Gate. A warder came forward, and respectfully greeted Blood, imder the title of Doctor Andrews. The reverend gentleman then alighted, and assisted his fair companion to do the same, inquiring how worthy Master Edwards was, and that excel- lent woman, his wife. The warder answered that Edwards was marvellously well, considering his years, and all the better for his hopes to see his reverence. "Ay, ay, my brother and I are excellent friends, and hope to be better," said Blood, with a slight smile. "I have brought some brethren, d'ye see, friend Giles, to have a stare at those car^ nal man-ghttering stones, whereof your master hath the keeping, as well to marvel at the greed and vanity of human worms, as to gratify the woman-curiosity of my young daughter here. Good help us, Master Giles, are tliere any news of this sea bridegroom of ours P" " Captain Edwards of the Sea-Shark P Oh, I warrant me, master !" said the warder. " His ship came up to Wapping last night, and waits only a good tide to bring her to the Tower.^' "Av, indeed P" replied Blood, hastily. ""Well, well, wo must be getting our preparations hastened then. Thou wilt guess, Giles, what is forward when I tell thee this gentleman with the ink-horn at his belt is our scrivener, and the rest I have brought as witness to a ccrtam matter between my Brother Edwards and me." " Ay, marry, goodfaith and indeed !" said the warder, in- dulging himself with a stare at the bride, who bashfully drew on her coif. " No offence, miss, but can't help wishing you joy. Good lack, Master An'^rews, we shall have a marriage- feast soon P" " And fear not but thou shalt have an invitation to the vedding, honest GUes," said the doctor. " Prithee, chargo not thyself with our horses, they are too joint-weary to ru» 264 WHITEFBIABS. away, for we are wayfarers from out of Samaria — x mean we have ridden far. Come, daughter, I trow we shall find Maalcr Edwards in his usual snug tabernacle?" He turned as he spoke to give his arm to Mervyn, and hi« cloak opening an instant, the latter thought he saw a pair of pistols m his girdle, and a long dagger — sdmost rapier. How- ever, as this was only in accordance with the desperation of his character, ho tooK little notice of the circumstance. The whole company now entered the gates, and crossing a court- yard in demure silence, passed the AVTiite Tower and came on a smooth square of grass, used aa a bowling-green by the farrison. A warder whom they questioned told them that laster Edwards was at his usual place in the armoury, and respectfiilly opened a massive postern, saying it was a snorter way. As they entered Blood whisperedf, in a tone more cal- culated to excite terror than caution, " Boy, play thy part well till I say, the game is tip, and then do as thou shalt see me do." Mervyn had no time to ruminate on the meaning of these words ; they had entered the horse armoury, ana the long array of those iron statues of war instantly attracted his attention. The efhgies of many a kingly warrior stood before him, arrayed in rich suits of the armour worn by some of them on the great days which make their names eternal in the memory of England. At the opposite end of the armoury, chafing his hands over a charcoal crazier, and talking merrily with the warder, sat a hale old man, stiU fresh and muff in the cheek, though eighty winters had sprinkled their snows on his head. Seeing strangers enter, he came to meet them at a strong hearty pace, and almost instant'y changed his look of inquiry into one of joyful welcome. " Why, God bless us !" he exclaimed, " you are late, brother Andrews, you are late — but all the welconier — like a tardy spring. Welcome, welcome, all, and pretty little mistress too, — nay, not so little neither ! daughter mme that is to be. Nay, you cannot refuse an old graybeard." And so Baying, the old man sealed his welcome with a kisi which he bestowed on the blushing and trembling brido- floct. "Ay, ay, sweet Mistress Alice, there's grace in a blushing face," said Edwards, benevolently smiling. " Vou must excuse US old fellows ; we are by and gone, by and gone — but every dog has his day. An' now I were my boisterous sea-son, you might blush with a cause. Ix)rd love you, child, how he will dote on you I Why, Master Aadrcws, Master Andrews, the't • COLONEL blood's PLOT. 265 vrorid Landfiomer tlian we bargained for — tall, tall, very tall ! ^Yell, well, last time my boy was on dry land — I call him ' boy,' miss, though I warrant he's as stout a man as ever slashed cutlass into a French skull. — "Well, as I was saying, as he was agoing aboard, ' Father,' says he — I'd been a-talk- ing to him about a wife, you know, — ' what you say about the fomfort of a home and a wife is all very true, 1 dare say, and if BO be you'll pick me out one, why I'll marry her when I come back, and that's enough.' Marry, mistress, you have only to pray for a Spanish war, and you'll have a lapful of duetts before I can say Jack Eobinson, for he's as brave a seaman, though I say it, as any lion of them aU — there !" Mervyn had by this time, with bis natural vivacity, entered into the humour of the scene, and replied, with a proper puritanical drawl, " Ay, tndy — la, a lion !" " But where is good dame Andrews, doctor ?" said Edwards. " Oh, we dropped her on the way ; she has found the stairs to your lodgings which you so kindly taught her, brother," replied Blood, "and I warrant me now she is in fuU gossip with your worthy good wife." " Marry, then, by'r leave, we'll join 'em, doctor," said the old man. " I warrant me too we shall find some small matter that will do ye good after your cold ride." " Nav, first we will have a peep at your baubles. Master Edwards ; the ornaments hung by the idolatry of men on the Golden Calf of Koyalty," replied the colonel. " These gentlemen here are all from the country, and fond of a stare, except Master Hunt, the scrivener, who hath his deeds with him. And so, after the sight-seeing, we can upstairs to business without interruption." " With marvellous great pleasure," said Edwards ; and Mervyn observed that Hunt screwed his hard features into a momentary but very expressive leer at the colonel. " But maybe first, as 'tis a new curiosity, ye'll go and see the graves of little Edward V. and his brother, in the Bloody Tower P" " La ! they whom horrid crookback murdered P" said Men'yn. " Marry, yes, above all things ; 'tis as piteous a tale as Robin-redbreast and the Babes in the Wood, — la, yes, and indeed!" " I'faith," muttered Blood, " I care not to see such a vain traditionary hole, where suckling catholic kings were thrown or not, as the tale varies ! It savours of Romish superstition. Master Edwards, and I do think my friends are more anxious for a gaze at the glittering baubles of state." ** Ay, in good sooth, are we»" be«an Hunt, eagerly, when 26G WHITEPBlARfl. the colonel iuterrupted him with a look. " Nay, nay, then, not that I care." " Plenty of daylight for them too, doctor," said Edwarda, pood-humouredly. "But our young bride hath her curiositieB, and 'tis not for her new father to balk her." So saying, he led the way to a postern which opened into a quadrangle of the castle, and Blood, reluctant to show his unwillingness, followed quietly. CHAPTER XXXVII. THE BEGALIA. A snoKT walk brought them to St. Kathai-ine's Gate, of whose warder Edwards bon'owcd a bunch of massive keys, and they entered at the little door whence, eleven years paire left free in England, if all her roguet were as firmly gyved as that honest man !" said the king, with much heat. " Is it you, my Lord Shaftesbury ? — Methinka I should then be a stoic king, and reign over myself alone." At this point in the dialogue a gentleman entered and Trhispcred something to the chamberlain, who announced aloud that the deputation from the commons, headed by their speaker, waited nis majesty's pleasure to be admitted. It was evidently expected. " Well, sirs, we must make ready to receive our masters — though my poor ducks must lack their biscuits the longer," said the kmg. " They come to swear to us that the plot is a good, true, substantial plot, and no fiction of Oates and his friends, with the devil at their head — which we are bound to believe — and thereupon hang, drown, and slaught<^r our catholic subjects into true religion. But we will play the king for some few minutes, and tell you Blood, that in con- sideration of the service you oQ'er us — we pardon and restore you to all yoiu' forfeits— estate and life — for life \rithout estate in England is but permission to be the football of contempt." " Gracious king ! that life is henceforth yours," said Blood, kneeling. " But for this innocent youth " " We pardon him too, and all your accomplices, for what wo have done in mercy to you we must do in justice to them," continued Charles. ** We will see Edwards and liis gallant eon well rewarded " " Nay, my liege," interrupted Eochestcr, '* he needs none j virtue is its own reward." The accustomed laugh, however, failed to follow this sally, and a deep silence of astonishment weighed on all, like a spell. " AiVliat ! are ye aU struck dumb, like parrots in a thunder* storm ?" said tlie king at last, in a vexeu tone, " Please your majesty, I don't want a reward if that Srecious rascal tliere's to be rewarded too !" burst out honest l^l wards. *' Your majesty grants us a full and perfei-t pardon for all that is pa.'itP" said BkH)d. " As well Outes's btLso accusations, aa that concerning my Lord Ormonile P" Ossory interrupted the king's reply with some exclamation, but his rage wa« too groat to allcrw aim to Drocecd« and lu« THJI C0T7BT 07 OHIBLES 11, 291 fikther catckine bis sleeve, exclaimed, " Peace, son, and under- stand the timai !" Charles's brows rose and puclcered, and even Buckingham looked down at the rosettes on his shoes. " My Lord Ossory," said the king, with peculiar sternness, " Know that I expect you and your noble father to imitate my generosity, and forgive this rash man that in which he hath offended you." " Sire," replied the Duke of Ormonde, with a calm dignity which sat well on his venerable figure, " If your majesty can forgive him the stealing of your crown, I can easily pardon bim the assault on my life." " Ossory, men quote you as an obedient son," said Charles. *' You cannot but submit to our pleasure, backed by your father's." *' My liege, I do submit," said the earl, turning white with suppressed passion, " but with this accompanying oath, which I take in your majesty's presence, that it may be well under- stood I will keep it. If ever my father come to a violent end," he continued, turning fiercely on Buckingham, " I shall be at no loss to know the murderer. I shall consider you, my Lord of Bucks, the man in default of a better, and pistol you if you stood behind the king's chair I" " It were braver done, proud Ogsory, to meet me on the instant with thy sword," retorted Buckingham, laying his hand on his own jewelled hilt. " Peace — I do command you both, peace !" exclaimed Charles, starting up. " "Where deem ye to be, insolent men? Are ve brawling in a Whitefriars' brandy-shop ? By Hea- ven, lie who raises his sword in this quairel makes me his mortal enemy ! On your heads, no more of this. Lieute- nant, we charge you with Colonel Blood until we can see his pardon expedited. ; as for the boy " " My liege, I charge myself with his welfare," said Mon- mouth, warmly, " I have some offices yet unbcstowed in my army against the Scots rebels, and niethinks he were well removed from the tainted air of the south." " There is Walsingham writes you for a new comet to his company in Dumbarton, the three last being killed before they reached him," said Charles, coldly. " Give me that post, sire ; I long to die— at least to die honourably," said Mervyn, with a passionate flow of tears, which affected "all present, and none more than Mistress Sydney, who wiped ner beautiful eyes repeatedly. " You shall have it, youth, ana depart to-morrow," said {9S WHITBFBUBS. Sliaflcsbury, very haatily. " Do you promi»e, to-morrow, if your wound permits P" Mervyn bowed, but his breast swelled too full with hystenc emotion to permit liim to speak. " Arms, and accoutrements, and a horse I will promise you at my own expense," said Monmouth, gently. "Chiiiinch, with uis majesty's leave, will take you now to a surgeon, and then to procure your harness." *• Sirs, you are exceedingly good to the boy," said Charles, with a fffance full of suspicion ; " but, look to it ; I will require his blood of whosoever sheds it, be he who he may." " Methinks your majesty does your own blood grievous wrong," said Monmouth, vehemently. ** ^Vhy, we Stuarts always had a knv.ck of ridding ourselves of troublesome people," replied the king sternly. " Well, Chifiinch, take the cnarge of the youth tiU to-morrow." Chiilinch bowed profoundly, and offered his arm to Mer- vyn, who seemed scarce able to totter. He knelt, however, to kiss the king's hand with a deep sob, which Charles teemed to hear, for he patted his cheek encouragingly. " Oh ! my king," he exclaimed in the bitterness of his soul, " think of me not as 1 seem. I will deserve your majesty's better esteem, or perish in the attempt." As he spoke, he raised his eyes with enthusiasm upward, and he met those of Mistress Sydney, looking at him with singular feeling and attention. "And yours, blessed lady!" he added, with a fervour which startled a blush on her fair cheek. " You have our good wishes too, and dat of our poor per- secuted church," said the queen, in pretty good English, and extending her hand to Mervyn, who kissed it, and arose. At this moment, the antechamber was fiUed with the deputies from the commons, and Chifiinch motioned the youth to follow him. Blood made some sort of attempt to speak to him ; but he drew himself rapidly past, and disappeared, without deigning him any notice whatever. CHAPTER XXXIX. Tne rorisn mauttbs. Chiffinch's first care was to lead the youth to a private apartment of his own, whore ho sent for a surgeon, and, meanwhile, washed the wound himself. The sou of iEsou- UpioB, however, pronounced that it was merely a flesh-wound* THB POPISH UAKTVBS. 293 bandanged it, and ABSored him it would be well in a few days. Meiryn was by this time completely exhausted with fatigue, and, at Chiffinch'a desire, lay down on a couch, where he slept for several hours uninterruptedly, and awoke refreshed in body and mind. Chiffinch greeted him with very satisfactory news on awaking. A page from the Duke of Monmouth had arrived, to state his master's pleasure, that Mervyn should sail to join his company, in a vessel which contamed the Duke's own suite and staff, on their way to Edinburgh, and which was to sail in the evening. Meanwhile, Chiffinch had instructions to provide him with all necessaries, such as horse and armour ; and by way of earnest, brought him a complete suit of handsome ashen grey, embroidered in a glittering court style. Attired in this, after a luxurious warm bath, the old page could not help congratulating him on his good looks, and assured him that, with a dash of military success, the ladies would find him irresistible. They sallied forth, and directed their way to Lambeth, where the duke's armourer Uved. A coat of steel lined with buff, crimson hose, and a helmet heavily laden with plimies, formed his imiform, a sword, huge pistols, and a two-edged axe his weapons. Chiffinch was apparently well furnished with money, for he paid for everything, and selected in addition a handsome wardrobe of linen and other necessaries befitting an officer of dragoons ; finally, he deUvered a purse containmg some money to pay his expenses to his regiment, which he said the duke had advanced on his pay. It g^ew towards noonday, and they were on their way back to Wliitehall, when tney stopped for a moment in a court of Lambeth palace to hear a cner, who was vociferating something to a very motley collection of auditors. He had some papers, which he was selling at a halfpenny a-picce, and the title instantly attracted Mervyn's attention. — " The confession of Miles Prance, the popish goldsmith, concerning the late horrid murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, taken in Newgate, with three justices' hands to it !" Mervyn bought a copy, and Chiffinch, observing with a smile that he must be well able to correct the errata, walked with him up an avenue of poplars, to read it out of observa- tion. A glance convinced nim that Oatcs, or his party, liad dictated every word. Green, Berry, and Hill, three luckless beings, of whom Mervyn had never heard, were named as the actual perpetrators of the murder ; Van Huysman, cer- tain popish priests, and by inucndo, the Duke of York, were assigned as the instigators. Mervyn himself figured as a 294 WHITBFBIABS. diagTiIsed Jesuit, employed by the priest to carry a message to Godfrey, inviting him to see the Duke of York. On arriving at St. James's, it seems he found his highness ill, and was obliged to retxim without seeing him. The mur- derers, meanwhile, dogged lum into St. Clement's church, •where he stayed to hear a godly sermon of Dr. Gates ; and proceeding home, passed Somerset House, wherein Franco and the conspirators were concealed. Hill went out and told him two men were fighting within, and that he feared they would kill one another, and entreated him as a mac^istrat© to come and part them. Godfrey unwillingly complied, and had hardly entered ere he was seized by the murderers. The sequel of the tragedy was described much as it really hap- pened, substituting the three accused for the actual perpe- trators of the atrocious deed. " Well, sir, and what is your opinion of this document?" said ChifSnch, not without anxiety. " Truth and falsehood arc so mingled in it, that it would puzzle Qlldipus to unravel them," said Mervyn. " 13ut I am sure this confession is extorted rather from Prance's cowardice than vUlany, for he is rather a weak than a bad man. The innocent blood that is to be slicd on his confession shall not flow if I can prevent it. I will see him, Master Chiffinch; I am sure he dare not say before me that these lies are true." " It would do the king good service," said the page, hesi- tatingly ; " but you run your head against your new patrons, and perchance into a noose." " 1 care not; 1 •will venture all," said Mervyn, with a shudder, as the recollection of Godfrey's la.st scone rushed upon him. " If I cannot bring the murderers to justice, I can at least prevent these men from adding to their victims, WUl you with me, Chiffinch P" " l^fot I, indeed ; I will mix in none of Mr. Gates's mat- ters," said the page, with a shrug. " But if you are bent on trying your luck (and the king's patronage is well worth the faction s, though it triumph for the moment), hero is the river and a sculler at hand." Mervyn instantly hailed the boat, and in a fit of enthusi- asm, which the wise in this world will have some dilficulty in imagining, rowed down the river to Loudon Bridge, whore ho lanaed,and walked to Newgate. l\iming the corner of the Old Bailey, ho perceived a large crowd tlironging the ^sitos of tlie court-house, in profound silence, aa if expecting sonu- impor- tant news. On inquiry, he learned that the five Jisuitu were arrai^)d, and that ono of them reiiised to plead, so that the THE POPISH MAUTYRS. 293 pidgea wert deliberating on the sxpedieucj •£ forcing him by the Psus. In Lib hurried it*te of mind, Mcrvyn took little notice of this circumstance. He knocked at the debtor's door, which waa opened instantly, as if some person was expected. Mervyn prefaced his request with a coin, and asked to see Prance, the goldsmith. The Cerberus shook his head, and asked if ho had any warrant. Mervyn replied with another broad piece ; then, eyeing him -with a shrewd emdc, the jailer said that as he saw he was a gentleman, and no harm could come of it, he did not mind if he feigned orders and admitted hun. Following his guide through the dreary con-idors of the prison, they arrived at a door strongly barred and bolted, which the jailor opened, and shoving in the visitor, secured it again instantly. A glance showed Mervyn the misery of the scene into which he had thus intruded. It was a high narrow cell, lighted by a gloomy cross-barred slit, rather than window, in the massive wall, totally destitute of furnitui'e save a heap of straw, a blanket, a wooden platter, and a jug of water. On this heap sat poor Prance, his clothes hanging in tatters about him, his head shaven and bare, for he had taken his wig ofi', and was apparently searching it diligently, by way of amuse- ment. He was heavily ironed, and his whole appearance was so wan and wo-begone, that Mervyn could scarcely conceive how a few months could have made such an alteration. The prisoner raised his eyes, and starting so that his chains clattered, replaced his wig m manifest confusion, with the tie uppermost. His appearance at this moment — the incredulous astonishment with which he extended his large dirty hand to receive that which Mervyn held out to him, was almost ludicrous but for its horrible ghastllness. It was some time, however, before he could recognize in the well-dressed melan- choly-looking youth, the sprigiitly young attendant on Gates. When he did so, he burst into tears, and sobbed hke awoman for some time, and Mervyn could not refrain from doing the like. " Don't say anything to me — don't, don't — I know you are innocent !" sobbed Prance. " It is all my cursed wife and that monster. Gates ; — Gh, don't reproach me." " Not for mine own part, Prance," said Mervyn. " I heartily forgive you — reasonable doubts must exist on your mind against mo. But for what relates to those innocent men — ' " Innoocut th^y are for all tliat I know," interrupted the 298 vrHiTBrBii.ss. unhappy goldsmith. " But what can I do P — I must do at they Old me, or hang for it. They have tortured me till I prayed for death — screwed my thumbs nearly off— look sir, the joints are powerless, and how am I to work at ray trade if ever I get out again P — I can't be hanged, Master Mervyn — I won't be banged !" " You will be hanged and damned too !" said the youth, vehemently. " These villains will make you their tool first, and then han^ you out of the way." "No, no, 8u:I — no, no, it is impossible!" repUed Prance, shaking all over in an ague of fear. " Gates has sworn to let me off if I confessed as he dictated — and I have, I have ! Otherwise I should have hanged to-morrow, for Bedloe wit- nessed that he saw me standing over the dead body, and — " " Why did you not confess the truth P — the truth does not criminate ^ow, Prance!" said Mervyn. " Nor save me from the rope, ' replied the goldsmith, desperately. "I tried it, but it would not do — nobody believed me. I must either hang, or hang others — it is not my fault. Their blood be on the heads of my betrayers !" " Their blood will be on your own head for ever, Prance," exclaimed Mervyn. " I cannot help it ; I will not be hanged," said the gold- smith, doggedly. " You shall not be hanged, if you will retract these false- hoods, and confess the truth !" said Mervyn. " And bring you that assurance from the duke — the duke P" exclaimed Prance. " Swear to me, Master Mervyn, that I ehaU be allowed to plead the king's pardon and I will retract everything — write myself a liar on every wall in England !" " I cannot promise so much — I have no authority — but, Prance, have you no conscience P" " Have I a conscience P Oh, Master Mervyn, what else keeps me in a perpetual hell of thought P — But I have a neck too," he added with a ghastly grin, " and I will not be choked like a mad dog." " Deserve well of the court, and I think I can promise you your pardon, and rewards too," said Mervyn. " But — if — if I tell tilings as they appeared to me, I must accuse the Duke of York !' said Prance, with mingled eager- ness and hesitation. " Come, come, I know you are the duke's page of the dark stairs — give mo some comfort, now do I" " Accuse no man," said Mervyn, with a somewhat Jesuitical silence on this importan' point, " only deny that you know ftught of the matter." THB POPISH MABTTBS. 297 " But how can I deny that I was present at the Water-gat* —that dreadful night — by the Duke of York's orders P" poaned poor Prance. " Bedloo substantially accuses me thereof." " The murtherer !" ejaculated Mervyn. " Can you not allege — are you not porter of those chambers P — might 3 our duty have taken you there P" " At two in the morning ?" said Prance, shaking his bald skull mournfully. " If you indeed, Master Mervj'n " " I will bear you witness — I have the king's pardon in my pocket," said Mervyn. " The truth will be apparent some day, and thereby shall we all be judged, Prance." " I will deny my confession — I will say, as I did at first, that I know nothing of the matter," said the goldsmith in a fit of enthusiasm. " Bedloe is a liar, and one witness cannot hang me ! If his majesty will be good to me, I wiU — I will " The rattle of the bolts was heard at this moment, and the turnkey entered in evident consternation. " I can't aL'ow you to stay any longer, my master," he said, sharply. " Here is godly parson Gates a coming this way, to visit the prisoners, and make 'em confess, and it's as much as my neck's worth to let a stranger be found here." Prance turned deadly pale and looked gaspingly at Mervyn, who, after a moment's consideration, briefly, but significantly advised him to tell the truth, and make certain that it should be of no iU consequence to him. Prance again burst into tears, and Mervyn left him in hia dungeon, sobbing hke a child. It was too late, however, to avoid Gates, whom Mervyn now perceived coming up the corridor in canonicals, with a Srayer-book open in his nand. Brother Titus did not imme- iately observe his young proUaS ; he was hurrying on, seemingly much distm-bed by the miportunities of a woman who followed him. " Nay, but sweet, holy Mr. Gates, when will you let him out P" she was saying. " The business is gointj to pieces, the apprentices will not work, and what am I to do if you hang my husband P You know while wo had anything, you were always welcome to bite and sup — " " Avoid me, sinful Eve, lest I crush ye," said Gates, stop- ping fiercely short. " Would you tempt me to spare whom the Lord hath devoted, and save thy miserable sinner of a husband I — Begone I" " Master Gates, you shall hear me ! — I will expose you, devil," exclaimed the woman. " I'll have the moo tear yott 298 WHITBFBIAB9. into chitterhngi — I will ! They sliall know what a hell-fieno their angel is — though it make me the shamedest WTctch that ever cast shadow in the sun !" " Out upon thee ! — an' thou speak such another word, I will strike thee dumb, slandercss!" shouted Oates, clenching his fist and blackening with rage. " Bloodhound ! thou shalt not even bark, much less bite," exclaimed Mervyn, suddenly darting betwet-n them. " So, so, young master ! — a new rig-out?" muttered Oates, relaxing from his menacing attitude. " Here's a pretty premium for cutting the throats of poor protestant gentlemen I — Well, weU, the House shall hear of this — forsootn, a gentle- man ! — what do you charge per throat?" " I would do yours for nothing and this instant, but for better reasons than any you can offer, Muster Oat«s," said Mervyn. " But that time is to come — at present go your ways, but dare not even to eye this woman threateningly." " In God's name, you are welcome to the slut ana her clamorous tongue," said Oates, with a laiigh. " Dear young gentleman, what must I do ? — he will hang my husband !" soblsed Mrs. Prance. •' You have sold yourself to t'ue fiend incarnate, woman," said Mervyn sternly, " and all you can do to extricate your soul from liis lime- twigs is to join your husband in telling the ti-uth." " Hast thou been tampering with my prisoners!" exclaimed Oates. "I must see to this, good sooth," and he set oU hastUy, pursued by Mrs. Prance. He paused, however, a few paces off, as if to secure his f)er8on, and turning with a most fiendish leer, '' Since ^'ou lave visited my friends, go visit your own," he said, "lour patron and master, Van Huysman, is in the press-yard, waiting the judge's warrant to be crushed into a jelly !" He then moved hastily oft'. " Van Huysman !" repeated Mervyn, aghast. " What does he mean'r'" " Wiseman or Houseman, or some such name, sir," replied th« jailer. " It's the Jesuit provincial as is to be pressed to death, because ho wont plead to the 'dictmeut." " Van Huysman !" ecnoed the youth. " It is impossible." *' Wot's impossible, sirP" saia the jailer, with evident curiosity. " Why, yon can see him if you thinks pro])or, and will stand a little garnish — it's the prettiest eight as has been in the gate those ten years." Mervyn had only power to nod to him to lead tlie way, and followea with a heart labouring almost to suffocatiou. THE POPISH MARTYRS. 29^ A fkw tumi brought them to a flight of stone ilepi, by which they entered the press-yard. It was a large quadra^iglo, the size of wliich was much diminished by the high walls of Ihe prison, set with gloomy barred windows, which cribbed it in on every side. AH these windows were occupied by ghastly- looking beings, roused from the torpor oi despair by the expectation of a sight ; some even hela themselves up at the bars with their chained hands. The yard was fillea with a motley throng of prisoners, ragged, squalid, and brutal with disease and crime, who were separated from a group at the end of the court by a chain drawn across. The jailer desired ^fervyn to take a stand on a block of stone, which seemed once to have been a whipping-post, whence he could obtain a good view of the exhibition, and he mechanically obeyed. Some of the persons of the group before him Mervyr recognized without the loquacious help of his cicerone. Tlie two sheriffs. Bethel and Cornish, were there, and a person- age whom he concluded to be the executioner. He was a tall reckless-looking niffian, clad in leathern hose, and a doublet of untanned bullskin worn with the hair out. Mervyn's rapid eye found not, however, the object it sought in temble uncertainty ; but it was evident that some strange deed wag in progress. The sheriffs whispered each other mysteriously, and there was a hush among the wild denizens, ominous as the silence of the woods on an overcast noonday. It was a bright morning, but only a glaring blue square of sky was visible from the yard, lit by an unseen sun, and as Mervyu looked upward he imagined he was in some wildering dream. In a few minutes he saw Gates make his appearance near the sheriffs, and look around. Their eyes met, and Gates •eemed to address some observation to Bethel concerning him ; but hia attention was almost instantly attracted and fixed elsewhere. A massive door in front suddenly rolled open, and a man with a mace and open parchment, made hia appearance, followed by some soldiers with their partisans fixed. In the midst of this warlike array, walked a tall figure with his arms folded, perfectly pale, but serene, and wearing a long black mantle in a monastic style. Mervyn oouJd not mistake him — it was Van Huysman. For some minutes after this appalling recognition, ]\Iervyn stood rooted to the ground, without the power of speech. Meanwhile the crier, for such the maceman seemed to be, after the long nasal " G yes, G yes !" yelled forth the usual proclamation in the king's name. This document announced that the prisoner, having refused to plead, was ordered to bo put in a press, with as much iron and stone upoa him as he •00 WniTBFEIlSS. could bear, and more ; tliat the first day lie should have three morsels of barley bread, and the next day ke might dnnk tliric* of the channel-water, but of no Bpring: or fountiin ; and that this should be his punishment till he died. A murmiir of horror ran through the crowd, and there was a rush to obtain a view of the prisoner ; but he did not seem at all moved. The crier then handed his parchment to Bethel, who took it — and there was a deathly silence. " Master Housman," said Bethel at last, in a faltering tone, " you see, here is my warrant ; you have heard it read. I do beseech you have somo compassion on yourself, and spare the eves of Christian men a horrid sight! I do implore you, plead !" " Not so. Master Sheriff," replied Van Huysman. " By no deed of mine will I acknowleage the infamous and bloody tribimal, at whicli vou summon me to plead, only to murder me with forms of law." " Then must we put the dreadful sentence in force, which but to hear makes our flesh to creep !" said Bethel. " The will of my Master be done !" repHed the ecclesiastic, looking calmly upward. " I am here to bear witness, with my blood, to the truth — the way is thomy^, but it leads to heaven ! — Klark and terrible the gate, but it opens on eternal light and peace !" " Rather on eternal damnation ! — perishing soul and body in thy idolatrous misbelief!" exclaimed Cornish. " Eternity is before me — I am about to stake Etbbnitt on the faith which is within me," replied the prisoner, calmly. " Mauster Rector, I am here in a Christian spirit, to exhort you not to waste both soul and body," said Gates. " Be not as bumod wood on the waters, but repent your sins, and — " " Good brother Titus, peace," mtemipted the priest. " You have betrayed me to this pass — but confine your zeal to the laceration of my body — and know that the sin which weighs heaviest on my conscience at this moment is mj prc- senral of thy life in the forest of Clairvaux." "Presarval! — fine presar\-al, forsooth!" cxclabied Gates. " Presarval, says he, to keep me afterwards on bread and water — make me meal by myself, like one plague-struck — lall me spy, cell me like a lunatic, have me hissed for a liar " " Peace, Dr. Gates ; this is scarce decent," said Bethel, eharply. " Heaven forbid you should force ine, Master liouaman, to do my warrnntr— -but if it must be — time draws on. Have you no friends whom you would bid fnn>well to P" " Few, and those distant," replied Van Huysman. " But THE POPISH MIBTTBS. 301 there are some who love me above these tranquil heavens, who are wreathing for these temples, all unworthy as they seem to you, the evergreen wreath of martyrdom ! I am ready." "l^'ather!" exclaimed a suffocated voice behind, and the Jesuit, starting round, received Mervyn in his extended arms. " Kay, the most loved is nearest, ' he said, clutching the youth to his breast, and suffering him to weep, in a paroxysm of grief, for some moments, during which all kept a aecp silence, but he shed no tear himself. " My son," he said, at last, gently loosening the youth's embrace, " you have yielded sufficiently to the weakness of humanity, show now its strength. This is well ; thou art arrived to witness how a catholic soldier of the cross lays down his armour, the battle being fought, and sunset come." " Father ! — you do not, you cannot mean to rush madly on this terrible death !" exclauned Mervyn. " Not madly, but most rationally, Mervyn," said the priest, calmly. " Death is the porter of Paradise ! Who would f refer the aches and terrors of this life to death, if he felt as do — that the shores of heaven bound the dark biUows of the future P Would you have me give the lie to my whole existence P Where were now the religion of God, had Paul's heart failed for torture or for death P My resolution is fixed as the Alps. I am hero to die for him who died for all mankind." *' Come, come, Master Jesuit, we must have no more oi your popish gabble," interrupted Gates. "Mr. Sheriff, there •re precious though guUiy souls around, and we must not suffer them to be corrupted, lest putting dry wood in the fire, it " " Villain ! — nay, I am sorry to have spoken such a word at such a pass," said the priest, slightly Kindling. " I would leave this earth without animosity agamst any man, but I bid thee remember ! — these are thy high and palmy days, in which thou flauntest with all thy branches at Heaven, saying to the winds, ' I am eternal !' I3ut the lightnings of God will des- cend upon thee yet, wither thy pride, tear up thy roots, and make thy topmost verdure the hiding-place of snakes and reptiles ! ' " Look'ye, Master Sheriff, see you how the court- springald eyes meP — the decoy - page !" said Gates, drawing back less from this outburst than from the fierce expression in Mervyn'a countenance. " I doubt me, some paupisli rescue is intenaed. Look to it. Master Bethel !" " Guaxdt, draw near," exclaimed Cornish, in great alarm. 902 WHITBTBIABI. " Nay, nay. Brother Cornish, I think they be only tha Sualid wretchea of the prison about us, for the most part in ains," said Bethel. "Let the prisoner sav what he will — he can do them no harm. They cannot be damned deeper." " But they may be saved !" said Huysman, witli a mild fiance at the haggard masses. " Hear me, my brothers 1 — am come to die, and if ever men speak truth, it is at such a moment " " 'Slife, gentlemen, do not hear the popish villain !" ex- claimed Gates. " No popery ! no popery !" yelled the crowd, and a confused uproar followed, which was only silenced by the still louder voice of Cornish. " Silence, fellows, rogues, vagabonds ! — let us do our duty !" he shouted. " Come, Master Jesuit, we have no time to lose. The justices want to dine, and they cannot leave court till we brmg word the prisoner will not plead." " True, brother — ^his time of grace is over," said Bethel hastily. " Corae, sir, are you ready P" " Be not so eager of blood, sirs, lest it be meted to you in your own measure," said Van Huysman, calmly. " I am ready ; but first I would fain address a few words to tlu-se wanderers from the fold, and bid farewell to this child of my heart." " H'are it comes — a fine popish sarmon in Newgate !" said Gates. "Gut warrant gives no authority for such scandalous S ratings," said Cornish. " Speed, speed ! — Mr. Eecorder effries hath so endorsed it." " Patience awhde, in the name of mercy !" exclaimed Mor- vvn, wildly. " Delay but an hour — one little hour — and in that time I doubt not to obtain his majesty's stay on these diabolical proceedings !" " Doubtless, doubtless P" said Cornish, laughing sardoni- cally. " What, does the young traitor accuse his majesty of popish leanings ?" " My son," said the priest, tenderly ; " my dear son, rot-ol- lect yourself! The dio is cast — the bitterness of death is over. Wlmt canst thou doP Bo patient, child, and I will yet sow seeds which shall bloom in Paradise !" " I can do much, if I had but a gajjp of time," said Mervyn. " I am in the king's service. Grant me but one hour, one half-hour, gentlemen, and I doubt not the king shall take some order which shall spare the horror of thii judicial murder!" " We hare no right — nc privilege — to diaob«j the ord«n) m roFiSH iixBTTBi. 303 of his maujeety's loard chaife juataico !" said Oateo. " The fiherifls do so uader an euormoua forfeit to the king ; and I know not that either of you, my maat«rs, is bo in the court sunshine as to escape any punishment it can inflict." " For my part I will do my duty, whatever comes of it— tliough it were against my natural blood," said the harah fanatic, Cornish. " You hear, Mervyn," said the Jesuit, placidly. " Stand not between me and the glorious sun of bliss that never sets. In an hour — nay, weep not, child — in an hour, this tortured spirit will rest for ever in the bosom of its God. It is a rough and steep ascent to heaven, but did our blessed Master Iread a softer ?" " Come, despatch, despatch !" exclaimed Cornish. " You are eager, sir," said Van Huysman. " Look to it !— the wheel of fortune is never at a stand, and its whirl may crush you too. You have a traitor's heart — and may find a traitor's doom." " Father, if ever you have loved me, hear me !" said Mer- vyn, passionately. " Plead to this tyrannous indictment ! lour life, not your death, is needed by the church! Consent to plead, and 1 will wring yoiu* pardon from the king, or die at his feet !" " It is too late, my fine young gallant, sentence is pro- nounced," said Oat^s. " He has rejected marcy, and my lords and judges — no, nor the king himself — cannot revoke tl»e punishment." " You lie, murderer, you lie ! — the king can pardon even at the block !" shouted Mervyn. " Ho shall plead his majesty's pardon, he shall, I swear it." " No, my son, the king dares not pardon me," said Van Huysman. " The surges of faction rim too high to save a single plank from the wreck. Besides, these gentlemen are in a hurry. How long, brother, " he said, turning to the executioner — " how long does it take a man to die in the press "r*" " Why, sir, that depends on the weight, and how it's put, and whether the indulgence is granted," rephed Jack, scratch- ing his bull-like heaa. " That same is a pointed piece of timber under the back, or pulling the sharp comer of the ))re88 on the heart, and then it's done in about ten minutes or a quarter — but some have been known to live out a day — I never knowed one that needed anything the second though." " I cannot claim any such indulgence of messieurs the ■heriffs, I am afraid," laid Van Huysman, with a quaint sad BBtile. 904 trm-TEFBiAAS. " No indulgence !" shouted Comish. " Come, brother Bethel." " I pray Ood, Master Comish, that your last momenta be not 80 hurried," said Van Huysman. Then turning calmly to the executioner, he said, " What is necessary to be done, brother P" " Brother by Eve's side ! — but that's the surer," replied that official, with a grin. " Why, sir, an't please you, you need only strip as naked as you were born." " I trust you will allow me to die with decency, sirs," said the priest, with some emotion. " Nay, 'tis enough if he strips to waistcoat and drawers," said Bethel, with a doubtful glance at his ferocious yoke- fellow. " Ay, ay, that wUl do, I think, Cornish ?" " Then I need only remove mine habit," said Van Huys- man, unfastening a rope-girdle which he wore. *' I forgive mine enemies ; but they made mo wear this at the bar to excite a deadlier prejuciice. Brother, I will not detain you long." " I an't in no hurry, sir," said Jack Ketch, politely. " But I hope you'll remember me. It's hard work, and I know a trick or two to make a gentleman's death come easy." " I have alwa^'s paid my debts, and am persuaded none ever deserved so much from my hands as thou wilt do to-da^', friend," said Van Huysman, with a smile, and he put several pieces of gold in the executioner's hand. " Why, sir, though I say it that shouldn't," rejoined the man, greatly mollified with this present, *' I always strives to do my duty to the satisfaction of all parties, and if their lionours will let me, I'll put the bolt right over your fifth rib. 1 tvarrant you wont bo long a-kicking." Ho then, with officious zeal, aided the priest to strip off his mantle, which, after examining with the cautious eye of a lew clothesman, he folded up as his perquisite. Mervyn stood petrified with horror beside his doomed patron ; even the mob were breathless with expectation, and curiosity painted itself in fearful characters on those wan, diseased, melancholy, or ferocious countenances, those hag- gard, gazing eyes, and gaping mouths. Van Huysman proceeded to unbotton his vest, when ho paused ana turned to the mob, in a manner which irresistibly swayed them to attention. " Brctliron," ho said, with awful solemnity of tone, " you lee me here ; — I am hero to die. In a few short minutes this Uring, breathing form, will be senseless clay. I trust yon THS FOPIBH MABTTBS. 806 *» lU hear me speak a few words, for few they shall be. If I have sinned " " Come, Mr. Housman, we cannot listen to this," inter nipted Comieh. ""WeU, I have done, sir," said Van Huyeman, calmly. " The plougher's ofiGce is not the reaper's. I leave my forgive- ness and blessing on all mankind — even on thee, Oates. And now I have done with life, except to bid thee farewoU, my sou — farewell, but not forever !" He turned to Mervyn, who sobbed convulsively. " Come hither, child," ho said in a moved tone, and sinking his voice almost to a whisper, he added — " thou art entered mto a good service— of a king, who is a cathoUc at heart. Some day thy sword may be needed. I charge thee wear it ready in the sheath ! I would fain confide to thee a secret, but this is neither the time nor the place. Know only that this locket contains the portrait of thy mother — a woman whose false- hood has embittered my whole existence. Bury it with me." Van Huvsman slipped a small gold locket into his hand, and then with calm courage removed his gabardine, and some other articles of his upper dress. When these were removed a shirt of horsehair appeared, and the marks of flagellation deeply set in the flesh. A murmur of surprise ran among all f)resent. There was a finely-carved crucifix of ebony tied to lis breast, which he broke ofi" and gave to Mervyn. He was now undressed to the state which Bethel's humanity had suggested. " Are your ready, sirP" said the executioner. " Let me bless tnee for the last time and for ever !" said the Jesuit, turning to Mervyn, who was sobbing bitterly, and ho knelt while Van Huysman blessed him in the solemn language of his church. But as he proceeded his voice grew broken, and yieldinjj apparently to an overpowering feeling, he raised the youth m his arms, and they mingled tears for some moments in silence. Even the rufBanly mob were affected, and many of the women burst into sobs and tears. " Gock ! what is this ? Come Master Cornish, let us have no more of this popish mummery !" said Gates. " No — no more !" echoed Cornish. " Come, good sir, we must not delay," said Bethel, in a mild and even sorrowful tone. " True, true — I am ready," replied the Jesuit ; ho then kissed Mervyn's forehead, and gently unlocked his embrace. " But I doubt if you are, my master," said Gates j " the law Bays he shall be laid on his back with body bare " 806 WHITBFBIAM. " Nay, come, Mr. Oatcs, we will not strain a point that way," said Bethel ; " you are ready, sir?" " Yea, for alllLingg my Ma«td the tremendous engine of judicial barbarity. It was of a very simple apparatus, consisting merely of a rough-hewn tree, four huge rings and ropes to stretcli the limbs on. and pulleys to raise the enormous mass of iron destined by the law to force the truth out of its victims. Mervyn gazed at those dircfid preparatlous in .•> state of dreamy horror, and perceivrd a lean gaujit fi^a?'e crouchin;; at a charcoal brazier, whoso •mall twinkling eyes w«ro lixclon him. " What villanous fellow have we hera P" said Comisii, interrupting Van lluysman, who had now knelt, and wna praying aloud in Latin. " You call him well — 'tis Elkanah, the Jewish dog of a poisoner." said Bethel. " What business has he here ?" continued the surlv sheriff. *' Only curiosity, I suppose," said Gates. " lie is in pursuit of the elixir of life, nnd likes to see people dio ; 'tia • ftody." WBITBHALL XHD NBWOAXB. 807 *' Only curioaitj, curiosity, my lord !" said tho Jew, clasp- ing hid hand with intense eagerness, as if afraid of being deoarred from the satisfaction he anticipated. "The elixir of lifeP" said Bethel. "Is tho man madP An' it were the groat art of alchemy now, there were some reason in it. Hast any skill in that, Jew ?" " Somethinfj, a little. Oh, if I could but lire six months longer it should be seen !" said the Jew, with a cunning rat- like glance at the miserly sherifl". " Good sooth, he must be hanged next sessions for a rare f;ift; in hastening a man's inheritance." said Oates, ^nth a augh. " But, in truth, the man hath a wonderoua science in nli'hemy. Master Bethel. It were worth while to pack a jury, and save him for your own use." " Fie, fie, doctor !" said Bethel, but somewhat thoughtfully. Van Huysman had now concluded his prayer, and arose perfectly tranquil. " I have one word more to say, ray son," lie said. " I am bound not to reveal your real parentage, but i swear to you. Blood is not your father. Padre OUva alone has the power to tell you all." He then resigned himself quietly to the executioner. By his directions he laid down on the timber, and the executioner stretched his arms as far as possible, fastening them securely to the rings. The same operation was tried on his feet, but hia limbs were too long, and it was found necessary to tie them above the ankle. " Courage, Mervyn !" said the victim, when all was pre- pared ; " comfort me with the cross and pray for me. Good orother, let not the weight fall till I pronounce the name of the Saviour thric^e !" He then seemed to pray again, for his lips moved audibly. But Mervyn 's anguish had now regained the agony of con- Bciousness. He threw himself in supplication at the feet of Bethel, imploring him for one hour — but one hour! The eheriff was inexorable, though he wept. The idea of the thousand marks forfeit to the king overpowered every other consideration. "Are you ready now, sirP" said the executioner. " Yes, I am ready," replied Van Huysman, steaaily. " Forget me not, my son ! In te, Domine, speravi ; Tton con- fundar in etemum J Pray for me, Mervyn ! for ever, oa earth, farewell!" He then paused for a moment as if collectmg all his strength, and closing nis eyes with a slight convulsive shiver, pronounced that best of names, invoking which so much evil has bee4 wrought in the world. " Jesu — Jesu— Jesu 1" S06^ WSlT£FBIiB8. The mac-liincry was instantly in motion, and an cnonnOui inaas of iron appeared slowly descending on the breast of the victim. Mervyn made a frantic effort to rush forward, but Cornish caught him in his sinewy clutch. There was a deep deathly silence. A thrill of horror ran through all present, and Bethel sobbed, but not a muscle of the condemned stirred. He opened his eyes indeed, and fixed them steadily on the deadly machine as it wavered and descended slowly down. His face, however, flushed once almost crimson, and then grew white as stone. " Wretches ! I command you, in the king's name, forbear !" groaned Mervyn, desperately. " Bring us a warrant then !" exclaimed Bethel. " Away tc Whitehall, if you have the power you boast — my horse ia at the gate." "Father, I go ! I will save you !" he shouted, handing the cross to Bethel. " Good, charitable man, only delay the execution for ten minutes !" " I will, I wOl !" said Bethel. " Cornish, this is too horrible !" Van Huysman raised his eyes mournfully, but Mervyn had disappi'ared with the rapid,ity of lightning. He rushed with frantic speed to the debtors'-gate, where he found Bethel's horse, a wretched hack, waiting under charge of a ragged boy, to whose great surprise, he mstantly leaned into the saddle, and galloped off at a rate which «oon loft the Tirchin's shouts out of nearing. He rode aa if the salvation of the whole human race had depended on his speed, heeding not the crowded state of the thorouglifares through which he passed like a phantom rider. People stopped to gaze after and wonder at his speed, but he noted no cry, no angry ex- postulation, and his horse, conscious of a wild rider, rushed rather than galloped, till man and steed arrived breathless at Whitehall. He threw himself from the foaming animal, learned that the king was in the great gallery of the palace, and that ChiflBnch was in attendance. Ho fbund the old page in the nnte-chamber of the gallery, with a music master, irom whom he was learning the viol. " Chillinch, I must see the king," he exclaimed, wildly. " Must you indeed P It will be against his majesty'^ express commands, then," rojiiitni Chilliiuh, resuming his instrument rather scornfully. "Hois playing at tables with Madame Gwj'n." My business is of life and death !" exclaimed Mervyn, and •truck with his tone, the page again looked u]u WHITEHALL kKV MIWOATR. 8UB " What ads the youth P" exclaimed he, lettinjr his viol fall. " A moment may bo Ufe or death, dear Chiflinch," said Merryn, wildly. " I will explain it all after." "P'ass on, then ; I'U not hinder vou," said ChifBnch; anQ in a moment Merryn darted into the gallery and threw him- self at the king's feet, as he sat playing at chess with Nell Gwyn, and at a propitious instant, for the king and his buxom partner were laughmg till the tears came m their eyes, at Bome jest of Buckingham's. This sudden apparition, however, checked the tide of the royal mirth. — " Od's bodkins ! what have we here ?" exclaimed Charles. " What, man, turned beggar already ?" "Yes, eire, a beggar for a life !" replied Mervyn, wildly. " Your merciless judges have revived a dead law to slay a roan who has been my more than father. Van Huvsman will not plead, and they are going to press him to death." " Herday ! what is it, child P" said Mistress Gwyn. " The JesTiit provincial — oh ! that is my Lady PortsmoutVg business — I am the protestant — I know what !" And Nell and the king burst into a loud laugh. " Sire, in the name of justice, of mercy !" " Pooh, man, they have no influence at court — had you asked in the name of faction now ; in short, I dare not save the man." " But he is innocent, sire — I swear it — innocent !" " I believe him so— Nell, it is your move— as I do all the victims of this accursed plot," said Charles, hastily. " lie had bettor be guilty on the other side. The tide runs too furiously for a straw of the prerogative. The Jesuit must die, but I may avenge him some day ! — Nell, I have you now." " And as long as your majesty pleases to keep me, if my lord treasurer can afford it P" said Nell, with a sly glance at Shaftesbury, who was standing behind the king. " My liege, you do reject my prayer, then, for delay is equal to rejection," said JMervyn, vehemently. " The obstinate old fool ! — I sent him word last night to plead, but he must play the martyr to an unbelieving gene- ration," said Cliarles. " Well, what say you, my Lord Shaftesbury, is the old man to be squeezed to death P" " Oh, no, no !" exclainu-d Nell. " One good turn deserves another, and it minds me now thou art the very youth who stood so bravely for me in — well, well! — But, sure, you can easily save the old Jesuit, without offending the veriest geavengcr of the mob." " As how, madam P" said Shaftesbury, gravely. " I deiire not the old fanatic's blood, but " SIO WHITBFBIAB0. " Feign that the wiseacres of the council have discovered maltera on which to interrogate tke priflonor," iaterrupted Nell, with a woman's quick wit. •' Come, dear king ! write me an order on those peetUent sheriffs to surrender the body at your warrant — and send a guard with it." " Well, we wiU try — pen and ink here," said Charles. " But which of my new council will sign it ? — Poor Danby !" " My lord of Monmouth wUl, on my life ?" said Mrs. Gwyn. " Elbow him not, Shaftesbury ; I know he will !" " If his majesty deigns to allow mc," said the duke, sub- missively. In three minutes Mervyn was on horseback again, dashing wildly up Newgate-street ! He saw confusedly that a crowd ]iad gathered round a ragged boy who was whimpering and sobbing at the debtors' door. The moment he appeared, the boj darted out, yelling, " Here he is, here he is ! Thieves, thieves I" " Slaves ! unhand me — I am a king's messenger !" shouted Mervyn, urging the exhausted animal with a violent plunge to the gate, where it fell vanquished by fatigue. He thun- dered at the iron door, wliich was opened instantly, rushed past the jailer, shouting, "A reprieve, a reprieve!" and ran Muth incredible speed tlu-ough the press-yard, which was still crowded with felons. MervjTi ran down the stairs leading to the press-room, and his hair seemed to stiffen on his head when, after a moment's dreadful pause, he distinguished no sound, no murmur even of voices ! A deadly stillness seemed to reign ; but the suspense of that moment seemed more dreadful than any certainty could be. He sprang forward. Profound as was the silence all were there whom he had left, and by the dim glare of tiio torches he saw that the Jewish doctor was hanging over some- tliing, he dared not look to see what, as if gloating with hor- rible curiosity. " How fast you have been, but it is too late," said Bethel, starting up as the youth thrust the reprieve into his hand. " Monstrous traitor I did you not promise me " " Onlv to get you out of the way ; it was better for you," ivplied Bethel, shuddoring. *' Ix)uk, he is almost gone." He pointed as he spoke to tlio press, and Mervyu's eyo «lilatod with horror as ne followed the direction of the man's liand. Van Uujsinaii lay th*re under an enormous weight of iron, his face swollen and purple, the blo^nl streaming from Lis eyts, nose, and ears, seemingly insensible, but eonvulsiona of such |)ower as to shake even the enormous mass on his cheat ran orer his gaunt limbs. VHITBIIALL AND NEWGATE. 311 ** Monsters ! help in the kijag's name," Bhrieked Mervyn, applying; his streno^h to the vast bulk, in a state of despera- tion which seemed to give a giant's energy to his exhausted powers. " It is impossible ; the rope is broken !" said Gates, with a devilish emUe, pointing to the pulley of the crane, which, m anticipation of some such scene, he had privately sawed in two. " Kelease him, it is the king's order !" groaned Bethel. " Heaven be praised ! I took no part in it, farther than I was bound under penalty of a thousand marks." The executioner, Bethel, and even Cornish, now added their strength to Menyn's, and the mass yielded and rolled heavily ofl the victim's crushed breast. They raised him, but he was almost lifeless, and a dark stream of gore issued from his colourless lips. " He is not dead!" said the Jew, eagerly presenting him- self. " Or — or — let me apply the infallible criterion of Para- celsus !" and applying his mouth to that of the dying man. he drew a small bladder from his bosom, blew mto it, and fastened it with strange avidity. " Did you not see tliat. Master Bethel ?" whispered Oates. " I have seen him do as much to several. That death-exhala- tion is one of the ingredients of his grand experiments." " He is going fast ; there's nothing alive of him but the head," said Elkanah, and as he spoke a strong convulsion shook every limb of the dying man, and he opened his eyes, but for several minutes their sense eoemcd gone, and he gazed glassUy at Men yn, who Mthed his whole visage in tears. At last it seemed as if some degree of consciousness re- turned, aad a faint smile played or rather writhed on his lips, and then with a deep sigh he sank quietly back in his pupil's arms, and the yellow efiulgence of death passed over nis face. And thus departed one of the great spirits of the age, npparently on a petty point of little intrinsic worth or moment, and which yet condensed the warring principles of the times — the doctrine of spiritual exemption from civil power, and the attempt of the catholic churcn to retrieve her ancient s^preraaey. 8lf WHITIFBIABS. CHAPTER XLI. A CAMPAIGN IN SCOTLAND. A FEW days after the tragical event we have just recorded, Mervyn landed at Edinburgh, alone and friendless in the world, at least as it appeared to him in his sorrow and deso- lation of heart. Before he left London he had fullilled, aa far as possible, the last instructions of his murdered patron. The sheriffs meant to have buried their mangled victim in the precincts of the prison, but Mervyn obtained an order from the king, and interred him in the churchyard of old St. Pan- craa, according to one of his dying requests, for there Lad the last mass been celebrated in England, while England was catholic. In the hurry and confusion of his thoughts on this occasion he forgot the locket, almost till the moment when the first shovel of earth fell with a hollow clatter on the coffin ; and then recollecting it suddenly, he drew it from his breast, where it had remained from the moment he received it. Hurried as he was by time and circumstances, Mervyn felt some little emotion of curiosity when he opened the golden case, for he now remembered that Van Huysman had told him it contained the portrait of his mother, as well as of his own unfortunate love. Great, however, was his surprise when, by the flickering light of the grave-diggers' torches, he rccojjf- nixed the features of the Lady Howard, but in the full pride of youth and beauty. Around the rim was a German in- scription, of which Slervyn could only make out two names —Eleanor and Adrian. This, however, furnished no addi- tional clue to the mysteries which surrounded him, and he Buffered the locket to drop into Van Huysman's grave, with a thorough conviction that with it he buried the last clue to the labyrinth in which he was involved. Mer\'j'n arrived in Edinburgli at a moment when tho various factions which distracted Scotland had rushed into a stormy conflict, which, like a tempest to a sca-'juU, seemed to offar him the wild repose which troubled spirits find in stre- nuous action. Tho murder of Archbishop Snarp ; the seizure of Glasgow, and genenil revolt of the covenanters in tho west; the uncertain state of the Highlands, which the banish- ment and outlawry of the Earl of Argyll had thrown into ferment ; all these events rendered strong measures impera- tive, as it needed only a slight gleam of success to rouse th« •epubhcans of England to u similar attempt. A CAMPAIGN IN SCOTLAND. 313 Uiir hero felt little reluctance to leave London — a city in nhich lie had been a witness of so raany atrocities, and where the perpetrators were in the full bloom of power aud popularity. The Oatesian madness was at its height; arrests, cxecutione, riots, followed each other in rapid succession, and the turbu- lent city seemed only to rest when giizin^ at some of those dreadful spectacles which flattL-rcd its tliir.t of blood. Gates was looked upon as little less than a messenger direct from Heaven, willi all the lustre of his celestial nature around him, Wherever ho went, adoring crowds followed his steps ; honours and wealth were licapcd upon him, and in the general madness, tlie brutality of his manners, the proflij^acy, Tiolencc, ill-brecdinix, and insupportable arrogance of the wretch, were regarded as so many proofs of his divine mis- sion, so many graces of the prophetic character. ^Numerous victims had bled on the scaffold, and many more awaited the same fate from frantic juries and judges, who dared not oppose the popular fury, lest it should sweep them too away. One regret mdced, ]\Iervyu had, and one only — the light in which his chai-acter must appear to the noble Sydney and hia loTcly daughter. But a.? ho felt the utter impossibility of clearing it of any part of the imputation so artfully heaped on him, and was too proud to expose himself to the chance of a mortifying rejection of his advances, he ventured only to thank the colonel for his goodness to him, in a letter which ho wrote from Scotland. T\iicther Sydney received it or not ho scarcely knew, but he obtained no reply nor acknowledgment. This, however, he did not wonder at, a.s his accusations against Sydney's party must have appeared to that pure and high- minded patriot merely a hireling's lies ; but it added another bitter stmg to those by which his enthusiastic nature was goaded on to a resolution which he took with solemnity on the day of his departure — either to redeem his name in men's opinions, or to perish honourably in the attempt. And yet what a name ! lie found that his commission was directed to him as Comet Mervj'n Blood ; but as he resolutely refused to acknowledge any other name but the first, he was known in the regiment principally by that. Masscy's dragoons, in whiclihc lound himself enrolled, was ilie disorganized remains of one of Cromwell's finest regi- ments, and scarcely mustered, on the whole, two hundred ncn. Of these, a part, to which ]*.Tcrvyn was attached, was &hnt up in Dumbarton Castle, and it ^^ iis impossible to join iicm, the whole country being in possession of the rebels. He was rather glad of this, as it gave him a chance of beiua present at some general action., in which he might distingniBb 3!i WHITBFBIAM. himself. But meanwhile he discovered, x\ith surprise, tos heterogeneous nature of the corps of which he had become a member. The ooldiiifs were nearly all veterans — discon- tented men, who remembered the glories of Cromwell, and their own vast power under his rule, and who only longed for a good opportunity to restore that power, or at least aitempt its restoration. The officers, on the contrary, were to a man rovahst ; tierce young cavaUers, who had learned notliing in a long exile but the most bitter hatred and contempt of their triumphant enemies. Accordingly, no good uncfcrstanding existed between the men and their leaders. But this was the policy of the advisers of Charles, who had found it impossible to destroy the old republican army without, at the same time, castuig it ready moulded mto the hands of their antago- nists, and thercibre took this strange means of neutralizing its tendencies. Mervyn was exceedingly well received by his brother officers, for his renown as an anti-popish plotter, and employi of the coui't, had preceded him ; it was, in fact, considered that he was a great favouiite of the king himself, as well as of the York faction, and likely to be far advanced. Old Maasey himself, the colonel, who substituted his own name for that of " Ireton's Lord-seekers," received hha with dis- tinguished kinduoss. He was an old cavalier of the out-and- out school, tlint would have died for the crown were it set on a bush, and liad been in all the engagements of any conse- quence between Cliarles I. and the parliament, beside seeing a great variety of German service under the renowned Mon- tecuculi. He was sixty years old, but still a line weather- beaten veteran, as active as the youngest man in the regi- ment, and full of all tlie old opinions, prejudices, and animo- sities of the civil war. Bi;t withal he was a gentleman and a man of reCiied honour, jealous of its least shade and form ; a strict disciplinarian, and a jolly companion, and Mervvu's manners and ideas were much improved and enlarged by a constant intercourse with a man w ho was esteemed one of the best courtiers and soldiers of liis time. The dragoons, indeed, looked on their new officer with no very favom-able ej'es, regarding him as a traitor and a spy on the good cause ; but his general urbanity luul kimlliuess of manner, and li;^ r"bsequcnt displays of chivalrous couroffe, ,;ra(luaUy inelud their ]in'ju;I;' s; for Ihe English soldier pardons everything to valiuir and generosity. The preparations for niaivhing against the rebels were meanwhile faat going on. T!ie Duko of Monmouth arrived, uid all things assumM % qow aspect, which denoted the pro* A CAMPAIOX IX SCOTLaNC. o15 ecnco of an active and talented master. Tlie lowiand militia which formed the body, and the few regular troops which formed the strength of his army, were already concentrated round Edinburgh, and only waited for instmctions to march. The affairs of Scotland were at that time in a state of ex- treme and almost irremediable confusion. Distracted by re- ligious and political parties of almost every shade and deno- mination, the oppressive administration of Lauderdale had for a moment united all in a desperate and open resistance to his tyranny. The gentry whose estates he had confiscated, joined the people whose religion he sought to extirpate, though but few appeared in the ranlis of the rebellion. The murder of Sharp threw down a bloody gauge of battle, and suddenly roused the smouldering sparks into a wide blaze of insurrection. The storming of Glasgow followed, and an im- disciplincd army of covenanters, kept together by enthusiasm and the inability of the government to oppose any adequate force, now kept the field, and threatened J<2dinburgh itself. Almost the first news which greeted jMonmouth on his arrival, was the defeat of the famous Claverhouse by a party of the rebels. His first desire and intention had been to con- ciliate these tumultuous victors, and to attract theii" affection to his own person, with a view to ulterior uses ; but this last outrage compelled him into immediate action. The prepai'a- tions were hastily concluded, and the little army, not much better disciplined or provided than that which tney were to Bubdue, marched out of Edinburgh. Mervyn's heart throbbed high when he found himself fairly on the road to glory or death. He was determined it should be one or the other, and in the desperation of his feelings he scarcely cared which. The splendour of war, " its pomp and circumstance," even on this small scale, made his heart bound \rith military enthusiasm, and the high warlike blood of his ancient race, though he knew it not, rushed with wild delight through his veins, Uke a youug war-steed's at the trumpet- Oiaat. Vast crowds witnessed tlie departui'e of the little army, and every point of vantage of the ancient rock-built city was crowned with eager spectators, who greeted them with loud hurrahs and fervent ])rayer9 for their safe i'et\im. And as Mervyn joined the splcnded suite of officers, who thronged to pay tneir respects to the Duke of Monmouth, and saw how coldly his leader's eye dwelt upon him, he inwardly deter mined that he would extort admiration and applauBe even from him, or win himself a place where the smiles of kiiigs and generals are as inefTectual as their frowns. 816 WHITBFBIAES. Edinburgh and its tower- crowned rocks were speedily left behind, and the array defiled into the plains of "West Lothian. The march was of course directed on Glasgow, in which city the rebels had strengthened themselves, but such was their confidence and rashness, that it was expected they would march out and meet the royal army ou a sti-icken field. This opinion was confirmed by the scouts, and the army therefore advanced cautiously, and entering Lanark, arrived within sight of the enemy on the 22nd of June. The covenanters occupied a strong position covering the road to Glasgow, protected by the waters of the Clyde, and the Bridge of Bothwell, which they had ban-icaded. The duke's army halted on the opposite bank, and a council of war was immediately summoned, to hear liis instructions read, which had been hitherto sealed even from his own knowledge, at the instigation of the York faction. These were soon found to be positive and not to be eluded, directing him not to treat with the rebels so long as they had arms in their hands ; and a battle was therefore at once determined on. Some overtures from the covenanters were rejected by Monmouth, though with mildness, and the only conditions were declared to be, immediate surrender. The covenanters were thus cut off from all hopes of treaty, preparations com- menced on both sides for an obstinate encounter, and jNIas- sey's di'agoons were ordered to the front, almost facing the bridge. It was now mid-day, and the sun, though surrounded by thick dark clouds, shone in a long slanting torrent of light on the covenanters' position, which extended along the stream, having Bothwell Briggs for its centre. They Imd fortilled a stone sheep-cote, in the manner of a redoubt, on the opposite side of the bridge, and tlie rapidity of the waters, and the strength of the barricades of trees and carts, seemed to make it a matter of great difficulty to force their position. In tho distance Mervyn discerned the towers and steei)]es of Glas- gow, and nearer at hand, the massive old castle of BolhweD, embosomed in its forests and morasses. Tho appearance of the warriors who were to defend this position was curiously miscellaneous. Menyn perceived no signs of military order and regularity. One large group seemed collected round a ju-oacher who was holding forth ou tho top of a barrel ; others seemed busy at their private devo- tions ; but (he greater part were engaged in cooking, tuid in cleaning old matchlocks. Tho royul banner was now displayed, and Monmouth ap- poutKl on horseback, with a brilliant etalT, uud rode along X CXUTAXQV IV BCOTtXND. 317 Oie !ine«, exhorting the men to courage and order. Half an hour's grace had been allowed to the covenanters to send in their submission, and an hour had elapsed, and as the duke arrived before Maascy's position, Grahame of Claverhouse galloped up to tell him so. " Let us do notliinf in a huny, sir," replied the duke, rein- ing in his horse. " Send a trumpeter to inquire their final determination, and then we will act." " I will go, my lord, an' it please you," said Mervyn, eagerly. " Go, then, sir," replied the duko in a cold and almost con- ttmptuous manner. Mervyn dashed his spurs into his steed, and in a moment was on the bridge, waving his hand in token of parley ; but a rattle of musketry warned him to retire, ana he galloped back to the duke, with a flushed cheek and sparklmg eye, which seemed for a moment to excite his attencion. " So, sir ! — we have witnessed your success," he said, with a sneer, and as he spoke, a shower of balls rattled among the leaves of an oak under which he stood ; but the duke moved not a muscle, and his weU-trained war-horse merely pricked its ears. !Mervyn, smilingly, lifted his hat, which was perfo- rated with a ball, and looking earnestly at the enemy, ex- claimed, " If your grace will give me leave to treat with them in another manner, I doubt not to bring you better tidings !" " Clear me the bridge then, Massey," said the duke, re- luctantly, at last. " Grahame will back you." " I will back no man, my lord, where I can be the first," repUed that fiery chief, with a dark flush ; but Massey seemed to be of a similar opinion, and spurring his horse, with a loud hurrah, which was echoed by his officers, and not by the men, he galloped recklessly forward fol- .owed by the troop. In a moment they were on the bridge, and Mervyn was abreast with his fiery old colonel. But a serious and determined resistance awaited them. Clouds of musketry enveloped everything, and a sharp hand to hand combat took place aroimd the barricades, which were densely crowded with pikcmen and musketeers. Suddenly Mervyn saw that Massey 's horse was struck with a ball on the chest ; and maddened with pain and terror, the animal reared and plunged with such violence that it was with difficulty the colonel kept his seat. Meanwhile, a Swerful covenanter was pressing furiously upon him. ervyn spurred his horse between, and engaged with the antagonist, but he had the horror to witness at the same moment that the colonel's desperate charger leaped the partpet of the bridge into the river. 318 WHITBF1IAB9. He aad no time to render any aasistance ; a new m^ ©f combatants swept him away from his antagonist, and he found that the aragoons were giving way on every eide. At this moment he felt that the crisis of his fate had arriveii, and reckless of life or death, he rushed into the midst of the covenanters, shouting, "England for ever I — Iretons, re- member Dunhar !" It Bceraed as if these words contained some magic apcll of old recollections. The dragoons returned with fury to the charge, and after a momentary conflict carried the bridge, with an impetuosity which nothing could withstand. The whole field was flooded with a general rout, ^nd the cove- nanters fled in every direction, a confused and yelling mob, in spite of the valiant efforts of a ie\K of their loaders. By this time the duke's whole army, with himself at the head, had crossed the bridge, but every vestige of resistance had disappeared. Mervyn was first in the pursuit as well as in the cnargc, and it was not until he had ridden nearly a mile beyond the bridge, capturing at pleasure, and hewing down those who persisted in flight, that he felt he was himself wounded. He grew suddenly sick and faint, and felt an acute pain in his left arm, which, on examination, he found severdy wounded with a claymore. His horse, too, was ex- hausted, and he thought it best to return and have his wound bound, for the blood was welling fast from it. He saw a party of horsemen collected about the br-dge-hcad, and tliitlier he directed his way. On arriving, he found it was the Duke of Monmouth, and several officers, looking at what, to Mcrvyn's great sorrow, he recognized as the body of Colonel ]\[assey, lying half in the stream, and the other half crushed beneath the dead carcass of his horse, on the margin where tlicy had fallen. He advanced, and respectfully congratulated the duke on his •\nctory. It was some momenta before the duke appeare-i to recognize him, so covered was he witli blood and dust, but Claverhouse exclaiming that it \^ as the victor of tlie day, the duke held out his hand, and shook -Mervvn's very hoartilv. " You have proved yourself a most g.illant soldier, sir,'" he said, with a smile of singular sweetness, " and since we have lost your brave comnuuuler, I know not how we can l>etler fill his place than by a])pointing you to connnand the troops you have so bravely led, with the rank of captain — at least as far as our power extends," he added, with a cloud on his brow, " for they have confined and crippled me in every direction." Mervyn bo^ve-l l\i» RcknowledijTr.t nt«, for his heart giuiheil A CJlIIFIIOM IM SCOTLAND. 3L9 too fiill to speak. It was then, for the first time, that Mou* mouth perceived ho was wounded, or that Mervyn recollected it himself. The duko ordered him to retire to his own tent, and directed his surgeons to attend him. Monmouth was a man of sudden impulses, but not deficient in political sagacity, *nd he perceived that while this appointment was likely to be approved at court, it would conciliate to his cause a daring ana adventurous spirit, which he had many other reasons to dread. Mervyn 's wound was not deep, and in a few weeks he was ready to take his new command of poor Massey's dragoons. The duke graciously confirmed his former gift, mentioned him with oistinguished encomiums in his despatches, and though he had not yet received any mandates from London, appointed Mervyn to the command of Dumbarton Castle, then the centre of one of the most disturbed districts. The defeat at Bothwell Briggs crushed the strength of the covenanters, but not their resistance. The flames of rebellion were rather scattered than extinguished, but the royal army marched on witliout resistance to Glasgow. Thence Mon- mouth distributed a few gamsons in various directions, and returned in great triumph to Edinburgh. Thrown thus on his own i-osoui'ces, in the midst of a wild country and a turbulent population, Mervyn's character began to display its nobler qualities, and to acquire the strength and decision of maturer years. Perched in the rocky castle of Dumbarton, overlooking a wide plain bordered by the almost savage Higlilands of Argylcshire, which at that time were almost unknown to the English, he watched the motions of an enemy of unconquerable zeal and obstinacy. The least spark falling among the scattered embers might re- kindle the flames of war, and Mervyn had to trample them out as fast as they appeared ; and he executed his task with an energy and humanity which excited the admiration even of his enemies. Many months passed in this fatiguing employment, and ho continued to receive the duke's aj)probiition, but no confirma- tion of liis appointment. Monmouth accounted for this by assertini^ that the Duke of York, conaideiing him as having desertea to his nephew's faction, refused to sanction it, but at the same time dared not openly disapprove or annul it. News from the centre of the political stniifglo, London, reached the remrte garrisonof Dumoarton but Bcraom,and then it was not of the u:ost cheerftil nature to the duke's faction. The fury of the plot was beginning to subside, the populace were glutted with blood, and showed some wearineBS oi their 890 WHITIFBIABI. unholy food. The cloud of witnesses which appeared, en* eouraged by Oates's success, being all men of infamous cha • racter and manners, rather diminished than strengthened the credibility of his revelations. The continued absence of all tangible proofs, all outward substance to the dreadful jJiadow he had raised, excited general suspicions as to its existence at all ; but sixteen victims had perished by a shameful and terrible death ere the acquittal of Sir George Wakeman gave the first great blow to the plot. The blood of the aged Stafford was stiU indeed to be poured on the scaffold for an imaginary crime ; but that execution closed the line of judicial murders, and the revulsion which popular opinion now sustained, began to act upon the authors and abettors of the diabolical state craft. This odiimi fell in some measure upon the innocent members of the popular party also, and prepared the way for the severe retahation which Charles afterwards inflicted. The Duke of Buckingham had meanwhile abandoned the court, and gone over to tne "SVhigs, with his usual versatility, and was now one of its bitterest enemies, stimulated no doubt by some private pique, much more than by the patriotism lie affected. Mervyn would have taken little note of this cir- cumstance, but for its connection with that man who called himself his father. Blood had for some time enjoyed the post of regular court-bully, and, doubtless, to gi-atify the hatred of the court against the apostate duke, he had suborned some ruffians to accuse him of a crime, of which he was not perhaps innocent. But the duke turned the tables with the weight of his purse, and the informers confessed their subornation. Blood was immediately held to bail, and a premtniire issued against him. Then he was tried, found guilty, and visited with all the punishments of scamhilum inagnatum ; he was amerced in a fine of ten thousand pounds, and took refuije from this enormous penalty in the bounds of tlie King's Bench. Mervyn was not much affected with the misfortunes of his worthy fatlier, and he was, besides, almost absorbed in the difficulties and dangers of his own position. Kuniours were rife that the court had so far recovered from its panic, as to project a dismissal of the Shaftesbur)' ministry, and (he recall of the Duke of Monmouth. The prospect of Lauder- dale's return again excited commotions and petty insurrec- tions, wliich, though not dangerous, were liarassing, and a dark cloud of war seemed gathering in the Western High- lands, where the numerous and jwwerful clan of Argyle boro with impatience the continued banishment of their chief. 2a Hub state of things, Mervyn received, with extrem* A CllfFAION IN BCOTtlKD. 321 nri»e, an order from Monmouth and his council, to march arerary, the great stronghold of the Campbella, situated in the heart of their wild fastnesses, there to arrest the earl, who, it was stated, had returned among his people, in defiance of the government and law. Mer^yn had good reasons for the very great surprise with which he received this rommond. In the first place, the object could be easily frustrated by the earl's departure, or by secreting himself among Iiia devoted clansmen. In the next place, it was almost impopsible to be accomplished. To penetrate into those wild fastnesses, through passes which could bo defended against a powerful army by a few resolute men, and, with the slender forces which he could muster, to overcome the numerous and valiant clan of Argyle, seemed a Quixotism to attempt. A larger force would, on (he other Land, run great risk of starvation ; for the Highlanders were rich only in cattle, and a few skirmishers could cut off the supplies of a whole host. But supposing that these important matters were put to the venture, another danger occurred — that the covenanters would rise in his absence, and wrest Dumbarton from the slender force which he could leave behind to protect it. Imperative as his orders were, Mervyn ventured, on these considerations, to delay obedience, ana wrote his objections to the council. He was answered in an exceedingly flattering, but rcBolute tone, by the duke himself. He assured him that he was forced to the measure by the outcries of the Lauder- dale faction, who accused him of winking at the earl's resi- dence in the Highlands. In the next place, there wat no danger of resistance on the part of the Campbells : ihe Countess of Argyle, who niled them in her husband's absence, had declared her innocence, and offered to submit to any investigation of the king's officers. To obviate the ap- prehension of the covenanters, the duke authorized him to raise the militia of Glasgow, and leave his castle in the custody of their captain. He further piqued his pride by reprcFcr^ing that tne great Montrose haa invaded and con- quered Argyle with a force almost as inadequate as his own, and in tlie depth of winter, whereas it was now the close of a fine summer. Finally, he k'ft him no resource but to march or throw up his commission. Mervyn felt that something ulterior was meant under this fair outside show, which he could not yet fathom ; for the man appointed to hold Dumbarton during his absence was notoriously a favourer of the covenant. But aa his instructioni were lo poaitive, he had no resource but a reluctant obedieno«. 322 >THIT£FBUB8. CHAPTER XLU. A WAELIKE EXCUESION IN THE HIGHLAJfM. Mebvtn commenced liis march early on a reiT cloudy morning, which seemed to presage nolucKv issue to his enter- prise. He left Dumbarton, liowever, in safe hands, preferring to miss the services of some forty of his best men, to leaving his basis of operation, and sole point of retreat, at the mercy of chance. His Httle anny consisted of about two hundred men, of whom about half were regular soldiers, and the rest picked men of the Lowland militia. Vei-y doubtful, however, of his reception, he determined to march bj* an imusual way, and to cross the mountains at Tarbet by a route, if route it could be called, known only to shepherds and doer-hunters, and deemed impassable. But relying on the statements which many of the latter class united in making, that it is quite po8 Bible in the summer-time to overcome the obstacles otTered by nature unless aided by men, he resolved on one of the most extraordinary marches which had been made in those parts since the wildly chivalrous exploits of Montrose. It was not without some emotions of awe and curiosity that Alervyn approached that lofty chain of dark hills which liid as it wore a new world, where the opinions and manners of a barbarous departed age were still m full vigour. His guides were two old deer-hunters, familiar with every pass and defile, and as he was obliged to confide himself wholly to their bribed faith, it was not without much secret alarm that ho found himself and his little army plunging deeper and deeper into those tremendous mountain solitudes. Valley alter vallej', narrow and di'ep, and hemmed in by dark hills of coarse heath, and crowned by b.\rc pinnacles of rock ; tor- rents rushing madly down those futnoinless glens ; rugged hills sloping down to the shining breasts of ¥;dty inliuid lakes ; sweet glimpses of green and fertile lowlands rejiosiug hke nymphs in the arms of satyrs ; endless successions of rank goree, marsh, and hill upon uill of short strong gPiis.^, which seemed piled like stairs to heaven ; all passed in grand pano- ramas before the young leiukr's awe-struck ga/.e. J'hey encountered no living bemg but a few shepherd.-), who lied nt their approacli, numerous ilocks of sheep, and herds of deer. Mcrvya, however, allowed his soldiers U> touch nothing ou the marcii but tiio provisions they had brought with them, •icept a few head of deer, which as a wild game, he con* iiidered lawful spoil. .* ?y^rMKK EXCUli!>ION IS THK HIGHLANDS. 323 T^* e»-J1e screaming in hie rocky abysses, the roar of tor- r<»>i, r*ia nirange liguta gleaming and wandering among the mmmvane, now all a-glow with purple and crimson hcatiiea then dark and dun as sorrow, filled the young soldiey's niiiJi with ideas of sublimity and grandeur, which seemed to satisfy a want in his poetical and somewhat dreamy nature. The ex- citement, too, of enterprise, and the consciousness of a prouc) responsibility, were gratifying to a miud without much actual experience, and full of the chivalric legends of Ariosto. rho first day's march was quite unmolested, and at night they bivouaclcod under a lovely autumn moon, on the summit of one of those vast green braes on which the Highland shep- herd rears his chief wealth. ]\Iervyn knew that the flying herdsmen would have spread tlie news of his march in a few hours, and he was anxious to allow as little time as possible to f)repare assistance. His drums beat with the first peep of ight, and towards noonday his little army came to the last ridge of tjiose wild sierras which sweep downward to the glittering waters of Loch Fyne. On the opposite shores of the Loc-h, backed by another dark pile of moimtains, the towers of Inverary arose in desolate grandeur. Hitherto they had met with no opposition, in fact, had seen Bcarcely a living being, and Mervyn began to fear something ominous in this continued disappearance of tlie numerous clan inhabiting the regions he had now entered. But he had no resource but perseverance, and he coatinued his mai-ch around the rocky basin of the Loch, pasoiD" through defiles which, by their natural difficulties alone, might have effec- tually barred all entry to an invader. But these terrible passes were quite undefended, the cottages on their march deserted, and not a sign of habitation to be met with. As he ap- proached Inverary, however, the range of black hills on his right sometimea poured forth a sudden cloud of Highlanders, who seemed to watch their movements, but without any hostile demonstration of their own intentions. Mervyn and his little army halted ^yithin a few miles of Inverary, in a position of great strength, for it was defended by a morass on one ];and, and a deep glen on the other, where he resolved to ascertain the real disposition of hia opponents. Accordingly he sent out scouts, and one of hia sergeants with a flag to Inverary, stating (hat he desired an interview with the Countesa of Ai-gyle, or any of her deputies, to announct hia majesty'a pleasure, which he had come to execute in that country. This message produced an immediate effect ; three High- land gentlemen, evidently men of superior rank, returned 824 wniTntniAM. with the sergeant. One of these, a tall, stately man, attired in. the clan-tartan, though of richer materials, and with a costly mantle of sables, fastened round his breast by silver wolfs pavrs, seemed to be the chief personage ; and he in- formed Mcrryn that the Lady Argjle was in her castle of Inverary, and very much surprised to hear that the king had thought it necessary to have his pleasure announced in her country by a military force ; that she desired only to know his majesty's pleasure to obey it, and therefore requested Captain Mervyn to come to Invorary and annoimce it to her personally, and that meanwhile she sent her dear cousins, Sir Duncan Campbell of Inverlochy, and Eonald of Tarbet, as hostages for his safe return. Mervyn consented readdy to this plan, which he thought would obviate many inconveniences, and, accompanied by the Highland gentleman in sables, rode to Inverary, over a wild waste oTT moor and hill. It was sunset when they entered the castle, and Mervyn found that his companion was a man of apparent consequence, from the homage which was paid him by all whom they met. He was besides a mto of very agreeable and fluent conversation, and seemed well acquainted with the state of political events and persons. They entered the castle by a hall of y;reat extent, the walls of which were of blue granite, garnished with stags' heads, horns, and other sylvan trophies, arms of various aees and manufactures, shields, targets, pikes, claymores, steel-coats, and helmets. Two vast fires of pine logs burned at either end, in cavernous chimneys, and three oaken tables, ex- tending the whole length of the hall, sMmed prepared for a banquet. This apartment was filled with a great variety of persons, some sitting in conversation, but the greater part standing to receive the guests. They were nearly all fine muscular-looking men, in the Highland garb, many of them of quality ; but there was mingled with them a few persons whose coarse Lowland habits, long ascetic faces, and drawling tongues, announced them as covenanters. It was with evident and very great astonitsliment that Mervyn recognized, in conversation with the countess, who sat at the upper end of the hall, in great state, surrounded by her ladies, the faces of several persons familiar to him in London. The principal of tJieso was the Lord Howard, Monmouth's great friend and abettor in all his projects. There was one Kumscy, a creature of Shaftesbury 'n, a man of very blandishing manners, with a si}', foxy expression of eountenanee, likely to put a physiognomist on nis iriiard. There was another, an old companion of Colonel Blood, A WABLIKE EICUB9I0N IN THE HIGHLANDS. 5^25 Rnd one of Cromwell's boldest lieutenants, who afterwards fiijured in the !Rye-Housc conspiracy. It waa liumbold. He had a large burly head, and only one eye, Iho other being knocked out by a blow which dishgured t"lie ^^hole side of his fiice, and he was deeply pitted with the smallpox. " You are welcome, sir — very welcome," said the countess, rising to receive her military guest. " Whatever your mes- sage be, the messenger is our guest, and as such deseiTCS all honour." " I thank you, madam," replied MeiTyn, bowing deeply, and somewhat struck with the dark beauty of tJao lady's features, and with the melancholy tones of her voice. " But I am afraid my business here has little claim on your hospitality." " Do not state it then till you have had some little couver- aation with my Lord Howard, who is direct from the Duke of Monmouth," said the countess, hastily. " Meanwhile we pray you to partake of such poor refreshment as our wUd country can afford, and rest awhile from " " No, madam, I must needs decline your courtesy," inter- rupted Mer\-yn. "lam here at the king's orders to arrest the Earl of Argyle, if he be in these parts, and will not taste the salt of any man, with such a purpose in my heart." '• Arrest Argyle in the midst of his clan !" echoed Mervyn'a companion, with a grim laugh, which was repeated in a variety of tones by the brawny warriors around. " Prithee, sir, have you ten thousand men at your heels?" " I have the king's authority, sir, backed with which I fear not to do my duty against any odds!" replied Mervyn, wannly. " "Well, Captain Mervyn, but first hear what we have to say," said Howard, taking his arm in a mysterious manner. " My lady countess wdl pardon us awhile." And ho led the young leader apart, into a dark octagonal recess formed in a tower which overlooked the lake. "Come, my dear Mer\'jn, let us drop this farce," he said, with a smile. " Here is the duke's letter — read it, and give U9 your opinion." As he spoke, he handed a letter to Mervyn, sealed with Mon- mouth's arms, and in his own lumdwriting. The duke began by assuring hiin that he perceived the justice of all his reason- ing on the expedition, and the total inadequacy of the forces at his command ; and that so chimerical an ilea as that of arresting Argyle in his own country had never occurred to him as a possibihty ; it was, in fact, with a very different in- tention that he had directed Mervyn to march : — this was no 326 WBITEFBIABS. less than to join hia troops, already well disposed tliat way, to the clansmen of Argyle, make a sudden descent on Glasgow, and proclaim the Covenant, and the redress of divers political grievances ! The whole west of Scotland, he said, was ready to burst out in a flame of insun-ection, which would soou spread to England, and Shaftesbury, and other nobles of his powerful party, had promised to take the seizure of Glasgow as a signal for a revolt in London. Thus the government would be distracted, and not know which way to turn, and meanwhile Monmouth would march against Glasgow with an army devoted to him, which on approaching should fraternize with the insurgents, and proclaim him general of the Scots and English armies for tlicre dress of grievances. Dumbarton, according to the duke, was left in the hands of a partisan of the commonwealth, so that no resistance need be apprehended there. To concert this grand rebellion it seemed that Howard represented the duke ; Rumscy, Shaftesbury and his party ; and Rumbold, the desperate republicans of Cromwell's time, ready to dare and do anything. Many clans in alliance with .fVrgyle, and favom'crs of the Covenant, had promised their adherence, and on the whole it seemed indeed a plot of a most alarming and extensive nature. Vast rewards were pro- mised to Mervyn for his adlierence and services to the cause, and divers hints thrown out, that it was the last ofler of an exalted destiny which fortune was likely to make him. On the other hand, it was prettj' plainly intimated that ho had not much freedom of choice, as he and his troops were at the mercy of Argj-le and his clan. " Well, and what says the gallant Sidicr Eoy !" exclaimed Mervyn 'a Highland companion, impatiently stepping into the rece.sa. " He says that he is not a traitor, and that this is treason — black, unholy treason!" exclaimed Mervyn, tearing the letter into a thousand pieces. "Are you mad?" said Howard, with oitrcmo surprise. " Wliy, the duko told us you were all prepared to do as ho jjeased, and that you had been much injured by tlio court!" "In all lawful matters, /am prepared," replied Mervyn, " but not to bet ray my king and country, aiul my own honour ! [ will not believe that the Puke of Monmouth ever wrote this letter, and I am willing to })ut what interpretivtion vo\i please on your presence here, but I have a duty to j)i-rronn iierc, and that only — 1 demand from you all, in tlie king's majesty's name, if he be refuged in these countries, the person of Arcui« biUd, Earl of Argyle, as a traitor and fugitive." "He is here, then/' reulied the Uighlauder, with a fierc« A WABtlKB KXCUlSIdN IN THK HIOHLANM. 327 smile, and striking his brawny chest. " I am Maccuilmore, chief of the Campbell?, and now what have you to sav to me P" " I an-est you in King Charles's name," replied Merrya, reBolutely, " and I command you to surrender yourself." " Look licre !" exclaimed the chieftain, with a lioarse laugh, and throwing open tlie window, he drew a pistol from his girdle and fired it over the loch. In a moment the opposite hills seemed covered with Highlanders, who ran down to the shores of the lake, and seemed assembling m masses below. " Look here, Captain jMcrvyn ! — a thousand Campbells arc there, all men of bone and sinews, who will suffer themselves to bo'hacked to pieces to the last man ere any Saxon shall lead their chieftain hence by force." " You muster a strong power, but I trust not to resist the king'" authority," replied Mervyn, gazing with an undismayed eye over the assembling host. ' " The king is in the hands of arbitrary and popish coun seUors," said Howard. " I marvel what great hopes you have in them. Master Mervyn, that you reject the only chance o*" grasping glory and fortune at once, which fate may ever put m your way ?" " What, Lord Howard ! do you think that by any act of mine I will assist to place in power the butchers of Godfrey and Van HuysmanP" said Mervyn, with strong emotion. " Besides, you are mistaken in all your calcidations. The clans of the north detest you — England is um-ipe for a revolt — Dumbarton is safe in loyal hands — and if need be, I wili hack myself a way out of these mountains, or you shall slay the officer and soldiers of your king !" In vain did the other plenipotentiaries in this extraordinary conference crowd around hun, and press him with a great variety of arguments and entreati'.'s. All the loyal and ho- nourable feelings of his heart revolted from llie treachery contemplated, and it seemed as if the time prophesied by Van Huysman had arrived, wlicn the salvation of the catholJ!' church in England seemed to hang on his breath, for its total destruction was no doubt one of the objects of the fierce sectarians who called themselves covenanter.^ and political "''formers of the time. Threats were tried with an equal want of success, and but for Lady Argj^lc's interference, violence in the heat of passion might have been resorted to, for the wilder guests outside began to take a part in the controversy. Argylo even dropped ob.scure hints that Mervyn's soldiers would not remain faithful to him, and fearful that somelhmg minister was in agitation in his camp, he demanded to return 828 WniTEFBIABS. thither. Howard and the chieftain both pressed him to take at least the night to consider their proposition, and fearful that they would not let him go at all, he tacitly agreed, and was at last allowed to depart. On returning to his camp and dismissing the hostages, he naw clearly enough tliat tlie soldiers expected some extraordi- nary rc'voiatlon, and from llie knowledge he had of their principles, he feared they had been tampered with to some purpose in his absence. But to put in execution the resolu- tion which he had formed in his own mind, he affected a vcrj cheerful air, directed the soldiers to light large fires, accepted with great affabihty a present of provisions which arrived from Inverary, and in presence of the messengers made every preparation as if to spend the night on the ground which he occupied. But such was far from being Mervyn's intention. Sur- rounded as he was by overwhelming numbers, and with a secret of such importance in his possession, he felt that the enemy could not intend to let him escape out of their clutches, at the same time he reflected on the chances that Dumbarton might be seized, and his retreat in that direction cut off. The vital importance of an immediate resolution now struck him too strongly to allow of hesitation, for as night advanced all the hiUs and borders of the lake gleamed with fires, Ht hj the Highlanders in their bivouacs roiuid the castle of their chief. He determined, therefore, on a measure which would have done credit to a general of the daring and rapid school of our own times. He suffered his soldiers to eat their supper, and even made preparations for the night's bivouac, but sud- denly the order was issued to march, and without allowing time for remonstrance or disobedience, the little army com- menced its retreat, in all possible silence, and under the pro- pitious shadow of a very dark night. Menyn directed the fires to be heaped, and himself brought up the rear, to prevent any straggling which might betray his intentions. Calculating that the llighlanders. if they discovered his departure, would conclude he had taken the least ditlicult and dangerous way, he nreferred returning b}' the road he had come, over their wilaest and most desolate mountains. His Highland guides had now, however, deserted him, and he was obliged to trust to his own recollections and the conjec- tures of his officers, in the depth of night, crossing a black and desolate range of fells and glens whi*-h offered no road, and scarcely a single point to which the memory could cling. Nevertheless it was with great delight that he took a farewell gl&nco of the illuminated Loch luul hills of luverary, and A WABLTKB BXCUBSION IN THE HI0HLAND9. 329 plunged into the darkness of a deep valley skirted on both sides by lofty mountains. Mcrvyn could not assure himself of success, however, until the morning broke on his fatigued and straggling Httle host, and no signs of pursuit appeared. StUl he allowed them but a short rest before lie was again en route, and tarrying neither for stragglers nor those that were worn out with fatigue, he arrived at length in safety at Tarbet. Here bad news awaited him. Serjeant Hoskins, the man whom he had left in charge of Dumbarton, had sent a mes- senger to inform him that the covenanters were stirring in all parts, and that he hourly expected an attack, which, with his trifling numbers, would very likely prove successful. Moryyn's men were too luueli exhausted to continue their march, however necessary their presence at Dumbarton, but ordering them to follow after a few hours' rest, he set off on horseback, with only a single trooper, and reached his castle in safety. The news of his sudden and almost marvellous return, and, perhaps, tidings from their friends in the moun- tains, seemed to strike panic into the turbulent population around ; all signs of resistance disappeared, and the murmurs of the rising tempest sunk into a dead calm. Mervyn had now time to reflect on what he had done, and though lie in nowise repented liis conduct, he apprehended with justice that he had forfeited Monmouth's patronage, and in fact incurred his hatred and that of the powerful faction which backed him ; but the consciousness that he had dono his duty, and the chivalric renown which he had acquired by the brilliant manner in which he had done it, somewhat con- soled him. Gratitude for the kindness which the duke had shown him, and a faint hope of again conciliating his favour, made him resolve to know no more than what was generally understood by his troopers and the public, and he wrote to the council a detail of his expedition, wherein ho omitted ail the extraordinary proposals made to him at Inverary. Ho received in reply a cold official statement, tliat the councU approved of aH ho had done, but that they had learned from certain information that the Earl of Argyle was still at the Hague, and had not left that city during the two years of his exile. The epistle concluded by stating that as ois great services had rcnuercd him pecuUarly odious to the wcstland people, and as the country was so tranquillized jis no longer to need them, ho was to prepare for a successor, in tho person of one Colonel Rumbold, and to take his departure for Edinburgh immediately on the arrival of that officer. Mcrvyn felt that this was di'iving him into a corner, and 330 WHITBPfilAM. in tho first fluBh of anger he half resolved to report all h« knew to the Yorkists in London, and keep his command in epite of the council of Edinburgh ; but the imminent hazard of such a step, and the erperience he had obtained of the unbounded injustice of both the factions, made him hesitate. Then although his soldiers both loved and reverenced him, they were not likely to back him in a quarrel against Mon- mouth and the principles which were still so dear to them ; ndeed Mervyn was aware that intrigues were at work among them, which he had much diflBculty in winking at. But hi« perplexities were now put to rest by an event wliich burst so suddenly on Scotland that it took all parties and factious by surprise. The king dismissed his popular administration, recalled Monmouth, appointed the Duke of York in his room, deprived him of all his offices and places, and ordered him to retire to Holland or France. A new world now began in Scotlaud, for no sooner was the duke installed in Holyrood House, than he commenced a wide and sweeping purification, as his coiu-tiers called it, in whicli the partisans of ]\Ionmoutli were most cruelly oppressed and maltreated. Mervyn had soon reason to conclude that he was regarded in the light of one of these, for he received an abrupt command to resign his governorship to an old cavalier officer, who arrived for that purpose, ana to present himself at Edinburgh, to give his royal highness an account of his late expedition into Arjryleshire, which appeared to the council of a very suspicious ii.iture and result. Mervyn obeyed without remonstrance or hesitation ; indeed it was not without a considerable dcKroe of satisfaction that lie laid down an office which entailed so much inglorious bloodshed and harassing warfare on its potssessor, more espe- cially as his conscience acquitted him of all unnecessary cruelty or tj'ranny in the exercise of his great and irrespon- eiblo power. On reaching Edinburgh, l^fervyn immediately announced Jiis arrival to the council, and considerably to his surprise, ho received orders to attend the Duke of York in liis private apartments at Holyrood, and following the messenger, he found himself shortly in the presenw of the royal viceroy himself. The Dake of York, like most of the Stuart family, waa a man of noblo stature and commanding features, with a some- what gloomy cluirarter of i-xpri'ssiou. Ho wjuh sitting alone, in a narrow ill-furnished chambtT, poring over a heap of papers which lay before him. Mervyn wna startled at the A WABLIILB BXCDB8I0N IN THB HIGHLANDS. 331 Buddeimces of Lis introduction, and coloured deeply, but he was still more astonished at the OTaciousncss of hia reception ; the dukt, f.'tcnded his hand, and smiled affably aa tho young soldier benl lovrn in some confusion to kiss it. " Well, sii you look well after your extraordinary cam- paign," said ilic duke. " Think not we have disgraced you. \Ve reserve you for something better than a scarecrow to keep a few rebellious peasants in awe. Besides, we arc cunous to heai' the particulars of your Highland tour," " It was entirely against mine own opinion and advice, Iilease you, that I imdertook it," said Mervyn, with some lesitation. " The particulars of my expedition I transmitted in a letter to the late council, a copy of which " " I hare read that — it contains only half the truth, man," said the duke, hastily. " I am perfectly well acquainted with all that happened to you at Inveraiy, and the projected most dangerous rising wliich yoiu: heroic loyalty and chivalroui courage totally disconcerted. And let me ada, that I expected no less from a pupil of that revered and sainted martyr, blessed Father van Huysman, whose soul God keep!" " But by what means did your royal highness " " No matter, sir ! — a man who has the mheritance of throe kingdoms at stake on the intrigues of a bold a]id crafty faction, must keep his eyes open. But I recognize in you a champion of my cause, and that of Heaven and our religion, so severely menaced by these ferocious sectaries. The tidings of this conspiracy drove his majesty to his late sudden measures ; but it would have cost seas of blood to set raatters to rights again had you acted in the smallest particulai' otherwise than you have done. I am obliged, however, at present to content myself with the banishment of this insolent bastard, who pretends to my crown. And mark you the depth of policy in these dangerous men — they put you upon tms enterprizo because they knew if you proved refractory, your evidence, on account of your strange connection with the popish plot, would avail httlc with a factious jury. Do you think it waa for any love of you ? Head this paper ; it was found in Monmouth's state cabinet, abandoned in the hurry of flight." Mervyn mechanically took the offered paper, and read, with amazement and indignation, a letter from Shaftesbury to Monmouth, m which the former refused to confirm Mervyu's appointment (o Dumlxirton Castle, and advised the duke to pretend that it was owing to the opposition of the Yorkists ; 80 that the injustice done to him might plunge the young ■oldisr, heart and soulj into the cause. 333 WHITBFBIAB0. The Duke of York remarked with satisAictiofl the uK^gna- tion visible in Merryn's expressire features ; but he gave the letter back with a eUent bow. " You see, tlicn, what manner of backers these traitors are," he said, quietly. " But now you shaS perceive ihe difference between constituted and usurped authority. His majesty will not permit any proceedings to be taken af^ninst these conspirators, as his son — or rather Lucy "Waters's, for Heaven knows that is the safest side of his parentajje — is bo deeply concerned in it. But, in token of his admiration and appreciation of your conduct, he appoints you to the vacant captaincy of his gentlemen-at-arms, by whicli you will be very near his person ; and this is but a step, Master Mcrvj-n, on your way of fortune." Mervyn was dazzled by this sudden lustre of his lucky stars, and thanked the duke with an euerj^y and eloquence which seemed to please him higlily. " We must have you in parliament, too," he said, with a smile. " But, meanwhile, you will be highly useful to us near his majestv's person ; for I think, Captain Mervj'n — I think," he said., with much emphasis, " I may calculate ou one true friend, who will not desert me in my troubles, when they come." Mervyn raised the cross of his s^^ ord, and kissed it with significant fervour ; and the interview shortly aftcrwarda terminated in the highest mutual satisfaction. CEAPTEll XLIII. A COURTIEU'S DEBUT. A FEW weeks after the events above recorded, Mervyn arrived in London, and he found that the court had removed to Windsor, to ceU'brate Christmas in the U8U:U pomp juid state of the period. lie resolved, however, on resting him- self a day in the groat city, jus well to recover from the ph^'sical tiitiguo of a journey in those days considered of immense extent, as to inquire into the ehiuigcs and aspect of the political world. But with what dilfcnnt opinions and eyes did ho now contemplatii things, with the light of his enlarged experience of the world, and from the elevation of a brilliant position ! The nation was in a fernuMit, seething and boiling like • witch's ciddruii of many incompatible and direful in:;^redieut« ; and an there was no state-chemist of sufficient skill or j^ower A OOUBTIBB'S DfBTTT. 33) to fuse tlie discordant materiiils into a consistent mass, they threatened to burst in some terrible explosion. Ilepublicans, monarchists of all shades and dejprees, fanatic and republican conspiracies, a turbulent nobility, a wTathful but silent people, were the inf^edicnts of the witch-broth. The wild fervour of reUgious opinion kindled by the lleformation, was at its last but fiercest effulgence, and philosophical obsenrers beheld the extraordinary spectacle of a most profligate court ruling over a sternly rehgious people. All parties and factions in the state, to use a paradox which would sound absurd of any other age or people, were at the height of hope and desperation. Ihe moods and humours of the time could be discerned by an intelligent eye in the smallest scattered particulars, and Merryn gathered more information, as he wandered through the streets, than many a dullard who was behind the scenes of the great drama itself Pamphlets on the succession, on the principles of divine right, and polemical tracts, abounded on tne booksellers' stalls ; and happening to wander into a church, he perceived the immense dechne of the Oatesian faction, for there was only a small congregation assembled to hear that great man hold forth in a vehement harangue against popery. In this grand assault on the Beast, as he called the catholic church, he spared no rank, and preserved no decency. The language of Scripture and of the fish-market were used alternately ; the pope, even the king and the court, he assailed with a frothy violence and invective, which drew from his sympathizing audience sighs and groans and tears. But Mervyn was unable to endure the agony of recollections which rushed upon him at the mere tones of that splay voice, and burning with indignation, he left the profaned temple of the God of mercy and peace. The sight of Gates, however, brought his reputed father to his recollection, which, with an indefinite idea of obtaining some information on his mysterious connection with Lady Howard, made him resolve to visit Blood in liis coufinement of the King's Bench. He took a boat accordingly, crossed the river, and threading a series of rural lanes, arrived under the lofty walls of the prison, crowned with their glittering eJievaux-de-frise. Mervyn was admitted by a lugubrious-faced turnkey, whose paucity of words and stoicism of manner seemed acquirea by a life-long practice in that dismal receptacle of fortune's wrecks. Ho looked with much surpriso and suspi- cion at Mervyn when he inquired for Colonel Blood, bat pointed laconically to a distant group of racket- players, wooso 3M WUITEFUlAnS. uproarious clamcur and huge caos betokened a company of hearty drinkcra. It waa a bitterly cold day, and the enow lay in wliitc and flisteninff masses on the gables and projecting roofs of the Uf^e melancholy piles of building forming the prison. The Kixj£j'8 Bench was governed at that time, when prison disci- pline was little undex-stood, on the sole principle of keeping the prisoners secure, and every species of profligacy was allowed to the gain of the officers. Gambling and drmking seemed the chief amusements ; a regular market was held of all sorts of commodities, at an exorbitant rate ; brandy-shops, dice-rooms, and other places of infamous recreation abounded. Some, whose gambling propensities had brought them there, still indulged in the darlin'r ruin, and staked even the rags on their backs. It was the rery sink of that wild, profligate, and reckless age ; beaux v ho had once glittered as the orna- ments of courts, ruined merchants, spendthrift heirs, male and female gamesters, royalists and republicans stripped equally bare in the up-and-down mutations of fortune, awaited there the great deUverer of all mankind — Death. As he approached the rackcters, the uproar among them seemed to increase. Suddenly arose one of the storms frequent in that fierce atmosphere of human passions, where, the restraints of decency being altogether thrown aside, the savage and brutal nature of man predominated. A crowd rushed around the rackcters, and it seemed to Mcrvvn that two of them were having a furious quarrel. This soon c'lianged into a fight, and when he an-ived at the scene of action, he found that one had overthrown his antagonist, and was strug- gling with him on the ground. The victor, however, soon completed his triumph, by dashing his enemy's head against the stones tUl he was senseless, and then rising, Merr\'n recognized in his flushed and bi-utal features the very man lie sought. Instantly the inexplicable feeling of aversion which had sunk on him when he first beheld the redoubted colonel, carao over him with renewed force, and he waa about to move off with tho crowd which was carrying the wounded combatant to a neighbouring brandy-shop, when with an effort ho forced himself to advance, exclaiming, " Well, Colonel Blood!" On hearing the voice of Afervyn, that personage, who was now Btandin;; by himself wiping his streaming face, looked up, grew suddenly pide, and staggered back a fi-w sti-ps, with hu eyes nearly starting from their sockets. But he recovered himself im suddenly, and extended his hand with a loud as- auranco tJiut he wuo us welcome us the flowers of May ; then. A. cottbtibb's r^BCT. 8:M5 obBerring thai there waa blood upon his hand, he withdrew it hastily, and uttered Bomething hke an apology, which sud- denly concluded with a burst of tears. Tears from the eyes of Colonel Blood ! Mervyn gazed as doubtfully as if he liad seen water spout from a rock. His first reflection aecribcd it to maudlin mtempcrancc ; and thea his heart emote him with the suggestion that it might be the yearnings of afFeetion He stood hesitating and much embar- rassed, but the colonel hastily choked his emotion. " This is kind of you, lad, kind of you — when all have deserted me but poor Torn — poor Tom Hunt — and he ia in Newgate now," he exclaimed. "You sec I have been having a bit of a breeze— I mean, with that cursed rogue, Heron ; he thinks, forsooth, to unthrone me, to be cock o' th' alley — as if Colonel Blood, be he where he may— ay, even ir; a dim- geon ! — will be anything but king of the country. I am glad to see you, boy — glad to see you — looking so well, too — so like — so like a nobleman ! — fiow black your hair is tiu-ned ! Well, wcU, come this way ; I'll treat you — I am not quite a beggar vet." And he produced a small coin, and then burst into a bitter laugh, ana chucked it scornfully away among a crowd of ragircd boys. ^lervyn was affected by these visible signs of an anguished spirit, and his consciousness of what the proud though crimi- nal heart of the man must feel under its load of shame and sorrow. He put on a cheerful aspect, however, and invited him to take a bottle of wine in one of the drink-shops at haiMi. *' No, no — no thin potations for me — no wine !" replied Blood, with the same hollow laugh. " Brandy for me, brandy for me ! — Nothing like brandy for drowning care ! Come along, boy. I'll show you where they keep right Nantzic." H^ then led the way to a top-house, the goodness of whose liquors seemed vouched by the roaring merriment going on within. They entered this haunt of Bacchus, and, as well 83 Mervyn could see for smoke and confusion, foimd them- selves in a dirty tap-room, filled with a drinking, gambling, and fighting mob. " I always encourage the poor devils h»rc — I knew them when, like myself, they saw better times," said Blood, in a hoarse whisper. " You may remember Bradley, that kept the ' Heaven ' in Whitcfriais, that night we supped with King Charles and Nell Gwyn. There he is — ah, you hardly know him again — he has drunk himself into an idiot." Mervyn did indeed perceive a shrunk, starved -looking 836 WHITSFBUBS. fif^e, seated \rith. his legs elinging loose )n a barrel, drr£n- ing a leaden pot, and eunering a part of the liquor to run from his hanging jaws. His wife, still more sluttiaU than in the olden time, squalid and half-clad, ran about, serving the guests ; and from her they obtained permission to ensconc* themselves behind some barrels, which scncd as a kind of bar, and where they could discourse out of observation. *' Good, good ! how it wanns the heart," said Blood, swal- lowing nearly half a pint of brandy at a toss. " Brandy is the only friend that, after ruining a man, is still willing to comfort his misery. Wine, jolly wine and beauty, made you an orphan, Mervyn — I moan of all but youi- aflectionato father. — But, by-the-by, I hear you deny the relationship. I am not your father — ain I not P Well, well, if I gave you not life I preserved it, and that is always something in the balance." " But how did you preserve my life, colonel ?" said irer\'yn, with affected carelessness. " But how P" repeated Blood, gloomily. " No matter, it is so — but how is a secret which I must take with me to the grave. Well, boy, I heard of you in the wars — you have be- liavcd yourself like a gentleman, and I do think that they above," he added, with singular solemnity of tone, " are keep- ing you for some marvellous purpose. i( I would consent to youi" death now, I might be Iree this instant — might quit tliis dungeon, where I am otherwise chained for lite. But I will not, I will not — they shall not Jiarni one hair of your head." "Nay, nay, I know I am not worth ten thousand pounds in your sight," said Mervyn, with an incredulous smile. "Yes, Mervyn, ten thousand pounds are offered for your destruction !" reiterated tlie colonel with great energy. "I should like to know to whom it can be worth so much," replied Mervyn, laugliing. " It would almost bribe mo to smcide." " Suicide !" repeated Blood, with a dark and melancholy look at the noble and singularly handsome face of the young man. " Well, well, no nuitter — but as I said oefore, how very black your hair has grown! It was as white as ll&x in your childhood. Oh, Mervyn, what I might liiive been had I devoted half so much energy, skill, and courage in good as I have in evil ! Well, 1 have wronged you — but for all that, they shall not tempt n>o to your hurt — no, not with the mines of Potosi !" " Meanwhile if anything less than a mine will be of serriM to you, aud as it seems our relationship authorizes me, her* 1 COTJBTIEB's DfeBUT. 337 u my purse," said Menyn, touched with a certain impress of trutn in the man's vehemenae. Blood looked at the purse •with a visible inward striigglc, then swallowing another huge gulp of brandy, he clutched it eagerly. " I shall pay thee some day, lad," he muttered. " The time will come — a man cannot last always, and look how I am shrunk !" And he bared his arm to show how distinctly the muscles were visible. " When it comes to that, Mervyn, I'll clear matters up for you in style. Besides, these are stin'ing times — the court cannot do without me. I shall have the king's bail some day, or I will give them leg-baU." And he again nearly choked himself with a profuse draught of the strong liquor. He then inquired what had brought Mervyn to DDudon, and seemed much struck with the account he gave. But on Mervyn mentioning the king, Blood launched into a vehement invective against him, upbraiding him with ingratitude, in leaving such an old and faithful servant as himself to perish in a prison for a paltry ten thou- sand pounds ! Tlie transitions of the colonel's mood from dejection to fury were strange and violent ; and as he continued to swallow glass after glass of brandy, his Irish temperament passed from extreme despondency to the wildest hopes. He spoke of the favour he still was in at court, of how the king needed him, if he could but get out of those accursed walls. " They watch me wcU, for the marshal is held in a heavy bond," he said; "but still I am certain, quite certain, that with a httle assistance I could escape. Eemember how I saved you from devil Gates, and don't be ungrateful. You win not leave your father to rot in a prison, boy ! Do out lend me your dagger, bring me in a crow-bar, aud have a horse waiting under the little tower that butts on St. George's fields ; and if I do not get out ! — the waU there is ol(f and decayed, and I am certain I could swing myself to the top if there was some one to tlu-ow me a rope over." " You are mad. Master Colonel, to think I will take any share in such a matter," replied Mervyn, on the spur of the moment. "You wont, ha! — then you are a villain and a coward!" yelled the ruffian, who was now much excited with drink and rage. " It is well you shield yourself under the name of father !" ■aid Mervyn, calmly. " "Well, well, lad, but to leave an old pal in distress," mut* .y"S WHlTBfKlABS. tered Blood, somewhat less vehemently. " But, at least lend me your daipger, and I promise you I will work myself out a way with it. ' "To murder some inoffensiTe jailer P No, by heaven!" exclaimed Mervyn, warding off the hand with which Blood strove to clutch the hilt of hia weapon. This refusal, obstinately reiterated, set Cro to the colonel's irritated feelings, and he swore fearfidly at the young man, calling bim villain and coward, to desert his comrade in such extremity. He railed on so bitterly that at last the persona present began to meddle ; and, overcome with disguat, Mervyn rose to depart. " You are better, Colonel Blood," he said, " you are better here among your fellows, where, plot and murder as you will, you can do no harm. Farewell ! — licre is the reckoning, hostess." And he threw the only coin he had rescn'ed on the table, and bowing ironically to Blood, left him speechless with rage. But he had not gone many yards ere the colonel despatched a pewter tankard at his head, which, though it missed its aim, was sent with such good will, that it was bent flat against th« wall. CHAPTER XLIV. i. BOYAL CUKISTMAS KT THB OLDEN TIMES. MEB,^TN arrived at Windsor on Cliristmas-eve, and found the picturesque village in a state of great bustle and prepara- tion for the ensuing festivid. The Duke of York had given him a letter to IVpys, the secretary of the Admiralty, who was with the court ; and by him he was immediately presented to the king. Charles received him very graciously, though he seemed almost to have forgotten his person, and aaaured him that ho waa entirely satisijed with his brother's choice of a captain to his guard. His majesty then turned to resume a conversation in which he was engaged with his chief page, Chiilinch, and a gentleman, who, iVpys told our hero after- wards, MM John Dry den, tlio poet. They were i>laiiniiig a nasquo, wiih which the king intended to amuso tlio queen and uer ladies on the following' dnv. Pepys took cnnsiJenible ii^'i^i.' i i inslallin:^ llie vn:n^ •ourtier into his new olllce, and in^t meting him in iis duties, and under his auspices Mervyn cnt<'red on all his rij'hts and pririleget. H« hold a r«TMW of hio gUtteriag baud, wkioh i. BOTAL CHBI9TMAS IV THB OtDBN TIMES. 339 principally consisted of ancient battered cavaliers, and eeta* blished himself in his allotted apartments. He gave a hand- some supper to celebrate his inauguration, at which Mr. Pepys presided, and where they all a,ot drank, and toasted the Diike of Yorii on their kneea. And thus pai?scd his fii'st night at court. Pepys came early the next day, as well to rouse Mervyn betimes, as to see how his magnificent dress, as captain of the gentlemen-at-arms, became the stalwart figure of the young soldier. He was delighted with it, and Mervyn himself waa not at all displeased with the splendid figure he cut in the mirror, with his velvets and gold embroidery, especially as he reflected that in all probability Mistress Sydney would be present at the festival. But then it occurred to nim, with a somewhat chilling eflect, that the daughter of Sydney would look with contempt on a gilded slave of the court, as he must now appear to her. But then again Pepys assured him that he looKed like a costly enamel which he possessed of Fmncis I., in his young days, when he was reputed the handsomest man of his time. J'iually, he commenced his duties by taking up his station in St. George's Hall, where the great banquet was to be held, lining the upper end with his gentlemen, while the yeomen tooK charge of the staircase and entrances. The preparations were in the usual gorgeous style of a royal Cliristmas of the time. The vast hall was hung with silver damask, except where it was adorned with glories of the painter's art, and hung round with graceful arches and fes- toons of holly and red berries. In the centre of the ceilijig was an oval painting, representing Charles II., in the habit oif the Garter, with his three kingdoms allegorized around him ; and from that hung a vast bush of mistletoe, in form of a bower, upheld by flying Cupids. There were three tables, extending nearly the length of the hall, spread with crimson velvet and gold plate. Two thrones were prepared at a raised dais for the king and queen, covered with rich canopies of cloth of gold. Enormous fires of cedar-wood burned on the marble hearths, and diffused a rich perfume in the air, and crowds of attendants, in all the gorgeous glitter of theil several costumes, threw a splendid confusion mto the scene. Some time elapsed ere tno pompous bursts of music, and the appearance of the chamberlain with liis marshals at the door, announced the approach of the merry monarch and h\t court. Mervyn gazed with strained eyes towards the grand cntranc«, and at first he could discern only a mass of rich colours, glitter, and waving plumes. But at last objects grew more distinct, and he perceived that the queen lea the pro- 340 WHITSFBUSS. cession, leaning on the ann of the Duke of Ormonde, and thai the king followed with a lady, to whom he waa talking with great vivacity and interest. But words can do but faint justice to Mervyn's sensations when he recognized in the young and supremely lovely woman, whose brilliant eye seemed lit up with coquetry and vivacity — Aurora Sydney herself! Slie w as changed, but on every point advantageously ; the young bud had blossomed into a peerless flower. But there was something more than mere loveliness in her countenance : there was an expression of mingled intellect and feeling, an electric flash in her eye, a brilliancy and sweetness in her BmUe, which denoted a mind and heart, in which lofty and romantic sentiment blended with all womanly softness and tenderness. Our young hero gazed as if he were enchanted and turned into a statue of admiration. As yet, however, she had not apparently observed the presence of her former pr^tigi, probably not dreaming to find him in such a place and presence. The banquet was served, the court seated, and amidst soft strains of music the festival proceeded. Mervyn had now an opportunity of studying in detail that galaxy of celebrated ana profligate wits and beauties, whose decaying splendours still shed a false glare on the sunset of Charles's long reign. But he was absorbed in the beaut v of Mistress Sydney, and vainly as ho attempted to avert liis eyes lost his prolonged gaze should attract observation, still they returned, with in- creased and devouring eagerness, to feast upon the loveliness of her form and features. But a bitter feeling of joalouv mingled, though unconsciously to himself, with this piissionate reverie of dawning love. He saw that the king paid her great and marked attention, that he continually gazed and smiled tt her, and that with the sparkling coquetry natural in ono «o young and beautiful, she seemed to delignt in his witty gallantnes, and repaid him with a vivacity and continued play of imaginative eloquence, which seemed to make the very air wound her ghttcr. The queen seemed almost as well pleased as her royal husband with tliis display, fur though she was too much accustomed to his infidelities to notice any new instance of them, eho was pleased to observe the nuuiifest rexntion of Castlcmaine, tno haughty frowns of l\irt8mouth, and the undisguised sadness ot merry Mrs. Gwyn, and to know tliat they were caused by ono whoso goodness of heart and pride 1 BOTAL CHBISXMAS IN THB OLDEN TIVBS. 311 of honour wero not to be tempted by all the monarchs of Europe sif;liinith one of her long ringlets, while the otlier reposed in its whit© and perfect beauty on the rich foKls of her blick velvet dross. A lace veil which she m as embroidering l:iy beside her on a liille work-table, and a pet llo\Vi.r of great beauty bloomci! in • fine porcelain pot closo at Laud. There was a sui)«rb Monmouth, stdnet, and hussbll. .'{51 Italian rirginals, elaborately carved in the finest ebony, opea at a little aistance. One of llie visitors, and one only, was a stranger lo Morvyn. lie was a tall well-built man, with a flowing dai'k periwig, and a couuteniince somewhat large featured, gravf, and even raelaucholy, but with a character of steadfast and sober resolution, a perfect tnistworthiness, in which the merest stranger might have confided, a gravity of eye and demeanour which annoimced a man not destined indeed to dazzle like a comet, by strange and erratic brilliancy, but to shine for ever, one of the great unalterable stars on which the pilots of English liberty fix their gaze in the wildest storms and the dcadhcst calms. The other visitor Mei-vyn recog- nized, with a start of very unpleasant sui-prisc, as no less a personage than the Duke of Monmouth, whom he imagined to be almost in concealment at the Hague. " A gentleman from the palace !" exclaimed Aurora, rising with some precipitation, as the lackey uttered his announce- ment. "Ah! is it possible. Captain Mervyn !" she added, with a deep and vivid blush. " Oh, my Lord Russell, I was just telling you my adventure with the lion, and here is the preux cheoalier who saved my life at the hazard of his own. Captain Mervyn, my lord duke !" " Captain Mervyn and I are old acquaintances, madam," replied Monmouth, with his gay characteristic ease. '* We were both at Bothwell Briggs, but he was the first man of us all that crossed. I am glad to see you, sir, though the times are altered with us both." And he extended his hand so cordially and frankly, that Mervyn could not avoid giving his, and returning the duke's shake with heartiness. " Well, I am glad to sec your fortunes in fuU feather," he continued, as they all sat down with a sudden and strange cordiality, produced by tjio magic of a few words. "But look to it, mine ancient friend ! court favour is a bird of an early moult. You see, Master Mcrv'yn, I have taken French leave and returned, for I was wearied to death among the Dutch canals and tulips, and chcesecurd women. Ah ! beauti- ful Mistress Sydney, how often did I sigh among them for the refreshment of one glance at 3'our rich and glowing loveliness, animated by the lustre of th*' bright sjjirit within !" And he looked with an expression of such pasf^ionate ad- miration at the youthful lady, that although she smiled, ■he blushed, and Mervyn felt anything but easy in his chair. "If I may be allowed to sav bo, my lord." paid Morvyn, 352 WHITEFEIAB8. after a slight pause, " I fear this unlooked-for return will b« rather eurprising than agreeable at court, and your enemies will be driven to measures which as yet they had not con- templated." "I do not study much to pleasure my enemies," replied the duke, hauj^htily. " And the kinff, my father, and I trust, the gallant men who pull the oars m the same galleon with me, will see that they do not wreak their spite on me, as they fain would. Besides, the paril is mine, and when was Monmouth false in love, or recreant in hate ?" " When he listened to the Lord Shaftesbury's suggestion, and treated a man who loved him and had served liim, as an enemy 1" replied Mervyn, with sudden warmth. " Is it possible ! tlien I marvel not at your golden sash and insignia of slavery, since you know that," replied Monmouth. " But Shaftesbury was alwavs over-reaching himficlf, and it was his policy, not mine. I trusted as well as loved you — which you must indeed but too well remember! WVll, no more of this ! we must be friends at a distance, since fate will have it so. Shaftesbury believes in nothing that is in heaven above or the earth below ; and so his projects {ire continually failing, for want of a little human creduhty and proper confidence in the folly of mankind ; — as if all men can see their own interests as clearly as he can !" " I wish you success, my lord, in all matters but those in which your true friends would have you fail," said Mervyn, in a calmer tone. " You courtiers take views on all subjects different from those of men who love their country better than tlic gewgaw glitter of a tinselled hvciy," said the Lord Kussell. glancing with a (juiet snide at Mervyn's spk-ndid dre.«^J. " But I con- fess I did not hope to see a gai'ter-blue mantle in this house, where such plain home-spun as mine own hath long been tho t'»*ly colour in vogue. And he looked, not without complacency, at his own simple but rich velvet cloak, of a dark russet brown, the favourite hue of the departed times uf tlie commonwealtli. " I do not appraise nun by the colour or quality of their garl), my lord!" replied i\I^'n, with a calm smile of contemptuous indifference. "But taking it at the best, lady, it was but a Eoland for an Oliver ; for if the salvation of so poor a life as mine is worth remembering, you saved me when I was drowning in the Thames that night — that dreadful night ! " "An oyster-smack had done as much, and a press-barge much more," said Aurora, with a playful smile. " Oh, the delicious romance ! — 'tis a-", daintily contrived as anything in Clelie or Cassandre ; in fact, I never heard of anything half so good as for a hero and heroine to save each other turn about !" said Monmouth, witli a somewhat tart pleasantry. " And to crown the legend. Master Mervyn, you must turn out the son of the great Emperor of Trebizond, lost when a baby by shipwreck on the coast of Flanders, on your way to learn moral philosophy at Athens, from one Master Socrates, wlio had a scolding wife." "And till then, I exhort your grace, and all other men, to respect the unknown grandeur of my parentage, as much as I respect that which is certainl v known of your own," retorted :;'>l WHITEFBIAIIS. Mer^-yn, and the duke flushed dark with hia mother's blood in his face, brushed hia thick ringlets from his brow, and biting his lip, sat for a moment struck dumb. " Come, sirs, this is idle raillerv," interposed Aurora, smiling, but with evident alarm. " Af y Lord Russell, I must !et you hear jour favourite ballad, ' IJeauty forbear !' on my new Italian virginals, Mhich Mr. Pepys and his swart Florentine musician declare on their souls is the sweetest over heard." " But, my Amy, wo must away to the conclave — it is time now to follow your father ; the cofl'ee-houses will ring with nothiaig else but tlio dvike's return," said Lord EussoU, in the ki^d, indulgent tone of a father to his favourite child. " I could hear you sing that lovelorn ditty all day, and aU night too, but time holds not at present ; meanwhile I have a word to say to you, darling." " Tlien you will come home with my Aither and dine with us, and I will sing you both asleep, with that and the dolorous ballad of the ' Nut-brown Maid,' which he loves so will!" said Aurora, deferring with evident inquietude the aside in- terview thus solicited. " Oh, we are too many in the game, my Lord Russell," said Monmouth, rising and snatching his hat in a vexed and petted manner. " There are secrets between his majesty and her majesty's fiiii- maid of honour, which admit not factious witnesses." " What mean you, my lord P" said Aurora, with sudden dignity, but blushing very deeply. "Nay, his grace but jests ; no man dare utter such words in earnest in my presence," said Lord Rn.ssell, calmly. " But what I meant to wliisucr to you, Aurora, I will now say aloud — that it ifc not rigiit, nor according to the duty you owe your father's comiiiaiuls, to receive any messages from the king by any of his satellites, however lionourable, ns in tlie present instance." " O^ that, my lord, and of my duty to my father, I am the best judge," said Mistre.^-s Sydney, with <'nergy. " 1 reve- rence vou, indeed — even as next to him ; but he has not prohibited me from receiving any message with whiih it may please their majesties to honour their soinetinio servant — which indeed wo\dd ill beeouje a gentleman oi my father's liirth — only I have pU-ilijed my word I will eommuuieale to him the I'xact nature of those nicssnges, be they \\hat they " That is enough, ihihl — T know your uid)ending devotion U> truth," said Lord Jiussell, taking her baud and kissing it MONMOUTH, flTDNEY, AND BrSSELt. 355 with cliivalrous ck-licacy. " And now, Captain Mcrryn, if you had aught to comniiinieate whicli might not bear a parent's inspection, you will do well to return with it aa iirnily locked in your bosom as at this moment." " lam not here to defend or accuse myself of such a charge — nor to betray my own nor my master's secrets, if I have any," rephed the pupil of the Jesuits, with a bitter smile. " Then, Aury, we take our leave, fur tlie proceedings \vi11 bo at a standstill with our absence," replied Lord liussell. " Come, my lord duke ! we must be active if we would pre- serve yoiu- grace from the consequences of the dangerous step you have tal:en." Monmouth smiled, with a slight curl of his handsome lip and a dilatation of the noslrds, as if in contempt of the danger indicated, and made hia adieu with the graceful ease of a practised courtier ; but as the custom of the times autho- rized him only to salute the lady's cheek, Mervyn was en- raged to see that lie ventured to press her rosy mouth, and with a passionate ardour wjiich vexed her too, for her waver- ing complexion reddened, and her eyes sparkled with anything but pleasure. Finally, however, he took his departure with Lora Russell, and as the door closed on their retreating steps, and Mervyn found himself alone with the lady, he would have given the world to have followed them. There was a miiuite's profound and most emphatic pause, during which Aurora seated herself, took up her laccwork, set it down, and finally glancing et 31ervyn, laughed out- right, and with a zest \'ihic]i brought the tears to her bright eyes, and her mirth was verv far from diminishing at the troubled and forced attempt which he made to echo it. " Excuse me. Master Mervyn ! — be not afraid of me ! I am not mad," said she, at last. " Ihit in truth you look as fearfully at me as poor 8t. George did at my lion — do you remember? — I hope and believe in truth," she added, m a graver tone, "that my Jjord Eussell's suspicions arc totally unfounded— for I will not think th;it the first man over Bothwell Brings would offer an insult to an old eoldier'.s daughter ! — Well, Master IMervyn, y-n are not perhaps in such a hurry, and will give my new instrument the honour of your appreeiiition." She seated herself with enchanting grace at the virginals, and numing over the keys, suddenly poured forth a sweet and plaintive old melody, M'hieh to iVrervyn's tempest-tossed Boul seemed a flood of* light on a l)illowy sea. Lost in a luxurious trance of admiration, he gaz(>d in silent rapture on the young siren, and seemed as if he coidd have gazed for 956 WHITEFBIi.B8. ever without a moment''! weariness ; but even in this delicioui reverie of love mingled bitter thoughts and recollections, involuntarily associated with the great resemblance which Aurora bore to her father, softened as it was by the delicate finish which nature loves to bestow on her female creations. The high profile, the perfect nose, the short and somewhat haughty upper lip, the blue intellectual eyes, even the golden auburn of the hair — ill were so much her father's, that Mer\'yn wondered he liad never remarked how very perfect the resemblance wns. As she played, i^Ienyn gazed at her with eyes in which many passions stniggh'd for expression, and alternately con- querea each other — love, grief, jealousy, doubt — but still he gazed, and Mistress Sydney was conscious of the survey. Her voice trembled and wandered, her bosom heaved like a frightened swan's, and blush chased blush over her face and neck. Finally, tears gushed to her eyes, and she broke off suddenly, and then turning with a smiJe and a deeper blush, she exclaimed, " Oh, you must deem me mad, Master Mcr- Tyn, but when I think of these rash nitrigues, and how my poor father is mixed up in them — but I know you have some- thing to say. Alas ! you look like a ghost with a murder on its mind, shaking its head because one has not courage enough to ask what it means." " My Lord KusscU was right madam — I /lai'e a commission from his majesty," said Mervyn, with the obdurate calm of despair. " A commission !" she exclaimed, with vivacity ; " it must needs be of Oyer and Terminer, from the solemn grandeur ot your manner, blaster Mervyn." " It is, perhaps, of little less importance, Mistress Sydney," said Mervyn, with tremidous solemnity ; " and here are my credentials." Saying this he produced the casket of jewels, watchii\g her countenance intently as she took it from aim ; but exceeding surprise, less at the gift than at the bearer, seemed the prin- cipal expression. She did but glance at the curioiisly-wrought gold of the casket, and then set it tremblingly down. " Here is the key, madam ; the contents are worthy your inspection," said the vonnij; courtier, hurriedly ; but as she made no attempt to take it. he opened the casket hiinseH, and produc<»d the glittering contents. Aurora's eye, nevertheless, Becmcd rivetted on him alone, witli an indescribable mingling of indignation and surprise. "You ore mistaken, sir," she said at last, with a cold and wuiatural composure. "We are both strangely mistukenl MONMOUTH, BTDNBT, AND BUSSELL. 357 These jewels are meant for Mistress Gwyn or my lady Duchess of Portsmouth — but you would have my opinion on the roadP Well, they are fair jewels, but the water is not Sure enough for Sydney's dauguter — on with them to their estination !" " I tell you, lady, these glittering gewgaws are from the king — from the monarch of three great realms — to you, and you aloue 1" replied Mervyn. " But as a mere earnest of hia favour — a sample of the mme. I need not tell you, lady, that he loves you better thau a whole Golconda of such glittering trash ! and he swears yr.u do not hate him." "Arc these jewels from the king to me — and are you the bearer ?" said Aurora, in a firm but hurried tone. "I am the bearer, and the jewels are yours," replied Mervyn, folding his arms with stern composure. The daughter of Sydney raised her eyes, sparkling with indignant lustre, and for the first time she met his gaze un- bleitfhingly, witliout smile or blush. There was a dead pause of many seconds, which might have been counted by the ticking of the ancient timepiece set in the carved chimney front. At last, coldly sinking her eyes, she said with a slow and sorrowful expression, as if bidding farewell to some long- cherished hope — " I looked to see if it could be the Mervyn whom I remembered. Well, you have deceived some better acquainted with the world's disguises than a simple girl. I am much beholden to his majesty; 'tis a princely gift!" she continued, lifting the jewels, tears standing in heavy dewdrops in her eyes, " How ocautiful they are ! how they sparkle ! yet after all they are only glittering glass, like men s outward show of honour and faith ! Will this chain become me, Master Mervyn ?" she said, throwing the string of diamonds on her fair neck, and placing the ruby heart affectedly on her bosom. " Admirably, madam ! pearls for Diana, but diamonds for Venus !" replied the youth, bitterly. "Andwjiatfor the go-between, Mercury?" said Aurora. "At what rate doth a man's honesty go, at court? What will a friend's betrayal fetch? At what price do you sell your sisters there ? I would not have you go without a reward ! Please you, sir, to aid me clasp tliis marvel of a bracelet. Why, 'tis one mass of lucid ghtter." Mervyn fastened on the bracelet, though his lips whitened, and his hand quivered like the needle of a compass. " And now, sir, may I ask you," she continued, noting hia agitation with a woman's quick eye — " may I ask what lucky lightness was it you observed in me, what fortunate sign of 33S WH1TEFBIAB3, utter worthles8ne38, -whicli encourafjcd you and your royal master to believe this present woulJ be acceptable to Aurora Sydney?" " His majesty is notoriously a Solomon in sucli light matters aa vromen's inclinations, madam," replied Mirvyn, excessively piqued. " The whole court observed iiiid noted your favour- able acceptance of incense from so great a censer ; you cannot play v>itu llame and leave tlie game uuscorchcci ! AVhat particular reasons liis majesty Iiath for believing his adoration not unacceptable at your beauty's shrine, / know not, but the general lightness and caprice of your sex, madam " " Liglitness ! — caprice ! — my lightness ! — my caprice ! know you to wliom you speak, sir P" exclaimed Aurora, colouring high with mdignation. " My lightness ! dear Heaven ! have I lived to hear those words from your mouth? But go on; more remains unspoken ; I see it m your eye ; let me know the best of j'our tidings, if better follow !" " His majesty," said Mervyn, whose pallid q^uivcriag features now presented a curious contrast tothcburnmg glow on the lady's check and brow — " tlic king's majesty — is so encouraged — believes so in your goodness — in sliort madam, here is a paper signed by his own ro^-al hand — a blank — fill ft up with wliat conditions you pleasse. A scratch of your pea makes your father a peer, yourself Duchess of Eichmond. an escheat which his majesty is anxious to confer on you — wealth, riclies, power — a future crown — but nc poisonings, no scaffold ! Tlie queen dead and in her cofhn — to be brief — your ladysliip may wear her crown." " Give me llie pai)er, sir ; I)ow must I merit tliesc enormous honours and favours ? " said Aurora, bhishing niul paling in rapid alternation. " I cannot iight lor the king, plead for the king, corrupt parliaments for the king; A\hat must 1 do to be tlius rewarded by the king, when ho sulfers tlie men wlio bled for liiin to die of absolute hunger? Alas! I cannot even phiy your viilanous part — bear false witeiiss against my country's patriots, or betray to shame the dau<:hter of the man wlio saved my hie !" "The service is miglity easy, madam !" r> plied Mervyn, IrembHiig with anger; "only to love the kin.:, and to occupy ray late Lady Casllcjnaine'u apartments in the palace — that id all." " Why, I liave heard tliry are right royally furnished, silver damask, the mennest Imnginij!" replied Aurora, with Hlrange calmness. " And is tlii.s all? but it must seem little to you; infaniv is doubtle.>;8 hereditary in vour family; but I have the misiorlune to be descendeil from a huudreil »ov^^ MOXMODTII, SYDNEY, AKD RUSSELL. 359 reign knichta, who liave many times made the crown of Scotland sit loose on tbo bro\v8 of his ancestors. My ^aad- father Northumberland's name was Percy, and my father's name is Sydney ; that is my only reply. Take baclr your I'ewels to your master, and beseech him to confer them on 8ome worthier objftt, whom his duchies may ennoble ; and for yourself, bid him. v.hoii lie next sends an ambassador on 8\ich an errand, let him have an ancestry to disj^race !" Merryn stood as if petrified ^^ith ra^e and shame ; he could not speak, and Aurora, who was vainly endeavoui'inj^ in her indignation to unclasp the bracelets, at last burst into tears, and hid her face in an agony of grief in her hands. Then starting suddenly up, she exclaimed, "Fool that I am to show such weakness ! 'tis my imripo acquaintance with the world to marvel thus at men's baseness. 13ut you have taught me a great lesson, and I thank you. I took you to be a nobleman of nature's heraldry, but I find you a poor dishonourable slave, whose base soul matches his base birth !" "Perchance— -perchance !" said Mcrvyn, quivering as if beneath the knife, " But it is impossible that a woman in her senses can reject so m.agnificent an olfer ! Reflect, madam ! perchance you throw away a crown ! The Catherine of his majesty's ancestor, Harry the Eighth, stood not long in the light of his new love, and " " Oh, I comprehend ; your wages depend on your success !" said Aurora, vehemently. "Stay, stay — give me the paper, I win certify that you have done your best ; you shall not miss your hire." And snatching the paper she wrote with singular steadiness the following words : " These pi'csents are to certify to the king's grace that the villain he employed hath performed his villanous task villanously well. — Aurora Sydney." And then, throwing it to Mervyn with the casket, scattering its contents thereby on the floor, she rushed to the door, weeping and sobbing with mingled grief and indignation ; but ere she reached it, Mervyn caught her hand in a clutch •which seemed of iron. " I forgot, I forgot — you lack the chain !" she sobbed, making an eflort with the other hand to disengage it. " 13ut do not think to frighten me — I am Sydney's daughter — I will not be held, sir ! Unhand me, or I call on those who will chastise this insolence — glare at mo as you will, — if you wore a famished wolf, I fear you not — not anything after this." " Hear me, Aurora — you shall hear me !" said Mervyn, Vehemently. " Hear me, and for the last time. I have wi'onged you ! I dared to thiuk that power, that wealth, that R king's love, could tempt you; and I — I who would rather SCO WHITBPBIABB turn this vast globe into one great charnel-houBe than suffer another's lips to breathe the heaven of yours ! — I who lov© you, dote on you, worship you even to the poorest thing you emilc on ! — I who would die txi win one tear of yours on my grave — I have been the tempter ! Csn you not fathom the black depths of my despair ? It was my love, the very desperation and madness of love, which drove me to this trial ; but rest satisfied, you are avenged. You have crushed for ever all the hopes which bloomed in the dark desert of my life ; and henceforth all is useless, cheerless, barren, and still as death. You have dashed me back into my nothingness. I am now what nature meant me to be when she sent me base-bom upon the earth — a reptile for every foot to spurn '" " It is impossible — you cannot love me, or you would rather have plunged a dagger m your own heart than have done the king's bidding in this matter," said Aiu-ora, vehe- mently, but ."ulowing herself to be led back to her seat. " In ot love you ! not love you !" he repeated, wildly. " Oh, I have loved you all my life, before even I saw you, for are you not the embodied form of all those vague dreams of beauty which haunted my earliest childhood ! — which I sought yearningly, but oh, how vainly, in all things that partake of the divine spirit of beauty — the lustrous darkness of night, the glory of noonday, the all-reflecting ocean of poetry in which the universe mirrors itself! — eloquence, battle, music, {)leasure ! — in all have I found the same deep void which only ove can fill. Not love you !" he continued with wild fervour, and throwing himself on liis knees, covering both her hands with burning kisses. " Oh, Aurora ! I swear it ! I love you better a miUion times than myself — better than all things else, here or hereafter," " Go and tell the king so, and I will believe you," said Aurora, still weeping without intermission. "Till then — but that is for ever — farewell !" She made an effort to shako her hand loose, but Mervyn still lieldit clasped in iiis own. " You shall not leave me," he said ; "you sliall not lerve me in utter desperatiun. I am a beggar, a base-born slave, it is true — but 1 am human! Say only you forgive nie — that you believe me! " "I will not — I will be forced to nothing, sir!" she ox- olainied, and at that monu'iit the sound of approaching footsteps was hi-ard. "Oh, rise, rise!" she contuiued, in agony. "It is my father — I know his step — rise, rise!" " Never — till you pronounce my forgiveness ! I ciuinot dia better than now and iiere, if he slav nu' !" "Well, well, I forgive you and beheve you — only tell the THE DUELLO X7NDEB THE i>'CISK BioiKB. 301 king I ha«-^ liim," she said, hurriedly, and he sprang up, pressing her hand to his pale lips ; but at the same moment the door swung open, and three or four gentlemen made their appearance, foremost of whom was Colonel Sydney. CHAPTER XLVn. THE DUELLO UNDER THE ANCIEN B^GIME. Suddenly as ^Mem-n arose, it was too late to shun detec- tion, and he stood as if lightning-struck, while Aurora vainly attempted to hide her gushing tears. '* Heyday, what is here ?" exclaimed Sydney, after a Setrified silence of several minutes, his eye glancing from his aughter to Mervyn, and thence to the jewels which lay scattered on the floor. "Nothing, nothing, dearest father! — nothing but that Master Mervyn asked my opinion on these jewels, and — and — I overset the casket." " And this chain — how came it round your neck, Aurora ? — — and these bracelets ?" said Sydney. " Why by Heaven, I saw these diamonds at the king's jeweller's. What manner of knave is this, here, flaunting his base Uvery in my house P" " It is the gentleman of whom we spoke — but be calm, Sydney !" said the Lord Russell. "I see it all; doubtless this is a present from the king !" " And you have accepted, it, girl !" thundered Sydney, turning colourless with passion. " Judge yourself. Colonel Sydney," said Mervyn, in a mood of tranquil desperation, and handing the carte blanche which Aurora had filled up in such bitter terms. Sydney glanced at the signature, and his eyesight seemed almost to fail him, for he gave it to Russell, exclaiming, " Read it !" in a deep and gasping tone. But Monmouth, who was also there, snatched and road it aloud, with strong enaphasis on every epithet. Brave as he was by constitution, Mervyn trembled when the colonel turned his flasliing eyes upon him. " Spy ! slave ! seducer !" shouted he, at the pitch of his Eowerful voice. " Think you this roof shall protect such ascness, thou worthy son of the blackest scoundrel in Eng- land ! — draw !" And his sword flashed at Mervyn's breast, but the young courtier neither drew nor budged a single inch. " No, no ! — he did it but to try me," shrieked Aurora, cling- ing to her father's arm, but he dashed her aaido with violencei B(32 WHITBFB11.B8. and, before any one could interfere, again his sword waTcred within a hair's breadth of Merv-3'n'8 breast, but he nerer flinched. " Strike ! Colonel Sydney," he said, calmly folding hia arms. " I acknowledge that these jewels are irom the king, that I brought them, and that your daughter here has rejected them with scorn. Strike ! — I shall uot balk your stroke." " No, colonel, this is matter for a younger sword !" exclaimed Monmouth, advancing and drawing his with a graceful flourish. "Howard, aid me — they arc both mad!" exclaimed Lord llussell. " Colonel Sydney, this is neither the place nor time — for heaven's sake, consider — your daughter's reputation must needs suffer in any such brawl, be the truth as it may !" " This pandarous rogue is not fit food for a gentleman's sword," said Howard, with supreme contempt, and insolence of manner. "Eogues like these are best corrected by the cudgels of one's valets — ho, Ealph, John, Ducas !" "Fly, fly, Mcrvyn, if youwoidd not kill me !" said Aurora, clinging v. ildly to licr father. " Oh, go, go — on your lives, let him pass !" she exclaimed, as two or three lackeys, headed by the greyhaired butler, ran in, alarmed by the uproar. " Kick the vdlaiu out, and send his trash after him !" shouted Sydney. " He hath insulted my daughter — at him, rascals !" " Prithee, sirs, value your lives so far as not to come within arm's length!" said Mcrvyn, with a demure ferocity of man- ner which cflectually stopped the warlike advance of the lackeys, " Farewell, colonel ; you will hear me some day when you have more leisure, ana perhaps it sliall be found 1 was uot desen'ing of this bitter rebuke. Farewell, lady — I liavo ever honoured 3'ou, and will to the latest breath ol my ever luckless life." " Slay, sir, take your jewels with you, and my daughter's certificate — j'oumay insert it in your patent of nobility," said Sydney, mastering his passion with a strong eUort and drop- pmg the point of his weapon. He then tore rather tluui took the chain and In-acelet irom his daughter, who stood pas- sively, and white as snow willi terror, and heaping them all into the ca.skct, tlu-ew them towards the unfortunate bearer. Meantime Mcrvyn, who felt that indignation was rapidly getting tilt? better of his reason, made hia way to the door, with his hand on the hilt c.t his sword — but no one offered him obstruction. He crosseii the lawn at a leisurely pace, and as he went he thought he could hear Monmouth's bitter lau^h. As he leaped into the saddle, the butler lau to hiiu THB DCELLO UN'DKR THE ANCIEN JilioiMR. 8M witli the casket, and muttered something which Mcrvyu neither heard nor heeded, but snatching the casket, he dashed the spurs into liis horse, and was ahnost instantly out of si WHITE FBI AB8. " On behnlf of Colonel Sydney !" repeated Mcrrvn, ^itli a start. " Ay, you are not so surprised at tliat, Master Meiryn," siiid Howard. " You nrast needs hare conjectured that the colonel would not put up with such an affront as you have oflered to his beautiful daughter ; and aince your principal is too liigli to be got at, you must flight as well as woo for him." " I am content, my lord, to do so ajfainst all the men in Fngland, but Colonel Sydney — yourself in particular!" said jNleivyn, liercely. • I am obliged to you for tlie preference, sir," replied Howard, calmly ; •' but at present 1 must do my duty to my emplojjr, and I request you to choose your weapons." " I will not fight Colonel Sydney," said Mervyn, with feigned indifference. *' JN'ot figlit him, sir ! then he will cane you in some public presence," said Howard, v.Oiemently. " Tell Colonel Svdney from me," replied Mcrvyn, with visible agitation, " tliat I am not so guilty as he sifpposes, but I cannot as yet prove mine innocence ; meanwhile, I will not, to save my life, lift my sword against his." " ]S^onscnse, it will not do ; Aurora has failed to make her father believe this stuff, and how should you ?" said Howard, Bcolfingly. " But tell the colonel," continued Mervyn, " if he will send me any other opposite, yourself, or a better man, I will fight a summer's day to pleasure him." " Bah ! bah ! you are not fool enougli to expect it, or think to balk the aliair with this blustering dastsirdy," replied Howard. " Draw then, or you arc no better than a dead dogP" shouted .Mervyn, now thorouglily enraged, and springing up he drew his sword with a ilash. " Not here, certainly ; I am not to be fooled into having my hand struck off" for drawing in the king's purlieu," said Howard, neither rising nor assuming any attitude of defence. " But if you are really serious, Master ^Iervyn, and will not fight with Colonel Sydney at any ])riee, I necept your cjial- lenge, for I shall be most proud and lianpy to do Miss Sydney justice on your insolent baotardsliiii, and to appear in the lista as her champion." " This evening, then, — in the -Mali !' exclaimed Mervyn, colouring darkly. *' Promise me, or you shall not stir from this cliamber." " I do promise, but from no terror of your threats, ' replied Howard ; " I shall see Colonel Sydney in au hour. THE DUELLO UNDEB THE ANCIEN BioiHE. 0t)7 In the city, where wc are to meet on this matter of the dis- folution ; irnd I can readily put him off with some excuae, as that you arc in close attendance on the king at present. But hist! what is that at the door? — 'tis something louder than a wench's rap." Mervyn sheathed his sword hurriedly as the door opened, and a iall figure, wrapped in a long military cloak, his r lun- tcnance concealed by a black visor and a hanging p;ume, stepped boldly in. He started back a step or two ^^i^en he Baw that a stranger was present, but Mervyn readily recog- nized the king, by his peculiar gait, and. the momentary opening of his nuinilo, which revealed his rich garb beneath. ChifBnch was behind, in a plain burgher dress, as was usual with him when he attended the king on his private excur- sions, of which, like Ilaroun al Easchid, but seldom with such good motives, he was very fond. "Come in, Master lenton," said Mervyn, with ready intelligence ; " here is only a gentleman who is taking his good company away, and you have come in time to share my tediousness." Charles glanced scrutini/.ingly at the figure before him, and slightly raising his hat, threw himself into a chair at the window, whence he looked pcrseveringly until the Lord Howard depaited, which he did after a survey which fully repaid the roya' curiosity. Mervyn escorted him to the head of the stairs \> th ceremonious civility, and as they parted, requested him to expect him at the place of appointment till dark, as he did r, ?t know how long ne might be detained by the king. " "Was that old Charley, then ? I thought so," replied Howard, smiling. " But how he alters in everything, even iix person ! His face i tows blacker and blacker, like his heart, and his debauched youth will have the cruel and remorseless age of Tiberius, if we do not choke him betimes. They say he has already got his island of Caprea in these Mulberry Grardens, ostensibly kept by that infernal hag of a witch-devil, old iroU Crcswold !" Mervyn paid little attention U) this cffiision of loyalty, for he was absorbed in conjectures on the king's business with him in his disguise, and he returned immediately. " Yonder was my Lord Howard, ha ! Mervyn ?" said tho king, sharply, as he re-entered. " I thought no friend of mine consorted with such a rank rogue of the faction as that, ha ! But Chiffinch is, I am afraid, right ; you are but half- hearted with us, Master Mervyn, and think to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds at once ! This will not do ; 3ns WHITBFBTAB8. he who 18 not with me heart and soul, is against me heart aad soul, and I will trample him or he shall mc." " The Lord Howard is no friend of mine, sire," rephcd Morvj'n ; " so far to the contrary, that he hut now was here with a challoivje from Colonel Sydney for the part I took lately in your majesty's hchalf." " A challenge — ujuph ! — and you have accepted it of course ?" said Charles, with an earnest look at his young captain. " By Heaven ! Mervyn, you could not do me a better service at this moment than to rid me of that old pestilent right hono'irable Don Quixote Junius Brutus of a cursed old leveller and Cromwell mair, with his repubhc in the air, and his dan<:erous projects on earth." " "No, sire, I have refused his challenfjc ; I cannot raise ray Bword against the man who saved my li^," said Mervyii, with affected calmness. " Saved your life — Irulv, truly," said Charles, with evident displeasure. " I heard for the first time from Chitfinch that your intimacy at Mistress Sydney's had been of such long standing : and there are not wanting those, Master Mervyn, who insinuate that j'our pleading the other day injured your client rather than your reputation for eloquence." Mervyn coloured deeply, but he made no reply, and Charles seemed still more restless and dissatisfied. " Why, man," he said, " Colonel Sydney will think little of caning you some day in the park, or at the playhouse, or mayhap in my very presence, if you refuse to meet him like a man. But I warrant we will bring down his pride some of these fine days, and make him glad to market his submission, since he can do no better. But ])Ut on your cloak. Mervyn ; we are for a sally to the Mulberry Gardens, for old mother Hecate there writes me word she hai added afresh young rose to her garden." This was the first time that Mirvy); had ever been asked to accompany the king on those scaiulalous rambles, in which he too frequently indulged, and though his heart swelled high with loathing, lu> did not venture on n refusal ; but Charh'8 noticed liia hesitation. "Come, Clullinch," he said, with a malicious smile, "I trust we shall put Master Mervyn in better humour with his excursion, when he knows whom we shall see at the end of it. (iuess me my new love's name, and if you hit on the right one within the hour, 1 will make you a Knight of the Garter at Whitmuitide. Mervyn mentioned n variety of those to whom lie had seen the king pay attention, but not the right one, ai appealed THB DUELLO UHDBK THB ANCIBN EKGIMB. 300 from tLo (xtravapaut peals of laughter into wlxich both his pape and himself burst. " Thou wouldst guess wrong till Whitsuntide," he said, at last ; " 'tifl even thy impenetrable rock of virtue, Aurora Sydney !" Haa it not been that Charles's attention was turned on the glittering river below, he must have au<;urcd strange things from the start and sudden paleness which covered Mervyn's face. As it was, the tone in which he pronounced the word " Impossible !" struck him and he tunied. " \ ou shall see that anon. Master Mer\-yn," replied Charles, coldly. " I mean not to say that she is there by her own good will, but she is there." " But by what marvellous contrivance F" exclaimed MeiTyn. " It is aU CliiiEnch's work, aided by cunning old Crcs- wold," replied Charles, and the gratified page bowed joyfully to the royal glance of approbation. " Sydney is at one of the factious meetings in the city, and Chiflmch got a Jew, one Elkanah, to imitate the colonel's hand (which he can do marveUously of all men), and writes word that chancing to meet you on the way. Master Mcrvyn ! swords were di'uwn, and you came off the better, leaving the old gentleman for dead on the path ; but some charitable squire picks him up, and removes him to his own house, where he lies in great danger, and sends two or three lackeys ■with his coach to bring the lady directly. And so off comes Mistress Aurora in a fit of distraction, and is now safely lodged at Madam Creswold's." Mervyn grew still paler, but his resolution was taken. Decision was one of the marked peculiarities of his character, and the pupil of the Jesuits perceived that on this occasion it must display itself in act but not in word. He even enforced a smile, ana protested that it was the most excellent plot he had yet heard off among all those that plotting age produced. Charles exchanged a bitter smile witli his obse(^uiou9 page, and then arose to proceed on his laudable enterprise. Mervyn threw a cloak over his own dress, and followed. They left the palace by a back way, and found a liired coach waiting at tne door, into which they got, and tlie driver wa« directed to the Mulbcrrj' Gardena. 370 WniTKFBIlBS. CHAPTER XLVllI. THE MULBERET GAEDENS. The gai-dcns distinguished by the above pleasant epithet, were at one period the favourite resort of Booer citizens and their wives, who went to enjoy tlie delicious fruit for which they were long famous ; but the corruption of the age had involved even this innocent and rational pleasure, and the Mulberry Gardens were now frequented only by the dissolute of both sexes. They occupied the present site of Buckingham Palace, and on the descent towards St. James's, stood a house which had once belonged to some ancient and honour- able famdy, but was now in possession of Mrs. Creswold. It had a peculiar garden of its own, separated from the mulberry groves by a high park paUng ; and after passing through the former, they arrived at a wicket which aamlMca them into the immediate purlieus of the mansion. Charles led the way, with a practised step, through the windings of a small but very beautiful garden, gathering as he went a nosegay of sweet flowers. He seemed to bo in the gayest humour possible, and Mervyn followed in a mood of resolved desperation, which even allowed him to laugh and bandy wit with the king, the better to conceal the purpose in his heart. A tall building, with high gables and proiecting windows, •tood at the end of a row of elms, and up tliat thcv wended their way. As they proceeded, an old ^^ oman, hobbling on crutches, appeared uastening to meet them. Her real age might be about forty, but she looked nearly a score older, and her body was bent almost double. Her whole coun- tenance was one continued pucker of wrinkle?, and the skin iay in bags round lur jaws, while her lips li:id the iiery fresh- ness, and her eye the moist sparkle of perpetual intoxication. A heap of tattered grey hairs hung round in r head, lialf hidden by a mob can, but slie was very i^randly bedizened in lacea and velvet. Tliia was .Moll Creswolil ; but how changed by disease and debauehery from her whom ^^e introduced at the beginning of this history, young, fre.-*!!, aiul hand.iome I " On, Mr. llowley, such a to-do!" exelaiim-d the beldame as she approached. " Such a to-do! — I thought I must have gone distracted !" " Why, now now, goody P" said Charles, sluirply. "Oh, dear! — the poor thing has been in faintings CTer ■inoe she arrived and found out the trick ! 'IVus as much as THK MULDEBItT QABDENa. -U I WO could do to keep licr alive — iu vtiin I poiuted out her happiness — she m ould not hoar me, and she is now sobbing ana crying hke the rain. " Poor soui ! I mut^t go and comfort her," said Charlcii, fnitting his nosofjay coquettishly in his breast. Mervyn's leart swelled high, but he said not a Movd. Charles looked at his compressed and bloodless features, and motioned tc ChifBneh, who, with evident reluctance, made up to Mervyn, and invited him to eat some fruit and drink a bottle of wine with him in an arbour at hand, which was laid out with some such preparations. Mervyn nodded mcehaiiically, and witli a smile filll of hate and scorn, Charles turr.cd away, mutter- ing, " lo triumphe!" in a low but vcrv audible tone. He then went on with Mrs. Crcswold for gufde. The young courtier watched his master in profound silence till he disappeared in the house, and Chiirmch trembled, though he pr«?tended to eat some peaches in the arbour very diligently. But when Mervyn turued, ho involuutaiily started. " Master Chiffinch, you seem fond of peaches," said he, in a tone of calm determination. " Contmue to eat, and no harm shall happen to you — but dare to follow me only one step, raise but the least alarai, and I will return and stab you a million times with this dagger." And he drew a long poniard from his belt. " Lord save us. Master ^Men-j'n ! you do not intend to harm the king's majesty ?" said Chiiilnch, shrinking down with fear. " I will save Aurora Sydney, though it cost all the kings on earth !" said Mervyn, his eyes sjjurkling with rage, and striding forward. "Master Mervyn, look to it! — you ruin yourself, and do no good to Miss S3'dney !" exclaimed Chiffinch, clutching his cloak, but relinquishing it instantly, as the youth turned fiercely round. " Prithee, glare not at me like a mad tiger — .1 tell you, as a friend, Master Mervyji, your interference will only bring down ruin on your own head. The king is in- formed of all your treasons, and it is to revenge himself on you that he has brought you to be as it were an abettor in his success. But if you take it quietly and behave like a reasonable man, Master Mervyn, nis majesty will doubtless pardon you, and — " " Wretch, slave ! withdraw your loathsome hand, or I do the hangman's business on you and emite it ofi!" shouted Mervyn. " I warn you, sir ! — the house is haunted by a banditti S78 WHITEFBIABS. who would as soon throttle you as dogs a ratT* cickimed ChillLnch. " I care not — avoid mc, toad, viper, reptile!" saidMcrvyn, dashing him back with \'iolenee, and stnding rapidly up the avenue. " He will do some madness — the strong idiot !" groaned Chifllncli. " Master Mervyn, for your own sake, rush not on destniction. 'Tis scarce a fortniglit since groping about in the dark I found a fellow hanging in one of their wardrobe?, and his body was doubtless shcrved into a dustliole without a sold on earth being the wiser, Master Mervyn I" But he Iiad disappeared boliind some trees, and after a moment of intense deliberation, Chiflinch determined to follow him at a respectful distance, hoping that the young man's rashness would have cooled ere he reached the house. Mervyn, ho^^■ever, airived at the portal, in a mood of in- creased instead of flagging desperation. It was completely overhung with vine and honeysuckles, which lllled the air with a sweet perfume, thuu<;h he heeded it not ; but on attem]>ting the door, he found that it was double-barred within. Conscious that it would be useless to try and enter by legitimate means, he looked round for some window by which to enter ; but he found all those within reach secured by massive iron bars. His quick eye, however, noticed a slender staircase window at a considerable height, close to which waved the topmost branches of a fine cherry-tree. His resolution was taken instantly. Clamberinir among the branches with the vigorous activity ol' youth and passion, ho gained some of the highest, whivh were so slender that they seemed scarcely able to bear a child's weight, and then by a desperate spring he caught the sill of the window. Here ho hmig for a moment at full length, but by means of the pro- jecting ornaments below, he gained a footing. Luckily tho window was open, Init so narrow that it was with dilliculty ho thrust hiniscH through. He found himself in a high landing-place, which tonninalcJ in a fii^jht of dark stairs, down whicli lie passed without a moment's pause, and found himself in an open gallery. At tho same time he thou^rht he heitrd the king's voice, and listening attentively, he distinguished that he was speaking in a low soothing tone, intcrruputi by sobs, n|)parently of the person addressed, nnd tlu-n he phiiidy heiird the abonuna! I.> blandishing voice <»f Cresw old, which sounded like one who was coaxinij another into taking; poison. Mervyn had no doubt that tlicse speakers coniposetl the group he sought, and foUrwing the sound, he reached a sort oi gilded baloouy, THB MCtBBBBT 0ABDBM8. 373 OTerlooking a small but very beautiful gcordcn, fenced iu by hicb palings, surrounded by a broad moat, orcrhunp by willowp, beyond which were the extensive woodlands and nark of Clarendon House, or Hyde Park, as it has since been denominated. Immediately below ^lervyn's point of sight was a spectacle whicli enchained liis eyes, and lillcd his heart with grief and indigtation. liecliuing in a state of insensibility in an arm- chair, in which they seemed to have borne her to tlie open air, lay the peerless form of Aurora Sydney, her fail* hair hanging in dislievclled inas^es, her dress disordered, and her countenance pule as marble. Charles, Creswold, and a number of gaudily drossed women stood about in various attitudes, with cordiols, burnt feathers, vinegar, and other restoratives. JMcrx-yn's first impulse was to leap the balcony into the garden below ; but suddenly a thought interposed that E lucked him back. "What right had he to interfere ? — and ow did he know that his interference would be approved even by the lady herself? All that he had seen might be but a farce, a resistance meant only to increase the violence of the passion it opposed. He stood fixed, and in a moment took a new resolution, which wjis to ascertain Aurora's real motives and intentions before he took upon him the Quixotic enterprise of rescuing her. " Nonsense, Chitty ! what folly is this, chicken ?" said Creswold, as the lady, revinng slowly, stared around in the wildest tciTor, and then with a shriek of utter despair, burst into a passion of tears and sobs. " Ya stand in your own light if va but knew it. A' should like to know what lady in the land would refuse such a chance jin she had it? Lawk- a-mcrcy ! 'tia next to being queen of broad England, and better too, for one's the substance and the other's the shadow. What a to-do about nothing ! I should like to know, madimi, if you consider yourself belter th.i:i all the ladies of the court put together ? And keep vour own secret and no one will be the wiser. Oh, if you ohly knew what I know, ya'd see it only takes a little caution to be as virtuous as the best of them, marry come up ! But, Master Rowley, I am ashamed to see you on your knees like a great bashful boy, when " " Tut, dame, wliat can I do P — she is fretting herself into fits," siiil Charles. " Dearest Aurora, be not afraid, for on my soul I love you ! Marry, what can put the little mouse in such a tremoiir, seeing that, though her king, I own myself the humblest of her slaves." " Bestoro me to my father, sire I" sobbed Aurora. " I will S74 WHITEFBIAK8. not stay here another moment — I will rather die ! Where u my father ? I do not love you, 1 hate you. I will see my fatlier. Oh, you have betrayed me here, wretches, but Syd- ney will rouse all England to rescue me. "Sou had better let me go, indeed you hnd ! and I will tell no one, I swear I will not! Oh, why, wh}' have you broujjht mc to this horrible place P' " Horrible i)]acc, quotha !" exclaimed Creswold. " Marry, and I should like to see a handsomer or better-conducted 'stablishment on this eidc the water ! Ilorrible place, hear ye !" " Peace, hag !" said Charles, sharply ; and chanoing his tone into one of humble deference, he continued — " Why have I brought you here ? Alas, dearest creature, need you ask a question which your own heart must sufficiently answer P Because I love you, dote on you, worsliip vou ; because I value you more than my crown — more than life itself. Yet AfQ not fearful ; I mean you no harm ; your father is in no danger. I swear, I would rather die than suffer one hair of that beautiful head to be injured. But I want you to hear me, to hear reason. I know that the traitor Mervyn, far from pleading my cause, for which I bribed the renegade, endeavoured to supplant me " " Bribe him ! not with your crown !" exclaimed Aurora, turning with flashing eyes upon the monarch. " His honour- able soul would have scorned, loathed, despised me below all calculation, had he found that I yielded but a hau-'s breadth of encouragement to your infamous passion, king!" " You are mad, lady !" said Charles, darkening with anger. "Deem you that ever a courtier preferred his honoiu- to his interest r And if lie pretended to love you all ou the sudden, as I am told he did, it was in the romantic hope of some day wedding the rich and beautiful Duchess of liiclimoud, which 1 promised to make you, and do still, on condition that you listen favourably to the suit of a man w ho is willing to muko you even the Queen of England !" " On tlie sudden, sa}^ you on the sudden ?" internipted Aurora, with vehemence. " He loved me ever, from tha'. moment of horror and danger in which we met for the llrsl time! AVliich among you venturinl his life to save mine, but lie alone, at tliat dreadfid feast at AViiidsorP And hear me, sir, hear me, and if you have a man's heart, release me on the instant. I tell you, I love him too ! and 1 will die aa many deaths ns crucHy can devise, ero 1 will be false to him in tha poor ijarticnlar of but one smile that should be his !" " ll«ul«tara! who ever heard euch a jubilate P" cried Mr». THE M0LBEBBT OABDENS. 375 Crcswold. " Marry, an it were me I would soon bring her down from her liigli flights. A'd teach her to come to the V histlc." Charles seemed to pause, as if making an effort to control his wrath, but there wiis one within hearing to whom every word of that passionate outburst was sweeter than the most eloquent music. •' Madam," said Charles, in a tone of forced caJm, " I am obUged to you for making me so unreservedly your confidant. I shall know what toad to crush that mars my strawberries. You say you love this shoe-tie of mine, this skipjack of my court, Mervyn ? I seek your advancement, do you seek his ? On your resolution depends even his life ! This is no age of scruple-weighing justice ; and you may remember that he lent a helping-hand in Godfrey's murder. Eefuse me, and I will bring his head to the block, as surely as ever your father and his friends brought those of mine ; — accept me, and I will make him youi- husband, with a dukedom for your dowry !" There was a pause after this extraordinary proposal — a pause of deep and unbroken sUence for nearly a minute, and Mervyn's eyes were fixed on Aurora in intense expectation. Charles was standing in an attitude of earnest entreaty, but the look and manner of Aurora, the overwhelming scorn and indignation which iUuminated her beauty with a kind of celestial fierceness and scorn, the curved hps, the beautiful nostrils instinct with contempt, presented an appearance which was sublime in its passion and beauty. " For whom do you take me and him, king ?" she said at last, in a tone of withering scorn. " Are you a man, and dare you think tliat a man could be so base as to accept such fathomless infamy ? Hark you, sir ! — sooner than be the thing you would make me, I would cheerfully share all that poverty hath of contempt and bitterness, as the wedded wife of the man I loved, though he were the poorest beggar that ever looked up to the sun to curse its light in the desperation of his misery. ' " More fool you, child ; ya'd a find hard crusts break a body's teeth," said Creswolu, sneeringly. " You then reject my ofler, which I will never repeat," said Charles, with gloomy solemnity. " Mark me, girl ! you are no longer coquetting with the good-humoured careless king, the Merry Monarch, as they call me in Whitefriars I A change has come over my nature — your faction has at laat made me the tyrant they have so long represented me. The Stuart blood in my veins, which was wont to flow so lithe* 37G WHITBFBIXBS. eomely, is thickening into a fluid as black as Nero's ! I «wear to you I will have your lover's head, and the heads of half England, if you dare prefer any one to me." " I have but one answer for you, sire," replied Aurora, in a less excited tone. " I am Sydney's daughter, and I will die rather than dishonour liis name. In mercy's name, do not drive me to that pass !" " Well, well, don't make such a potherum," interposed Mrs. Creswold; " different people have different tastes ; but if so be I was his majesty — well, you ciualitv-pcople don't like to give things their proper names — but I'd soon see how long I'd stand listening to a frothy roundhead oration from the daughter of one of my father's cut-throats. I should hkc to know what mercy Colonel Sydney showed to his martyred majesty of blessed memory, when he voted his head off his shoulders !" " Leave us, Mrs. Creswold," said Charles, striding hastily up and down the grassplot, like a man that is forming his resolution v.ith diiliculty. " I am resolved — I have deter- mined- -you shall hear reason. Mistress Sydney! You are wholly in my power. Creswold, take your women and your- self away, while I strive to reason this pretty piece of obduracy into common sense." " There's old Kowley again ! — as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb," said the beldame, with great glee, and making a signal to the women, they all trooped off to the house ; but Aurora sprang after them, and seizing Sirs. Creswold by her bunchy sacque, she exclaimed, in a voice of the wildest con- sternation, " You shall not leave me alone with this wicked man ! — I will go with you — Oh, do not, do not leave me, dear, dear Mrs. Creswold !" "Nonsense, child, you are a little simpleton, and don't know your own luck," said Creswold. biandishingly. "Come, come ! you rumple my good new sac']Ue with your clutching — take her oil'. Master Kowley. and a»%ay with me, wenches." But Aurora clung with frantic energy to the old woman, and even flung her arms i-ound her neck, shrieking and im- ploring compassion ; and Charles, irritated bv her resistance, tore her away in his arms with violence, and smothered ht»T cries with his licentious kisses. In her distraction, Aurora called on her father and on Heaven alternately, and at last on ^lervyn ! Whether it was that she caught a glimpse of him, or merely from the instinct of despair — but as she pronounced the name it seemed a.** if it was « spell to briu|; Uuu from tlie cai'th, for ho was by her THX HULBEBBT 0ABDEN3. S77 ride with the rapidity of lightning. In an instant Cliarles'a embrace was wrenched off, witli a violence to which his royalty wa3 but little accustomed, and Aurora was clutched to Mcnyn's breast with all the energy of love and desperation. Crcswold and the women, as well as Charles himself, stood for a moment, as if petrified by the suddenness of the appa- rition. " Villain ! what means this insolence P" said Charles, at last, staring amazedly at the fierce countenance of the youth before him, no longer a submissive courtier, but an exas- perated rival. " It means that your majesty is but a man, and I am but another," replied !^tervyn ; " and with this advantage, that 1 am honest, and you are a villain and a tyrant ; and if you doubt my word, advance but one foot farther to harm this fair innocent, and try if your royal skin be adamant against my poniard." " And are you, sir, the new Don Quixote to repair wrongs ?" said Charles, furiously. " If so, unsheathe that iron, wnich methinks you keep something carefully in the scabbard. Ha. traitor ! do you draw on the king P" And with a rapidity which, under the circumstances, waa treacherous, Charles drew his rapier, and made so sudden a jmss at Merryn that he had only time to strike it aside from the breast by catching it in the fleshy part of his arm, which it pierced with a sensation of exquisite pain. Charles with- drew the blade instantly, intenoLng to strike again at his heart, but Mervyn closed, with him, shaking off Aurora, who fell slirieking between them. He managed to seize the rapier by the hilt, and twisting it from Charles's grasp, dashed him staggering to some distance, and then stepping over the lady, he stood brandishing the weapon and prepared for mortal combat. But the desperation which gUttered in his eye ap- parently overawed his antagonist, and he stood shaking his list ana yelling with rage. Meanwhile, Crcswold shouted, " Help" and "Murder," at the pitch of her dissonant voice, '^ut seemed not to venture any personal interference. " Mervyn, Mervyn — oh, save me ! let us fiy this way — this >ray !" exclaimed Aurora, as her valorous defender raised her. She was evidently frantic with alarm, and dragged hi* arm and pointed to the portal. But a new apparition sud. denly pronibited that exit ; — two powerful ruSiaus, or swash • bucklers, as they were technically called, with drawn swords and round shields, made their appearance, urged on by Chif« finch, who, however, kept becommgly in the rear. 378 TTHITBFBIAKa. " Cut down the cully, he playa at false dice 1" yelled Crea- ■svold, pointing at Mcrvyn. " Cut him down — you have the king's warrant — cut him down." " No, no ; take the girl from him, and kick him out of window," said Charles ; " or rather keep him prisoner in an outhouse, till I have time to adjudge him something worthier of his merits." The ruffians made a few steps forward, but they seemed to hesitate. " Release me, dearest Mistress Sydney!" said Mcrvyn, calmly but desperately ; " release me while I deal with these people — if I fall I die happy, since it is for you." " We will die together," replied Aurora, wildly ; " I could not survive you — let us die together. But surely something human must be within hearing. Help, murder, help !" and she slu-ieked at the highest pitch of her voice. " Come, my master, you had better go quietly, instead of having your throat cut," said the foremost ruffian. " Release the girl and go about your busincis, if that's all it's about, mother P" " Curse you, cut his throat ! " yelled Creswold. " "VNTiat do you mean, you villain ! — to let him bring the mob down upon us P" "Make way, scoundrels !" said Mervyn, grasping the hand of Mistress Sydney, and resolutely throwing himself forward, rapier in hand, the ruffians rushed upon him, and their blades met with a clash. Charles shouted to his mynnidons to take care of the lady, who, however, endeavoured to rush between the combatants, and although her efl'ort embarrassed Mervyn, it also made the ruihans afraid to strike at him. Tlie coinoat (lid nevcrthelcBS necessarily become closer, and perfect master as Mervyn was of his weapon, it could not long have remaiiud doubtfid against sucli odds, especially as Charles aided his allies by seizing Aurora, and endeavouring to force hor away — when suddenly a shout was heard. " Morhleu ! what sort of a charivari is this ?" and a stranger ruslied in half-dressed, in doublet and hose hastily thrown on, his sword drawn, and struggling with a mob ol women, who endeavoured to hold him back. " Vie du roi ! \\\x&i is this?" exclaimed the stranger, and the next moment he seemed to have explained matters to his own satisfaction, for he rushed forward, and ranged himself on Mervyn'a aide, by dealing a blow at oiu' o^ the ruffians, which sent liim reeling over chairs and llower-pots on the grasa. Thus reinforced, Mervyn pressed on the other, and THE XT7LBEBBT GABDEN9. 879 althouKt lie waj a good swordsman, proved his owu sape- riority by laying him at his feet severely wounded. " Peste .' but that was well pushed into the Flander's scum !" exclaimed the stranger, turning on Chifilnch, but he lied instantly, and so fast that it was hopeless to think of ovcrtalving him. " And now, sir," he continued, " follow me, if you do not know the windings of this paradise, for we shall soon have a whole nest of hornets about our ears. How the fiend have you raised such a riot in this virtuous establishment? A wench ? Ay, always a woman or a priest in this world's trouble. But I could be sorry to see you here, Master Mervyn." " Claude Duval !" exclaimed the young captain, in great astonishment. " Even no worse a man," said Claude. " This is a most virtuous lady, and of high rank, falsely beguiled to this den of infamy ; help me to save her, Claude," said Mervyn, hurriedly, and soothing Aurora, who now hung faint and exhausted on his ai-m. " Claude Duval, I am the king," said Charles, advancing, evidently absorbed in rage ; " I am the king, and I promise you your pardon and a fair domain beside, if you wUl help me to seize this traitor to his king and aU faith." " You are the king ! hilloa, Master Kowley, do you recol- lect what we promised each other when last we met ?" said Duval ; " that if you caught me I should hang, and if I cauglit you, you should deliver ; so, sire, youi* purse or your life ?" — and cocking a pistol, he stood with it levelled at the king's head. Charles affected mute scorn, but it would not do, and finding that the stranger was in earnest, he sullenly resigned his purse. *' Take it back, you need it more than I do," said Claude, with a bitter smile ; " but you see I am a man of my word. Come now. Master Mervyn, this way, this way ; chere made- moiselle ; in the name of all sweet essences, whereof I have none, do not faint." " No, no, no ; let us leave this horrible place," said Aurora ; " I shall be quite well as soon as we are out of sight of yonder dreadful man ?" " You shan't take her — you shan't take her — she is a nicca of mine, confided to my protection," yelled Creswold ; "I'll Bcnd the peace-officers after you ; villains, how dare ya abduct my child ?" " Peace, mother, let them go, smce we may not at present help ourselves," said Charles, throwing himself into the chair, with a loud laugh. " Farewell, master bastard, you sh&ll uaderstand anon what it is to have a king for an cjiemy." N 2 880 WQITCFBIABS. But long ere this denunciation concluded, the denounced, under the {^dance of Duval, was almost out of hearing. They crossed the garden to the opposite palings, and Claude, lifting a mass of ivy, showed them a latcned postern, which, opening, disclosed a Uttle rural bridge over the moat. They crossed this hurriedly, and foimd themselves in the artificial wild forming part of the Mulberry Gardens. "Now you are safe, lady," said Duval, pausing; " I dare not accompany you farther. Keep ever to the left, Master Mervyn, and you will soon be at the Canal." " W})oever and whatever you are, come with ua — come to my father ! Oh, he wUl thank you, for I am bewildered," said Aurora. " It may not be — not now at least, lady," said Duval, with ft courteous smUe. " I owed you a fair turn for the honour which you once deigned me of dancing a minuet on Hounslow Heath, for are you not beautiful ilistress Aurora Sydney ? But there is no time to be lost ; haste hence, Master Mervyn, and Heaven blesa you botli ; you are your father's true son !" " But, Claude, I have a thousand things to say to you ; tell me at least where I can find you again P" eiclamicd Mervyn. "I will see you again shortly, dear Master Mervyn," replied Duval, " for I too have something to say — but now, farewell — we sliaU be observed." "Ah, he is wounded !" exclaimed Aurora, for she now per- ceived the thick drops falling through Mervyn's sleeve, as he supported her round the waist. " 'Tis only a scratch, dearest lady !" said Mervyn, tendcrlv ; but perceiving by his extreme paleness that he was exhausted, Duval advised lum to sit down on the cool grass while ho procured a sedan. He then ran off and soon retiuned with a sedan, in which he saw them securely stowed, and told the porters to go to Sydney Place, and then set off himsilf in another direction, at a rate wliich sliowed he was not without api'it'h'snflions for hia own safety. t THE ALCHEMIST. 381 CHAPTEE XLIX. TUB ALCHEMIST. Mebvtn remarked, with some dcfjree of alarm, thai the route whicli his porters took must necessarily lead them paft the front of Creswold's house ; and he had hardly time to warn his fair companion before they found their sedan in- volved in a crowd assembled at the very spot. The bearers, after a short struggle with the prcBsure, sat down on their oles, so that although he kept himself very firmly ensconced itherto, Mervyn looked out to see what was the matter. It was now getting dark, but there was a great blaze of torches round the door, and the first object that Mcr\yn discerned was Colonel Sydney, thundering at the knocker as if to beat the door down. Several gentlemen with their swords drawn, among whom Mervyn recognized Lords Eusscll and Howard, and some of Sydney's servants with staves, were around him. Concluding instantly that he had traced his daughter's abductors by some means to this house, and that in all pro- bability he would raise a riot which might make the adventure public, Mervyn whispered Aurora to remain where she was, and sprang out. Buffeting his way mth some difficulty to the colonel, he arrested his arm at the very height of a third peal, which seemed to shake the building to its foundations. "Colonel Sydney, she is not there — she is m safety !" he exclaimed. "Who are you, — who is in safety, sirP" said Sydney, turning round with the look of a madman. " If you are men, assist me to break this door down ! I will abide all the con- sequences — Kussell ! — Howard ! — good people ! they have inveigled a lady in this horrible house under the most monstrous pretence. Assist me, if you are men and English- men ! — I am Colonel Sydney — I wiU give any man a hundred guineas who bursts me open this foul portal !" and he dashed a massive stone at the oaken panels, which was followed by another from Russell. " If you haf lost your monies there, you had better not lose your time too," said a Jewish voice from the mob, and there was a general laugh. " Colonel Sydney, I assure you on my life, she is safe yonder!" cxclaimea Mervyn. " Safe ! where ?" said Sydney, wildly. " "Who are you that assure me bo P — "Wliat, Captam Mervyn ! — villain, coward, where is my child P llcstore her to me ere I wring tiiat craven haart from thy breast t" 882 ftrHlTKFBIAltS. Aiid he seized Morvyii by the tliroat with a fbrce that nearly stranjifled him ; {lien dasliing liim away, he raised his sword, probably cxpectiiiij liira to draw too — but overcome bv pain, loss of blood, and this last gallinfj insult, Mcrvyn fell against the gnarled root of a tree, and with such violence, that he lay insensible and bleeding. A piercing shriek from tlie sedan announced that some one there took an interest in this extraordinary scene ; and recognizing the voice, Sydney rushed to it, followed by his friends. His daughter sprang out into his arms, and fainted there. " Take her home, colonel — she must not be made a ballad of!" exclaimed Lord Kusseli, and Sydney got into the sedan, with his daughter still insensible in his arms. Meanwhile the mob lifted Mervyn.v.ith their usual tender- ness to one whom they supposed to be the vanquished hero of a combat, and amongst them all, the Jew who had formerly interfered seemed most active. He announced himself a friend of the insensible gentleman, and an apothecary in the neighbourhood, hired some men to carry him, and led the way to his own house, which was at the back of the Mall. It was a dark mean-looking dwelling, and the shop into which he admitted his prize, and the carriers of it, carefully excluding the mob retinue, faithfidly resembled Shakspcare's lean apothecary's. It was ornamented with stuUcd lizards, and an Egyptian mummy, which yielded a drug at that time in repute ; two or tliree rows of phials and metal vessels, labelled in cabalistical characters, fonuing the stock in trade. Beyond this apartment was another which, from the glow of lijjht througli many a crack and fissure in the wall, seemea a chemical laboratory ; and this idea was not contradicted by the personal appearance of the owner, who was brown and shrivelled as his mummy, and had the hooked nose and glittering eyes peculiar to the race of Abraham, who at tliat time were considered the best professors of the chemical art. Tlie old man led tlie way into the inner room in which waa a blazing furiince in full operation, and a dark alcove in which was a bed. Oa this they laid Mcrvyn, and the old man applied some vinegar to liis nostrils, and then washed Ium luxuriant hair, which hung clotted on his brow. Tie opened Ilia eyes at last, though without much speculation in them, and the Jew proceeded to examine the wound in liis arm. which he probed and bound, observing that it was rather dangerous from the eflusion of blood than any other cause. lie then prepared some kind of drink, which he invited tho patient to swallow, and although Mervyn had many indistinct aasociations of cvU with tho cxtraorainary llebrcMr viatge THE ALCHEMIST. 8£3 boforc him, ke was too languid to fonn any precise notion* oa the subject. A deep sk^op shortly after fell upon him, and the porters, satisfied with the remuneration w hieh the Jew selected from the pockets of his patient, took their departure with earnest wishes for his honour's recovery. How long he slept Mervyn could not guess, but he wm awakened by a murmuring of voices, which mingled for some time in his dreamy reverie ere it roused his attention. But the recollection of where he was, and how he came there, returned in strange confusion on his mind ; and it was not until he distinctly heard and remembered one of the voices, that he could form any clear idea even of his own existence. It was the voice of Ladj Howard, and, at the sound of it, the circumstances of his position came upon him withextraordinary vividness, and he looked with breathless caution through a little rent in the bed-curtains, into the laboratory. It waa evidently night, for all was dark save \\hat was illuminated by the names of a furnace lapping roimd a brazier wliich rested on it ; but the glare fell fidl upon two persons, one sitting and watcliing the pan, the other — a female figure wrapped in a long mantle and hood — leaning against the pillar of the furnace. This conjunction of inauspicious stars, Mervyn instantly concluded boded no good to him. " Hush, Elkanah — he may awake and hear us !" said the lady, seeming to interrupt some observation of the Jew's. " I would not for the world he should awake." " IS' or I," replied Elkanah, " nor will he, though an ordnance were lired at his ear, for hours yet, unless the loss of vital energy should have robbed my potion of its effect. I knew not how long it might take me to have your ladyship's com- mands, so I gave him a draught of which a few drops more would have put liim to sleep for ever." " "Would you had — and I should have been spared the hell of this moment!" said Lady Howard with a deep sigh. " Imprimis, I knew not your pleasure ; in secundis, I am so well kno\\'n that I should be arrested for the murder though tlie body were found in Cheapside," replied Elkanah. " But what ish to be done P — Everything in dish world for money." " "Why, he hath committed high treason — he hath struck the king's sacred majesty — he deserves death by law — and he must die," said the countess, with a deep and melancholy intonation on the last word. " But are you sure he is well asleep, Alaster Jew ?" " Surely, surely, he hath that would make a horse sleep from sunrise 10 sunset," said Elkanah, impatiently. "Veil, aah you say, he struck de king — a crime abominable in oujf 384 WnUEFKlABS. law as in your lieresliy P — vcl, can you not kare hU Lead chopped off for high treason P" "No — I am held in a fearful bond not to appear in this matter — or all •^ill be revealed !" replied Lady Howard, hurriedly. " The kin^ dare not accuse iiim of a crime which covers himself with dishonour ; but every crime should liave its punishment, cither bv law or justice, Elkanah ! — It may content the nature of Lis offence, which beinij secret, it« chastisement should be so too. It may satisfy justice, Elkanah, to " "To cut his throat in his stupor P" said tlie Jew, c;ii^crh'. "No, no, no!" replied the countess, with a shudder. " I meant 1 will have iiim seized aud sold as a slave in the plantations." " Are your perquisitions then made, for I will not warrant his slumbers much longer — and if he wakes, he is so fierce, ke will resist like a mad lion!" replied the oriental. " Within the hour they will bo here — a slaver now lies in (lie river, and its captain is a creature of my making," replied the lady. " If you meet any one 'tis but to give out you are a press-gang. What say youP" " I say 'tis a hazardous tempting of Providence," said Elkanah. " These transports have a trick of returning and telling tales, as he that hanged the merchant of Bristol last year. Take the advice of one who hath seen life — yea, and death too — dead men tell no tales." There was a long and emphatic pause, the conclusion of which it may bo readily believed Mervyn waited with some anxiety. " Do you think he is so soundly asleep — could I look upon him for a moment P — They say he is very like Au like him, and it would steel my resolution," said the countcsii, rather to herself than her coadjutor. " Would you kill hiraP" said Elkanah, with a low chuckle " Mark you, I will have no blood shed in my dwelling ! — ilisb is our llebrew Sabbath, and on dish day — no, not till the rising of to-morrow's sun — shall any man labour in his voca- tion under my roof, and therefore Joth this pan sputter away for want of u little scumming which I will not give it." " I would not kill him, Jew — unless mine eyes day like the Iiasiliak'a," replied the lady, in a voice of deep despondency. " Jjiit are you sure his wound is not dangerous P" " If he abstain from wine and strong drinks for one four- teen days, ho shall bo Mholo as miu-bic," said the aputhecar} in a rogrc'ful lone, and then he added in imothcr of siiigiilarly horrible j;.»icty — " Yet madam, it could be riadc u« mortal m TliK Ai.ciiEjJisr. 385 a dagger in tlie net of tho heart, be ! he ! he ! — ^you stare like a stuffed crocodile." "But — but — without much pain to the unhappy youth P" •oid the countess, in a faltering tone. " No gate of death opens without a little creaking on the hinges, lady," replied the medieiner, calmly. " 'Tis but dress- ing the woimd with a peculiar ointment, and on a sudden tlio blood is tainted into a thick and plague-struck mass — and the man dies." " I do not bid thee do it, Elkanah — yet I would give a hundred golden crowns to any man who told me it was done !" said the countess. '• A hundred crowns ! — what, to run such a ghastly risk — to purchase a drug, every ounce of which is worth its weight in gold — delude the searchers with a tale of the spotted fever and with a bribe — bury him too ! — all for a hundred cro^^-n8 ? not for king nor kaiser !" exclaimed the Hebrew, vehemently. " No, lady, man may repent of everything but blood, and unless the divine secret of the elixir vitie, the wondrous faculty of withstanding all the brows of death, were mine — " " Fool ! do not prate to me of the elixir vitse !" interrupted the countess, much agitated. " Let me see this sleeper ere I resolve on anything — ^yet hath he not challenged Howard ? He must needs have discovered something. But, Elkanali, be certain thou art not deceiving me in this matter ?" " I swear to you, madam, my lord engaged me as his sur- geon, and that was my business in the Mall when these things came to pass," replied the Hebrew, and takin^ a blazing coal from the fire in a pair of tongs, instead of a lamp, he lighted the countess towards the bed. Mervyn took his cue instantly, and feigned a deep sleep, but when he perceived the light of the (lame as it passed over his eyes, he felt that the lids Quivered, and it seemed that Elkanah observed it, for he with- drew the coal hastily. Then he knew that some one was bending over him intently, and of a sudden he felt a single scalding tear fall on his check, and a hand brushed his black ringlets from his brow. " It is the very image of that unhappy man !" she groaned, rather than said, at last. " Oh, Elkanah, what a son were here, to a mother who dared love and acknowledge him ! — Away ! it kindles mme old hatred in my heart, to see how like ne is ! Well, prepare your ointment f<)r his wound, since it must be." " I shall need one to assist mc in the preparation, for being the Sabbath I can handle none of these mutters myself," said the Jew. 886 WniTKFBlAKS " We will trust no tliird — I will be your slave for the nonce — but, hai'k, what is that P" exclaimed the eountcss, as a low, timid knock was heard at tlie door. " Who is that you mean ?"' said Elkanah, contemptuously smiling. " It is a rich fool of mine, who feeds my necessities, in order that I may discover the prcat secret of transmutinjj metalsyb,'* Mm — ha! ha! — and so I fool him lo r.iy purposes. Step into this closet, and I will soon dismiss him." The countess seemed to compl}', and the a])othecary went into his shop, whence he returned with a lean ill-dressed man in a long russet cloak. " Come in, come in, Master Bethel — you arc aa the fearful disciple coming in the night," said Elkanah, with a sardonic laugh ; " I hope you have brought the fuel P" " How goes the furnace P" replied the visitor, in a gruff tone. " Oh, it cannot get on for want of the sublimed particlea whereof I spoke to ye," replied Elkanah. " I might have projected perchance but for your delay ; but now my mer- cury is all burned out, and as soon as daylight, I mi;st to work preparing a new infusion." " Thus are you ever with your legends and delays — Jew, you Jew me!" said Bethel, bitterlv. "But mark ! here are the hundred guineas — they are the last you shall ever drain from me — and if I find you fail me again, I will force your neck into the halter whence I drew it." " Look to your own, Master Bethel. These are slippery times," replied the Hebrew, snatching the purse very eagerly, V, hich Bethel produced from under liis cloak. " Think you that the arccDium arcanorum — the mightiest secret of nature ■ — is to be obtained by threats and im])reeations, or by humble, patient, an?! laborious struggles with the powers that strive to conceal it ? Come hither, unenlightened ! behold what I have done ! Look how nigh to the celestial pro- jection!" And he exposed to the sheriff's dazzled eyes some particles of diamond aust glittering on a heap of le:;d, v hich he had probably prepared to deceive his dupe. Bctiiel surveyed the glittering uait with intense curiosity' ; but not satisfied wiih this display, the alchemist led him to his furnace, and open- ing the lilt of the brazier, a fine blue llame shone glowingly round, ami he began to explain ins proceedings, in a jargon which, to Mcrvyn at l(>ast, was uniutiMligible. His thoughts, however, were occupied on some other mat- ter than divining the meaning of the adept's observations, if any there was ; the alisorbing topic in his imagination was, how to oscapo the horrible destiny in reserve ior him. The THB ALCHBMIST. SS7 •olc cliance ti liich he could discern was to make oft, vi ci armis ; but as be bad considerable apprehension tliat Bethci would side with his Jewish friend, and as he was armed with f)i8tol3, he thought it best to wait his departure. Meanwhile >e glanced cautiously round the chamber for his own arms, and perceived his sword on the edge of the furnace, quite out of the reach even of hope. The inexplicable revelations \o wliich he had hstened had convinced liini, however, of the extreme desperation of the circumstances in which he stood. All Blood's hints had now acquired certainty in his mind ; though it still seemed almost incredible, he could no longer doubt but that he was the offspring of an illicit connection between the colonel and the cruel woman before him, whoso resolution to be rid of the evidence of her shame stopped not even at murder ! As Lady Howard was an Aumerle too, his resemblance to that family was no longer surprising. " Ah ! it is your CTcedlncss, Bethel !" were the next words of the Jew, in wliich Mcrvyn understood a meaning. " Ars longa, vita hrevis est — the elixir vita; is a necessary prelimi- nary of the mere j-earch after the philosopher's stone I It is the shortness of the life of man alone which baffles his re- searches and the godlilce penetration of his intellect, and that they desifjned above when they made us the poor fools and stalking sliadows of time. What would it avail, master, to obtain the secret of transmuting gold to last but a few short years, and then to the great bar, to render a slavish accoxmt of what we have done. But the tree of life still bears its ever- lasting fruit, and cursed be the folly of the first of a foolish sex that plucked the apple of knowledge when that of immor- tality was within her reach ! This evil must be remedied ere man can aspire to be in wisdom as a god ; and if I live long enough, I doubt not. Master Bethel — I doubt not ice shall both live for ever." At this moment a loud knocking was he&rd at the apothe- cary's door, which interrupted this brilliant exposition. "What is that? — villain, do you design aught against nic?" exclaimed Bethel, shaking as if in an ague, but layiug his hand on a pistol in his belt. " Not a hair of your head shall be hurt, master ! Cur5© them, they come too soon, and will cheat me of half my harvest !" muttered the Jew. " Go in and hide, Master Bethel, and tell the woman within that she will be agreeably di.sappointed." He pushed Bethel into the closet, and made a hasty exit a^ if to answer the repeated stroke at the door. Mervyn in* iUmtly, not without a vague hope that he might find an S89 WHITEFBI1B8. aliy ill tLe new-comer, sprang out of bed, possesied him» self of Ilia sword and roquelaure, and followed on tiptoe into the shop. But the first object he saw there, effectually destroyed his hopes. It was Chiifinch, at the head of a file of musketeers, whispering earnestly with the Jew ! Some of the soldiers perceived him instantly, and levelled their carbines at him. Chiilinch turned, vrith. a terrified cxcla mation, and ran behind the soldiers, shouting, " Seize him^- seize him — this is the traitor I" " Surrender, my master — resistance is of no avail," said Elkanah, suddenly clutching him by the belt ; but Mervyn smote him instantly to the ground, with a blow which marked the restoration, however momentary, of all his physical powers. " SuiTender, villain, or I fire !" exclaimed the commander of the troop, raising a pair of pistols. " On what charge. Sir Phihp Lloyd — if I mistake not P" said !Mervyn, laying down his sword, and folding his arms quietly. " On a charge of robbery — stealing the king's jewels," re- plied Sir Philip. " But you will know more at length in a few minutes — my lord mayor is sitting thus late for the pur- pose. Come, Master Chifinch, bring the old man, and shut the house after us." " Search it first — you will find two notorious ill characters in it, Sir Philip," replied Mervyn, with a bitter smile. "j\Iy warrant extends no further," replied the ofllfcr, and he escorted his prisoner to a coach which was waiting outside, into which they got without delay, and drove off at a rapid rate towards the city. And thus was Mervyn freed from one most imminent peril only to fall into another etill more terrible. But ho was somewhat comforted by Uio amazing nature of the accusation, which he felt it was utterly impossible to substantiate in the slightest degree against him. It was, nevertheless, with many appalling recollections of his former appearance on the same arena, that he entered Onildhall, still escorted by his guide. Mervyn could not help tliinking that the scene was to bo of a similar nature, ana the bitter consciousness of how little the justice of hia cause had formerly availed him, struck him Uke an assurance of evil. The royalist lord mayor was in the chair, and there were very few persons bcsiden in the court ; but Cornish, in his character or alderman, was on the beufh. Thus placed at the bar, Mervyn waited for some minutes, daring which no one spoke, and tlie n impatiently inquired ik$ THB ALCHEMIST. 389 nature of the charge against him. As he did so, a door sud- denly swung open, nna an unexpected set of persons made their appearance. Colonel Sydney, Lord Kussell, Howard, and the Duke of Monmouth, entered en ?nasse, made their way to the bar, and in a moment, con.siderabIy to Merv}Ti'8 surprise, ho was overwhelmed mth embraces and shakings of the hand from all four, but above all from Colonel Sydney. "Tlus is no time for apoloijics. gallant youth," said Sydney, much moved. " But I do hereby humbly and publicly beg your pardon for the rash insult which, m the madness of passion, I offered you. I do acknowledge, sir, that I owe you more than my life — I owe you mine honour. We have sought you all last night and to-day, and as soon as vre heard the false and vUlanous proclamation against you, with tho more diligence, that you might overwhi-hn the tyrant and his minions with confusion. As it is, I offer bad to any amount, my lord-mayor, and so will these gentlemen." " We must hear tho charge ere we know if it be of a bailable nature," replied the magistrate. " This is not the first time, we und!erstand, that the prisoner has stood at a bar of justice — and here comes his majesty's soUcitor and the witnesses." As he spoke, Elkanah entered the court, his head bound in a bloody cloth, leaning partly on a staff and partly on the arm of a gentleman of the long robe. This personage immediately attracted Mcrvyn's attention. He was a tall, strong-boned figure, with a face that seemed as if made of cast-iron, so sternly was every muscle and every line carved. His large nose, bushy eyebrows, regularly arched, his bloated lips, and keen bloodiiound-like eye, his naiTOW, high, and wrinkled forehead, informed Mcrvyn he beheld the most dreaded of the court ban-dogs. Sir George Jeffreys, afterwards the redoubtable lord-clianccllor. MeiTyn felt indeed an indistinct impression of alarm when he found that this worthy was to direct tho proceedings agauist him ; but supported by the host of powerful friends who seemed to have rallied round him, he renewed his demand to hear the charge against him. " Ay, ay, you shall hear enough of that, my master, before we have done with you," said Jeffreys, bustling up. " My lord, this is the impudentest rogue living; he robs me his royal master, and beats us a poor old man because ho would not aid and abet him, and cornea here to ask what charge have we forsooth." " Well, sir, what charge have you to make, if you are the ebarge-maker ?" said Mervyn, contemptuously. " And look 990 TrHiTBrBii.BS. that you keep on this side decency, or your long robe sl'.all scarcely save you from a rough, contact with the point of a gentleman's boot." " Look ye, a gentleman! master jackanapes' bastard turned gentleman !" exclaimed Jeflfreys, in his taunting manner. *' Officers, keep a good look out, for he glares as fierce as a cat m dudgeon ! Marry, these are precious times too, when the king's advocates are to be insulted by every oifscum, and in Huch a worshipful presence." " You shaU not be insulted, Mr. Serjeant ; I am here to do justice ; no man shall say a word against the king's advo- cates," said the lord-mayor, bristling fiercely up. " liut state your charge, sir — what is the king's charge — his majesty shall have justice done him here at all events." " It may chance that I shall meet you some day where justice is less impartially administered, so have a care. Sir George !" said Mervyn. " I trust it shall not be till the day of judgment, then, for I hope to see many rogues swing for a less oflence than yours," retorted Jeflfreys. " And now, my lord, to explain the hor- ridest felony that ever was, and which deserves the rope for three as good reasons as ever went with a man to Tymun ; and I confess I am ashamed to see gentlemen of such quality taking up such a cause. The prisoner here being a poor beggarly upstart, for some reason of his majesty's generosity, ana his horse running away with him towards the enemy, which begat him some reputation for courage — I say, this gentleman thief of ours is made captain of his majesty's gentlemen-at-arms, to the prejudice of many worthy men, and he would have been knighted had not his mother forgot to give him a name : but set a beggar on horseback — your lordship knows the proverb. No sooner is he with his foot it. the stirrup, in full career of fortune, than, lo and behold, the thief's blood in him gets the better of his patent gentility 5nd divers articles of jewellery and plate at various tiniea disappear; but of course no one suspects my gentleman, though his reputed father was no less a person than that famous jewel-stealer, Colonel Blood. aVIoreover, he keeps up a gecret correspondence with his majesty's euoniios — I mean, the Shaftesbury gang, my lord, which metlunks are umch more bitter than all the I'rench in the world — and takes to upreadiiig scandalous hes about the king and the duke, in the factious way, among eofl'ee-houses and bnuidy-stews. Ilia viajegty, thereof credibly informed, tliinks proper to dismiss iiim, and away bolta my lonl, ere the news was known to "'^Taatcr t'liilhuch here, and be^'s from him the key of the royal THE ALCnEVIlST. 391 jewels, under pretence of orders from the lung, and that same night divers gems of priceless value arc missinir. Here were cjise enough mcthinks to hang any rogue m a Chi-istian country " " It is an infamous conspiracy !" interrupted Mervyn, mad with rage. " Hush ! sir, we cannot permit you to inten*upt Mr. Sergeant," said the lord-mayor. " You shall be heard in your turn, provided you say nothing disrespectful of iiia majesty." *' 'Slife, my lord, we have proof enough," said Jefl'reys, triumphantly. " Master Chiffineh, describe what jewels you do clearly know to liave been stolen from his majesty's casket, for methinks you have their custody ?" " My lord, I — I can only say," said Chiffineh, who trembled very much — " I can only say, that I missed at various times various things, but on the night of Master Mervyn's departure, the famous Portugal sword set with rubies, which his majesty had with the queen, and a diamond aigrette for the hat." " The Portugal sword !" exclaimed Sydney. " Monstrous calumniator ?" shouted Mervyn. " When and where was I dismissed ? Eogue, I dismissed myself when I saved a noble lady from your master's brutal vio- lence." " See you, my lord, the marvellous impudence of this fellow ?" yelled .Jeffreys. " He hath trumped up a lie as big as Atlas, against the king's majesty, to excuse himself, but you ahaU see." " Nay, it is true, I swear," said Sydney, vehemently ; " it is true, my lord ; the insulted lady is my daughter ; and this gallant young gentleman did most truly save her, at the peril of his own life." " I have nothing to do with the follies of heedless young women, endeavouring to entrap their kings," said Jctiroys, laughing sardonically. " My lord, hear our proofs ; aud then decide on the credence due to these factious gentlemen ; they will swear for one another like regular affidavit men. They are of the Spaniard's opinion, that if a lie wiU hold good but for half an hour, 'tis worth telling. My lord, we shall prove that this good young innocent traitor did actually offer the stolen jewels for sale to this poor old gentleman here — an honest apothecary somewhere in Barbican — but who occa- •ioually deals in precious stones, like most of his persecuted tribe. Master Elkanah, tell my lord how you became pos- BOificd of this bijouterie." And he held up a joweiled sword 392 wn.TEFRAin?. and aigi'ctte. Sydney took ajid examined them with nice attention. " My lord, please you, my lord," bepan the Jew, turning of a leaden colour with hatred and fear, " I am a poor Israelite, something esteemed for my skill in herbs, and I may say, too, somethinjT for my judtrment of such plilterinfj baubles as these. I was in my shop yesterday, when Master Mervyn was brou Master Chiffinch and the ofllcers to arrest him, and " " It is enough, quite enough to hang fifty such monstrous rogues!" exclaimed the magistrate. "Away with him to Newgate ; make out his committal — a pestilent rogue and murderer !" " My lord, this man is totally miworthy of credit," said Lord Russell, eagerly. " Before you send this honourable young man to a dungeon on his evidence, I demand to ask a question or two of him. Tell me, Jew, wore you never at a bar on a trial for your hfeP" " Never !" said Elkanah, solemnly, claspbg his withered hands. " On your oath, old man P" continued Russell, and the Jew- looked at him with keen rat-like suspicion, but shook his head negatively. " Then, my lord, he is perjured," said the Lord Russell ; " I was myself foreman of the grand jury when a tnic bill was returned asiainst him for poisoning an ancient woman at the instigation of her heir ; and he but escaped the rope by a (law in the indictment, ^yhich all men thought was contrived." "A}', indeed, say you po, my Lord Russell?" said the mayor, looking in a puzzled manner at .re£rre3'8 ; and the old Ilebrew turned to a deadly yellow whiteness. " The.se base panders have but con'rivetl this plot to gratify the king's hatred !" exclaimed Sydney. " You are wofully deceived, my dear nir." said Jeff'rej's, smoothly. " My lord. I am sorry to say this much, but it is in my mstructions — tlu^ truth is, this unhappy rogue hml •educed a lad}*, wbu bIiuH lie nameless — h.na inveigled her THE ALCHEMIST. .S93 info a house of questionable reputation up by the Mall, and being dt*tcclcd by the father, lie invents the horridcet he that ever was against the kinr T remember my Lord niussell telling me of it, and saying tliat Tangier and a trumpery sword were poor pay for receiving popery into the very heart of our council." " Ihis is strange, very strange, Mr. Sergeant!" said the lord-mayor, looking still more bewildered. "Give us but time, my lord, and we will produce moro witnesses, to knock down this tale of a cock ana a buD," said JcflrcyB, somewhat lowered in tone and manner. "No, my lord, with such clear proof of the prisoner'i 394 VUITEFnAIUR. innocence — whoever may be cuilty — it is in lawauJ justi-.e to discharge him instantly," saiu Lord Eussell. " Ha, ray Lord Kussell, do you come here to teach us tho law P" said Jeffreys, insolently. " Marrv, this is no factious House of Commons, no mob-meeting on ^VappinJJ-Moo^; your word is not law here." " Nor no man's, as I hope, in any part of England !" said Sydney, vehemently. " And now, my lord, to explam *ho matter whereof I spoke." " Sir, I have his majesty's instruction publicly to acknow- ledge the perfect honour arid spotless reputation of Mistress Sydney so far as ke is ccncerned," interrupted Jefl'reys. " I will hear nothing irrelevant to the citse." said the lord- mayor, in a vexed tone. " 1 am, nevertheless wiUing to take bail in two sureties of a thousand guineas each." " I see very well how it is — the king sliall have no justice. not even from a loyal subject !" said Sir George, snatching up the jewels in a passion, " And I will go and tell him so !" And he walked hurriedly out of the court, followed by Chiflinch and the old man. Bail was immediately tendered by Sydney and Lord Eussell, accepted, and arm in arm with the two latter, Mervyn left that hall for Sydney Place. CHAPTER L. tOVE, I'HILOSOPHT, AND PLOTS. Mehvyn was now regularly installed in Colonel Sydney's house as a guest, and as his wound confined him within, he was almost continuiilly in the society of the colonel and his lovely daughter. Nothing could eipiul the tenderness, the assiduity, the enchanting vivacity of this be;nitiful nurse, and {)ainful as his wound freijuently was, ^len'yu i ver after looked )ack on this period of his life as a sort of reverie in paradise, a delicious dream of perfect happiness! And who that has ever loved, and .•eeoUects the springtide of piu^sion, w hen the myriad hopes er.vi I'-ars, and joys and t^riefs, wliieh love blossoms forth in such wdd profusion, are in full bud and glow and fragrance in his soul — but must deem him then indeed most happy? It was not that he had dartdngaiu to breathe his passion, and had wrung an nbs(>lute nssurnnee of its return ; a fneit but oxquis'tely k« eel underslamiing did nevertheless exist between the lovers, and a jtledge of faith aiul nmtual eonlulenee wnA fielmiiged without the aid of wonls. Hy some strani;e loeic of yassivni, Mervyn perauaded himself that he thus avoided i-ovl:, I'liiLOSoriiT, akd plots. 395 any vlolatiou of the large and xmboimdcd tnist wLicli Sydney put in him ; while the colonel was 60 absorbed in profound speculations, and in the whirl of stormy politics into which liis partv had plunged, that the subtle smiles, the casual blush, the lialf^cliecked sigh, the mute language of the eye in which love pcurs his teudorest tale, passed unnoticed before liir pre-engaged senses. Moreover, all republican as he was, tlit vast diflerence of rank between a nameless orphan and a daughter of his almost royal race, seemed to make so vital a difference between them, as to render a mutual passion as improbable as that of a frog for a star. Meantime, Menyn was not without his little jealousies, even in tliis height of happiness, and of credulous faith in the future. Monmouth haunted Mistress Sydney, as constant as her shadow ; Howard was a perpet^lal visitor, and under the guise of friendship, Mervyn perceived that he nourished a strong passion for the beautiful Aurora. Meanwhile it wag obvious that her chief care and delight were in pleasing Mervyn ; on him she lavished all the charms of hor vivacity, her roseate smiles, her many and briUiant talents ; she sung. she played, she rattled away with a perpetual gaiety and good himiour, which seemed to have an inexhaustible source in her young and ardent soul. Sydney's house was at that time the rendezvous of almost all the chief personages of the popular party, except Shaftes- bury, who, thouo;h ho continued an active correspondence with all, was at the time under a sort of concealment, few knew precisely where. Mervyn was of course introduced to the party, as a new but zealous partizan, from whose great talents and wrongs much might be expected, and an unreserved confidence took place between himself and Sydney. His revelations on the popish plot evidently much surprised the latter ; but as he already distrusted the intriguintr character and measureless ambition of Shaftesbury, and had always held aloof from his more intricate combinations, it only increased the feeUng of aversion with which his upright and unbending nature regarded such Machiavclian mancouvrcg. Sydney was at that tiiao engaged in completing his fatal treatise on Government, and he took delight in expounding Ids grand reveries to his young convert, and in removing one by one the deeply ingrained prejudices of his monastic educa- tion. The serene wisdom, the godlike benevolence, the frandeur, often visionar}'' as it might be, of his speculations, is manly and poetic eloquence, infused his theories irre- gistibly into a mind so vehement and prepared for the ppr.ri J as Mcrvyn's. g^^^ trniTEKIlIAKS. "in tmtb. those grand vis-.nsof^^^^^^^^^^ his natural equality tbe uob^tj^fl^^^^^ practice are perhaps only Bublimei^^^^^ ^^ ^j,, age. like existing realities on tj^ek^^^^^^^ ,1,, tioue Sydney had drunk at the same louni aitbouKb m Lis indof Milton had dramedinspu-ation^ ^_^^^^^^ ^Titingsheusedaperectandeveu^ba ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ in the native strength of his rea^ ^ eloouence, ^vluch times ^^'hcn he PO^red forth torrent \ecent poetry. .?nted not Bcanning ^^X fltherTas eSh^xsiastic. ^d Bhe Aurora's admiration of her tatntrja ^^ ^^^ took his principles without e.amn^^^^^^ ^^.^^^ ^^ Writ. But, though she troubled^ier^ci ^choings her clamped with his iron logic. version of that which Sydney's system was a noble Saxon jcmon ^^^ inTages hal been the sublime reyer^^lll^^^^ ,,,, ^.^st most phUosophic ""'^•^-^^'^"'li; of kSlthc great .Ufred. rustr[ous perhaps of men certamly of kmg^^.t .^ ^^^. attempted to put "\ P^^^^'^^f ' .TLious mid viu.t-in short eeptib\eof all t\^^^^^.T[:"^Xt arpredation of the actual poetic-Sydney had f \ '\ P^^^tVempt to conciliate his nob e Btateof dungs, and It ^^ ^^ "^^'J^iJal experience m mens theory with the workings of a orac ai F ^.^^^^^ ^f ^,3 passions andmotiyes. ^^^J^-^f^^,^ ^^ , ,a tim a work, the Wise. He has f J^i^i^^f Vvy aS logic of which, like the stones ot a ly ^ ^^ knowledge of beyond the powerof men to se^tr-n^^^^ ^^^^^ eQects of luJtory and men ^- J^^; f„Sj^n>i.^liod lum with ai. almost oyery «y?tetn ot go^trnmen . ^^^^^^,^^_ gydner inexhaustible mine ;^f ^^^f'^^^'^tHiuencos of his system, and shrunk from none of J^*^^ \^";*-;i'i^ , iHngs lurking in his ^"^rS:^^^::^^^^. ^o-"- ^vhich nattered temis^t were with dolic.oi«^^ ^^^^^ „, ,, .. But time-inexorable ^ me cr ^^ j^^^ bofran to oonyalescencenolong.r alo idcd m^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^.^^^ f,.l that his loMfZ.T ^l^'l''>/%;i;i ,: ,ould not piwad on strange, and ev.-n unpropcr. h m '^ ^ • ,^ j^^„ ^vcr bimself to break the ^;^,^;.;;;; ;^]": ! 1 l^ion which he broke ,,„n. and every "'|:^'^\': '''Xl was he to do? The ^^ odd --•^''S-hrbla^Wappare.UlvbUletoclu.eo, LOVE, THILOSOrHT, IXD PLOTS. 397 Sydney took a warm interest in liia behalf, and a variety of planfl were continually passing in review in tlieir conversations, which produced no result. Sometimes Mervyn talked of going on the continent, and offerin"' his sword to one of the warring powers — the French— the Dutch — the Germans — the Turks even ; but a tearful glance from Aurora, or a smile of saucy increduhty on her sweet lips, quite overset these warlike determinations. Moreover, Syuncy would not hear of his leaving England, and hinted mysteriously that the time wa.s coming when the strength of his conversion to the cause of freedom would be put to the test. In fact, the arbitrary pohcy of the court was no longer disguised, and the resolution of the popular party to resist it to the utmost was every day assuming a more determined and menacing aspect. Nothing more was, however, done in the matter of the pretended i-obbery, but Mervyn guessed rightly that it was only reserved for a favourable time. In the midst of these cogitations and va^ue plans, some- thing hopeful seemed to present itself. Lord Howard, whose displeaaure at Mervyn's tavouritism he had with difficulty kept concealed, brought a message from Shaftesbury, earnestly desiring to see him. As Sydney made no objection, and Howard intimated that it was to make a proposal which would prove of advantage to his fortunes, Mervj'n assented ; for he was now almost moneyless, and his proud spirit revolted from accepting the bounty even of the generous Sydney. Accordingly he accompanied Howard in a boat to Wapping, where the carl resided in obscure lodgings, known only to a few of his most attached followers. '1 he reason of this seclu- sion was his dread of a new arrest, which, now that the court had succeeded in making two of its creatures sheriffs, was not likely to end in an ignoramus jury. Landing at tbe stairs, they passed through several low and intricate alleys, and at last arrived before a row of small tenements, each flanked with a little neglected garden, and apparently occupied by persons of a very indigent class. A broad ditch of fetid water ran beside the road, over which was a row of almshousci, apparently built for the express purpose of enjoying its odours, for the windows ranged all along it. Several sluttish women lounged about, gossiping over the railings, while the men sat smoking at their doors, seemingly unconscious of all tliat was going on. Among these dwellings was a little chandler's shop, decorated witli a bunch of consumptive candles, a maggotty cheese, a flitch and a-half of bacon, and an empty hogshead, once of •agar, but now iwarming with wasps. Towards this eat a- 398 WIIITEFBlAnS. blishmoiit did Iloward direct liis steps, and entering the sliop, which was scarcely wide enouj^h to admit his companion too, inquired of a round, fat, bristle-bearded nan, who was anxiously weighinn; a slice of butter for a ratjged little {lirl at the counter, if !Mr. Ashly were at home. He was answered in the affirmative by a woniaji who was at liand, and who opened a door, standing aside to allow the visitors narrow room to pass, and desccndinji two broken stairs, they entered a room paved with red flac^, about eight feet square, furuiihcd with a bare oak table and three chairs, where sat the elegant and princely earl, propped up b>' pillows on a miserable couch, one of his Feet wrapped in a blanket, the other wearing an embroidered slipper. He was reading, or trying to read, a book he held in liis hand, but at the moment they entered, his face was screwed up with pain, and tears actually forced them- selves from his eyes. Here was a lesson in ambition ! The great conspirator forced to abandon his splendid home, and to hide himself without attendants in a nolo at "Wapping, waitin"^ in pain and auxiet}" the decision of perplexities which ne had all uis life been busied in producing. " Thank God, you have Christian faces at all events !" ex- claimed ShaftesbuiT, as the woman retircil. " Captain Mervyiv, give me your hand — I trust now you have learned what faith to put in princes P" " AVhen I put any, my lord, I shall deserve the betrayal which is certain," rephed !Mervyn, cordially returning tho earl's hearty embrace. " Your wrongs pledge j-ou sufficiently, if you have any human blood in your veins," said iSliuftesbur}', with a smile. "Tj'rants themselves make the best and most desperate revolutionists. And now, eaiitnin, let me ask your pardon lor that foolish lettar of which ^lonniouth reminded mo to-day ; bnt I did not know you then, and cireumstancos juslihed my regarding you as a friend and perhaps cm}^loij6 of the Yorkists ; for it is the misfortune of men like me, who liave seen too much of mankind, to believe in little that is true and much that is false ; because falsehood, like a berougcd coquette, coiuiterfeits truth better than she herself aipears." ^Alervyn assured the earl with perfect good faith, that ho liad almost forgotten the circumstance alluded to, and recog- nized the force of his motives in acting as he did. " Yuu are a generous fellow, ^lervyn, and I rend mark and likeliliooil in your face that first time I s:i\v vou \Mtli the hell- icrpent, Oa'iea," returned Shaftesbury. " Uiit let us talk in J'Vench, or these iliandlery friends of ours will have a talc for the oouucire ear. 1 luck such men oa you — men of joun;{ hot tOYB, PHILOSOPHY, AND PL0T3. 399 blood, that will not stand for ever on the brink. My designs Lave been fi-ustrated by the unhandsome disappointment of Monmouth and Lord Ilusscll. who have witharawn them- eelvos from their engagements. I had all ready in London, and they were pledged to the same in the country, when behold they recede ! and they tell me they are not lu a con- dition to concur -^Aith me at tliis time. But God's life ! I look upon it as an artificial excuse, and an instance of their inten- tion wholly to desert me. But nathless, ray gallant boy, there is such a preparation made in London, that if they be willuig to lose the honour of being concurrent with me, 1 am able to do it myself, and intend speedily ; for there are ter thousand brave boys ready to follow me wherever I hold up my finger ! But we must begin at the beginning ; you must pledge your- self to our cause, — for I mean to confide everything to you, as indeed I have the consent of my fellows — Sydney into the bargain. I intend you shall be my interniedio with the city — my master of the works. You shall reside in Aldersgate, in my palace, have as much money as you choose, and direct all my manauvres till we burst out some fine morning, and at night you shall pay your respects to the Lord Protector as general of our cavalry — I think you will make a dashing fellow at some such place as Edgehill, now !" " But at present, my lord, I am at Sydney Place, and " began Mervyn, when the earl interrupted him. " That is another reason in my favour," he said, with a keen and penetrating glance. " Do you know that the world already begins to marvel at your stay there, and after what was insinuated before that deplorable blockhead, the lord mayor, it concerns the reputation of Mistress Svdney that vou should not be seen too much together. All the world. Master Mervyn, is not engaged in writing a treatise on tyranny — or government — is it? — and people half think there may be some stronger motive than gratitude in your recent exploit of chivalry. Ah, see now, how he blushes, like a maiden caught kissing by her mother ! — Well, sir, I desire not to probe what you may desire to conceal ; but I Avould remind you that the days of romance arc over, and that it is only in a new and busthng world that merit, without birth or wealth to back it, can hope to elevate itself to tlic level of its aspirations." " I accept the office, my lord, if Colonel Sydney approves," said Mervyn, hastily. " Colonel Sydney is not so deep in the matter as to be des- perate," replied Shaftesbury, " therefore he disapproves of my plan ; in fact, it is from ignorance that they all hang aloof; 400 TVHITEFEIAKi. but I, wlio have spun the great web of my policy, of all their Bcparatc passious, iulorcsla, and follies, know that it is eo mingled with a coarser yarn, that either the whole stiiff will be spoiled, or it will turn out a tapestry for "SVhitehall ! Hut now you loo Irflong to the desperate genus, Master Mervyn ! Do you think old Kowley has forgiven you? — Oh, no ! you have not heard the last of your Portugal sword ; and now that there are two Tory RherilTs in, the reign of the ignora- mus juries is over. lelJ me — do you accept the appoint- ment? — if 80, here are my keys, and my major-domo will receive you as his master." Tims pressed, Mervyn consented, though not without some momentary reluctance. " And now I will expound to yoti this excellent plot, into which you must coax these panic-stricken men, or at least ou whicli I must have a definite answer," contined Shaftesbury, " I3ut we are all rather out of spirits, Uoward — put your Aand up the chimney — 'tis my cellar now — and you will liiul u bottle of rare A'alJepeuas." Howard rose very willingly, drew a table, mustered some crystals, and produced a bottle from the receptacle indicated by the earl, \\'licrc he had put a case to cool, for he pretended that it boiled on the iiery floor. Tiuis freshened by his favourite beverage, Shaftesbury launched out in all his usual eloquence, and with a brilliancy of illustration and a clearness of exposition, which showed that he at least was not be- wildered by the immense vaincty of irous which he had iu Iho fire. Mervyn soon fovmd with amazement that he stood uncon- sciously on the verge of a revolution, and that all the ground which had seemed so fmu, was instinct with the volcanic fluid, ready to explode! The influence of Shaftesbury's vehement eloquence was, however, too powerful on an imagination so warm and romantic as Merv'yn's ; it swept away all that re- mained of his calmer judgment, anil he rose from the inter- view a desperate partisan, ready to do and dare all. It was now agreed that a meeting of all the chief persons of the party should be summoned, and that Mervyn slu>uld obtain an explicit answer to the jiroposal of Slianesbury, that a general insurrection shoidd immediately take place. Mean- while he was to try and gain Sydney " coiu-urrenee in the Kcheme, which would entail that of his snudl but illustrious band of supporters ; and all failing, Shaftesbury, Howard, and his imiiii>(liate partisans were, aeco.'din* to liim, strong enough to do without them. TUB ntE-H0U8K rLOT. 401 CHAPTER LI. THE EYE-norSE PLOT. Mebtyn returned to Sydney Place in a state of excitement, whidi could not fail to be remarked, and the colonel and Li» dauirhtcr bcsicj^cd liim with inquiries. To the latter he rcasQily accounted, by mentioning Shaftesbury's proposal, and his acceptance ; out he saw that Sydney had some in- quietude of liis own on his mind. lie assented, however, with a readiness which secretly hurt Mcrvj-n, to his an- nouncement that he meant to take up his residence imme- diately in Aldcrsgate ; but it was some comfort that Aurora's eves tilled with tears, and the roses deserted her lovely cneek. The colonel too seemed to remark this, for he in- quired somewhat sharply what ailed her ; and then abruptly asked Mervyn to talce a turn ^^'ith him in the garden, for that he had a communication to make. "WTien they were at some distance from the house, the kindness of Sydney's habitual manner seemed to return, and taking the young man's arm, " I am glad of this matter between you and Shaftesbury, though you must take care you fall not into his mad schemes," he said, " and on an account, wliich while it makes me smile, somewhat troubles me. Head this epistle," and the colonel handed a paper to Mervj-n, addressed to Colonel Sydney, and putting him on his guard respecting a reported attachment between his daughter jmd Captain Blood. "It is Chitiinch's handwriting — atrocious villaiu !" ejacu- lated Mervyn, colouring very deeply. " But this absurd report has gained ground elsewhere, my Lord Eusscll tells me," continued Sydney, " and it behoves me to put an end to it ; perhaps I am something late to do so, but my contempt for men's opinions leads me wrong the right way. And yet I feel I am as completely their biavo as any other man, by the way in which tliis foohsh rumour aiTccts me." " You then consider such an alliance as one involving dis- grace and dishonour. Colonel Sydney F" said Mervyn, im- petuously. " An alliance ! — it cannot be that you ever really enler- ta'nctl such an idea !" said Sydney, sternly. " I sec now what the systems of pldlosophcra are — words, mere words !" said Mervyn, bitterly. " What is there mar- veUous even if I darea to 'ovc your daughter, Colonel 402 WHITBFBIAnS. Sydney P Am I not a manp IlaTC I not eyes to see beauty, ears to imbibe harmony, a heart to lave, and an arm to protect? And is she not a wofnan, young, beautiful, and every way worthy of the most passionate and pure affection r" " And have you told her all this fine stuiF, Master ^Icrvvn P" replied the colonel, calmly. " ^Vhcn I brought Mistress Sydney the kintj's proposals, ehc knew that I was either the oasest slave alive or a half- maddened lover!" said Mcrvyn, with vehemence. " This clears up the only cloud that rested on you in my opinion," repliea S3'dney, evidently stnick ; " and it re- minds mc well that, but for your courage, my daughter vroidd not now be worth an honest man's acceptance. Oh, Mervyn, would to God we had destroyed this abominabloi mass of prejudices and cruel follies, on ^Ahich the present structure of society is raised ! But how can I wed my daughter to poverty and shame, even if she returned your love ? — let but the time come when the great principles for which I have all my life contended are no longer treated as idle dreams — come to me on some well-stricken field of liberty, which establishes the righteous doctrine of the iiatural equality of men — and I will prefer you as my son to the greatest despot on the face of the earth ! ' " That field may be struck in a few days," said Merryn, much mollified by this speech. " Lord Shaftesbury bids ms tell you " "I will hear no more of Shaftesbury's ravings ; nothing is ripe but his own mad rage," interrupted Sydney. " But there comes my daughter ; I trust so much in your honour, Mervyn, that I leave you to make your adieus privately ; but tlienceforth your visits to my nouse must uo to me alone." And the colonel dived away into another walk, but not without Mervj-n perceiving that he was much moved by tlio conversation whicu had just pa.-».''ed. Aurora now approached, and though she afiVcted to gatficr flowers by the \vay, she looked very molaneholy, and it w.ns evident slio had been weeping. Mervyn ofiered his arm, and t/>gcthcr they returned towcrds the liouse, in very unusual ■ilence. " So you tcill leave us P" she saiil, at last, with an allompt r,t a smjo, which ended in her eyes filling with tcai-a. "I mu.-tt loavo you, dearest Mistn-ss Sydney I" replied Merv'vn, passionately. "Your fatlier, dear Aurora, luu» ex- tinted from me the secret of my luvo, and 1 am pledgoil to THB BTB-HOUSB PI.OT. 403 see you no more until I have done something to elevate my- self from the degradation in which I am plunged — but trust me, loveliest, that shall soon be, or I will lie lower yet I" " ^ind did my father treat you with — did he dare to remind you of this !" said Aurora, flushmg vividly. " I tell you then, !MervTn, though I love him better than all tlie world, myself included, yet m this matter neither he nor all the world shall hinder me from following the dictates of my heart. Here is ray hand — if you accept it, I will be yours and yours alone for ever — ana though I will never marry you without my father's consent, I will never marry another." And here, as our hero and heroine have assumed the cha- racter of avowed lovers, we shall close the conference between them, and proceed with our narrative, in the belief that the conversation of persons so situated has no interest for anybody but themselves. In a few days jMervyn was regularly installed in TLanet House, and at Mork with all the eagerness and dariug of youtli, in his new capacity of consphator-general. In the exercise of this office he acquired an intimate knowledge of all the levers which the master-hand of Shaftesbury hai or- ganized, and he became aware that he had formed plot within Slot, of tie most discordant and incongruous materials, •esides the open and constitutional parties of Sydney and Eussell, he had formed a dark and violent conspiracy in a l-^wer and more desperate grade of society. Mervyn found it impossible to make these two coalesce : the latter were ready and prepared for any measures, however violent ; the former utterly refused to take a decided part until they had ex- hausted all the means of constitutional resistance. Matters were in this state, when news suddenly reached Mervyn that Lord Shaftesbury had fled to Holland ! Whether induced by the weakness of disease, or the immediate appre- hensions of arrest, remained unknown, even to Mervyn, who merely received a commission from the earl, appointing him to the management of all his concerns in England, and a general assurance that he meant to return in a few weeks. And thus devolved upon Mervyn the uncontrolled manage- ment of one of the most difficult and dangerous webs of pohey ever spun by the subtle genius of man. Mervyn had now a station and a political importance v,hicli the extraordinary events of his life, nis reputation for courage, and the known personal hatred of the king, increased, so aa to put him almost on a level with the chiefs of the party. A borough devoted to Shaftesbury was pledged to elect him, if a parliament was again summonecl. V)i WSITEFBIAB8. Morrjn'B Tisits to Sydney Place, though he econonuBed tlie happiness as much aa possible, were neither few nor far between, and Sydney seemed to have forgotten hiB reiridation, for Aurora never failed to make one of the party. It is true that she was almost always surrounded by a buzzing crowd of admirers ; but there was a slight yet exquisite distinction — ft tenderness invisible to all but a lover's eyes — in her man- ner to Mervyn, which made him feel as secure aa if she had none, and enabled him even to enjoy the homage and uniTersol admiration which she excited. Meanwhile, an open insurrection had been tacitly resolved on by the conspirators, and a tangible means aud opportunity were all that remained in discussion, when one morning Howard (who, by-the-by, had taken a great hking to our hero since he had been in a condition to lend money) rushed into Mervyn's apartments, with the information that he had formed a plan which would supersede every other ; but he declared tliat, to judge of its fcasibilitv, he must accompany him to a place in the country, whither lie would not t*ll. Mervyn readily consented ; they mounted their horses, without attendants, and rode under Howard's direction till they reached the north road, ere Mervyn inquired whither they were going ; but Howard laughingly refused all satisfac- tion on this point, and they continued tuelr road apparently towards St. ^Vlban's ; but before they reached that town, Howard suddenly turned eastward across tlie country, and they emerged on the Cambridge road. The badness of this by-road considerably fatigued the horses, but Howard con- tinued to put them to their mettle until they arrived in sight of the Lea, as it flows through its sweet pastoral landscape. Here he somewhat slackend his speed, and pointing to a house, whose chimneys rose above a tine group of trees, an- nounced that it was their destination, and that an old friend awaited him there. Mervyn perceived, on a nearer inspection, that they were approaemng a square battlemented building, fortilied with two towers, one square, and the other round and peaked. It liad an arched entrance and a fortilied gate, ami had appa- rently been, in former times, the castellated dwelling of some warlilie gentleman ; but it was at ])resent degraded into n farm-house, as appeared by the numerous outiiouses which extended on botli Hides of the road, which was shelten-d by a thick wood of birch and oak. As they drew near, the agricultural puq^oses to which tli<» maniiioa was applied became more appaicnt. Oxen and eowa •tood in a shaoy pool near the house, peacocks itrutted about, THE nTE-HOtSB TLOt. 405 and the various sounds of a busy farm-yard blended with tho perpetual whirr of a mill, which they now observed amonff the oaks, turned by a roarmg current. The tower seemed •ased as a barn ; there was a loaded wain piled up with corn, at one of the windows, and a strong atlitetic man, in his shirt- sleeves, who seemed to be the master, stood on the top, forking the sheaves down. Into this yard the travellers rode, and almost up to the cart, without being obsei-ved, when Howard whistled a pecu- liar air, known only to the initiated. The man on the cart shouted some cant words in reply, and sliding himself dex- terously down the com, presented to Mervyn's gaze the slashed features of his quondam acquaintance, Kumbold. The meeting was cordial almost to roughness ; and Rumbold assisting them to dismount, led them proudly into the esta- bhshment, which he named the " Kye House," and anaounccd himself to be the master of it. The most hospitable attentions were now heaped on the guests. Their horses were transferred to the stables, and themselves to neat apartments, where they were left to refresh. Meanwhile, the preparations for dinner were hastened and improved, and Rumbold greeted them on their descent, in a handsome dress cut in the newest style. They were then ushered mto a large oaken parlour, substantiaUy furnished, where Mrs. Eumbold appeared in a full blaze of finery. Howard found time to whisper to Mervyn that she had been the widow of a rich maltster, and had made over herself and her property to the disfigured old roundhead soldier. The conversation at dinner was principally made up of disserta- tions on farming and malting, and Mervyn mwardly mar- velled in what this farce was to end : but as the fair hostess was too much dehghted with her company to retire imme- diately after dinner, he was kept for some time longer in suspense. At last Howard proposed that they should go out and see the improvements m the farm, and the hint being readily taken by Kumbold, they all sallied forth. Immediately they were out of earshot of the house, Mervyn led the conversation towards the subject of his thoughts, by inquiring — " Have you heard, my lord, when old Kowley goes to ^Newmarket P Is it next week, as usual P" " So 'tis confidently said," replied Howard; "but Captain Mervyn is not yet in tho heart of our mystery," added he, turning to Rimibold, " and I must explain a little — but 'tis not possible to have things in readiness to make the attempt as tucy ao. Look you, Mervyn," ho continued, " wo have the notaitleet plot afoot that ever was, for lopping the two 406 WniTEFBlABII. sparts. But let Ufl first riew the localities. Here, you see, i3 the Newmarket road." And he stepped out of the yard on to the road by which Ihey had arrived. "Ay, the clirectcst road to Kewmarkct, whereby the king and the duke always go to the races," said Rumbold, eagerly taking up the word. •' You see, sir, it passes tiirough the heart of my farm-yard, and is tiankcd by my outhouiscs and that scattered wood " " Kot so loud, Master Eumbold," interrupted Howard, in hid turn. "*^ut now let me explain, for I planned the mIioIc matter, and should understand it best. !Now, Mcrvyn, boy, were it not as easy as snaring partridges, to ambu?h some forty resolute men in the wood and outhouses, hedges and ditclics, and what not P Tlieu it were a cheap accident to overturn a cart in the road, and so stop the king's coach — he is seldom guarded by above thirty horsemen — one well-aimed discharge would empty half their saddles, then out upon them and empty the rest. Charley must either be death's prisoner or ours ; meanwhile our friends in London and the country must be aware of some project afoot, and be ready to explode insurrections in all parts. It will be easy for us to escape through fields and by-lanes till such time as we can join our masses, and be hailed as savioui-s of the nation. Fore gad, an excellent plot ! "What ails you, captain ?" added he, on observing the effect of his communication on Mervyn ; " do you show the white feather after all P" "Assassinate the king! murder him?" repeated Merry n, in a horror-struck tone. " Never, never ! I cannot consent to it. It were sufficient to overwhelm our cause with horror. The republic itself would demand our heads." " Is this the thick-aud-thin gentleman you told me of, Howard P" said Kumbold, obviously much disconcerted. " He who says I will not go as far in my cause as any man, lies !" exclaimed Mervyn. " But assassinate — dip my handd iu the king's blood — I will not. Sydney would be tlie iirt;t to execrate such a deed. Seize him if you will : bring him, like his'father, to a trial, for liis treason to the people — bring him to the block ! I am ready and willing to lay down my lifo iu such an attempt ; but I will assaBsinato no man, though be were Nero himself" " Now he hath Hct his noeo against the wind, he will run till liM burst," caid Howard, coarsely. " Would not the king have aasaBsinuti'd j/oit, but for Sydney's good mrmory f" " Yet perchance he hath reason," said KumboKl, musingly. *' This ago ifl too squeamish for such noble acts of Koniau virtue to bo prosperous ; and if his head too rolled on tli«» TUE KYKIIOl'SE n.OT. 407 l»lock, I know not \\liethcr it were not of more terrible en- eamplc.. having such majesty of deliberate justice." " 'Tis ill salving a mortifying wound ; cut to the quick at once !" cxclatmedHoward. " But supposing that we attempted merely the seizure of the royal persons, we must do that with a sharp conflict, and how can we march a little army here unobscr\'cd, if we are not to attempt a surprise P" " But wc will attempt a surprise," said Mervyn ; " only let our object be, if possible, to spare the tyrant for a higher dis- posal. If he falls resisting, has blood be on his own head." " And if you capture him, where will you take him and yoiirselves ?'' said Howard, snccringly. " I will rouse London simultaneously ; I have the means," returned Mervyn. "This house, and such forces as we can hastily muster, would be strong enough to resist, in the first consternation, until we hear good news from our friends ; at worst, the king's safety will guarantee ours." Eumbold and Howard seemed apparently convinced by this reasoning, and it was finally resolved that the attempt should be made in the manner recommended by Mervyn. Emissaries were to be despatched to prepare a general re- volt, and the citizens were to hold themselves in readiness. They even concerted a plan of the barricade which was to Btop the royal carriages, the means necessary to turn the Eye House into a fittle fortress, and the places where the horsemen might meet without raising suspicions. Howard engaged to procure the men for this desperate enterprise, and Eumbold was to have all in readiness at the scene oi action. Mervyn's task was of a different but not less hazardous complexion. He was to set aU the wheels of the conspiracy in motion in the various parts to which its machineiy ex- tended, and then to cross the seas and bring back Shaftes- bury to head the outbreak. The great influence of the earl, and his perfect knowledge of the men and means to be employed, made it impossible to attempt anything without him, and the plot was too dangerous a secret to be intrusted to a letter or a common messenger. Finally it was agreed that the moderates, as they called the EusseU and Sydney fractions of the party, should know nothing of the matter in hand until Shaftesbury arrived to conciliate them with hia influence. To prevent suspicion it was resolved that Slervyn should embark at some distant seaport ; and after some difficulties and delays in tho needful arrangements, he w;is actually Betting lus foot on the deck of the vessel which was to bear ijim from Hull to ^Vnaaterdajn. on his mission to Shafles- 408 wniTK.FaiiBS. bury, when news reached him of the sudden death of tliat nobleman ! This iuforraation had arrived at Thanet IIou.«e before Mervyn could return thither, and en his agaui presenting himself ho found that ho had alreadv ccasca to be its mas- ter. Everything was under lock and seal, the scn'ants dis- persed and strangers in possession, and CnJinjj it useless to urge any claims of his own, ho took his departure, re- solving to find out Howard, and ascertain how matters had gone in liis absence. They met at a coffee-houso in the ^ncinity of Howard's residence, and the carl brought with him Colonel Kumscy, Shaftesbury's most trusted and in- triguing instrument. " So, poor Sliaftcsbury is gone ! cut off in full blossom P" was Howard's iirst obseiwation, after wringing Mcrrj-n'a hand with seeming cordiality. " The court hath some inkling of our plot ; have you not heard P" said Eumsey, hurriedly, " there is a warrant out againstyou. Captain Slervjn, as a seditious ill-disposed per- son. Heaven knows who will be the next." "We will take our prisoners first without a warrant. Mas- ter Eumsey," said Mervyn. calmly. " In three days tho king or I shall be in the Tower ; and I trust in my good star." " Nay, then you do not know that the king is returned safe and sound to London P" replied Howard. " The midignancy of fate would liave it so, that a fire broke out in New- market, and burned part of tho royal lodgings, so llowley and the duke left it a week earlier than we expected." " So now there is nothing for us but to stir, ' said IJumsey. " Our heads are in tho lion's jaw, and he begins to wag his tail. Our friends, tho moderates, are met to dispute on what is not to bo done now Shaftesbury is gone, and wo are going to try and coax them into soraethinj; valorous. Come with us, blaster Mervyn, and lend us your olonuenco." Mervyn reailily assented, and the three took their way to the house of Mr. Hampden, where the moderates held tlieir meeting, although he himself wan sometliing of a deeper dye. In a handsome apartment, furnished in tho ix-mnous stylo of tho Louis Qiiator/.e era, Mervyn found tno cliiefs of tho paj'ty a.sBenil>li'(l — .Moiinioutli, Lsaex, Kussell, Sydney, and the young inastir of the lioiise, «ho all received him with great cordiality. They wero all in deep mourning, but tho table waa covered with a rich dessert, and glittering wines «)f every growth ami colour, the better to bUnd the eyes of tho oourt to their proceedings. THE BTB-HOCfiE PLOT. i09 " You come in the very nick of time — we have just ap- pointed a cabal to manage the party, and you shall be one of us, captain," said the I)uke of Alonmouth. " Shaftesbury was but one rcan, but it takes aU of us to replace him, — like twenty -seven siiillings for a moidore ; and you, who know the clue to all his plots, will be half himself among us." " No, my lord, I aspire to no such honour," replied Mcrvyn ; " I am but an mstruracnt ; use me as such, and if I fail your hand I shall break, not bend." "There are six of us, yet odd numbers a?-e lucky," said Essex, with a forced smile. "At all events, it is no longer time to dehberate when Catiline is at the door!" said Eumsey. "We must either fight or fly. Know you not, gentlemen, that there is an order for Master Merryn's arrest ? "UTiat will be next, think youF" " There is but one question — shall wc die like sheep, or make an effort for our own lives and the liberty oi the nation P" exclaimed Howard. " Colonel Sydney, do you still believe the times are not yet ripe, or do they need our blood to make them bear fruit ?" " My Bword is loose in the scabbard," repUd Sydney. "Then, gentlemen, let us determine at once !" exclaimed Mervyn. " Eevolt — and revolt at once, ere men's minds have time to chill into submission. Let our only questions be tho where, the when, and the how." " I am for the country — the west country ! — it was pre- dicted to me I should fight a great battle there," said Mon- mouth." What can one do m the city? It would be impos- sible to stand a charge of the king's horse unless the train- bands declare for us, and they are but overfed squeamish citizens, who prefer their fat case to everything." " Let us barricade the city, as the people of Paris did in the days of the Fronde," said Sydney. "I will undertake to hold London against ten thousand men fur three weeks, if wp can only make good the first three hours." " Give me two hundred men, and I will surprise you the guards, and the Tower — I know they keep no soldierly pre- caution," said Mervyn. " No, let us begin at a distance if we would prosper," said Monmouth, vehemently. " It hath been prophesied to me that my star — I mean the star of the republic — shall rise in the west, like a royal sun! Tauntou for me! — tlie king will have to take his choice of these two horns — either to send down his forces and leave the city unprotected, or give us time to form in the country if he does not." 410 WHITEKBIABS. " But IcaTiug tills question to future digestion, another of more importance claims our attention," said Lord BuMell. " Wlicro are our magazines and sinews of war P — what pre- parations have we made to funuBh our friends with arms ? — or, indeed, how can we procure them witliout arousing the watchdogs of the government P" " Ay, where is the gold, the dollars ? — wc cannot stir with- out gold!" exclaimed Howard. "For my o^^-n part, I am an exhausted mine, an Escorial, as the Spaniard hath it — hut I ft.n pledge my wife's jewels." " In good faith, we shall need some twenty or thirty thcu- sand pounds to begin on," said Monmouth. " I will sub- scribe all I can drain from my Jews — but that will be Utile enough. Moor Park is pawned." " My Lord Grey sends words that he will subscribe ten thousand guineas from his private purse," said Rumsey, with a laugh, in which the whole company joined heartily. " B>it ere we advance farther, it were wtll, nay. neeessarj',*' said t'-ydney, " to consider how to make a coalition of coun- cils with Scotland ; and for that purpose let us select some fit person to be sent thither, to unite us into one sense and care." " Argyle and the clan Campbell are ready at the whistle of a pibroch," said Monmouth. " And there is my Lord Melvin or Sir John Cockram willing enough to speak to the principal men of our interest in those parts." " Nay, for they cannot put their nightcaps on but a Lau- derdale spy reports it," said Lord Essex. " It must be some new face in Scotland — what say you to Master Mervyii ? — It will need great management, too, for Lauderdale hangs before he tries." " If I am hanged, my lord, it shall be in London," replied Alervyn. " I tell you again, I am a soldier, not a politician." "AndMcrvyn's great knowledge in Shaftesbury's plans are essential to our own," said Howard. " Well, sirs, I know another who may match the devil for cunning — Master Aaron Smith," said Sydney. " I will engage to bring my Lord Melvin in*— he is sonie- thinii; of my wife's kindred," said Monmouth. " And if my Lord llussell will ^vrite to Sir John, to whom he is personally known " "Aaron will manage it admirably — a subtle dt>g — T know him well," interrupted Lord Howard. " Hut for what pur- pose are these gentlemen to be brought to T>ondoii?" "To fi)rni a |il;iii of ojunilion.s with us," «:\ld .Monmonlli. "Arfjle liiilh but to "iiiDhfulh Kii clu^iaoro, Cd l'i»i?l*i» THE BTE-norSE PT.OT. 411 ATervyn knowa, and tlie Highlands are all a-blazc. But tli© man will need money, and wlio hath any at his dispose ?" " Give the Scots but gold, and they will rebel every day of the year, against anything or any body," said Rumsey. "But I am of Captain MciTyn's opinion, and would have the flame burst out in evor\' part of the kingdom at once." " Let us hear Master Mervyn'e list of those towns on which poor Shaftesbury principally depended, and would have had us throw the sparks in," saw Lord Eussell, in his usual cabn and deliberative manner. " London — Bristol — Taimton — York — Chester — Exeter !" —poured out Mervyn. " A goodly catalogue," said Sydney. "And now we have united ourselves in this dangerous un- dertaking," said Hampden, " it may be well to ask a question which has already been put to me — To what end is all this P It is meet that we direct our proceedings by such principles as shall not put in jeopardy the properties and liberties of the people. For mine own part 1 woidd resolve all into the authority of a parliament." "And that chosen fairly, not by a few chartered rich men, but by the whole mass of the people !" said Sydney, eagerly. " I trust we are all agreed that it is only the public good we intend," said Monmouth, with a dark frown. " But for my part I know that though the Scotch may be brought to it in time, the noblemen there will not at present suffer a commonwealth." " We have conquered them under kings, why not under the republic?" said Sydney, sharply. " Let us not quarrel about the skin tUl we have caught the bear," said Lord Russell, " But meanwhile we have sat so long in deUbcration that it is time to part, if we would not make a tale for the cabal's ear to-morrow. Let us ro- eolve nothing until our messenger returns from Scotland, and agree not to meet again till then, lest we rouse suspicion." "You will be too late then!" said Mervyn, passionately. " You are putting off the day of diuiger as you think, but it will only bring it faster on." " The fox that had lost his tail would fain porsuadc his brethren to cut off theirs," said Monmouth, ^^ith a bitter smile. " Come to my house ; you will be safe there awhile," said Sydney, warmly extending his hand to the young conspirator. " Bather to mine, Sydney," said Lord Eussell, signincantly. " To neither, my lord," said Howard, hastily. " I will lend I'lm » horse, and he shall to our friend, ivumbold'a, in the 412 WIIITEFBIAES. country, till this wind blow over. I have prepcired all for his reception." Mervyn readily accepted tins alternative ; it waa agreed that he should wait at the Eye House for the meBsengcr'a return from Scotland ; and the meeting broke up in a state of uncertainty on all the points on which it had been convened. It was a fine frosty moonlight when Mervyn found himself on the Cambrid^^e road, well-mounted and alone, on his way to Kumbold's fatal farm. The bright freshness of the coimtry air somewhat cooled his fevered blood, and a mood of deep melancholy followed, in which he allowed his horse to fim into a tranquil w.ilk. Unwiliinp to alarm the family at tlie llye by a night arrival, he allowed the animal to continue ita sauntering pace till daylight broke, when he thought that liumbold, wlio was a man of very active habits, would shortly be astir. lie was right in his conjectures, for, on turning into the Kye road, the first person he met was Eumbold liimself, coming at a rapid gallop, well armed, and in such haste that he was upon Mervyn almost before he could turn out of the " "Why, Master Eumbold P this is strange riding !" he ex- claimed, as the colonel suddenly drew a pistol from his girdle .n a distracted manner, but as suddenly recognizing him, let it sink in great amazement. " \Miat, Captain ]\Icr\'yn ! whither so early P" he said. " To your house — for shelter," replied Mervyn. " You seek then more than the owner himself can find I" replied Eumbold. " I have certain intelligence that the folks at \VTiitehall have found out everything, and I have but three hours' start to get out of the clutches of a sergeant-at-arms !" "Whence have you this intelligence?" " From that damnable paltry villain AVest, and little Keel- ing, the vintner ; they were going to tell the council every- thing, because they are named in the proclamation with you !" " Save your.«ielf then ; I will return and put Howard on the wing !" said Menyn. " I can do it in a couple of hour.^. and if no better can be done, we will oU'to the Hague together." " You can't do it on that blown horse — take mine — I have a pood start," said the generous maltster. " And here is n sw i^ of brandy — it will do you good, for you look as pale as a turnip." ]Merv)'u at first declined this noblo oiler, but con.sulering how much depended on his npeed, heat length consented, and t-mbracing very hcju-tily, the two conspirators parted — never to mevt a^ain on earth. THE ADDLINO OF A CONSPIRACY. 413 CHAPTEE LII. THE ADDLINO OF A CONSPIBACY. Meevyn proceeded rapidly on his way back to London, till he reached a hill near Barnet, in descending which his horse Btumbled and came to the ground, breaking both its knees ; and finding it impossible to proceed, he led the animal to Barnet, stowed it at a farrier's, and endeavoured to procure another. But as he was quite unknown in the town, and had but little money with him, no one would trust him with so valuable an article, and distracted with the delay, he resolved to resume his journey on foot. He arrived in London about noonday, almost too faint to stand, covered with dust, and disfigured from head to foot, so that he could scarcely be recognized even by tliose who best knew him. The first thing he heard on reaching Holborn, was a proclamation ofTerinfj a reward of one hundred pounds each for nine of the inferior actors in the Rye House plot, and of a thousand for Mon- mouth, Lord Grey, or himself. On inquiry of a bystander, he learned that Lord Russell had been before the privy council, and was sent to the Tower ; but this was positively denied by one who had seen his lordship return to his own house under a guard. Howard, however, was not named ; and, in the distracted state of his mind, Mervyn could resolve on no plan but to seek him out, and ascertain the real state of things. He dared not trust any one with a message, and he therefore determined to go to Aumerle House ; in half an hour he stood on the steps of that mansion. He had never been in it since his arrest by Gates ; for, singularly enough, Howard never invited him to his house, nor of course had he ever desired to enter it him- self. All seemed quiet, and it was not fear but an inexplicable chaos of feelings, which shook his hand as he lilted the massive knocker. The door flew open with strange rapidity, and with a start he saw that it was opened by a soldier. His }>re8encc of mind did not, however, desert him, and he inquired for the Lord Howard. " Come in, all's fish that comes to the net," replied the soldier ; and observing Mervyn hesitate — " Come in, master dusty !" he added, levelling his arquebuse. " You must have my captain's permission ere I suffer you to depart." Finding that no better could be done, Mervyn pretended a ready acquiescence, and the soldier escorted liim up stairs. Ererythiug was in confusion, the servants stanciing about, and 414 WniTEFBTABS. the hou«e in a state of general disorder. He was conducted bv his Kuide. or rather captor, into tlie f-rand dra^-ing-room ^^lerc Z firk interview ^.th Ladv Howard had taken place, when introduced by Blood. But tUgs were much chajiKed ; a number of soldiers were engaged m ransacking and searclunff about, with their swords drawn, piercme the tapestry and eecmin-lv in active pursuit of some concealed object. An old fltern-looking officer directed their proceedings with the motion of his pistols, and a clerk stood near hun. ^"^fV-'^'V^T.rJolf nn inventory of the articles around. La ly Howard he^elf sat in an ann chair, pale as death, her brows deeply furrowed, her hands clasped-a statue of resohite desperation. "You see, sir. it is impossible!" she was savmgaa they entered. " He is not here ; he has gone to HoUand- tis a ^•eek since. He is safe at Amsterdam, I hope! " It cannot be. madam," replied the commander. His lord- ship was seen yesterday in theMall ; I will stay here till dooms, dav. but I wilf clutch him. His bed ^^T'J'^-^lZ.t^^' doiblet, shoes, sword-my men surround the house-he can- not have escaped. It were well, methmks. if Je^^^^j^ ^« further trouble, for I am certain he is here, and I will take the house down brick by brick, ere he shall scape me ! '' You wiU find that difficult. Sir Pliilip-my ancestors buUt It strongly." said the countess. scornfvJly. "But continue your search; be sure and do not neglect to examme the swallows' nests on the eaves there. •,^^j At this moment Mervyn's captor stepped up n^d ^l^^Fred to Sir Philip, who turnod sharnly round " ^^^lat sort of faiow is't ?" he said.^ " By "r lacly, a toll likely lad !-who the "'"MTlo^rd^sSfi-atEskricke. for the receipts, sir," said Mervyn. in a counterfeited tone of stupuhtv. Tlie first sound of his voice made Lady Howard star .and Bhe looked or rather glared at him for a moment, like a •"""DrVou'Tnow this man. madam P" said the captain, startled at the wild expression of her eyes. .... "Know him!" she said, or rather «hrieked. and sprmpng np, she extended her hand in vehement denuucmt.on. " 1 e-S sir Philip !— seize him. he is a tnutor! Seize h.m •— ^ ^»'l prove him a traitor !-it is the b.a.;tnrd-it is a Kye-Uouso plotter— Mervyn, as he calls himselt ! j i.. ..:j " If I am a traitor, madam, then so is your husband ! wud ^"''Rou^iestr miserable villain '—ho i« no tr»»torl" tlif THE ADDLING 07 A C0K8PIBACT. 415 glirielied. " Perish the very name of Aumerle ere one haii of his head be hurt !" " Surrender yourself, sir — ^you are in the proclamation j but this violence, lady, is strange and imchristian," said Sir Philip. "My name is Mervyn, and I surrender myself," replied the young man, with desperate composure. " Give me your sword, sir — I am sorry for you," said the captain, aud Mervyn was sullenly preparing to unbuckle it, when a shriek from Lady Howard announced that something terrible had occurred. All turned — and a soldier was observed dragging a man's leg down the chimney, followed by the rest of the body, all begrimed with soot, and in shirt and drawers. Black as he was, and trembling all over as if in an ague, Mervyn easily recognized Lord Howard. There was an immediate rush of all present round him, and seizing the moment with the desperate energy of his character, Mervyn sprang to an open window, and leaped out of it, with scarce a glance to ascertain whither he was going. He found himself mstantly in a bed of carnations, on a terrace of the garden, and \^'ithin a few yards of the river — the next moment and he was plunged in its waters. Aware, however, that he should be closely pursued, he swam desperately to a coal-barge, which proved to have no one on board, and creeping into the hold among the coals, with his sword in his hand, he awaited his fate. Hours elapsed without any molestation, although he was occasionally alarmed by the voices of passing bargemen. Night came on before he ventured to peep out of his conceal- ment, and the stars shone in the dark waters like a bespangled veil, and the huge sombre masses of the groat city seemed to slumber to its calm rippling. Apprehensions that those belonging to the barge might return and discover him, now took possession of his mind, and he determined at all risks to make the land. He therefore hailed a small scvdler which was Hhooting rapidly past, to Whitehall, and inquired if he could be taken thither. The waterman replied that he had another fare for the same place, and that he might come and welcome, and Mervyn leaped on board. He immediately looked out for his fellow-fare, but did not perceive it tiU the waterman, with a laugh, pointed to a figure reclined at full length on the prow. It was habited in tlio usual garb of a doctor of the church, but the peruke and skull- cap had f;il!en off iind revealed to Merryn's st.-.rlli'd. oyc tlie fctttui'cs of Dr. Gates, in a state of beuslly iutoiiication. H« 416 wnTTEFRiisg. waa Bnonng audibly, and sucking in air like a Btranaea vrhalc. "Brute !" muttered Mervyn, shuddering with intense dis- gust, and he sat for some miniites looking at his bloated countenance, wliich was rendered frightful by the convulsive t^Hsts which passed over it. Ail evil conscience, not to be lulled either by liquor or sleep, seemed at work witliin, and Mervyn could not help feeling a vindictive pleasure in the eight. But suddenly tne boat touched Whitenall stairs, with a stroke wliich roused the drunkard, who started up in apparent consternation. After a glare around him, he pave a sullen yawn, tlirew the waterman a penny, and staggered out of the boat. A thought suddenly occurred to Mervyn, and flinging the waterman nis fare, he leaped out after him. Gates staguf'rcd drunkenly along from the stairs, and pro- ceeded a little distance up the lonely road which skirted th«» royal gardens. An attentive survey satisfied Men-yn that no one was within sight likely to interrupt his proceedings ; he then walked rapidly after Gates, who, hearing the sound, turned sharply. The moment his eye fell upon Mervyn, ho uttered a shrill scream, and falling on his knees, clamoured loudly for mercy. " Do you mistake mo for your master, the devil, wretch P" said Mervyn, slightly touching him with his sheathed sword " Gh, sir, take my money, my watch, anything but my life !" yelled the terrified villain. " I want none of them," said Mer^'yn, fiercely ; " but strip off those di.sgraced canonicals and thai peruke, or there are not three minutes between vou and damnation !" Gates obeyed, sobbing like a beaten pchoolboy, nnd as ho stripped off liis holy garb, !Morvyn transferred it rapidly to his own person. Even the penike, though with great di.xgust, he put on, and, telling Gates that if he stirred within am hour from the spot he would infallibly pistol him, he gave him a parting kick, and went on. Some few minutes brought him to St. Martin's church, which was then striking ten. and he paused to consider liis ulterior procecdinjis. The only chnnco of escape which suggested itself, in his desperate and money- less eircyimstances, was to take refuge at the residence of Colonel Sydney, if still that sanctuary were respected. lie therefore Htruclc into the fields between St. James's and St. Giles's, and arrived at Sydney Place within an hour. With a heavy and foreboding heart he rang tlie huge bell of the ganlen, which he had so often heard tinkle the raroat music, a.s it seemed to his lover ear, and (he duor wiis opened by the faithful old steward, Duca^i, \>ilh a trciimloiis caution THB ADDLINO OP A C0N8PIBACT. 417 which stnick a chill of terror to his very soul. Tlie moon Bhone brightly, but Ducaa did not ecem to recognize him, and answered his hurried request to see the colonel by an abrupt assurance that he was gone to town, and had not returned. " His daughter, then ; is Mistress Sydney at home ?" " What may your reverence want with her?" replied Hie old man, suspiciously eyeing the wild and begrimed priest before him. " I am from Taunton — the great Mr. Trenchard's chap- lain," replied Mervyn. " Give my lady this small sign ; she will not refuse me admittance." And he handed a ring to Ducas, who no longer refused him the privilege of entree. He followed the old man iato the flower-garden before the house, and throwing himself ex- hausted into a chair formed of the twisted boughs of a living elm, awaited the result of his application in a state of inde- scribable agitation. But a few moments elapsed, and a light fawn-hke step was heard. Mervyn sprang up, and the next instant his beautiful and beloved mistress was clasped to his breast, in a mingled agony of joy and grief, which vented itself in a strange paradox of smiles and tears. " You are safe, Mervyn ; they can find nothing against my father, and I am happjr now," said Aurora, at last releasing herself gently from his embrace. " But what brings you from Rumbold's ? we thought you were in security there." Mervyn briefly narrated all that had passed, and her terror seemed to increase with every word of his relation, although he stood before her safe from the fangs of his enemies. " Oh, it is all the malignity of that cruel king !" she sobbed ; " why should that barbarous woman betray you P What have you done that you should be arrested any more than my father P" " Russell is arrested ; I was Shaftesbury's lieutenant !" rephed Mervyn, hurriedly. " But you are almost dead with fatigue ; come in, come in ; you are sufficiently disguised in this garb vmtU. my father returns, when we can devise means for your escape," said Aurora, with visible trepidation. " You shall to your old apartment, and I will give out " " You will not exile me from your society, Aurora ! the last moments I may ever spend in it P" said Mervyn, with a Badness which again melted her to a gush of tears. " No, no, but there is some one there — one whom I cannot leave," she replied, with hesitation. " Some «iparkliu^' beau of the court, wkose sunshine of for* 418 wniTF»EIABS. tune malcoa tlie darknege of mine too Bombro to your tiBio, Aurora!" he replied, with vehemence. "No, Mervyn, no ; a fugitive in hiding like yoursilf; a man who is your friend ; — in Bhort, the Duke of Mon- mouth." " The Duke of Monmouth !" repeated Merryn, w ith a start. " Yes," said Aurora, without aecming to notice Mervyn'a surprise and tone. " Come and join us ; if even the ciuke recognizes you, he is your friend ; but I think what might puzzle my penetration will baffle his. Come, dear Mervyn, it eliali be so." Mervyn was almost ashamed of his momentary suspicion, but he complied, and followed Mistress Sydney to the library. The table was spread with a suppe " of fruit and confections, and wines glittering among enow in Sydney's Italian vases ; everything looked as if some a'stinguished guest were present. And there, reclining voluptuously in an arm-chair, splendidly dressed and profusely port imed, and languidly thrumming a Moresco guitar, sat the ducal con- spirator. As it was a very hot night the windows were open, and showed a wide expanse of starry blue, hanging like a canopy over the distant yellow glare of the vast citj' ; and it seemed as if he were reclining, in amorous languor, to catch tlie sweet fresli air which blew over the fields of new-mown hay surrounding Sydney's little paradise. He raised his eves, and his eyebrows too, when Mervyn entered, and Bcemed to look upon him with any feeling but that of welcome. Aurora introduced her lover under a name which he selected himself, as Master Tobias A'enner, chaplain to Trenchard of 'J'aunton, who was one of the consj)iraturs, and of great con- seciuence in the west. Moumoutu himself passed for one Captain Stuart. " Well, your reverence, and what are the news out of tlie west P" said Moumoutli, alter a fi.xed stare at the stranger, without recognizing him. " Or, rather I should say, out of the coal-hole, whence you seem to have recenlly emerged P" " You are correct in your supposition, sir," replied Mervyn, in ft feigned voice. "And, perhaps, tliere are worse placoe than a coal-hole these troublous times." " Since I have been so successful in my first hj'pothesin, allow me to hazard a second," eontiiiueif the duke, with a gDodnatured smile. " I cannot help (liinking I have seca you before, Master Toby, wlun your ftwo was not so black, and your beauty was of a clean«>r Lliuugh not more •triking dencriptioQ P" TSB ADDLING OF i. COlfSPIRAOT. 419 " Eight a|;ain, bu*," replied Mervyn. " Nay, Mistress Sydney, you must resume your former scat, or I shall owe Master Toby a spite for Ufe," said Mon- mouth, eaperly, observing that Aurora had drawn a chair near the stranger, leaving her own unoccupied. Ducas now entered, and spread another cloth for Mervyn, with viands of a more substantial nature ilian those before him. Mcrvju was too exhausted to eat, but he swallowed a goblet of wine "R hich Aurora liauded him, with eagerness, and it seemed to uifusc a new life into his veins. *' Well, Master Toby, you have net answered my questioiiS about the good people of the west ?" said Monmouth. " Aro they all running hurry-scurry in every direction P and how do they like the new lord chief-justice Jeffreys, who, they say, is to pay them a visit this autumn ?" *' The consternation is boundless, or it would not have reached an humble servant of the church like myself," replied Mervyn. " But all men imite in saying that had it not been for tfie timorous delays of the Duke of Monmouth and hia fr.ends, the Whitehall people would now have been as glad of . coal-hole as the best of us may Uve to be yet." " Say nothing against the Duke of Monmouth, friend ; he £ the best fellow in England, myself not excepted," said the uuke, gaily. " But are there any news about Captain Mer- vyn, who ran away hke that sagacious animal the rat, long tiefore any one else saw the house was falhng P" " Captain Mervyn is safe, I am happy to say, — fled to Hol- ^nd," said Aurora, with affected carelessness. " Well, we will drink his good health, and a happy voyage to mm ! He will marry some Dutch squaw, and turn tulip- grower," said Monmouth, filling his goblet, although he had evidently indulged freely already. Monmouth's wild blood seemed now afire with the two passions which held strongest Bway in his mercurial temperament. " I'll wager my head still that I lose or circle it with a crown !" said he, after some general conversation. " And then — I know where to look for a queen whose beauty shall add a lustre to the diamonds of her royal wreath." " Your lady -wife P — she is, indeed, held fair," said Auroia, blushing with much displeasure at the eager gaze which the duke fixed upon her. " Oh, I will have my W^oodstock and my Fair Hosamond," Baid Monmouth. " Or I will play bluff King Hal, and make the loveliest woman in England (for the time being) the highest — and can you doubt who that is, IMistrcsa Sydney P" " The wine plays you false, Captam Stuart !"' taid 420 WHITBFSUBI. Aurora, snatching her hand away, which Monmouth atCompt^d to take. " Nay, lady, it but opens the door to imprisoned truths !' replied Monmouth. " I dote on you — I say it before this reverend man — I hold my life as a thing of no price but such as your beauty gives it ! Marry, were it not better to bo a king's belamour than the most lawful wife of a Dutch herring- skipper ?" " Of a Dutch herring-skipper P you keep me amazed, my lord !" said Aurora. " Why, men report you have a sneaking kindness for Master Mervyn ; and miist he not turn to that if he would keep his body and soul acquainted in Holland ?" replied Monmouth. " But is there no better occupation there fir a gallant young soldier than catehing herrings P" said Aurora, with an irrepressible smile, but she looked vexed too. "Gallant young soldier ! " repeated Monmouth, PcornfuUy. " Base, intriguing spy, you mean, Mistress Svdney ! I have no doubt that it was he who betrayed us all, and will perhaps bring your father to the block ! He is but a tool and subtle instrument of the papists. It was ho who balked that noble plan in Scotland — and have you forgotten his share in Godfrey's murder ?" " In Godfrey's murder !" echoed Aurora, her whole face illumininjj with indignation. "In Godfrey's murder! — I would this were not my father's roof, that I might tell you what I think of this most false and unmanly accusation ! " " "Were he here I would toll him the same to liis face!" returned the duke, impetuously. " And were he here, he would tell you to your face, that you lie — tluit you lie basely and blackly!" shouted Mervyn, in his natural tones. " The lie! ha, think you your cloth shall protect such inso- lence P" exclaimed Monmouth, with llasning eyes ; and clutching what he fondly doomed was the hair ot his anta- gonist, intending to deal him a blow, ho nioroly jmllod off liis peruke, and his thick black locks fell in dusters on his shoulders. " Mervyn !" exclaimed the duke, with a start. "You Know mo now, son of Mrs. Lucy ^Vators!" said Mervyn. "And I know you hotter tlmn over I tliought to do, and honcoforth I hate you worno than the detestable tyrant whom you nloase to call your father." " I am a king's nimtard at loa-st ; you arc a false thiof and murtherc'a!" exclaimed Monmoutli, grasping his sword-hilt. THS ADDUNO OF A CONSPIEACY. 421 " Let us try, then, whicli is worthier of his parentage," said Mervyn, drawing his sword in frantic rage ; out Aurora rushed between them, and rang a bell on the table, to sum- mon assistance. The door opened almost immediately, but it was to admit Sydney himself. " My lord, news, news ! " he exclaimed, entering in such agitation that he did not at first notice that of his guests. " vV^hat in Heaven's name is this P — swords — Mervyn ! — My lord, what is this ?" " I chanced to pay Mistress Sydney some slight gallantry, and he takes upon him to be jealous — this new arrival ot ours !" said the duke, confusedly. " Forsooth, this beggar cf Colonel Blood's strain is jealous of a granddaughter of the great Northumberland ! "i ou wiU have a precious son-in-law, an' you use not yoitr eyes, Sydney !" " This is no time for these matters," said Sydney, hastily. " The duchess is informed that your retreat is discovered, and York's halberdiers are on their way to search my house. The king hath sent word that her apartments are secure — a hint that you may take refuge there. A coach waits to convey you, and there is no time to be lost ; for Howard is seizea, and, as they say, hath confessed some strange conspiracy in Hertfordshire, and implicates us all." " I will depart then instantly," said Monmouth, turning very pale ; then rallying, he added, " My uncle would give more for my head than for a German boar's, epicure as he is ! Farewell, dear lady ! and Heaven keep you from harm !" " Hark ! it is the tramp of horse — away, sir !" exclaimed Sydney. " Mervyn, resume your disguise — there is no other safety for you." The duk'. snatched Aurora's hand to his lips, and wringing Sydney's, rushed out after Ducas, who led the way. Sydiiey then tiimed to Mervyn, and gravely inquired how he came there, and what had happened between him and the duke. He was in the midst of a very brief narrative when the door opened, and Ducas entered with an appearance of great con- sternation, which needed no explanation, for Sir Philip Lloyd followed close on his heels, with his sword drawn, and some axemen after kim. All rose, and Aurora clung to her father's arm, who, with a look, admonished her to silence. " Let me not disturb you, colonel," said Sir Philip, sheath- ing his sword when he observed the lady, and motioning the guard to remain at the door. " Mistress Sydney, your poor servant ! I wish to spare you all unnecessary pain, but I must do my duty." And producing a paper, he added, "Here 422 WHITErRIABS. ifl a warrant from hia majesty in council to eeiec you, Mr. Algernon Sydney, and your papers." " On what charge, Sir Philip P" said Sydney, with perfect composure. " Hi^fh treason." " The court name for patriotism," said Sydney. " Kevercnd Master Vonrier, look to my daughter— cheer up, Aury ! — re- member you arc a Sydney — at worst 'tis but a temporary UTiprisonmcnt." " My father — oh, my dear father ! nothing shall separate us — I will go with you thoui^h it be to death !" shrieked Aurora, aud throwing herself into her father's arms, she fainted. " liemove her — take her away — I can bear anything but this," said Sydney, with strong and visible emotion. " Alice 1 — JNIastcr Venner, take her away !" The old nurse rushed in at this moment, and giving his daughter into her arms, Sydney went to Sir Philip, who was engaged in inspecting a heap of papers on the table. " It is nothing but my Treatise against Sir Eobert Filmer," he said, with indifference. " I must seize it, nevertheless," replied Sir Philip. He then swept the table of its strewmcnts, and packed them with other papers which he found in a desk, into a trunk, which he sealed. Hitherto Sir Philip had taken little or no notice of the acene which was going on in another part of the room, nor of Mervyn, tliou^, but he cannot refuse his niece shelter in such a time as this — nor you liospitahty, good wanderer of the highways of truth." Aurora seemed then, for the first time, to recollect her lover's danger, and she sat down, white and trembling and irresolute, whiL) her father gently kisj^ed her brow, ami with a smile of heroic composure wrung the hand of Mn.-^tcr \'eii- tier, and then left the room, followed by the guard.s luul their packages, leaving his daughter once more insensible. CIIUDB DTTVll. 422 CHAPTEE LTII. CLAUDE DUVAL. The greater portion of the dreadful day which dawned aftof these events, was spent at Sydney Place in a state of inde- Bcribable anguish. Aurora had indeed by far the best hopes and conclxisions, for her notions as to the extent and nature of tlie plot were of course limited ; but Mervyn, who kept locked in his own breast a clue to the terrible rumours which were afloat concerning the discovery of a new plot, suffered a complete hell of fears and anticipations. He knew that Syd- ney had had no part in the Eye-House conspiracy, it is true ; but his own experience of royal justice gave him but little hope on that score, con sideling the personal hatred which the kin«^ bore against Sydney. A few hours, however, brought better news. Ducas re- turned with tidings that, althoizgh the councU had committed Sydney to the Tower, nothing of any consequence was de- posed against him, and he expected to be liberated in a few days ; but meanwhile he desired Aurora to proceed instantly to Penshurst, under the protection of Master Venner. The propriety of this measure was undoubted ; and moreover, the secure refuge which it seemed to offer to Mervyn, was an irresistable motive, for the hunt after him continued with un- abated vigour. Tidings, too, arrived that Colonel Blood was liberated from the King's Bench, by an order of the privy council, and was busily engaged in tracking fugitives. As it was late in the day when he received these instruc- tions, Mervyn saw that no time was to be lost ; but as a journey of tliirty mUes appeared to Alice of considerable ex- tent, she occasioned a long delay by her preparations. At last, however, the family coach was sufficiently stowed, the four strong Flanders geldings were harnessed, and Meiwyn, still in his canonicals, had the satisfaction to see his mistress, himself, and old ^Ylice, safely lodged in the vast old vehicle, and rolling over the courtyard. Ducas and a groom followed on horseback ; and a coachman, who had been in the Sydney family, like an heirloom, for nearly fifty years, drove. Mervyn did not anticipate any danger on the road, yet it was not without apprehensions that he marked the red glare of the sunset on the trees, as they emerged from Sydney's grounds on the Tyburn road, as it was then called. Never- theless, he took Aurora's hand with a smile of congratulation, and held it gently in his own to reassure her ; for she was 424 WHITEFBIABS. pale and trembled violently, and she smiled, too, with an ex- pression of unbounded trust which troubled him, he scarce tcncw why. He tried to think it was the melancholy caused by the wUd and stormy look of the sunset, and the loud cawinp of the hereditary rooks in Sydney's venerable oaks, which seemed as if croaking an everlastiui; farewell to their departing protectors. A turn of the road shortly after showed them Tyburn, with its rising knolls crowned with broad and verdant trees, in the midst of which towered a gibbet, laden with the bodies of two malefactors recently executed. Mer- vyn shuddered ; and at this moment a horseman galloped past tne coach with very great rapidity, who seemed to look eagerly in at Aurora ; and, momentary as the glance was, Mervyn thought he recogoized the ominous visage of Colonel Blood. He took care, however, to keep this terrible suspicion ia his own mind ; and merely exhortmg the steady old coacliman to speed, which did not accelerate hia accustomed rate in the smallest degree, on they went. They drove slowly, and according to the resolute will of the old man, who would not have breathed his horses to save his own life, and crossing the river at Westminster, tliey presently emerged on the Kent road. The town rapidly dis- appeared, then the scatt^'red suburbs, and finally the open country lay before them ; but the darkness increased, and the night wore every appearance of proving a dismal one. The wind was high, and swept the clouds wildly over the face of the moon, and from time to time broad glares of lightning lit up the sky. Aurora was evidently alarmed, and at every flash looked for courage to her lover, whose smile of love seemed to reassure her. Thus they proceeded for some time in eloquent silence, until tliey turned out on a wide unenclosed common, which i\Ier\'i'n recognized as that of Wandsworth. It wa,s covered M-ith heath, and a range of low liUla skirted the horizon, white on the summits with lightning ; a dense wood, or rather forest, of larch and fir skiiJi'd tlie road on the left hand for several miles ; but so far ua the eye extended in the murky twilight, no hui^an being nor human habitation appeared. ]\Icrvyn began now to breathe a little more freelv, and he was just turning (o felicitate Aurora on their advance to safety, when suddenly a shrill and very melodious uhisilo met nis ear. iMcrvvn ]>nt his lu-atl Dut of the window, and heard a shout of" Tlalt !" from the wood, and two horsemen, witli pistols raised, galloped on the n>ad before the coach. Five or six more imnu'diately appeared on all sides of the reliiclc, presenting their pistols at the windows, luid on Mor* z CLAUDE UUVAt. ^25 n's side a cavalier, iu a splendid scarlet riding-dresa, threw tRe door open, and eliouted, " Your money or your lives ! " Mervyn's aespcrate reply was drawinjr a pistol and firing it at the highwayman, but at the same moment he recognized him in time to sink his aim, so that he only sliot the horse, which staggered back on its haunches, and then feU dead. " Harm him not, harm him not !" shouted the highwayman, snatching back the levelled pistol of one of his companions aa he sprang up. " It is my friend — it is my dear master's son —it is Captain Mervyn ! ' " Claude Duval !" exclaimed Mervyn. " And Mademoiselle Sydney ! then is it you whom Blood is in pursuit of!" exclaimed Claude. "I saw him as I left London, au hour ago, and I was to stop a carriage with a lady in it, till he came up with some of his own myraii- dons, telling me that it was a rascally puritan eloping with a gentleman's daughter, and that all the plunder should be mine." " Did he mean to seize the lady ?" said Mervyn, hurriedly. " Yes, and take her to Windsor, to her father there !" said Claude. " But you shall not lack protection from that vil- lain ; I and these gallant fellows of mine will escort you within sight of Penshurst, or die to a man in the attempt." Mervyn hesitated not a moment to accept tliis proposal. There was no time to be lost, and as Claude's horse was dead, he invited him to join them in the coach. The rob- bers seemed to obey their leader ^Nith the precision and impUcitness of a military band, and under his orders four moved in advance, while three formed the rear-guard. This escort, with Ducas and Claude as an auxiliary, seemed sufficient to set all fear at rest, and they now moved rapidly forward over the heath. Claude took his place beside Alice, but he had no sooner done so, than the old woman exclaimed, " Eh, mercy, what is here ! Master Duval, is it thee in good earnest ?" " What, mother Alice !" exclaimed Claude, " why it is many a long year since I have seen your true-hearted face." " i ou have often told me I am not Blood's son," odid Mervyn, with affected cheerfulness. " If you know that, dear Duval, you must know who my father really was or is ; tell me now, or it may be I shall die in ignorance." " It were but to taunt you with vain hopes, Master Mervyn," said Claude, musingly ; "yet as you say, it may bo the last time we sliall meet, and the malice of your enemies can inflict upon you no worse chances tlian those which menace you already. Alice," ho said, turning to the old 426 WHITSFBIi^M. nuT»?, "do you recollect my lord's little foundling, whom you brought up at Mcrvyn P" " Ay, and the very night that you took him away, as if it were an hour ago, and how he was drowned during the Great Fire," said Alice, sadly. " Should you know him by any mark P" continued Claude. " Foreby nis great likeness to my lord, he had the mark of a horseshoe on his left breast, and so had his father, and all the true Aumerles since old Lord Mervyn, that was a wizard, and rode with the devil to Germany," replied Alice. " There is a horseshoe mark on my breast !" said Mervyn, " and many persons liavc thought I resembled that race ; am I, then — a Fitz-Aumcrle ?" " You are the lawful heir of Aumerle, rightful owner of all that Howard and his fidse countess enjoy !" said Duval, vehemently. " Nay, nay, that cannot be, Claude ; my lord's wife had but one child before she eloped with Howard, and it died and was buried in London," said Alice. " So it was given out, Alice !" replied Duval ; " but the foundling whom j'ou nursed was that very child, as my lord acknowledged the night before ho was murdered in the Tower ; but aU the documents and proofs are lost, or in the possession of the murderer. Blood !" " Mean you to say, Claude, that the Lord Aumerle, he who committed suicide in the Tower, was my father P" said Mervyn, strongly agitated. " Have you not been acknowledged so by the very hate of your enemies P" replied Claude. "Has not Howard's raur- therous wife hunted you in every shape and fonn, to tho death P But suicide your noble father never committed ; he wa.-i murdered! My poor master!" added he, with great emotion. " There is much to conllrm your tale, Claude ; I ever hnd this foreboding on my heart," said Merwn : " but if there he but one drop of Aumerle blood in my veins, I will pour it out to the la«t ere he shall lie in k's grave unavenged. Yet, Claude, I have been in those ehanibers, I have heard the tale related there, and into them there is no entrance for a mur- derer, unless governor, warders, guards were all in the con- gpiraey. And is that probable? would Sir John llobiuson, a man of nneient name, would the good old Edwards, share in BO black a treason P " " I know not why nor wherefore, but fire shall not burn Ihat opinion out of me!" said Clnude. resc^lutoly. " I will (lie Li it — and tlial Blood eoiniiiilted the monslroua f*ct/ CIAUDE DUVi.t. 427 —TFXa/ voice was that which answered at a moment when tk« earl must have been in the agonies of death ? — tliat rough and hoarse voice ? — his vras ever mild and musical !" " But h>;vv could auy woman — how could any mother," said Mervyn, with a shudder, " pursue her child to destruction, as Ladj Howard hath pursued me P" "She pursued your father to destruction before you!" said Claude. " I have heard strange accounts of how she was compelled by her father to marry her cousin, the Lord Aumerlc, although she was in love with the profligate Howard of Eskricke — but that my lord never knew till too late. But she had many lovers besides — among the rest, Colonel Blood, then a dashing young soldier of fortune ; and a man whom you knew Avell, Master Mervyn, a Belgian noble of high rank, who, aftije son he be, were he my own !" said Charles. " .Mi.stres.^ Sydijey, hear me; — I am grieved that you sliould have so far dingnu'ed yourself a.s to lly witli a notorious thief and traitor, and thereby tarnish your reputiition for ever; but l'rv)videnee, iu urenuirkable manner, revealed your projects, tunl set one thief v» oalch another; for Oates's coniuLiiut about his stolen otutooicals sot us oa what scoat our lox 'jiy. Now, madun. A BOYAL PIOT. 4SI methinka the whirligig has gone fairly round, fonr father ond this Mervyn are utterly in my power — a word from you eaTcs and loads them with wealth and honours, or consigna them both to the block." " To the block then let them go !" said Aurora, in a faint but determined tone. " A thousand and a thousand times will they bless me for the preference. But I will not surviye them. I am Sydney's daughter, and Aumerle's wife in aU but the name — and I will die so." " Put Mervyn's name into my Eye House list," said Charles, turning with a Hvid look of wrath to Lord Howard. " My liege, Ipray you, do not force that man's blood upon me too !" said Howard. " Then lire to be a beggar, thou driveUing falterer !" shouted Lady Howard. " Live to bo stripped of wealth, and honoiu" and life, for want of one poor word — for sire, — yes, I do acknow ledge before the king that Merryn is my son, Auincrlc's lawful heir — and now refuse to gibbet him if you dare!" Howard stared aghast at his countesB, and even the king was struck dumb with surprise. " Why, 'tis true, he was concerned in the Eye House matter," said Howard, taking a deep gulp of breath, " but, faith, I am deeper in the mud than he m the mire." ' You have our word for aught that concerns yourself, Howard," said Charles, eagerly. " It shall be so !" he con- tinued, after a moment's pause. "Yes, one blow shall rid you of an insolent pretender, and me of a false traitor and rival. Farewell, Mistress Sydney ! farewell for ever ! I have broken your chains at length, and never, never will we meet again !" " Yes, we shall meet again, sire," said Aurora, with a wild smile. "We shall meet again, King Charles, at that bar wliere the oppressor and the oppressed are equal, and a vain title shall not protect tyranny and murder from their just punishment." "Farewell till then, madam!" replied Charles, furiously. " Meanwhile, this earth at least is ours." And he strode rapidly towards the door, foUowed by all the personages of the scene except Aurora, who threw herself witli a sigh of exhaustion into a chair. She was now alone, and she sat for some time apparently in a profound reverie, yet with- out a single distinct idea, unconsciously gazing at the pale frcen light of the dawning day, playing on the waters of the 'hames below. A deep sigh, or rather groan, behind, •tartled her sense, but scarcely her reasoning faculties, and 432 WHiTE/niAi;?-. she looked round vacantly at the intruder. It was Lord Howard. " Dear Aurora, rouse yourself! it is only one of your poorest •norshippers!" he said, with a passionate look, wnich seemed to strike on some chord of memory, and awaken the half-paralyzed machinery. " Look, to this dark ana terrible nij^ht what a most lovely morn has followed ! and oven in the midst of this stoiTu « hich ra^^es aroimd us both, a glorious rainbow of hope arises. Hear me, Aurora, you may yet save your father aud Mervyn, foil the tyrant at his own weapons, and make one happy who has long loved you dearer than life !" " What means Lord Howard P" she said, with a glance full of tumult and horror of thought. " I am the only witness agamst them both," rephed Howard, hurriedly. " If I were dead or in France to-morrow, what evidence is there against them F Fly then with me, aud in some distant land, far from the tyrant's power " he paused, overcome by the witheriutr eye which met his. Sur- f)ri9e and imspeakaule scorn, mingled with a wild sense of the udicro\is — strange as it may appear — shone in its lightning. There was almost a minute's pause. " And is m}' Lady Howard to be of the party P" she said, at last, with a sh^ht hysteric laugh. " Lady Howard ! I hate her ; she is a savage beast, and .no woman!" said Howard, vehemently. "I hate her! she has too long held me in her iron thralls. The woman that can pursue her only child with such mortal hatred is none ! Talk not to me of Lady Howard ! I abhor her worse than the pestilence !" " And me you love P this offer is to Aurora Sydney ?" said the lady, looking at him with an amazement wliich defied all the powers of expri'ssion even of her resplendent eye. " Love you !" echoed Howard, looLing carefully roimd the gallery, " why, I adore you, loveliest of women !" and ihrow- mg himself on his knees, he clutched her hands, as ho evdaimed, " Fly with me to Italy or Iceland ; m here you are, 'tis paradise! Dearest creature! 1 am wholly thme, and iave been from the lirst moment 1 belield you ! " "Lord Howard, " said Aurora, deliberately, " I have long deemed you a villain, but knew not till now that you were • fool." " Nor I," said a voice, which made them both start, and raising the taucHtry, a figure stjilked hi whiih idniost iVozo Aurora to loot upon. It «a« the eounteB.-*, but ehanged as if by Bome uupcrnatund agency. Uprij^ht, ri^jid, and pale as a THE TKlAlii OF SYDNKT. 433 corpse, she stood there, her countenance working horribly witn a demoniac confnsion of passions, and her white hps wavering with a smile so ghastly that human eye could scarcely bear to look upon it. Both Howard and Aurora started up, and seemed hold by a spell of fear. " Do you recollect me, Mistress Sydney P" said the countess, at last. " My Lord Howard seems to have forgotten me ; I am still Eleanor d'Aumcrle, my lord." " Lady Howard — I — that is — on my honour, Lady Howard, I was but earnestly pressing the kmg's suit '" stammered Howard. " Save yourself farther perjury ; I overheard the whole conversation, my lord," interrupted the countess, in a tone of supernatural calm ; " I overheard all. O God, this is just indeed ! and have I sacrificed all for this ?" " I spoke but in madness ; I said I know not what !" said Howard, confusedly. " I beseech you. Lady Howard, glare not at me with those wHd eyes ; I am weary of your harsh trammels. I loved you once, but — but — who can love a tigress athirst for the blood of her own offspring P" " I vrill remove this complaint — ^I will yield to the feeling which hath so often tugged at my heart !' said the countess, wildly. " Go ! you arc a beggar ! the heir of Aumerle shall eit once more in his father's halls, and this lady-love of yours shall bo his bride !" " Never, madam ! since you make me desperate, you shall learn what desperation can do !" said Howard, fiercely. " I will bring your son's head to the block, or lay my own in its stead ; I swear it !" and he rushed out of the apartment. " Ileginald ! thy blood is avenged !" gasped the wretched countess, and, clasping her hands wildly to Heaven, she fell at full length on the floor. CHAPTEE LV. TIIB TBIAL OF SYDNEY. A BOYAL reign of terror now commenced; arrest followed arrest, the noble liuasell bled on the scaffold, Essex committed Buieide, and on the insufficient evidence which had condemned Russell, Sydney Mas put on his trial by the award of the grand jury. lie attempted to raise objections to the indict- ment, but Jeffreys overruled all. It waa even rumoured that his daughter was accused of treasonable knowledge of thf con8j)iracy, and it was certain that she was held in a kind of i3i winTBraii.B8. imprUonment in Aumerle House, none of her relaticni but her uncle, Lord Leicester, being allowed to see Ler. The only hope Avhich the friends of Sydney now enter- tained, was the fact, that only one witness — Howard of Eek- ricke — could depose to any overt act of treason, and the law imperatively requii-ed two witnesses. In the midst of these speculations, however, men were astounded with tidinjrs that Mervyn had volunteered to bear witness against his funner friend and benefactor, and that his evidence was that on ■»■» hich the crown lawyers depended for implicating Sydney in the conspiracy of the Eye House ! At first this report met with general incredulity, but when the circumstances under w hich he had first appeared on the eventful stage of the popish plot •were remembered — people shook their lieads and knc*\v not wliat to think. Altogether the trial was looked forward to with the most intense interest, and was the sole engrossing topic of all men's conversation. At length the day arrived — that day the brightest and saddest of the great martyrology of English liberty — the 2l8t of November, 1G83. It was about nine o'clock on the morning of that memorable day that Mervjn entered Westminster Hall, escorted by a strong guard, and as a witness — for in no other character had he apparently any ofhce there. The 'lall was crowded almost to tne gromed rafters of the mimense building. Neither judges nor accused were, however, arrived, and Mervyn was for a time the undivided object of the public curiosity. All that could be remarked in him was the deadly wliiteness of his complexion and the extranrdinary brilliancy of his eyes. He sat down between hi.-^ halberdiers, in n box reseiTcd for the witnesses, scemiugly indill'erent to the buzx of abliorrence which greeted his entrve, and took a deliberate survey of the spectacle. Many a face did he recognize, with which he had been familiar in his court days, seeming to look on with great satisfaction ; among these was Chillinch, who gave him a malicious nod. But few of the popular party wt-re present, and the chief of these was the Lord Cavi-ndish, and a very dillerent personage — Dr. Oates. That reverend man s\&» wedged in among a great throng of the rabble, but his pidnir days wcM-e evidently over ; he looked haggard and rnggea, gaping with his enormous mouth, while dark signs of agitalioa streamed down his face. Averting Iuk eyes with disgust from this wntrh, Oio looks of Mervyn rrsti d fur a moment on the pfculi:ir rounUnauro of a hiwycr, wlio was iijiparcntlj- busied iiniong some pajieri at the judges' table, where he remained during the trial. Id THE TRIAL OF 8YDNBT. 435 •pite of Lis huge grey wig and chalked eyebrows, Mei tyn felt positive that he recognized the features of the king — of Cliarles himself. But again his attention was attracted hy the figure of Lady Howard, seated among a bevy of high- bom ladies in a gallery above. She wore a black visor, and seemed to sit wrapt in her own dark and unearthly thoughts, while the court dames about her prattled and exchanged coquetteries with the gallants who surrounded them. This leisurely survey was terminated by the entrance of the judges, rustling in ermine and crimson robes : foremost of these, stnitting like a turkey-cock, marched the chief justice. Immediately afterwards the pikesmen of the Tower appeared at the great entrance of the hall, and at first only the tall figure of Sydney was discerned. He was dressed in his usual sober style, and his countenance was perfectly serene, without either dejection or defiance in its expression. Several gentleman' of the popular party were around him ; but sud- denly the pikesmen opened their ranks, making a kind of Sassage to the bar, anu with a thrill of indescribable emotion, lervyn perceived that a female form leaned upon Sydney's arm. It was Aurora. She was dressed in white, except that she wore a hood and mantle of black velvet, which hung in graceful folds around her perfect form. It was fastened at the waist with a silver girdle, which Mervyn remembered to have given her. The heroic blood of her great race seemed to animate her, for she moved with a firm step, and seemed scarcely to need the fond encouragement which her father continued to give her tUl she reached the bar. She ciuisied gracefully to the judges, who looked at her in much surprise, and stood calmly while the proclamation for the information was read. Mervyu could not conjecture the meaning of this scene, until Sydney requested of the court that he might have pen, ink, and paper, which were granted. He then, in a calm tone, added, " My lords, I have to ask your indulgence for another request : it is, that you will allow my daughter to write for me. She would not be behind my Lady Russell in duty and love, and being accustomed to pen at my dictation, will be all the help I shall need." " We consent, though we would spare the lady such trouble and pain," said Jeflreys, respectfully. " Usher, set Mistress Syaney a chair and bureau — and God speed her task, and bring it to a happy issue !" Aurora bowed meekly. Some few preliminaries were gone through, the bureau and chair made their appearance at the bar, and Aurora seated herself to her task with s stifled sieh, which was yet audible 436 WHITEFBIAB8. all over the court, so deep and general waa the ellence. She drew off her clove and threw back her hood, revealinjj s countenance cold and tranquil as a beautiful corpse, the eye- lids purple with incessant weepinj^, the lips white and parted. Indeed, she looked so like marble, that Mcrvyn's blood ran cold in his veins. He tried in vain to catch her eye, to reassure her with the desperate meaning of his, but she never raised it from the paper. The proclamation was now made, in a court deathly still, and Sydney addressed the judges, renewing his apphcation for a copv of the indictment, and producing the statute of Edward HI., by which it was assigned to all accused persons. But Jeffreys sovereignly disposed of this objection, citing the decision of the judges in Sir H. Vane's case. In vain did Sydney argue that judges are but interpreters, not makers of laws, — the chief justice lost what little temper he ever had, and ordered the arraignment to proceed, declaring that they could not spend their time in discourses to captivate the people. And so a judge's rule set aside a law of the three estates of the realm — by no means for the lirst nor last time. The jury were then empanelled, after a few challenges, and au observer might have drawn an evil augury to Sydney from the gay dress and courtly wigs of the jurors. Doblen, the jimior crown counsel, opened the pleas. His speech was merely a repetition of the indictment. Sir Kobert Sawyer, the attorney-general, then rose. He laid down the order in which the crown meant to produce its evidence. In the first place they should prove a general design for raising a rebellion ; in the next the share wliich the prisoner hud in it. Thev should prove that he was one of the council of six ; Ihat various consultations were held ; the treasonable nutui-e of those consultations ; the sending of Aiiron Smith into Scotland. A traitonnis libel, which it jJcased the prisoner to call a treatise on govcriiment, woulil next be provid to be his work, and the abominable principles entertained in it would prove how much his heart and soul were in this matchless treason. " Finally," said the attorney in an impressive and solemn tone, '' it has pleased Heaven to place in our hands, though at the eleventh hour, undoubted proofs t)f this gentleman's particij)ation in the bloody treason of the Kyo House. Oue of the conspirators, moved doubtless by re- morse for so umtcldess an offence (when I say uiatclUes.x, I endeavour, as becomes one who had his share in the fruujing of that most clement and mereilid act of oblivion — to forget the martyrdom of his late mo.st sacred wrx)iiged maiestv) moved by remorse, 1 say, for so matchless on offence, for he THE TBIAL OF SYDNEY. 437 Iiatli no hope of mercy held out, nor is any intended that I wot of — one of the conspirators will appear at your bar, to bear -witness against the prisoner in that matter, the which, though not conclusive in law, will add its moral weight to the certain overt proofs we shall produce." Mervyn saw that Aurora raised her eyes, with a broken- hearted expression, to the lawyer's face, but they sunk agam instantl}'. " Gentlemen," concluded the attorney-general, " if we prove these matters to you, I doubt not you will do right to the king and kingdom, and show your abhorrence of these republican principles ; which, if put in practice, will not only destroy the king, but the best monarchy in the world!" The solicitor-general. Finch, now called the evidence, in the order which his leader had marked out. In vain Sydney protested against the injustice of proving a general charge, and demanded that the evidence against himself only should be heard. JeflPreys overruled his objection, and cited, with bitterness, the similar course pursued against the victims of the popish plot. The first witness examined was "West, who merely gave a general account of Shaftesbury's conspiracy, its disappoint- ment, and the projects which followed, abandoned for various causes. Then came Colonel Eumsey — who now appeared in the character he had probably played all along — of a treacherous spy. He detailed the meetings at Sheppard's and Hampden s. especially that one in which the council of six determined on its operations. Thus far aJl seemed to go swimmingly for the crown. Xeeling, the vintner, was next examined, whose e^'< an energy and despenite determination in his manner, which struck awe even into Jellreys himselt'. " Weil then, sir," he said, " proceed. God forbid I should oppose the di.tle lawyers who had drawn up his plea; every argument of reason, nulhority, ted «veu ridicule, charged iu succession the mass of diijorji riir, tfrl/ THE TEIAL OF SYDNEY. 447 nnoonnected facts and perjuries which Howard had produced. The decisions of former judges, refusing the similitude of hands, seemed to destroy the evidence of the alleged libel. Sydney, however, got into speaking of Filmcr's work, which his own was written to refute, and the zeal of the author soon appeared In the withering invective which he launched at his adversary. But JefFrejs recalled him abruptly, and, after some wrangling, impatiently desired him to produce his wit- nesses, if he had any. Sydney, finding it in vain to contend with the power and obstinacy of his judge, called the Earl of Anglesey, who bore testimony to the expressions which Howard had used, relative to Sydney's innocence of the plot. The Earl of Clare bore a similar evidence, commenting vrith great bitterness on the delator's ingratitude to a man who had obliged him in many instances. Mr. Philip Howard, a gentleman of the same family as the accuser, also witnessed against him, and with the indignation of an honourable mind, indignant at the dis- gi-ace brought on their common name. The celebrated Burnet ; Sydney's steward, Ducas ; the Lord Paget ; Mr. Edward Howard ; and several witnesses of inferior rank were called, who testified to the facts of the Lord Howard's constant denial of the conspiracy, his assertions of Sj'dney's innocence, and frequent expressions of complaint at being obliged to pui'chase his own pardon at the sacrifice of others. There was no necessity to prove the mortgage — he hastily acknow- ledged that liimself. Sydney's counsel now produced a witness, in the foi'm of an. old grisly Jew, whom several in court instantly recognized as the alchemist, Elkanah. " And what have you to say, my fine master P" said Jeffi'cys, watching the snaky glittering of the man's eye, with the in- terest of a congenial nature. "This only have I to say," replied the Jew, tremulously, " that if your lordship pleases to show me any of these sheets of paper, I will undertake to imitate them in a little time, that you shall not know wliich is which. 'Tis the easiest hand tJiat ever I saw in my life." " You did not write tliese, Elkanah P" said Sir Robert, tossing over the papers impatiently. " No ; but I will do so in a very Uttlo time, if you pleash,*' replied the alcliemist. " Have you any more witnesses P" interrupted Jefli-eys, in a wratliful voice. " N"o, my hjrd." " Then address yourself to the jury," he repHcd, vchementlj i48 wiuTEFni.tss. AuJ Sydney did address liiinself to tlio jury, with tlic some calmness and dignity of manner which he had preserved throughout the trial. His speech was a model of argumen- tative eloquence. But what availed eloquence or innocence at the corrupt tribunal before which he stood? He ceased at length, conquered rather by exhausion of frame than of argu- ment. Marks of approbation from portions of the audience continually escaped ; but the terrific Jeffreys eaaily suppressed them. He then sat down beside his dauj^hter, whose deadly pale- ness had now returned. She endeavoured to look at him smdinglv and hopefully, but the effort was vain, and tears gushed heavily to her eyes. The soHcitor-gencral replied in an elaborate speccli, and Sydney wished, afterwards, to add a few remarks, but the chief-justice would not allow him, alleging that his time waa past. He then commenced that remarkable charge to the jury which, but that he himself has left similar ex:imple9, woidd stand alone in the annals of legal injustice. With what emotions this address was listened to, may be imagined ; a profound, almost deathly, silence reigned. Sydney's counte- nanoe was almost the only one in court which betrayed no signs of agitation. Aurora's eye and her whole soul were fixed on the judge, with a fixedness and intensity of tiioujjht that barred out aU external influences, iluch curiosity was entertained relative to the judge's interpretation of the statute whereby two witnesses were required, and which seemed to be a fatal want in the whole process. This question was soon put at rest. Jeffreys began his charge by an able exposition of the points at issue, the manner in which they should be regarded, his own duties, and those of the jurors. "With apparent impartiality he enumerated the laws on the subject of high treason ; but suddenly he launched forth that celebrated decision which might alone have iiinde his name infamous amonp the false interprotors of the law of l'}ngland. " I am also to tell you, ' he said, with peculiar emphasis ou every word, " that, in point of law, it is not only the opinion of UH here, but the opinion of them that sat before us, and the opinion of all the jud^jes of Kiiglaiul, and within the memory of many of you, that, althou^^h there bo two wit- nesses required to prove a man f^uilty of liigh treason, yet it is nut iifceBsary there should be two witnesses to the name thinj^ at one time. Uiit if two witnesses prove two severiU facts thai liave a tendency to the same treason, tliey are t«o w itiiit-j.-i sulHcieut to convict any man of high treason." THE TBIAL OF 8YDNKT. 419 These words struck a death-blow to the Lopes of Sydney, but still he was unmoved, save that he looked compassionately nt his daughter. Jeffreys proceeded to defend the condiicl of the crown prosecutors, by assimilating it to that pur- sued by the popular party against the popish plotters. IIo spoke indignantly, as if the majesty of justice were affronted by doubts thrown on the existence of a plot, for which many had already bled on the scaffold. Despite of Mcrvyn's overwhelming evidence, he artfully amalgamated and dove- tailed the Eye House conspiracy into all the ramifications of the popular party. Mervyn's testimony he declared un- wortliy ct credit, as that of a desperate wretch, who, like tlie dying wasp, endeavoured to leave its sting in the crusher's liaud. He simimed up the evidence altogether against Sydney and his witnesses, and drew from those of his antagonists a narrative of the plot, to which he seemed to pledge the weight of his judicial authority. All the arguments in Sydney's favour, one by one, disap- S eared under the crushing march of his (so called) judge ! lut as if aware of the instability of his decision concerning witnesses, the chief-justice, after reiterating it, declared that, even if the prisoner's objection was good, — there were two witnesses, one indeed dumb, yet speaking with a mig'uty voice — being pen and ink. There was a general murmur of curiosity ; but when the judge pronounced that this second witness was the book which Sydney had written, a book containing " all the malice, and revenge, and treason, that mankind can be guilty of," men looked at each other in mute terror. He reminded the courtly jury of the bittei times of the late rebellion, and declared that without vigoui* and unanimity similar scenes were approaching. " Next, I must tell you, gentlemen," — he concluded this part of his summary with bloodthirsty injustice, — " upon, I think, a less testimony, an indictment was preferred against the late Lord Kussell, and he was thereupon convicted and executed : of which the record has been brought. This is the evidence for the king." Ho next proceeded to demolish Sydney's various objec- tions. The fabric which his lawyer's skill had raised, rapidly fell, brick by brick, beneath the overbearing hand of his authority. " So that, on one side," he concluded, piously raising his eye, a trick he had learned from his old mas- ters, the puritans, " God forbid but we should be careful of men's lives ; so, on the other t^ido, Gud forbid Ihat llourislios and varnish shouM come to endanger the life ol the king, and the destnictic u of the government. But, gen« 460 WUIiBFJlUBS. tlemen, we are not to auticii)atc you in inattoris of fact. IIuTe, according to my memory, recapitulated tiie matter ffiven in evidence. It remains purely in you now, to say wlictner you believe, upon tlic whole matter, that the prisoner is guilty of the high treason whereof ho is indicted." " Gentlemen, it is fit you have our opuiion," said Mr. Jus- tice Withins, unwilling to be defraudea of his share of ever- lasting infamy. " In all the points of law we concur with my lord chief-justice : Colonel Sydney says, here is a mighty conspiracy, but there is nothing comes of it : who must we thank for that? None but the Almighty Providence : one of themselves being troubled in conscience, and came to dis- cover it ; had not Keeling discovered it, Grod knows whether we might have been alive at this day." After this appeal, ad It amines, the jury withdrew. " And now, my dearest child, for the firmness which you promised me," said Sydney, turning to his daughter. " Remember, you are a Sydney 1" She looked at him, and her white lips moved, but uttered no sound. Sydney stooped and kissed uer marble brow, with dignified tenderness. He then began speaking in an under- tone, but with perfect calmness, to his counsel and the gen- tlemen of his acquaintance who crowded round. Mervyn, who had hitherto looked on as imperturbable as a statue, now observed the strange lawyer whisper to Jeffrevs, who, imder pretext of taking some refreshment, retired, lie returned in a few minutes, something flushed, probably with a draught of strong waters, his favourite potation, and observed in a mild tone, " The jury are like to occupy the best part of an hour in their talk, so, master sergeant, make some small room at the bar, and let us see this rare witness of ours, who hath so amply testified against himself. Let another twelve be sworn, and we will despatch his business." Tiie orders ot JelTreys wore always obeyed with rapidity. A new jury soon occupied the box of tho.^e in debate, and Alervyn's guards transferred him to the b;u% at which eat Sydney and his daughter. The former embraced him with extreme emotion ; the latter put her hand mechiuiieally in his, and a visible shudder ran over her whole frame. Mervyn blessed God that she seemed scarcely sensible of what wait going on, and took his stand, leaning on the bar with proud and dignified conipos\ire. *' Prisoner !" said Jefiroyn, in ft terrific t«ine, " you stand indicted of jiigh treason, and your plea of guilty is recorded} Imt, lor Iho satisfaction of the j'lry, let it be read aj';ain." TH2 TBIAL OF EYD^'EY. 451 " You may spare yourself that trouble, my lord," said ircrvyn, " as also any attempt to frighten me m itli big looks and noisy words. I am past fear, my lord. I plead giiiltv to your indictment, for in tnat guilt, as you call it, do I place my chief hopes of bciug remembered with applause in my country's history. I am guilty of conspiring io detlironc the tyrant, Charles II., and to restore their liberty to the English people." " Read his confession, clerk," said Jeffreys, with imper- turbable determination. "\Miile this form was going through, Mei-vyn felt his sleeve plucked from behind, and looking round, ho saw, with sur- jjrisc and horror, the fonn of Colonel Blood, half hidden by a pillar. He looked as pale as a corpse, but his eyea had a wild wolf- like glare. " Mervyn !" he whispered, '•' there is still another die in the box — demand the ordeal by battle ; 'tis an ancient law unrepealed!" Mervyn turned as if from a fiend, but the words worked strangely in his mind, and assimilated well with the reckless state of his feelings. When, therefore, Jeffreys hurriedly began to pronounce sentence on him, for Sydney's jury were now ready with their verdict, he interrupted him. " My lord, I have this to say why judgment should not be passed on me," lie exclaimed. " By an ancient law, never repealed, it is left to the accused to vindicate themselves in single battle against their accusers. Your lordship is fond of these ancient worm-eaten laws., and will not deny me battle with my accuser, whoever he may be, which I now demand to the death, as witness my glove !" " Then fight i 1; out with yourself, for you are your own sole accuser !" said Jeffreys, with a loud laugh, in which none joined. " A^Tiy, the man is mad — let us see him buffet him- self—light, light !" A few torches hastily kindled tlirew a dark and lugiibrious illiunination on the scene, and produced an effect of peculiar eolcranity and gloom. The pale face of Mervyn, glaring with passion ; the passive form of Aurora, with her marble features bathed in a cold dew ; the calm, majestic attitude of Sydney ; the immense masses of gazing faces, which had all gradually sunk into dark twilight; all came suddenly into full relief. Jeffrevs renewed his sentencing, when lie suddenly recollected that he had not his black cap on, and he turned with a sharp rebuke to the officer who ought to have had it ready — when a muttering murmur ran around, "^.^«jury, (he jnry I" In an instant there was a profound 452 WHITEFEIABS. Filencc throughout the hall. The jury appeared, with their t'orcman at tnc head, preceedcd by an officer with links. But this illumination was rendered unnecessary by a cata- ract of rich golden light, which inundated the whole wall, and liji;hted up its minutest earring — probably a sudden burst out of the cloudy sunset. " Well, gentlemen, well, what is your verdict ?" exclaimed the chief-justice. There was a general leaning forward in the audience, and suppressed exclamations in female tones. " My lord, we und the prisoner — Guilty," replied the fore- man, in a tremulous tone. There was a moment of deathly silence ; not a word, not a movement, not a breath, throughout the immense maas. Then, as if released from the wand of some enchanter, a general murmur was heard ; some looked at Sydney, and a smile seemed to quiver on his lips ; others at Aurora, and she seemed in nowise disturbed from her trance of agony, save that the tears were flowing unheeded down her white checks. "Speak up like men, then — the prisoner is pjuilty !" said Jeffreys, witn a look of savage triumph. " Mr. Attorney, will you move anything?" " My lord, the prisoner at the bar is convicted of high treason," said Sir Eobert. " I demand judgment against him." " Algernon Sydney, hold up thy hand," said the clerk of the court. Sydney obeyed. And the usual question was put if he had anything to say why judgment of uoath should not be passed against him. " My lord, I lumibly conceive I have had no trial," said S3'dney. " I was to bo tried by ray country ; I did not find my country in the jury that tried me ; there were some of them that were not freeholders. I think, my lord, there i.s neither law nor precedent of any man that has been tried upon an indictment by n Jur}' who were not entirelv (•onipo.>i' blood which is innocent, must be revenged, 45i WHITKFBUBS. lot (Le n-ciglit of it fall only upon those that maliciously prosecute us, for rij^hteousness' sake!" " I pray God worif in you a temper fit to go into the other world," Baid JeffrejB, " for I see you arc not fit for this." " My lord, feel mv pulse, and see if I am disordered, " said Sydney, extending nia hand. " I bless God, I never was in better temper than I am now." " I demand my sentence according to the statute !" ex- claimed Merryn, wildly. " I will not be hanged !" " Is not that good enough for your gentility P" said Jeffreys, with a bitter sneer. " Kemove the prisoners, — we are done !" " My lord, I hare one request to make," said Sydney. " It is, that my daughter be given to the guardianship of her uncle. I cannot suffer her in the inhuman hands of my enemies." " There is matter against her before the council — she is better in the hands of Lady Howard than the dimgeoM of the Tower!" said Jeffreys, rising impatiently. " Farewell, then, dear and worthy son !" said Sydney, em- bracing Mervyn. " Farewell ! — if we meet again on earth it must be on the scaffold, but I doubt not in a brief space wo ehaJl be together in a better place." "The scaffold, then, be our field of glory, father!" said Mervyn. " I have followed your steps on earth, and I shall follow them to heaven !" They embraced once more with solemn tenderness, and the guards removed them in diflerent directions. CHAPTEll LVI. MEASUBE FOB MEA8CBB. It was the morning following the eventful ihiy we liavo just described, Mhen a figure cnvoloped in a long cloak, wns seen gliding in at the portals of Aumcrle House, in which but fe^v now entered, lie mounted the stairs, pushing tho page aside who would have announced him, and made his way into the apartment v e have formerly described. Things had reassumea their usual orderly magnificence ; a bright iirc blazed in the chinmey, and near it sat Lady Howard in her wonted state. She had some gold network in her hand, but had forgotten to ply it, and seeiiu-d buried in a durk reverie. " AVrll, is it you, Mr. Blood P" she said, nirclcssly luriunjj Bt the sound of footsteps. " It is, madam," rei)Iied the muflled figurf. "You seem in bad siiirits, colonel," said llie c^'Uiilcs*. MEASURE I^OR MEASURE. ^155 " "WTiat ails you ? Lack you gold P Tlicre — help youi'self— here are my keys, and there are my coffers." " I come not for gold — I have perchance what will serve my time," replied Blood, in a croaking voice. "This wound in my side, given by the hand of the heir of Aumerle, is deadly. I want what is better than aU the mines of Mexico — a moment's peace of mind ! Woman, you have broken our compact ! — he dies, and by your means." " Well, he dies," said the countess, calmly. " But he shall not die ! — I will proclaim you rather !" ex- claimed Blood. " Do your worst, colonel — I defy you !" she replied, mockingly. " Fatal woman ! you have snapped the last links of my chain !" said Blood, violently. " You have too long held me the slave of your threats, sir," said the coimtess. " They pall upon me now, and lack the taste of terror. Do you worst, Master Blood — I tell you, I defy you." " 'Tis well, then !" said the colonel, clenching his teeth aa if in resolute pui'pose. " Madam, I bear the king's com- mands to speak with Mistress Sydney." " To what intent P" said the countess. " But I deny you not ; she is the king's prisoner, not mine. I marvel you have not yet noted her — she is there." She waved her hand at a figure reclining on a couch, in a recess of a window, but so motionless that Blood had not perceived it. It was Aurora : she was as pale as snow, her eyes sunk and closed, Avhile tears streamed as if unconsciously down hor cheeks. "Lady," said Blood, in a mild tone, "dry your tears; a better day has dawned : I bring you good news." " You bring then word that I am to die with them P" she said, with wild eagerness. " You shall all live — all be happy yet !" said Blood. " It depends on yourself, lady, whether they live or die like slaughtered oxen under the bloody axe ! Head this letter — it will explain all — it is from the kmg." "The king!" she exclaimed, vacantly, and mechanically taking the paper. " Alack, mine eyes are all on fire, or else the writing burns. 'Tis so — Charles E !" She seemed to reanimate from her stupor of grief, and began reading, but the contents appeared to puzzle her. She apparently read them over and over again ; at length, how- ever, the meajiine seemed to burst upon her, and she corcrcJ her face in an agony of tears and sobs. 456 WniTEFRIAM. " Weep, weep, lady ! tears relieve the overcliargod heart," eaid Blood. "Would to God that I eould weep too! Ilia uuijesty 13 touched with pity for vour sufleriuj;.'', but ou no other conditions will he brave the fury of his brother, and the di.-5content of the oavahers." •' ]My father's life spared — only to be confined in the To.Tcr — a pardon to be ijranted in a year !" said Aurora, in a tone of amazed incredulity. " Mervyn pardoned on the instant — liis birth acknowledo;ed — ostensibly married to me — and all the price of one poor wretch's shame. Oh, what a value hath villauy in this world ! and virtue none !" " BeUeve it not. Mistress Sydney !" said Lady Howard. " York will never consent to any of the exclusion men beiiijrth omnipotent in England." " Let him pardon my father first, Mervyn and I can dio together!" slie exclaimed, wildly. "And tlKTcfore the lung will not do so," said Blood. " \'\h*t bhall 1 doP My Uuil, my God!" uhricked Aurora, MEASURE FOR MEASCIlE. 457 wildly pressing lier brows. " I am maddening ! Would lliat I were mad as the veriest Bedlamite ! " " "Write but two words— say you consent." " Could I but see my fatlier — could I but know that he will lire at such a price," said she, distractedly. " Oh, do but let me sec hira ; but he would rather die a million million deaths." "Ay. rather the perpetual death of Prometheus!" said Lady Howard. '* Oh, countess, countess, have mercy !" said Aurora. " I cannot have my father butchered. Oh, he did love me so ! I must not, I will not ! If it be a crime. Heaven will forgive it sooner than the sclfisli virtue which would give them botli to the block." "Live, then, a mark for shame to point at tlu*ough all ages !" shouted the countess. " It well becomes thee, thou piire wife and tender mother, to threaten this !" said Blood, with slow bitterness. " Tigress ! thou hast never known what human feelings are, or thou couldst not !" said Aurora, with a sudden and strange brilliancy kindling in her eye. " If I Avere but sure that the king meant truth by me — bring me this pardon, and I will consent." " Jov, joy ! I will soon bring you good news, dearest lady !" said Blood, as ho ruslied out of the room. In truth a few hours oniy elapsed ere the colonel made his reappearance, though the rapid night of an English November was darkening all things as he entered the mansion. He found Aurora alone in the same apartment, in almost the panic attitude, save that she was now perfectly tf^arless with lung weeping. "Victory! victory!" he exclaimed. "Hero is Mervyn'^ nxdon, an order for his release, an acknowledgment of iiis rth, dated only two days forward, on that which should be his day of execution !" "Can this be trueP Lady Howard has been out ever eince you left me, and treacliery is doubtless at work," said Aurora, " Let her do her worst !" exclaimed Blood ; " be at Wl\itehall to-morrow at noonday, and you are empress of all England !" Aurora laughed — a bitter, wild, jangling laugh, which made Blood shudder and stare at her with much alarm. " Nay, it is all well, excellently well," she said, hun'iedly, " but I must needs laugh to think ; I must save my father, you know. The king shall sign his pardon, ay, and set hira as free as a wood-thrush, ere he poisons my lips with on< Dreath of hia I yet he cannot think I mean to play him fals* I 458 WlliTElUIARS. if I put myself wholly m liis po« cr, ch, Blood P and sliiU 1 not be 80 — unless death come to the rescue F" "It is true, lady !" replied Blood, "but at least I Lave redeemed ray soul, by savrnj^ the heir of the man whom ' " But, Blood, I must be calm ; my brain leaps with apony," eiiid Aurora, pressing her hands to her brows. " They U-ll me tliat one Elkauah, a modiciner in the Mall, dcal;« in a marvellous dru^; to calm the raging blood of madness. Hero is a physician's rescript; get me this drug, in the name of mercy ! Here is gold for him — a purse — let him pay himsoir." Blood look the paper, and saw, with a surprise which he had some difficulty in concealing, that it was directed to his old friend, the alchemist. He promised obedience, however, witix a readiness which might at any other time have excited her suspicions, but, in the preaeirt perturbed state of her mind, Aurora took no heed. She fell into a kind of sleepiness and stupor of grief, which Blood thought it best not to dis- turb, and accordingly took his departure, and proceeded im- medialel}' to Elkanah, induced as well by curiosity as the intense pain which he felt in his still green wound; the Jew, as usual, being his mediciner. Blood threaded his way through the bye-streets which led to Elkanah's shop, and with the familiarity of old acquaintance, entered the chemist's sanctum unaimuuncod. He was sur- prised and somewhat startled to iiiul the old man engaged in eharpening the edge of a bright dagi^iT, which seenuvl fiist- ened by a spring to a richly -mounted pistol. KIkanah .started up with an air of guilty confusion as he heard the step, and looked at Blood, with the weapon quivering in his hand, for some monicnts ere he IVlt assiu-ed \\\\o it was. "Well, IClkanah, what do you there?" said Blood, taking the dagger in his hand, and suddenly starling as if his hand were stung. " But polishing this quaint Italian weapon for a young cavalier of the court — anything for money !' said the n^wthe- cary. confusedly. "Then it hath been stolen, or else it is the e.xactest coun- terpart that ever was," said Blood. " Stolen ! — whence P" " From the Tower," replied the colonel, and Elkanali'* Bwnrtliy countrnance grew of a leaden colour. " Tlicre hath bcin no great encounig.-nunt to robberies in the Tower, colonel," ho replied tartly. " We will not cniarrel about that matter, Elk.nnah," ropliitl liloud. " Here — -I have bought you I'uel for yoxu: furnace— UEASUBB FOB UKiSUBB. i59 gold, man, gold ! Doth the fool. Bethel, bleed as freely as crcr ?" " Alaci no, he is on the verge of bankruptcy and madness — the ungrateful beast!" replied Elkanah, with a sudden brightness of enthusiasm overspreading his saDow fact*. "And yet, colonel, would you thmk it? I am on tlie very verge of the great projection— smile as you will — I swear 'tis true ! I lack but one poor thousand pounds to buy a diamond of a peculiar carat, and the projection is complete, and I shall live for ever. But what am I to do for these moidores ?" " Give me this drug," said the colonel, handing the paper given him by Aurora. The apothecary penised it with an air of indifference, and proceeded to rummage in a cabinet of carefully-locked drags for the one in question. " And whom are you weary of, colonel ?" ho said jocosely, as he adjusted his scales, " that you intend to give them so deadly a pinch of ease ?" " Deadly?" repeated Blood. " Alarry, call you not arsenic a good poison, and so refined that but to breathe it were death to an ox i'" said the apothecary. " Is it so ?" said Blood, with assumed indifference. " Well, I want not so deadly a dust ; give me some of your precious anodynes — some sleepy essence that shall coimterfeit death, or at least bring repose to the throbbing brain of madness. Canst not ?" " Certes," replied the apothecary. " Here is a drag which shall make a man sleep while you run a skewer down his marrow — ha, ha ! it shall seem death for good twelve hours — not long enough to bury a man aUvc, if such be thy intent ?'* " It will do," replied Blood. " And now tent my wound, Elkanah ; it gnaws like the undying worm, Thy pharmacy hath hitherto but heightened the smart." A ghastly smile overspread the Hebrew's face. " Look that thou dost not play me false, Jew !" said Blood, observing this with some undefined suspicion stealing into his mind. \ Elkanah giggled again hysterically, and proceeded to dress the wound, the moutli of which welled out a dark green fluid. With a man of Blood's impatience this was soon performed, the drug carefully folded, and once more he was in the open air. He left the parcel at Aumerle House, and then resolved to CO to Newgate, to relieve Mervyn from the agonizing ap- prehensions which he conceived must weigh upon his mind. He knocked, and a turnkey readily admitted him ; but in answer to his request, he was informed that the prisoner was -^T) wniTKFBIAKS. taken to the Tower, by a warrant of the council, about ai hour before ! Blood looked at the man for some minutes m- credulously, and a variety of circumstances rushed into liia mind, which excited a strange and diabolical suspicion. "Know you to what part of the fortress he waa taken P** he said. " Yes, very well, by the Bame token that it was the 'part- ment in which Lord Aumerle shot himself, as I rememoer ; for I was a scr\'ing-man there once — the Bloody Tower, they call it," replied the jailer. " The Bloody Tower !" repeated the colonel. " Tlien I have no time to lose." He rushed out of the precincts of Newgate, called a hack- ney-coach, and drove rapidly to the Tower. The gates were, however, closed, the di*awbridge raised, and the only reply which Blood could get to his earnest entreaties to see the lieutenant, was an order to come the next morning. Breath- ing vengeance and fury. Blood at last retired to a neighbouring alehouse, to ruminate on what was to be feared, and what was to be done. CHAPTER LVn. THB BLOODT TOWBB. Tjie excitement and agonj' of his trial onci" over, Jlervvn relapsed into that stale of ouiet desperation which is usually remarked in men of his ardent character, when the storm of passions is over. He expected the tidings of doath with little emotion, and it was only when his iliouglits reverted to Aurora, and the deplorable state in which siie would be left, that they regained the venom of their sting. But it was not without some surprise that he learned he w.ns to be taken to the Tower, for greater securitv tui the execution, especially as it was late in the evening wlien the order arrived. But it was obeyed instantly, and he was taken in a coach to St. Katharine's Gate, where he was received by the lieutenant of the Tower, and escorted to his apartnu-nts with great civility. Jt was not without some degree of nielanclioly surprise that Mervyn found tliey were leading him up the stiiu-s of tho Bloo(fy Tow er. Sir John probably understood the expression of his jjiisoner's countenance, as he ajiolo-.Mzeii for the intended accommodation, by alleging that he had reeeivcil express orders, which he dared not disobey, to lodge him in that particular •uite. THH DI-OOUT TOWBE. 4*51 ** It matters little ■where I lodge for the remainder of my life, Sir John," replied Mervyn. •' I am sorry to agree with you, sir," replied the lieutenant, apparently pleased with his prisoner's submission. " I have oraered every arrangement likely to diminish your discom- forts, as good Gres and good wine, and good old Mr. Edwards will be your seneschal." So saying, he motioned to a very old man, with long white hair, and much bowed by years, who stood at the top of the Btairs. Mervyn immediately recognized the keeper of the regalia. The old man bowed reverently, and threw his torch- light forward, to light him up the murky staircase. Mervyn soon found himself in the state-chamber, whose gloomy vastncss was lighted, or rather darkened, by a single lamp. The high-barred window showed a square patch of starry sky, and faintly illumined the tapestry on the walls, and cross- ing the yellow lamp-hght, gave a peculiarly ghastly glare to the figures on it. Some signs of comfort, however, redeemed the general gloom and musty neglect of the apartment ; a table was spread handsomely with silver plate, and two or three kinds of wine in tankards ; and a briglit wood-fire blazed in the chimney, without dissipating the musty smell and dank atmosphere of the long-disused chambers. Mervyn walked up and down, restless as a pantJier firat turned into its cage, while the other two were busied in the bedroom, lighting another fire, and shaking up the huge couch ; and he marked with a moment's attention the river view, visible from the bedroom window, until by degrees ho grew more calm. " Do you remember me. Master Edwards P" he said, observing that the old man, on his return into the chamber, looked at aim very earnestly. " Marry, no, sir," replied Edwards ; " but it set me on thinking, seeing how like you look to the great man thi\t elept here last — many a year agone — the great catholic earl, Aimicrle." " How long ago is it ?" said Mervyn. " A matter of some twenty years, if my old memory tallies," replied Edwards. " He murdered himaclf in that bed — though I should not tell your honour so — I could show tlic very weapon. Where is it, Andrew? — Oh, jMaster Chif- fmch took it away when he was last here, for his majesty's curiosities." " I have seen the day you would not have allowed that the pan did that dismal deed himself, Master Edwards," said Menryn, with strong emotion. 4G2 wniTBPBiABs. " Indeed !" faid Edwards, with much curiosity. — " YcTir honour will excuse my boldness, but I can't help thinking you arc the man of the boy that came here with Blood when ho tried to steal the crown." " You are right : 1 was to have been your daughtcr-m- law," said Men'yn, with a melancholy smile. " Well, sir, you saved my life then ; I would I could do so by yours now," replied the old man. "An angel could scarce do that," said Mervyn, looking round with a slight shudder. " But why, I marvel, have they put me here ? Mere there no other chambers in which to stow me, Edward.^, till I fill my narrow one ? These chambers have a desolate aspect ; but your fire makes it look more cheerfid. Is it much as the carl left it ?" " Scarce a chair out of place," said the old man, thought- fully. " The silver crucifix is gone indeed, but that is his desk where he sat writing the night of his death. The bed- room, too, is just the same. The velvet belonged to him, I think — ay, indeed, it has his coronet upon it — poor gentleman!" " Do you recollect the night of the mur — suicide .''" said Mervyn. "Ay, well enough, and the beautiful little boy that Claude Duval brought to see him," said Edwards ; " and the quarrel with that beast, Blood — the blow ! Oh, I cau recollect things a score years ago, though I forget those of yesterdav." " I was that child, Edwards," said Mervyn, musing as it'' in a deeper stratum of memory. " And it seems to me as if I recollected something of a tall pale man, with a noble coun- tenance, dressed in black. But had he a bunch of poppies en his breast ?" "A bunch of poppies !" repeated Edwards, with an figliast look. " AVhou lie was dead it might seoin so? Wi-U, God forgive us all! — yet blood that is fairly .^hcd, will wash out," continued the superstitious old man. " But yonder is my lord's, as crimson in the boards to this day as it is in the foui of his murderer !" " But I at least shall die on the ecaflold, in tho fair day- light — and in a glorious cause!" said Mcr\'yn, earnestly inter- rupting the garrulous old man. " We are the king's odlcens and must not hear you say so," said the old keeper, with a smile. " But I hear you are to bo hanged, sir, and 'tis a pity, if you come of such good bJood." " They will not even let me die like a gcntlera&n," aaid Mervyn, bittcrlv- " Heaven foruid I should put such tbouiOits in your /tead. THB BLOODY TOWBB. 463 but this place is enough to drive any man — to cheat the hang- man," said Edwards, significantly. "I was thinking, too, of poor Claude Duval, who is to swing to-morrow at Tyburn, for doinjj; on the highway what honest men do in their closets." " Is Claude Duval then taken ?" exclaimed Mervyn. " 'Why, sir, he was taken with you!" said Edwards, much surprised. " Indeed, indeed ! I had forgotten," said Mervyn musingly. " But what's this you say about murders ? — No matter. V.'hat is under these covers ? Come, you shall stay and eup with me." " I have orders to attend you, sir, on account of the knives," said Edwards, quite seriously. " Well, there is enough for us all," said Mervyn. " I am a good repubhcan, or death wiU soon make me one; so remove the covers, gentlemen, and draw chairs." Edwards dechned, however, in the most positive terms, alleging it was against all regidations ; but he sat down at the prisoner's earnest request, and the warders stood behind his chair while he ate. At length Mervyn was left alone, and he hstened with a heavy heart to the doors swinging on their hinges, and the bolts rolling into their sockets. Albeit seated at a cheerful fire, with a tankard of claret at hand, his meditations were not Ukely to be of an exhilarating character. A prisoner, under sentence of death, it seemed as if he could now take a survey of the events of his life, and pass sentence with the impar- tiality of au historian. Kccollectiou called up recollection, and, as if in a panorama, the scenes of his short but eventfid career passed in review before his imagination. He thought of aU that he was, and contrasted it painfully with all that he might have been ! But for the crimes of a few individuals, how happily he might have lived ! From his cradle prosperity woidd have waited upon him, distinction courted him, honour rewarded his least enort. The exquisite being wUom his soul worshipped, even in its desolation, would have been hia, amidst all the enjoyments of wealth, and power, and grandeur. Then arose the terrific contrast. His scorned youth, his dan- gerous manhood, his lost love, his approaching death of terri- ble agon)', and still more temble ignominy. It was the first time he had imaged Deatli in his full and ghastly actuality ; hitherto he had thought of it onlv in the distance, as a chance that might happen — a sudden and a glorious blow. But to bo hanged, throttled, suflbcated — the idea was too horrible ! He felt his neck, he pressed it, he tried to imagine the sen- •ation — it waa agonizing. He recollected Godfrey's death-look. 404 WHITSFBlJlBfl. aud from nmrder to murder, be bethought him of his father's dismal end in that vcr}- chamber. Then he reasoned whether or not it was a suicide ; lie sipped his claret deliberately, and weif:;hed tlic motives which might have determined his father to the act. Somehow or another, all these arguments, as ho shaped thoni, seemed to have equal intensity tcith regard to himself, lie asked himself, why should a man fear to antici- pate his doom by a few short hours P — but then was it not a crime ? Certainly not like that of a man who has his volition in full play. Then he thought that Aurora would know that he had died by the hangman — and he looked around, not as one who has formed a resolution, but as one who seeks reasons to form it. lie looked at the fire burning dully down into its white ashes — but humanity shrunk back appalled from the terrible idea which crossed him, that death lurked even in those flowing embers. Then his eye fell musingly on the huge iron bars of the window, aud he recollected to have heard of a man who hung himself in Newgate at a similar place — and that was only to escape standing in the pillory. But again the ghastly face of Godfrey seemed to glare at him, ana he tried to recollect some other mode of suicide less terrible. Still it was all vague — merely speculation. He now thought of the liarl of Essex, and of the weapon he used — but tlicrc was none such at hand ; and then his thoughts reverted to his unhappy father. ]t chanced that the moonlight streamed at the moment through the barred win- dow on the desk, and by some wonderful treak of association, the whole scene arose almost palpably to the eye of sense. He distinctly remembered the teatures and dress of his father, his jewels of the garter, his line eyes, the melancholy sweetness of his smile. He sat for some time lost in thu reverie, and a superstitious ague began to creep over him. His hair hung heavy with drops of agitation ; in vain ho f ippcd the wine, stirred the fire, and oiuleavoured to reason on the folly of his fears. ^Vlly should he dread a species uf being which ho was soon to pass into himself P "Was not he, too, a spirit, of an immortal essence, though cased in material day ? Then he fell to reasoning on death. \Vliat \\ as it, this death P Was it n sleep ? merelv th« absence, not the privation, of all the powers and senses called lifeP What kind of passage must the thinking particle pass through, whatever it nniy be, ere it stooil nuked of its clay ! The brain, the eyes, bursting in sullbcatiiMi — what tlicn suc- ceeded P Again he held his neck till his eyes lillcd with sparkti, and tlie veins of his head panted ; insensibilitj muat TnS BLOODY TOWEB. d65 ioon ensue if the sensation had been continued: what then? Would the thinkinpf atom survive that crush and inundation of agonies, or would it become a^ain the nothing that it was? A thousand difTerent speculations which he nad heard in the course of his diversified career, now occurred to him. Tlie 8u!itlctie8 of the schools; the acute logical, yet unconvincing theology of the Jesuits ; the lively atheism of the courtiers of Charles II. — all seemed to lose power and meaning in the actual presence of the great CEdipus — Death. But could he not put the great question now, and force an answer ? And then so strangely did imagination work, he almost envied his father, his dagger — pistol — so rapid and so sure. He endea- voured to shape out the earl's traged}', and followed him step by step, by a traui of almost mathematical deductions, in the work of blood and dcaili. Suddenly he felt an irresistible desire to go into the bed-chamber where he had breathed his last. He took the light and walked towards the door, but as he approached its threshold, a shght sound, it may be an imagmary one, caused him to look shudderingly back, and his eye fell upon a large mirror opposite, and so ghastly pale, and like what he remembered of the earl, was his own imago there, that he stood for a moment horror-struck, as if he beheld a phantom. Then he smiled dismally at his own terrors, and after hesitating another moment at the fatal door, entered. The appearance of the bedchamber was not such as to dispel the visions which haunted him. A low fire burned in the huge chimney, and shed a dark glare on the red damask curtains, the faded tapestry, and naked floor. He placed the candle down, and seated himself in an arm-chair near the fire, that he might deliberately comprehend his own feelings in regard to his actual situation. A vague idea of escape suddenly crossed his mind as he looked at the vast chimney ; he glanced up ; tliere was a hole scarcely wider than a quart bottle in the vast stones of the masonry. His eye reverted in despair, and foil upon a broad stain in the floor, and as if fascinated, he followed its least meander, to a distance of Bcvcral yards from the bed. "Oh, my father, my father !" he exclaimed aloud, " thou who didst prefer death to dishonour — shall the last of thine ancient blood die by the hangman ?" As ho spoke, his gaze was attracted by the glitter of a eilver tag which, according to the fashion of the day, fastened his doublet, and the thought occurred to him that by its instru- mentality he might baflle the vengeance of the tyrant — that, like the victims of the Roman Nero, he might open his voina &ad quietly bleed to death. This idea fascinated him, and 466 WHITKFRIAB8. hia resolve Tras inslantlj matv.rcd. He tooli a strange plea- Bure in the thought that he would po to the very spot ulierc his unhappy father had perished, and there like him elude the fuDgs of ilis enemies. He arose, took tlie taj^ from his breast, and havinfT ascertained that the point readily pierced the skiu of his hand, he went towards the bed. But suddenly a form met his eye — whether the offspring of delirious fancy, or one of those inexplicable and tremendous phenomena wliich cross our mysterious bciug, and arc ineapaole of all rational eolu- tion while the secrets of death remain such — but the form of his father, exactly as he had last seen him, save for a grislv ■wound in his left side, stood there, before him ! His garb was the same as he had seen it in life — black velvet glittering with jet ornaments — but his face was of the awful paleness cf the tomb, and a mournful tenderness seemed to struggle with the rigidity of death. Tlie figure stood perfectly motionless between I^Fcrvyn and the couch, and as tlie prisoner gazed, his hair rose upright on his head, his teeth clenched, and his v. hole frame seemed paralyzed. In a few moments the figure grew indistinct, and iinnlly waved into air. He seemed then to recover breathing and life, and staggered back to his chair. A few moments' raUy persuaded him that what he had seen was merely an illusion of his excited organs, and the dreadful longing after death again assailed him, like that which men feel to leap when gazing down a precipice. He rose again, and looked towards the couch which he destined for that of his eternal rest ; but the form was there again, distinct, clear — and this time waving its hand earnestly away. ]yier\-yn'9 resolve once more faded, and terror rendered him motionless ; the tag dropped from his hand, the room seemed to whirl round, a million lights danced in his eyes, and he sunk insen- sible on the floor. When ho awoke from his trance, his brain seemed shooting with the keenest dai'ts of pain, and he had scarcely Btren;:th to lift himself up. He sat down in his chair with a dreadful conviction that lie was maddening, but the hope and desire of self-murder had vanished. He felt tliat if he could weep it would be an unspeakable relief, but not a drop came to his burning lids. He endeavoured lo pray, but he could not. His ideaa rushed with marvellous confusion one over the other ; his lamp was fast sinking in the socket, and it seemed as if his mind would sink with it. Ho bathed his parched lips with a little wine, and strove to recollect whert^ lie wafl, and what had hnjipened ; but it was in vain. A deep languor began to oppress liiin, but the only di.stinct idea \>uich now THE BLOODY TOWEB. 467 f omoined was some indefinite horror of the bed. He remained, tlierefore, irhere he waa, in the ai'm-chair, and fell into a kind of half-conscious doze. An hour might have passed thus, when he became aware of a shght crackling sound in his ear, and starting with a pcnsation of universal cold, he looked around. The fire had burned into red embers ; and though his own figure was lof4 in the black shadow of the chimney, the rest of ihe room was faintly illumined by a red reflection from the grate. He saw, he was certain he saw, the tapestry figure of Aliasucrus waver on his throne ; it stirred with more violence, and the tapestry swelled out ; then a head appeared at the bottom — the thick matted locks and beard of a man level with the floor ; it paused for a moment, and then the face turned up as if to listen. The glare of the embers foil full upon it, and in the swarthy countenance and basUisk eyes of that head, Mervyn recognized the features of Elkanah, the alchemist. lie now concluded that he was delirious, though he mar- velled at having reason enough to know it, and looked on rather with a dreadful curiosity as to what frightful phantas- mata his imagination was about to present, than any other feeling. A figure followed the head, sliding out like a ser- pent, and occasionally pausing to listen, until it lay at full- len^h on the floor, then gi'adually it raised itself upright, and seemed to wipe the dust from its face and eyes, snaking back its shaggy hair. Mervyn looked on with what one might almost call philo- sophical curiosity, to see what his imagination would do with this extraordinary phantom, having evoked it. It proceeded in all its movements apparently with breathless caution, and though convinced that all he saw was an illusion, Mervyn shuddered at the expression of that diabolical countenance. The figure fumbled in its upper garments, and drew out a dagger — the dagger — his father's dagger. He marvelled at the coincidences of his disordered lancj, and remained ab- sorbed in watching the illusion. It listened, and as if satisfied with hearing no sound, moved towards the bed on tiptoe, paused a brief moment, drew the curtains shghtly back, and raised its arm as if to strike where its spectator should have lain. But suddenly that arm was arrested by another — a hand which seemed to stnke it with paralysis. The apothecary uttered a slight shriek, and turned Lis horror-struck countenance ! The fire lighted with a sudden glow that silent and terriflc group — it was Blood and Elkanah. Mervyn smUcd at these strange phantasmagoria of hi* uua^natioQ ; he thought that he could dismiss the whoU 4G8 ■WniTEFEUES. vision by au effort, but he wouKl not make it ; it amused him like a wild dream, and he almost laughed at the spasmodic workings of Elkanah's face ; but his diversion changed to the most dreadf\U sensation of horror when ho heard his phantoms speak in human tones ! " Hush, on thy life, thou Jewish devil ! a word, and I crush thee," said Blood, in an awful under-tone. "Colonel Blood! is it indeed you?" gasped the affrighted wretch. " Look on me — thou hast some cause to know me,' replied Blood. " Hist ! wake him not, and both our fortunes aro made," said Elkanali, in a low, crawlinj^ tone. " I vill share vidyou, Blood, like a brother ! Serve nim as you served his fattier, and ve vill divide the spoil : it vill make us both for ever— tree tousand pounds. Blood !" "Give me the dagger !" said Bipod, quietly disarming him. " Stand there ! if thou but movfi a hair's breadth, this steel is buried in thy heart." The apothecary cowered abjectly down, and Blood moved towards the bed ; but he stood as if irresolute, and muttered, " I cannot, I dare not look at him there .' Ho, Mervyn, Master Mervyn !" Mervyn could not but think that his fevered imagination was playing him false, and repeating the dire phases of his father's murder ; but the illusion began to grow tt>o terrific. He resolved to break it, by pidpably convincing himself of the non-e.x^istence of the spectre beiore him ; he arose, but with such a strong air of likeness and existence did the whole group strike him, that he involuntarily exclaimed, " Bkxxi !" The colonel glared round, and a beam of lirelight falling on the prisoner's form, beseemed asif thunderstruck, staggered a few paces back, and fell against the wall, with a shock which struck on Mcr\-yn the full conviction that it was a mat<.*rial substance. His first eflbrt was to spring at the dagger ; his next to rush to the lire, and attempt by stirring the cmber« to obtain some light, lie then faced his enemies, but Klkanali and Blood were both gazing at him in an agony of fear, tlio latter half raised on his elbow. "Colonel Blood, do you not know me P" he said, at Icngtii, m tones which, without intending it, were really awful iu depth and horror. " Mercy, mercy, Aumerlc!" groaned Blo*.)d. " .Mercy, my lord ! I Blew thee, but take not my soul to everliutting tires I I would have saved your Hon — I will eavo liim — aiiytiiiug to remore thy never-ceu«iug wrath!' THB BLOODY TO'tt'EB. 469 " If you would save the son of Aumerle, I am he !" replied Mervj'n. " Dost thou not know me, murderer P" "Is it thou, in thy bodily form ; thou, Mervyn P" ex claimed he, shuddering convulsively. " It is I — Mervyn of Aumerle." " I come to save you at the risk of my life," said Blood, leaping briskly up. " Come, come ! there is no time to be lost ; if discovered, life is the least thing lost. Where is the Jew assassin P" " If you mean me, I am here," said Elkanah, with a look of fiendish hate. " But beware how you hurt but a hair of my head ! At my Lady Howard's command I have poisoned your wound. I alone possess the antidote — I alone can save you from the most horrible death, a slow and living rot ! Now kill me, if you dare !" " I did dream as much," said Blood, wildly ; " but if thou hast poisoned my wound, I know this much of siirgery, 'tis too far gone to be cured : but I reserve thee for a worthier fate than my dagger. " Hast any arms P" The fire now blazed brightly up, and by its light Blood searched the villain, but he found no weapon. He then lifted the tapestry, and Mervyn saw with amazement a square hole about two feet high, which seemed formed by the displacing of one of the huge stones in tlie wall. " Enter there, Mervyn ! — fear nothing," he said. " It is a secret passage contrived in the thickness of the wall, and leads to Uberty. Elkanah, follow — I will be last." Mervyn hesitated — a dreadful idea crossed his mind that the whole was but a delusion got up to entice him to some secret slaughtcr-liouse ; but could they not as easily take thither his dead carcase P He entered after an instant's hesi- tation, and the look which he gave Blood as he did so, told him that the great secret was discovered, and Lord Aumerle'a murder no longer a suicide. Ho groped his way into the dark hole on all fours, for it was not high enough to admit of any other posture ; the apothecary followed, and then Blood. Mervyn heard a loud crashing noise follow, and Blood called out that he had closed the spring marvellously well, and then he laughed. There was now not a gleam of light, but utter, almost palpable darkness ; the passage was so narrow that Mervyn could hardly force himself along, and the air was so thick and dusty that it almost stilled him. He groped his way along, how- ever, and his knowledge that the old poisoner was close bo- hind, perhaps with a weapon, gave him the serpent'* itrengtb to crawl. 470 WniTEFBlABS. It was a terrific passage, and would have been impaAsabU lo all but resolution of the most extraordinary description. It was probably contrived in the original architecture, for it seemed impossible to have been made at any subsequent period, 80 massive were the stones of that tower, and so curiously welded together. Narrow aa it was, to Mcrvyn's horror the way seemed to grow narrower, and abominable as Blood's voice was in his ears, it sounded like sweet music when it called to him that all was right. At last, though it widened, the height of the passage seemed to diminish, imtil grovelling U.S he did perfectly flat, Mervyn could strike his head against the roofing with scarcely Hfiing it. His lungs panted for want of air, and the horrors of sufibcation seemed to threaten him ; at the same time he was assailed by the dreadful idea that his companions would retreat, and leave him to die in tlic unfathomable horrors of a living tomb ! i"or a moment he thought of forcing his way back, but the narrowness of the space prohibited all idea of the sort. Uis eyes and mouth wore now choked in dust, and he cilled to Blood that he was suffocating; in reality he waa rapidly yielding to the horror of his situation, and a moment's deprivation of his faculties in such a situation was equivalent to giving himself up to death. But Blood did not seem to hear him, and making a last effort, he pushed forward ft few feet, and felt with ecstatic joy that there was sud- denly space above his head. The passage was now both wider and higher, but it seemed to Mervyn aa if they were liastening down an inclined plane. The height of the pas- sage gradually increased, though the width was seldom more than that of a bulky man, and at last Mervyn found that he could raise his aching backbone. In a few more steps he could stand upright, but Blood assured him it was pre- matiirc to do so, tuough they were near their exit. In met, he was forced to go again on his hands and feet, and finally ramp on the earth, drawing himself piiiufully along like a wounded eel. But he now began to feel a cold, breezy air, which encouraged him, and wonderfully revived his exhausted spirits. Suddenly he perceived a dull blue light, like that at tho topof a chimney, and straining every nerve, in a few moments he had forced his bmly out at a narrow aperture, and found himself in great darkness, but with plenty of room to more about. lie wa.s joined immediately by a figure which he took to be the apothecary, but he iiiHtaiitly knew it was Blood, by the Toice. He inquired where Elkanidi was. Mervyn rcpUcd THE BLOODY TOWER. 471 that ho knew not, and Blood stood appiirently puzzled for a moment. " The Tillainl" he said, in a hollow tone. " Ho, Elkanah, make haste back — fate gives thee one more chance for thy villanous Hfe !" There waa no reply, but a grating sound was heard, and the hole whence they had made their exit closed with a mas- sive stone, as if by some mighty spring set at work, so that tlie wall seemed whole and perfect as ever. "Do you hear that ?" said Blood, in an awe-struck tone. " Poor A\Tetch ! he knows not that the spring wUl not open from the inside." " He hatli returned to give the alarm," said Mervyn. " Hath he?" said Blood, with a bitter laugh. " They will hoar him at the day of judgment, then. But his fate's of his own carving. He must do as well as he can — and so must we. He is there with his great secret of endless life, and, I trow me, will be immortal to-morrow. We are on the steps of the Traitor's Gate — hear you not the roar of the moat.** Some dozen steps are here, and at the bottom is the water : when you feel well your feet, plunge deeply beneath the spikes of the gate, and follow the cut." Blood himself set the example by running down and plung- ing ; Mervyn unhesitatingly followed the example, and after a deep dive in the muddy water, found himself outside the gate, m the moat, shone on by as lovely a moon as ever welcomed man to liberty. Blood led the way to the oppo- site bank, and they scrambled out just imder the thick shadow of the jhestnuts, which in those days was called the Ladies' Walk. " You are safe now if you can keep yourself perdiie for a few hours," said Blood, triumphantly, " Give me your hand — say you forgive me !" " I cannot — your hand is red with my father's blood !" re- plied Mei-vyn. " Folly — madness to chaffer now ; but I must not leave my work half done : come with me and resume your canomcalfl. Follow me !" and Blood led the way to a miserable pot-hcu*« oear the Tower. 472 WniTEKUIABS. CHAPTER LVIII. CLAUDE DUVAL's LAST BIDE. ITAViNr, washed himself, and put on the disguise which Blood had provided, Mcrvyn began to ruminate on hie extra- ordinary escape, and on what was necessary to perfect it. He was iutcrruptod by Blood, who came in looking ghastly palo in the dawnung light. "That villain spoke truth!" he said, pantingly. "The anguish of my wound passes all belief; I am on lire in my vitals. For God's pity, Mcrvyn, assist me to crawl to my old burrow in Alsatia, to die. It is revenue enough for thee to have inflicted the blow whereof I feel I shiill not have long to con>plain." Mcrvyn looked at the wan and miserable countenance of the strong man, whom in former days he had seen in all the insolence of strength ; and he could scarce forbear compas- sionating the woeful figure which he now presented — tears of anguish running down his checks. He assented by silence rather than words, and they wjUked forth together on &i lovely a morning as ever broke. Early as it was, the streets seemed in a state of ^ great bustle and movement. They could not divine the reason, and were not without apprehensions, imtil passing Newgate, they heard St. Sepulchre's bell tolling for an execution. A crowd was assembled round the gates, a troop of soldiers and a posso of constables. Blood asked who was to be hangvd, and a by- stander answered that it was Claude Duval, and seemed quite astonished that any one could ask the question. Almost as this answer was given the gate rolled open, and a cart, drawn by two black horses, a])pearcd. It was painted black, and the sides were ornamented with prinning deaths' heads and crossboncs. There was a cofiln studded with bright nails on the front, and leaning gracefully on it sat Claude Duval, dressed, as it seemed, with peculiar care on the occa- sion. He wore a suit of brown velvet, very richlv em- I'roidered with silvvr, violet gloves, and a red silk niglitcap, wuh the tassel of which he played negligent!}'. The ordinary in his long black gown, and the liangman in his greasy leather doublet, were the other ])crsonage8 lionourod w ith ii seat in the eonvevance. The Hherill's and some gentlemen followed in u gilded carriage, and two liles of musketcera w alk( tl on each i-idc. A shout of welcome greeted tho advance of the rt>rfj>y<», and CLAUDE bUVAL's LAST RIDE. 473 Claude bowed graciously, pressing his liand to his heart. He had Bomething of the sickly tint of the dungeon, but tho bricht morning and the shout returned his usual high colour, and Ids eye ranged curiously among the crowd, as if he were Becking the countenances of old friends and acquaintances. "I must bid Claude farewell!" said Mervyn, forcing his arm from Blood's grasp, who would have detained him, buj: finding the effort in vain, he handed him a sealed packet "Be careful of it — it is your pardon!" he exclaimed, at Mervyn mechanically took it. The words fell without signi^ ficance on his ear, but he put the packet in his bosom, and pushed on. The crowd, taking him for some minister bent on thrusting protestant tiniths on the popish highwayman, gave way, and Mcrryn soon reached the cart. " Claude Duval !" he said, in his well-known accents, " would you die hke a dog without succour of religion ?" Duval, who was now glancing at a missal, tiirned sharply round, and stared astonishedly at Mervyn, who touched his lips significantly, and Claude, with ready wit, took the hint. " I have refused the consolations of this gentleman," he said, " but mayhap he will not in his charity refuse to let the hungry eat, though it be not bread of his baking." " A popish priest in disguise, eh, merry Claude ?" said the ordinary, who was of the Vicar of Bray's school, and fancied he saw the times changing. " Well, well, every man to his taste — hist, sir, your hand P" and he assisted Mervyn to get into the cart. Mervyn and Claude embraced with much emotion, and Claude eagerly inquired in French how he came to be at liberty. In a few brief words the former related his marvel- lous escape, and Duval listened with a breathless interest which seemed to turn his attention altogether from his own deplorable position. " Thank God, thank God !" he said, " I have lived to know that my suspicious were well-founded, and I die not with an unjust thought in my heart. Oh, that remorseless villain ! would I could live only to avenge my noble master !" " It needs not ; the blow I inflicted is mortifying with cankerous poisons," replied Mervyn. " This is justice, and it makes me think my lot in the next world will be better than in this," said Claude, sadly. " I have ehed no man's blood, and not an eye of all these looks at mt; with reproach No orphan's groan, no widow's shriek, shall follow me to the bar above, and I doubt if those who con- demned me can say as much, llic women, heaven b!e.«3 Vhem ! you will not see a dry eye among them ; Claude Duval Q 474 WBITEFBLi.BS. has lived in their smiles, and he will die in their toars. Besides, I confessed and received absolution last niyht from the jxran padre himself." " "Wliat fjran pailre, Claude ?" " Oliva himself — your ancient protector. He hath come over secretly, to direct the {^reat revolution which is restoring England to the church. I told him all your sorrows, your loves, misadvcntuTL-s, and what not. lie was astonished to learn that the famous conspirator was his little /)ro/fj/, and promised to attempt something in vour favour." " Then 'tis he who liath obtained my pardon — or what was it that Blood said?" cj claimed Mcrvyn, drawing out tho packet. A paper appeared scaled with tho great seal of England, and with a surprise which may be well conceived, ho found a pardon, in which his legitimacy was acknowledged ; but it wa.s wnditioned that he sliould reside abroad for tliiee years. " I have lived long enough," said Claude, joyfully. " But can this possibly be done by Oliva P He told me the king'a hate was inexorable. Have you no other friend, Mervyn P" A dreadlul thought darted into the young man's mind, but he strove to reply in the negative with calmness. Meanwhile the words " pardon," though pronounced in French, reached the ears of tlie crowd, and a general cry arose of, " Claude is pardoned !" followed by an equally general hurrah ! "I wish jou would prove your words, Rontlemen," said Claude, shaking his head, mournfullv. " But you have not left your warm beds so early for uothmg — Claude Duval is to be hanged, sure enough." " Oh, Duval ! — and but for your goodness to me you were not here," said Alervyn, much aflccted. " That is my only comfort, sir ; but 'tis as well to-dav as any other," replied Claude. " I thank God, I die fultilling the oath which I made to my noble master, your father. And now I inny tell you his dying words and wish. ' Teach my rton to ween for me, to honour my memorv, toll him his father lovea him nest when least he seemed.' Oh, my dear master I" As he spoke IMervyn melted into tears. "Nay, my lord," he continued — "I warrant I shall not bo tlie last to give you that title — do not take the stilFeuing out of me. I would die as good giune as any beef-fed Knglislimeu of them all. I will not shamo fair triuue at the jjnll()«9. Vive la luutnrc ! Vive la France ! If ever you live to havo your own, Master Mervyn, give me a fnitliAil dog's place at mv ni:u»ler'.M fett ; for y«.u •.\ill take him out of !;;•« grave in the Tower DiUli 1" CLAUDE DUVAL S LAST HIDE. 475 The shouts of a dense mob, closely wedged together, now announced their arrival in the Tyburn road. The great curiosity of the eager masses was to witness Claude's arrival ill St. Giles's, where, at a tavern, occupying the site of an old hospital, according to ancient custom, prisoners were presented with a bowl on their way to execution. The scattered little village now came in sight, looking bright, and green, and cheertiil in the transparent beauty of the morning. "VNTio could think of death while contemplating the sunny verdure of trees, the sweet serene blue of the sky, the gUttering weathercocks on the roofs, the playful shine on the ponds, and busy animation of aU things living ! Claude's cheeK did, nevertheless, blanch as they approached the Crown — the resting-place whence the stirrup-cup of the last journey was wont to issue. The inn came in sight, with its innu- merable chimneys and carved balcony, but Mervyn's attention was turned towards Sydney's deserted mansion, peeping above the woods, and half concealed in their autumn luxuriance. It seemed as if it were some day of festival instead of sor- row and death. A bright flag waved from the roof of the Crown, and the hght Italian verandah over its rustic portico was crowded with gay groups of cavaliers and ladies of rank, in masks. Among the latter, one was conspicuous by the whiteness of her throat and symmetrical chin, tnough her face was well concealed by a black vizor. To the superstitious eye of one going to death this elitter- ing mass, with their black faces, might well have kindled an idea of fiends looking on with satisfaction at the sight ; but in Claude it roused recollections of mirth and festival, which sought relief in a heavy sigh. A shout, and the dead halt of the procession, announced its arrival before the inn, and immediately a stout handsome girl, with a silver tankard in her hand, followed by a jolly bluff-looking host, who carried a can of some bright rcH hquor, appeared at the cart. " Good bye Duval — honest Duval, for all you are to be hanged," sand the host, heartily shaking Claude hj the hand. " Thou art going aloft, good fellow, and though it be to the mast-head, many a worse fellow shall stand on the world's deck to-night." " Good bye. Jack Edwards — hearty Jack !" said Claude, " and bonny Mistress Edwards ! give me but one parting kiss of your sweet iipe, that I may go out of the world with a rosy taste on my mouth." And bending gracefully down te saluted the pretty hostofl* ere she oould say nay. 476 WHITEFBIABS. " Well, well, Duval, thou art a morr}' fellow to the last- good claret to the lees," ehe said, smilingly. " See you now, my good man knows you were never much of an ale-bibber, 80 we liave brought you a stoup of our very best Burgundy, at which half the gallants of the city have smacked their lips." And suiting the action to the word, the hostess handed him a glittering tankard of the beverage. Claude raised it up and looked at the gay verandah — for a moment Mervj'n saw that Ills hand trembled. The lady with the fair neck waa now heard to sob, and taking a rich nosegay from her breast, she threw it to Claude, saying in a sweet but tremulous voice, " God pity thee, brave Duval !" " 'Tis Mistress Gwyn," said Claude, in a whisper, as he stooped to pick up the flowers, and kissing them, he put them gallantly in his bosom. He then waved the full tankard, and exclaimmg, " To the women of France and England !" drank, but not deeply. He then handed the cup to Mervyn, who touched it to his lips, and passed it to the ordinar}', who declined with a mournful shake of the head. Claude then lianded it to the hangman, observing, " It will do thee good, fritmd ! steady thy hand," and the functionary drained it to the dregs. " Well, I ain't dainty," said Edwards, as the goblet came back; "I would drink after a dog, but not after that mur- derer by trade — so here's to your health and prosperous voyage, Duval, in the can !" And he took a hearty swig, handing it afterwards to his wife, who followed his example. The signal was then given to proceed, and with a farewell bow at the vcrandiUi, on went the prisoner and his train. As the cart turned towards Tyburn, and its fatal trees cAnio in sight, Claude's face flushed deeply, and in a low voice he desired Mervyn to assist liim with the prayers of llie catholic church ; Mervyn, though much moved, complied. Ue chanted llie Litany for the dving, which he had learned at St. Omer, and Claude devoutly joined in the responses. The mob, although nearly dl fanatic anti-papista, oH'ered no inter- ruption, but listened in solemn silence. Tyburn was now distinctly in sight; tlie black gallows appeared above the trees. The cart drove slowly over the turfy ground, and enine at last to the trcineiidous halt. Claude sprung u[>, j)res.si'd Mcrvyn's hand, and leaped ou the ladder, which he a.Mcended with a firm stc]> to tin* hcatl'old. Mervyn fullowcd, iiiid was by his side iii.staiilly. Claude thanked him with a look o{ silent but einpliatio eloquence. 'I Ik- oriUnary, considering his services sup<.>rllu«>uii, remained LOVE A.ND DEATH. 477 in the car, aud the executioner followed, »oncluding the procession. " ^\jid now, sir, leave me — you look as if yr u were goiug (o be hanged yourself," said Claude ; and he added, in a whisper, " I see a scowling pair of eyes fixed on you in the throng ; besides, I would not you should see me dangling there like a scarecrow in an orchard. Farewell, my dear, dear master ! Heaven bless you !" Overcome by emotion, Mervyn and his faithful protector embraced for the last time ; but Mervyn would not leave him, and, at his desire, he commenced murmuring a miserere in a low voice, while Claude mounted to the fatal drop. Mervyn saw them draw the cap over his face, and sobs choked his own utterance ; but Duval called out in a merry tone, " Get a mass said for my soul, master, and commend me to beauteous Mistress Sydney!" and then muttering a short prayer, the dismal " Ha !" from the mob, as if every man had received a blow in the breast, announced that the fatal drop had descended. CHAPTEE LIX. lOVE AND DEATH. TVhile Claude Duval went through the last act of his drama, another scene was enacting on a far different stage — the royal palace of "SMiitehall. About noonday, a massive gilded coach, such as was used by the prime nobility of the time, drew up at the great gate, and two ladies dismounted. These were tlie Lady Howard and Aurora Sydney — the latter in deep mourning. ChiiEnch was in waiting, and escorted them with ceremonious respect to a magnificent apartment It included a great variety of chambers aud cabinets, appa- rently fitted up for female habitation, in a most profuse style. The saloon in which they were at last allowed to remain was hung with rich French tapestry, representing scenes of licentious gaiety, drinking, love-making, shepherds and shepherdesses lounging in artificial landscapes, and attending to anything but their sheep. Eichly gildea furniture, cande- Jebra, vases of massy silver, curious birds, and glittering Italian curiosities, were crowded around. Chiffinch observed, with a smUe, that these were the apart- ments of the late Lady Castlemaine. Aurora seemed scarcely to notice that he spoke to her, or of the gorgeous show around ; fche threw herself into a chair, and seemed absorbed in reverie. 478 WniT£FBUJl8. Once or twice bTic put her hand to her bosom, and, as if eatisfied that what she thouf^lit was there, relapsed into pro- found thought; insomuchthat ehe heeded not the disappearance of Lady Howard, who, after whisperinjj ahttle with ChifEnch, f^lided out. The latter drew a table of inlaid t^old, covered with casketa and fragrant vaacs, towards the lady, and retired also. Aurora looked round, and smiled with a ghastly expression ; but her meditations, whatever their nature, soon terminated. There was a slight tap at the door, and a cavalier entered, csquisitcly dressed, perfumed, jewelled, fresh, gay, and spark- hng as a bridegroom. It was the king. A momentary blush crimsoned Aurora's cheek ; she sprang up, advanced a few steps, and knelt as Charles extendea his nand in welcome. Ho raised her immediately. " No, dear Aurora, that posture is rather mine," he said, with a triumphant smile. " ilock not your woful suppliant, sire !" she said, as ho kissed her hand tenderly. " Nay, I am the suppliant now," he replied, leading her to a scat, near which he drew another for himself. " Yet, you can ask nothing of me which I will refuse. What is it, dearest?" And he gazed at her for a moment, as a wolf gazes at its prey ; but he was obviously startled with her excessive paleness, ana the wild, unnatural brilliancy of her eyes. " AMiat would you ask, lovely Sydney ?" he said at last, observing that she could not speak from the intensity of her emotion. " All that Cliarles of England Lath is yours — hia realm — himself. These apartments are yours — lliehmond is yours — the proudest title your woman s fancy can shape. Kay, I will even pledge myaelf, if my wife dies, to make you queen of England in her room. My urotlier did as much with a poorer cause, and the common sort applauded him. Did ho not marry Hyde's daughter, whom I reai-ed from a dunghill, and your house is, perchance, as ancient as ours." " Instead of all these immense gifts, I only ask a single life !" said Aurora — " a life which taken will cover your name with perpetual dishonour — spared, will redeem it almost to men's love." " Your father's — he shall bo spared," said Charles. " Have I not already pardoned one whoso blood my soul panted for — the traitor ilervyn P" " He lacks no pardon of yours, sire ! — Mervj'n hath escaped from the Tower, or tho news wliich sets all London agape is i'alse!" replied Aurora, witli a Kniile of unearthly horror; " unless, thou false king, and every way most mon«troui LOVE AND DEATH. 479 betrayer, hast had him privily murdered and buried him from the accusing light of day." " I swear to you, Aurora, by all that is sacred, he is living and breathiun; at this moment for aught I know to the con- traiy," said Charles, turning pale. " He hath bribed his warders, or flown tlirough the air — what do I know ?" " Well, he is dead and gone," said Aurora, with mad serenity ; " so no more bargaining for him — only my father's head is in the market now. Pardon him — release him from his durance — and I will believe you." " You ask too much," said Charles ; "his life is sacred as mine own ; but his pardon and release must be the work of time. My brother — all my faction — for I am but the head of a faction — would turn round on me, like mad dogs on their master." " You think to betray me, ha ! and to butcher him too !" exclaimed Aurora, with wild vehemence. " But I will behevo in no pledge, no oaths, no heaven-shaking protestations — nothing but facts." " what would you have ?" exclaimed Charles ; " methinks I would hazard all — crown — life — vengeance — to win but one angelic smile from those pale lips." " Your council, they teU me, is sitting now to decide upon my father's death," replied Aurora. " Go to those blood- thirsty men — tell them you are a king, and that the royalest virtue of a king is mercy ! TeU them that enough blood has been shed in this baffled conspiracy ; that Sydney is innocent, and that if he be guilty you are resolved to pardon him ! Send then to the lieutenant of your Tower — bid him release his prisoner — and return tome for — for your reward!" " By Heaven ! thou movest me," said the king, irresolutely gazing at her. " Enough blood hath, indeed, been shed ; I will not burthen my soul with more. I will to the council — I will do yoiu' bidding to the letter, let Oliva and York prate as they will. But you must not quit me ever again, loveliest 1 These apartments must henceforth be yours, and as soon as I liave done your will with the coxmcil, I will return, to bask in the full sunshine of your restored beauty and love 1" " It shall be so !" she said, with a ghastly smile, and suf- fering Charles to press his hot lips to hers without reluctance, amd almost without consciousness, she sat gazing steadfastly at him. Charles felt that this scene was growing indescribably painful to himself ; it seemed as if she read the iii:nost secrets of lii.s soil! i:i tliMt lon;r. pi'ofuuiul, iiiul i:u'l;ir:clio!v gaze, llo muttered something that :i!ie v ns very i>:ile, luA g'.u.'ig t/iJ * alVt, brought her a goblet of ^ iue. 480 WBITKFBIlfiS. " No, no," bIig Said, shuddering as she raised it to lier Up« j •* ".t is blood, you see — Auincrle's blood ! Go to the council ; I shall be well anon — I need but peace — nothing but peace." And recUning her sorrow-stncken form in the damask chair, she closed her eyelids in a kind of slumber. Charles seemed to hesitate for a moment, but having satisfied himself that she breathed, he suddenly left the apartment, locking the door after him. The moment he was gone, Aurora started up, with a strange expression of despair and triumph in her look, which seemed at once mingled and separate. She glanced around, but her eye passed unheediugly over the glitter and pomp of the gorgeous chamber ; she sought only if any one observed her. There was something utterly desperate in that glance. The sun shone brightly m at the windows, and she gazed for a moment at the smiling landscape of park scenery, but it waa without consciousness. A single thought seemed to have frozen fixedly in her brain. She poured some wine into a goblet deliberately, took a powder from her bosom and shook it in, every grain. " 1 will join him in heaven — his unstained wife !" she said, aloud. " God is not so merciless as man — He will forgive me. He knows how far He has made humanity to endure, and that I have reached the limit. This, at least, is not suicide ; it is murder, murder, murder!" and she repeated the word as if it consoled her. She shook the glass round and round to mix the fine pow- der which stood on its surface, and it might be that some- thing of the dark shadow of death crossed her young imagina- tion. She started, and set the cup down ; a few leaden tears rolled slowly down her check ; but the emotion soon past, and desperate thoughts crowded thickly on her fancy, and she raised the goblet to the sun as if to admire the ex- quisite purple tint to which the wine had turned by its con- tact with the mortal drug. She then, thoudi but slowl)-, brought it to her lips, and was about to drink, when a long lean hand clutched her arm, and stopped the movement. She looked around witii a stilled shriek, and saw what nt lli-s>t sho took to be an illusion of her maddened fancy. It was a venerable old man, whose figure, though much bent and depressed with years, was still commanding, anil hi.^ countenance reniar"kable for it.s antiipie grandeur of form and benevolence of expression. He was dressed in a thick dark mantle, such as usually worn liv ecclesiiuxtics of the Church of liome, which fell in ann)le folds around his lofty frttnK>. " What wouldst thou do, unhnp})y oneP" said the stranger, after a minute's profound ])ause, and in tones so full of pitf LOTS AND DEATH. 481 and love, that Aurora looked with a kind of vacant wondeJ at him, and set the goblet down. " May I not even die P" Bhe exclaimed, after a momentary pause. '* Who hath bidden thee die — Ho, who alone hath the right P" said the ecclesiastic, mildly. " In His cause, and at His command, it is indeed lawful to brave aU things — but where is thy celestial manumission, that thou dai'est to throw oCf the yoke he has imposod ?" " What mean you P May I not taste the king's wineP" said Aiirora, wildly and affrightedly staring at the apparition. "And dost thou fear a creature — thou, who wert about to rush unsummoned into the presence of the Creator P" he replied, solemnly. " Look not so amazedly at me ; I know that this cup overflows with poison. I>ay, more, I have been an unseen spectator of your interview with the king ; I know aU your bygone misfortunes ; and I am here to save you from one greater than all — a death like this." " The king keeps not so niggard a house that you need grudge me this draught," said Aurora, with wild fierceness. " I am the king's visitor ; no one shaU hinder me from sharing his hospitality." And she clutched the goblet in both her slender hands, glaring with mad defiance in the old man's face. " Nay, drink," he said, hindering her in no respect, save with his hand gently on her arm ; " drink, but not with the tremendous thought that thereby you commit suicide ! It is but a soporific draught of great power." " Hatli he, too, deceived meP" sighed Aurora, in a heart- broken tone. " You mean Colonel Blood P" repHed the priest. " Yes, to thy immortal benefit ! He and I plotted to save Mervyn, and the only bait that could tempt tne king, alas ! was thy ill- starred loveliness. And even when he consented to pardon thy lover, it seems a black plot was at Avork that should have rendered this mercy of no efiect. But the malice of Mervyn's enemies worked only his safety. They confined him in a dungeon which has a secret adit ; and he is no\» aafe and at liberty." " No, no, he is murdered — he is buried, all mangled, in the Tower!" gasped Aurora. " And think not that it were possible to save your father !" continued the Jesuit. " The king is pledged by many oaths to give his head to the axe ; the short dream of passion over, his cruelty will regain the upper hand." 'And who art thou who speak to mo with this u«nrjc(l 482 WHITBFBIABS. authority P" said Aurora, drying her etreaming eyes, with a vain effort at composure. " The friend of Merryu'a childhood— your friend — all men's friend, save those who rage in savage ignorance against the church — Johannes da Oliva, a servant of Christ, and general of all his societies." " O father, father! and will you abandon me to the tyrant?" said Aurora, wildly clasping her hands. " No, my child ; rather will I perish myself," rephed the Jesuit, compassionately. " But we must deal subtly as with subtle men — all things to all. Drain this goblet — now, — s deep slumber only will follow ; but we will make the king believe that, in your despair, you have swallowed poison. He will then comprehend tne vastness of a hate which, in so young and tender a woman, could overcome the fear of a painful death. Drink, chUd ! you see I do not fear to taste it," and he sipped from the cup. " Give it me ; I do not fear to drain it," she said, eagerly raising it to her lips ; but a sudden suspicion checked her. She looked at the priest with a troubled eye. " Can it be," she said, " that thou betrayest me, priest — dreading of a failure in my resolution P Do you fear in me a rival to your authority? Eager for the blood of Sydney, fear you his daughter's influence over the tyrant's heart P' " AVhcrcfore sliould I stay this hand, then, when the draught of death — if such it were — was on your Ups P" said Oliva, sadly. " But be it as you will ; I force you not to drink. Methinks I hear footsteps." " But what if — abandoned in sleep — oh, horror!" slirieked Aurora, clasping the monk's tremulous hand. " Heaven make these words my last, if 1 mean you ill !" he said, solemnly. " Can you not trust one who so loved your Jfervyn, that to my childless age, he almost seemed a dear and well-loved son P" " Yes, 1 loill trust 3-0U ; the issue be with Heaven !" said Aurora, and she drained the goblet to the dregs. "Lovely martyr! Alas! how sudden it is!" exclaimed Oliva. '* How feel youP you look dull and faint, child P" *' All things reel auout me ; my heart is clogged with some heavy weight !" sigluxl Aurora, very faintly. The Jesuit put His arm round her sinking form, and almost carried her over the room to a couch of silver tissue, on m hich she sunk. Ima- gination probably hastened the natural agency of tlu' potion ; •he lay fi>r a moment gazing with faint e^es in the monk's face, who still held her hand, and then she sunk into a pro- fouud sleep. Her countenance and figure looked so calm a:i(J LOTB IND DKATH. '183 BcpukLrul, that but for the light breathing of her lips, she mi{^ht have been a marble chiselling of repose. Oliva arranged her pai'ments with fatherly care, laid the cup beside her with its glistening dregs, and then paused a moment to surrey the elceper. Tears came to his aged eyes, but, hearing footsteps in the corridor, lie retreated bcliind the gilt curtains of a Avindow, which had been his former liiding-place. The door opened and Charles entered nimbly, his features {lushed with excitement. lie looked around, uttered an exclamation of surprise, not at first percciring Aurora, but his eye glanced at the couch, and in a moment he was kneeling beside it. But suddenly he started up as if stung by an adder, and stood aghast, gazing at the white and motionless form. He seemed to be stupified for some mmutes, when he clutched up the goblet and eagerly examined it, letting it f;dl to the ground as the terrible certainty rushed upon him. Ho called her name, he shook her, and finding that the lethargy defied all attempts to break it — that she fell lifelessly on th© couch when he raised her — he rang a bell on the table with frantic violence. ChiiEnch rushed in, but ere he reached the king, Oliva was there. " What is the matter, my son P" he said, very calmly. " Oh, Oliva, look there ! I have kiUed her ! it is Sydney's daiiglitcr — she has taken poison !" groaned Charles. " Chif- finch, raise her — it cannot be — she is not dead !" "Here, then, are all the fruits of your guilty passion, sire," said Oliva, gazing mournfully at the seeming corpse. " Oh, my son, for dust like this wouldst thou have bartered thine heavenly and temporal good for ever ?" " Madden me not, monk P" said Charles, wildly. " She is dead — she is dead, Chiiliuch." "Thou art mad, already, king!" said Oliva. "Again, I eay, wouldst thou have sacrificed so much for one who pre- fers death to you?" " She is not dead — she shall not die — she breathes !" shouted the king. " Chilfinch, bring a physician — antidotes — where is Hudson ?" "It is the stupor of death — she has swallowed poison," said Ohra. " Chillincli, stay, I command you — we will make no scene for the mob. Bear her from these apartments to tl oso of Mistress Gwyn — the scandal will be less apparent. For heaven's sake, stay where you are, sire — I will biing you news." And making a sign to Chiffinch, they hfted the cushion on which the lady reposed, and bore her awny ; wliile Charlsp, c't.-'ping liis liaj;d.'< in mute agony, sunk brcalhlegsly iuto a rUair. 484 WHITBFBUBS. CHAPTER LX. BETBIBCTION. It was with a feelinfj of the most utter despondency that Mcrvyn descended from the scailbld whereon had perished the faithful scrrant of his house ; and totally disrcgardin;^ or forgetting Claude's intimation about his being observed, lie resolved to find out Blood, and Icam the truth, as to the moans by which his pardon had been obtained. Not doubt- ing that he should find the colonel in his old haiints of White- friars, he took his way towards the river. As he went past Whitehall, however, a muflled figure brushed close past him, without pausing to apologize, though he looked back. Mer- vyn would scarcely have noticed this in his present mood, but that he had observed he was for some time followed by the eame figure, who now took this rude means of gratifying his curiosity. A glance convinced Mcrvyn that it was Lord Howard, much as he endeavoured to keep himself concealed. He took his resolution immediately, and afl'ecting to take no further notice, cut rapidly into the Mall, and thence to Hyde Park, observing with satisfaction that the figure still followed. Pausing at length in an obscure and retired spot, over- shadowed by lofty oaks, Mervyn crouched at the trunk of one of them, and awaited till his follower arrived almost close to him, lookbg anxiously around, but at too high a level to perceive him. He then sprang up. " Good day to you, master shadow !" he exclaimed. " Prithee, are you in love with a kick, that you dodge so nigh my heels P" "la it you, indeed. Captain Mervyn P" said the figure, staring incredulously, as if ne had seen a ghost. "No, I am not Captain Mervyn," replied the yoiuig man, auivering with passion. " I nni ^lervyn of Aumerlo, son of ic earl that was nuirdcrcd in the Tower, and thou art Howard of Eskrickc, who caused hist murder ; and wo two will not lightly part. Draw !" And his sword fiimhcd in his hand, but not with so fierce a sparkle as his eye .^liot forth. Howard delayed not an instant, and their l>ladi-8 met with n violence whicii he did not expect; liis hand wavered, and his sword flew instantly into a tliou.sand splinters. " Curse on your hiuid — the advantage is yours !" lie ex- claimed. " Take my life — I vidue it not at the chink of a bad lialfcrown." And ho stood with dogged ci'mpusnie before Merryn — BETBIBUTION. 486 trho raised kia sword, but Howard never shrunk, and that moment had probably been his last, but for an inexplicable refinement of revenge which occurred to his enemy. " No, traitor ! take a fitter recompense ; thou arc not worthy to die by a true man's sword — be tlic ^allows branded on thy brow !" Two bright slashes over his forehead were all that Howard felt, but the blood suddenly gushed into his eyes — and he knew that an indelible brand was fixed on his brow. Language can only faintly shape the horror of such a punishment to a man like Howard. " Kill me !" he yelled, as Mervyn stood as if enjoying the bitter feast of revenge. " I prefer death — a million deaths !" " No, live — Hve, wretch ! to be the scorn and hatred of the world !" said Mervyn, with a fearful laugh. "And live thou to envy me in my misery!" retorted Howard — "live to this knowledge — thy hfe, thy pretended legitimacy, are bought at the price of Aurora Symiey's dis- honour. Thy remorseless mother bore her to "Wlutehall — to him ! — this morning. She is his ! — Live, now, my Lord Aumerle, to imitate thy father !" Mervyn stood for some moments as if rooted to the spot. " 'Tis as I thought !" he said at length. " 'Tis all over now. —But think not, Howard, to provoke me to take the curse from thy brow, and slay thee ! Live, renegade ! live, seducer ! — but henceforth no man shall be deceived in thee, for wherever thou goest thy branded brow proclaims thee." As he concluded these words, he folded his cloak round his naked sword, and strode ofi" without even looking behind him, leaving Howard fixed like a statue of despair. Mervyn plunged instantly among some thickets, and taking, a by-path, reached the river. His perturbed resolutions were now again altered. He determined to ask an interview with Sydney in the Tower, at whatever risk, and learn from him the real state of the afiair ; for he concluded that, if Aurora were indeed sacrificed, he too must have received a reprieve or pardon. A two-oared sculler, at which he himself plied like a mad- man, soon brought him to the Tower ; and as no one, announcing himself as Sydney's friend, was denied access to him now tliat friendship could be of no service, he was readily admitted. A warder escorted him to the White Tower, in which Sydney was confined, and ushered him into a large, handsome apartment well furnished, lighted by candelabra and with a brilliant fire. The warder ushered him in, and bolted the door after him. Sydney looked up with evident surprise. He was reading JSO wniTErfiiARS. A paper to two gcutlcinon sitting near him — one of U cva the Lord Cavendislv; the other a grave, aristocratic-hK-kii!^ 'jian, whose hkencss to Svducy stamped him as his near kinsman, even if Merrjn had not instantly recognized him as the Earl of Leicester. " Good heavens, !Mervyn !" exclaimed Sydney. " la it in- deed you, rash boy ? After escaping from the lion's jaws, do you rush into them again ? or are you come to teach us how to get out at a keyhole ?" "No, colonel, you have no subterraneous entrance con- trived for murder !" said Mervyn, wildly. " But I defy the lion ; his teeth are drawn. See you here — I am pardoned — my rights acknowledged — nay, 'tis the great seal." He handed the document as he spoke to Sydney, who, after glancing over it in mute astonislmient, handed it to the two noblemen. " Good saints ! and what mighty service have you done to bo thus rewarded ?" said the colonel, amazedly. " Or are you a magician, Mervyn P" " Have you not got your reprieve yet P" exclaimed Mcn-j-n. " No, heaven knows, unless you call yonder death-warrant a reprieve from the toils and tjTanny of this earth P " said Sydney, pointing to a paper. " It is a gauntlet which I have taken up and answered in this appeal of mine to posterity which, after all, is my judge — not Jeflreys." " Has not your daughter sent you a reprieve P" said Mer- vyn, still more wildly. ^ " Alas, poor soul, no. "Mj brother, Leicester, was indeed so unadvised as to sanction Lady Howard's taking her to the levee, to implore a pardon for me ; and on a failure, w hich was inevitable, she hath been insensible ever since at Aunicrlc House," said Sydney, with much agitation of voice and look. " And dated from this noon's council?" said Mervyn. " It 13 impossible — it cannot be — it would outrage heaven too fur to 8arid» BETBlmTTlON. 487 predominated — "the grand Jaugliter of llio great Sydney, and of almost royal Northumberland ! This shall not be cndiired — all Christendom shall ring with it. Old and focblo P3 I am, my house hath still its friends ; and we shall try, w« shall try — Alas ! what can we do ?" " Take comfort, dear colonel," said Lord Cavendish. "If she hath consented to such dishonour, she is no longer your dauglitcr, nor worth a single tear." " Had it been but her death — I could have borne it — I could still have found comfort," said Sydney. " But her dis- lioaour Icftves me none — nothing." And he yielded to the in- tolora1)le anguish of his feelings, in a few hot tears which all hif misfortunes had not yet extorted. But dashing them aside, ho exclaimed, " Pardon me, friends ! — I confess I can jjo longer resist — but it will pass — it will pass. I will uot shame our good cause with a weeping martyr. Oh, I will have vengeance yet ! The sun shall draw my blood to heaven, and from thence a crimson cloud shall descend in tempests on this king-cursed earth ! I leave my vengeance to my country. O, my country, my noble country, avenge me ! Infamous tyrant ! O God, I cannot endvu^e this !" And again he yielded to a silent ecstasy of sorrow ; no one spoke ; but each looked at the other with gushing eyes. " Fool, mad woman ! docs she think to preserve my life on such terms ?" he exclaimed, starting up. " Had she a drop of my blood in her veins, she wovdd know it is impossible ! I leave my everlasting curse upon her ! — tell her so, Mervyn ! — bear these as my dying words to her in licr guilty pomp — • slie hath slain me with a keener stroke than the axe in an enemy's hand." ' But at least we shall be spared the anguish of seeing you die — you will live to vengeance, Sydney !" said Lord Cavendish. " No, no, even if the tyrant hath subdued her sorrow- weakened fancy tobehevc so, I feel it cannot be," said Sydney, in a voice of deep gloom. " He pardoned jVIervyn — yet the same nit^ht murder was to have made his specious clemency vain. He dares not let me live, and I thank God for it ! i can now lay my head on the block with no other regret than that mine own hand cannot avenge her. I leave that task to you Men-yn ! — remember, he who values not his own life, id master of his enemy's I — and the tyrant who deprives liin victims of all hope, shaqicns the dagger for his own breast." " I will live, Sydney, I swear it, henceforth only to vcn • peance !" exclaimed Mervyn, passionately. " That day, that hour, that minute I cease to live tor vengeance, be my last !" i88 WHITEFBIABS. " Yet, after all, this may bo but another lie of Howard's,"* Baid Sydney, with a sudden gleam of hope. " I take somd comfort from this death-warrant ; it is dated from this day's council, at noon-day ; it cannot be that he is wearied already of his Icman, to send her father's head to the block." " I will hunt up Blood — I will extort from him the truth of this pardon !" exclaimed Mervyn, catching at this straw with equal eagerness. "And, meanwhile, my Lord Leicester ma^ to Aumcrle House, and demand to see his niece — I think it cannot be refused." " And, Cavendish, go with my eon ; your presence will hinder his from being questioned of men's eyes," said Sydney. " But tarry not — bring me back swift news — lest my heart break in ignorance." This plan was hastily adopted ; and promising to return with all possible expedition, the three gentlemen left the prisoner alone, with liis great sorrows. CHAPTEB, LXL A CATA8TB0FHB. Meevyn and Lord Cavendish, at the former's suggestion, now bent their course to the river, to go to "Wliitefriars by water. It was late, but they readily procured a sculler, whica Mervyn, who knew the way but too well, undertook to guide. Long as the terrible phantasmagoria of the popi.-^h plot had passed, Mervyn shuddiTcd as he turned the rudder towards the miser's house in Wliitefriars, and when the boat ran up tlie dark archway, his very soul sickened. They ascended the stairs gropingly, and ho easily pushed open that door which ho woidd at one time have given the world to force — andouco more he was in the ruined hall. A stream of moonlight shono tlirough the fissures of the roof, and it seemed as if the events of the intervening years suddenly elfaced themselves, and all the horrors and anguish of that terrible night returned upon him. Ho half thought that the dusky figure of Cavendish was a phantom of tlie departed ; but tliese visions vanished before the sudden light of a torcli. Their footsteps had startled some one, and Tom Hunt's burly figure appeared in the gallery above. " Wt'li, Hunt, how is the colonel H" said Merv^'n, stepping forward, in answt'r to the scrutinizing stare which Tom cast over the hall. " is ho hero P" " Captain Mervyn ! — is it your honour P" said Tom, quietly ▲ CATA9TB0PHE. 433 putting a pistol in Lis breast, which he was levelling round. *' Faith, I am glad to see you — I have been hunting all over the town for you, sir, and I am nigli dead of fear, though no cliickcn either. Oh, the poor colonel ! — ^you will hardly know liim — he is goin^, sir, going — rotting piecemeal. But that's not the worst of it ; he s dying like a devil — howls, gnashes his teeth, and does so beg for mercy it would make a stone pity — he won't die game, I'm afeard. Who's that — there ?" " A friend of mine," repUed Mervyn. " Have you had a surgeon P" " Yes ; and he says in confidence to me, that the game's up," said Tom — " as how he couldn't last the night out, and that if he had to choose himself, he would rather be burned on a gridiron than die his death." While Tom delivered this oration, he lighted the visitors throu niiHsiii:» dragon from the cliiiiu of tin- garter, witli tlie earl's iiiitiiUs, 1 (iiiwned to Klkaniih. ACler liis late inysteriou'. di>'rtp;)e»"J'. «,uc«" ^this ho said with a ghastly smiKj, " I ra.isaekea hit X CATASTEOPn*. 433 treaaures, and found that among them. Perfectly as he imitated the earl's hand, no man that ever knew it, seemg them compared, but will know the original — besides — I took care that yours should be written on paper of a later water- mark than his death !" " Blood, Blood, what ravings are these P" exclaimed Lady Howard. " Yes, that very letter in which you acknowledged your son — the earl's attestation of his legitimacy — all that I found in Duval's cloak, are still in my possession !" " Give them, then, to me, as thou hast sworn !" said the countess, dropping her mask in her agitation. " I will give thee all — everything thou canst ask !" " With what canst thou bribe a man dying in the midst of these horrors ?" said Blood, solemnly. " What is gold, what are riches, pomp, power — all the earth — to me !" " You cannot have resolved to betray me — whom you loved once so well, dear Blood ?" said Lady Howard, in a tone of melting entreaty. "It is too late— your talisman is broken," replied the dying man. " Yet I can and will save you from open shame and exposure. Promise, to save my soul, that you will restore Aumerle to half the estates during your lifetime — acknowledge him, and I will procure you terms for fhe rest." " I will not — I cannot !" replied she, fiercely. " Coward, have you forgotten the blow his father gave you in the Tower P Slave ! he spurned you like a dog." " You have played on that string till it is broken," said the colonel. " I cannot summon gall to think of him — all mv revenge glutted itself in that infernal blow ! Yet I would stiU save you — still the marie of your early power is on my heart. Oh, Eleanor, be mercLail to yourself — force me not to expose you." " Do your worst ! I defy you, trickster !" exclaimed the countess. " A deathbed repentance for such a life as thine but makes the devil laugh. Thou hast betrayed me all along — the wretch, Elkanah, would never have so betrayed me. He had done his work like a man but for thy meddling hand and pretended conscience, which is but a new trick to extort money." " He did not betray you ; let ua acquit his memory of the only good deed that ever was laid to his charge," said Blood. " But you should have chosen some other weapon than my dagger — that refinement of vengeance betrayed you ! Elkanah was, and is likely to continue, very true to you." " Where is he now ?" said the countess, somewhat staillcd. i^i wniTgrniAUs. •' Fi'urliim not — ho is vvhenoohc sliiill never come tiU the cr -.it (lay to testify against you," ropliod Blootl, calmly. " He \i 'i'liclly coflined in that passage whence murder sliall issue no more — buried aa deep as the foundation ! He closed it on liimself, not knowing that I had broken the spring at the other end, and so he is buried alive, poor man, on the rery verge of discovering the secret of eternal life !" " To what point of hellish turpitude have I reached, Then to hear this horror gladdens me?" said Lady Howard, faintly. " Oh: Blood, Blood, will you give me up to the executioner, and worse, worse — to shame incalculable — to the horror of all future ages, Avhich, understanding but my crimes, will uot perceive hy what an invisible hand I was urged on ! That com- ])elled marriage was the root of all my faults, which have forced on each other till I am the guiltiest wrt'tch that ever trod beneath the heavens uncrushed. But I would not bo cursed for ever. Oh, spare me. Blood, spare me !" and she knelt, bathing his hands with a gush of tears. " Brinnf the papers, Hunt," said the colonel, hastily, " I ehaU yield else." Answering the call, Tom made his appearance, with an iron box carefully sealed, which he laid on the bed ; the countess clutched it eagerly. " Touch them not ; you shall not even touch them till you consent to do what poor justice can yet be done !" said Blood. " Turn those tears to a gracious account, and save your own soul as well as mine." " Where is this son of mine, then P" said the countess, eagerly. "Give me the papers; what must I do for him P" Her eye met Blood's, which dwelt upon her with profound and searciiing earnestness. " It will not do ; it is all m vam : you are .*;(ill athirst for liis blood 1" exclaimed the colone^ "Ho, Lord Aumerle — witnesses ! it is tima " As he spoke these words a conaidcrablo uproar overhead was heard, and a voice shouted at the trap-doer above, " Hire they iu-c — here Ihey are !" and the gleam of a partisan ap- peared above. At the same time Mervyn and I/irizijig for the interruption, iuformed Sydney that the ■lieriii'j of London had sent in to demand his body. 50 i WniTKFBlASS. " I deny that they are the sheriffs of London ; their electioQ was in violation of the city charters," said Sydney, warmly. " But let it be — they shall liave what of me remains. 1 am ready." " Tell their honours to step up— I must have a receipt for my prisoner," said Sir John. The sheriffs accordingly made their appearance, in full costume, bowing with ceremonious respect to their destined prey, and to the company. " Master sheriffs," Sydney said, with great calmness, " I will not nuarrel with your errand on mine own account, for the world is now nothing to me ; but I would entreat you, for your own sakes, to consider what heavy guilt you have incurred, in not returning a fair jury, but one packed by the solicitors for the crown." " See," whispered Cavendish to Lord Leicester, " see how, like the good thief, one of them relents, and tears stream down his heavy visage." The sheriffs and Sir John signed a mutual release, and the preparations being complete, Sydney was informed that all was ready, lie seemed in no wise troubled, but shook hanils with the warders who had waited on him, made each a present, and informed the lieutenant that he too was ready. The procession then formed which was to escort the pri- soner to the scaffold. A guard headed it, and the lieutenant, Mervyn, and the other gentlemen surrounding Sydney, they descended to the courtyard. A smile lighted the prisoner's noble countenance when he saw how brightly the sun waa shining, and what masses of anxious faces were around. There was a light sprinkle of snow on the ground, and the roofs glittered with a hoar frost. Tlie7 reached the outer gate of the fortress, where the sln'riffs' coaches waited, but Sydney declared ho would rather walk the short distance which remained to the scaffold, and as tlie way was densely lined with mounted soldiers, no ob- jection was made. The people could not even catch a glimpse of liim as he came, though from the extraordinary flutter and excitement they wore aware that he had loft the Tower. The scaffold was visible all the way as they went, on the point where Tower Ilill debouches into the great e.-^planado of the fortress. It was hung with black cloth, and guarded by a great body of horsemen. When they reached the stairs ascending to the scafibld, Sydney paused for a moment to bid his friends farewell. He desirea that no one should accompany him \ip but Mervyn and two of \i\!i Bfrvants, shook hands with all, and em'jraced A M^KIUAOE, AN EXKCCTION, AND A FIM9. 505 Ilia brother affectionately. He then with unaltered compornT* mounted the scafi'old, leaning on Mervyn's shoulder. A\Ticn once his appearance was manifest to the va.st masse* assembled, there was a general and treme».dou9 shout of " Sydney !" and then a silence so profound and extraordinary that the sheriffs turned pale, and looked at each other in CTeat alarm. Sydney bowed, and glanced with a calm, uii- aismayed eye over the vast assemblage. The wide sjiace surrounding the Tower ditch was densely packed with spec- tators, the numerous streets which verged into it, every window, every roof, even the ramparts of the fortress, were black with gazers. The sentinels even paused, leaning on their glittenng partisans over the battlements, but tlip fortress was decked out in banderols and flags, as if for some general festival. " It is only the dungeons of England that are glad to-day !" said Sydney, with a calm smile. " Behold ! here is the great English people present ! this generation of men will teU the tale to their children, and they to theirs, and my name shall be eternal as the English tongue to utter it, and in many a region of which we dream not yet." " It shall be blessed as long as Jeffreys is cursed!" said Mervyn, with enthusiasm. " They expect a speech from me, it seems, and I have none to make them," said Sydney. " Good people, I have made my peace with God. 1 come not hither to make a speech, but to die. Here, master sheriffs, I desire you to take charge of this paper, which contains all the last words I intend to make. I desire not to read it, nor to have it read to the mul- titude, for I am no mutiuy-stirrer. Look not so dejected, son," he said, cheerfully clapping Mervyn on the shoulder. " I am going to a better place than I leave you in, and I die in as good and great a cause as ever was, though for a time it seems unfortunate, and for which I bled in my youth, when nay veins flowed not so laggardly. Be kind to my poor orphan, Mervyn ! My last words arc a blessing on you both. Ano at some future day," he added, with an affectionate smile, " tell her I desired your heir might be called Algernon Syd- ney ! And now farewell day and night, and joy and trouble and welcome eternal peace ! I do trust my country wiU not forget me ; and if a brighter day should come, this elevated spot on which they have raised my scaffold may, perchance, prove the basis of a statue to my memory. But no, in a land which hath not raised a temple to the memory of Alfred, Sydney may well lack even a gravestonp." o06 WUITKFBlAlitJ. Mervyr. was too mucJi jidi-cttii lo xt-ply, aiiii S^diu-y nnked for the executioner, who advanced \vith a familiar 'uow, touching the top of his black mask in respect. " I desire you will not hack ine as you did ray Lord Russell, sir," said Sydney. " Here are three guineas for you— what, is that not enough for taking oS' an old head like mine P Give him three more, Ducas, if he does it cleverly. Prithee, let me feel your axe." The executioner raised the axe, and Sydney felt the edge, and seemed satisfied that it was sharp enough. "Let not my daughter see my corpise." said Sydney, earnestly, ""iou will bury me at Pcnshurst, Mervj-n, as 7iear my father and mother as may be, and privately, though I forbid no man to weep that hath tears, in such a cause. It will be about sunset to-morrow when you go up the old avenue of oaks to Peushurst; I pray you remember then, as you pass it, that perched high in tlie branches of that hollow oak. which is the last, it was my boyhood's delight to study old Plutarch's characters. I trust my death will not disgrace him whom I chose as my model even then — Marcus Brutus I" " Here are forty thousand spectators, and your honour alone seems unconcerned," sobbed Ducas. " Would you have me die worse than common wretches, who daily outbrave death for picking a pocket?" said Sydney. "Are you ready, sir?" exclaimed one of the sherilTs. ''If vou are, I must indeed tell you, Mr. Sydney, that it would become your great quality and Christian demeanour, to tell the people that you acknowledge the justice of your death, and desire forgiveness." "I die for my countiy, and the last act of my life shall not give the lie to the rest ! ' said Sydney, with a slightly scornful smile. "Then, sir, the clock has past our time," said the sheriff, abruptly. "I think so, too," repHed Sydney, calmly. "Are you ready, friend, with the axeP" " Yes, sir." "And 80 am I. And now, farewell, Mervyn, till we meet above!" said Sydney, turning to his young di.-^ciple. They em- braced, and themob, who ptTceived that (he moment of execution had arrived, uttered faint cries and sobs, wliiio wonu-n shrieked and swooned, and it seemed as if that vast mob were joining in one loud and general lamentation, though Sydney's stern character had prevent^^-d him from ever being the popular idol. He bowed, and a gleam of satisfaetion, brii(hter thiui h •mile, vame over IiIh i'ucv. Uis bervants then ctnpped ofl'hii A MABKIAQE, AN KXKCLTION, AND A FIJfl?. 507 do\iblot and cravat, and opened the neck of his shirt. He then knelt conveniently at the block, and for a few brief moments seemed absorbed in solemn prayer. After this he wrunfT Mervvn's hand once more, and observing that he was speechless with fjrief, murmured in a low voice, " Give my love to Aury ; tell her, if my soul be eternal, that love will be 80 too I" And he laid his head on the block. "Will you rise a the calm and thoughtful woman, and her beauty h.in acquired a still more touching interest from the serene and gentle melancholy which shaded its lustre. Jeffreys no longer oflered his delays to Mervyn's suit, and judgment was pronounced in his favour ; the necessary measures to eject Howard were in forwardne.'^s, and Mervyn awaiting the assemblage of Parliament to take his seat, after which his nuptials were to be publicly solemnized with Aurora, when suddenly the insurrection ot Monmouth alarmed all England. "NVithout the least shadow of pretext, the govern- ment of James II. thou^jht proper to suspect Mervyn of a share in this new conspiracy ; and to avoid incarceration, lu) again iled to Holland. The world wits greutly ehanj;id there also. The Prince of Orange immediately confided the command of his guards to Uie A \ijiRBIAOE, AN KXRCUTION, AND A FINIS. 508 young earl, and he was one of the principal movora of that grand revolution which sliattered the tyrannous throne of the Stuarts. After that great event, honours, riches, and fame were showered upon him. He was restored to all his rights, and the illustrious titles of his ancient house ; wedded, with a Somp which outshone all but royal nuptials, to the beautiful aughter of Sydtiey; and lived to a good old age, in the enjoyment of every earthly happiness ; dying, as the great monument in Mervyu Abbey records, at the age of eighty- three years — surviving his wife, Aurora Sydney, only six months. According to the same inscription, he died a Knight of the Garter, and Constable of the Tower, leaving a numerous issue, the eldest of whom, "Algernon Sydney d'Aumerle," was created a peer in his father's lifetime, as head of the deputation which carried the news of his accession to George I. The same vault also contains the body of the murdered Lord Aumerle, transported thither from the Tower, with great funeral pomp and honours ; and at its feet was laid another coflSn, without inscription, but which a constant tradition ascribes as the last dweUing-place of Claude Duval. There are a variety of memoranda still preserved in the Aumerle family, written by the earl, which may, perhaps, interest such readers as have taken an interest in the minor personages of our chronicle. After taking a review of the principal events of his stormy youth, and thanking God that, at the age of eighty-two, he still preserved his dear w'ife, and .ill his senses in great vigom\ the earl proceeds — " And now, indeed, it doth something sfartle me, looking back at those times, to remember, that I am as it were, the last oak of a noble forest, standing bare and alone, that was once sur- rounded by the verdure of a thousand contemporaries. The woodsman, Death, hath spared scarcely one; and of all the actors in the fearful drama of my youth, not indeed one. Charles II., Jaraos II., William of Nassau, and Mary his queen, Anna of York, in succession my sovereigns, have passed into the tomb, and (which, indeed, something troubles me) a prince who cannot speak English sits on the throne of Alfred ; of the whigs, as they are now commonly called, Shaftesbury died in his bed, Lord Russell, my father, Sydney (whose attainders were reversed as soon as we had king William on the throne), and the duke of Monmouth — wur6 beheaded ; my lord Essex died in the Tower : Howard of Eskricke perished in great misery of poverty and desertion ; my lord Asfryle was beheaded at Edinburgh. Of the court party, that moat infamous judge and ihaiiecilor, Jeflreys, was oigh torn to pieces by a mob, and died misicrably iji tht 510 WHITRFniAKH. ToH-cr; Colonel Blood expired iii great agonies a ii-w days after that dreadful scene in Whitefriars, wlicn'in mv unliappy mother perished ; the wretch who poisoned him, I found his skeleton many years after when, being constable of the Tower, I caused the subterraneous passage to be mortared and stone-choaked. As for Master Chifiiiich, he foUowed king James to France, and I never heard any more of him ; ^Irs. Creswold, I ixm told, died a most horrible death in prison. As to that most abominable of all wTetches, Titus Oates, he survived his severe Haying, and was released at the revolution, but I did hear from many hands that the remnant of his years were so lashed by the whips of conscience, that }u enjoyed no peace on earth, and left it ;it last in liideov^ ilcspair." i,ii!. Hint trni:itr, »ta)i>oat. " I'd dress mv mother so grand and gay, and the baby should have a new toy each day. " .\nd I'd feed the hungry and clothe the poor, and all should bless me who left oui door." The Judge looked back as he climbed the hill, und saw Maud Muller standing still. " A form more fail , a face more sweet, ne er hath it been my lot to meet. " And her modest answer and graceful air show her wise and good as she is fair. " Would she were mine, and I to-day, like her, a harvester of hay : '• No doubtful balance of rights and wrongs, nor weary lawyers with endless tongues, " But low of cattle and song of birds, and health and quiet and loving words." But he thought of bis sisters proud and cold, and his mother vain of her rank and gold. So, closing his heart the Judge rode on and Maud was left in the field alone. But tlie lawvers smiled that afternoon, when he hummed in Court an old love tune; And the young girl mused besi children played round her door. But care and sorrow, and childbirth pain, left their traces on heart and brain. And oft, when the summer sun shone hot on the new-mown hay in the meadow lot. And she heard the little spring brook fall over the road sie and mug, A manly form at her side she saw, and )oy was duty and love was l.iw. Then she took up her burden of life again, saying only, " It might have been." Alas for maiden, alas forjudge, for rich repiner ami household drudge! God pity them both ! and pity us all, who vainly the dreams of youth recall. I-'or of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these . ' It iiiiglu have been." Ah, well ! for us all some sweet hope lies deeply buried from human eyes : And, in the herealler, angels may roll the stone from lis grave away ! Whittikr. What Higher aim can Man attain than Conquest over Human Pain? I llul \Kli\ III' 1.1 i I' I- IM Ml- N^l I \ IN- ;l V--I li «'-lMiul -iu h ,. MM.i. . I ;, ,-„,i:.,.n r». JEIT^O'S '^^T^XJT^JU SJ3LlL..^r.' How iiiii>ortant it is to every indivirtivfa literally, from |hi1m til p.il". ttiitl ihiit il» o»i.iiioi.c>lliiiii iHumliirlty lo ilik> prr' i-nl* iini« o( tlix iii»i,i »l(nal lllu-lriill'iih of l>i' (omul in mir trmlmu lo.-iinli. -Ai.i .i^.m i ii.' Its effect upon any Ul.surdcred, Sleepless, and I'evcrlsh coiniitlon Is simply mnr^cllciux. CAUTION. -lAaniiin- e.uh boille and see tli.ii ill-- i-.ipsul.- isin.irki .1 i;MrS TKI IT SALT." U illiout li, you have been imposed u|K.n bv .i WOU 1 HI I SS I M I 1 A lli 'N l'<,|.ii,