hear he is. I have seen something of swordplay, but never saw a thrust in tierce better put in. I am the bearer of a message from his grace the Duke of York; I and my companion here, Colonel Claverhouse, having sought you at Crow's Nest, found you were out hunting, and came on hither. I am Mr. Churchill, of the Second Life Guards. Allow me to introduce to you Colonel Claverhouse, just arrived from putting down disturbances in Scotland; he is dying to be acquainted with so well known and gallant an officer as Sir Robert Darcy."

CHAPTER III.

THE TWO AMBASSADORS.

"COLONEL CLAVERHOUSE," said his companion, bowing coldly, and keeping his stern unmoving eye fixed on Sir Robert, "is proud of meeting one who has bled for that good cause which seems now again endangered."

Adzooks, gentlemen both," said Sir Robert, flinging abroad both his hands at once, "no court congés with an old trooper, who can only beg you to come and take a poor Cavalier's refreshment at his broken-down house of Crow's Nest. Egad, though, I wish Mabel was here. Did you meet a lady and a groom, gentlemen, as you skirted Ravenhill woods?

"We did, indeed," said Churchill, kissing his hand to an imaginary goddess; "beautiful as Diana, and queenly as Hippolyta. My friend here, who has a poetical vein, Sir Robert-"

"I a poetical vein !" scowled Claverhouse, but did not speak.

"Swore," said Churchill, quite undaunted, "that the flowers sprang up from the footprints of her horse, while the sunbeams seemed to run before her like heralds of her coming." "Pretty court language, but thrown away on a poor squire's daughter, gentlemen. Your news from his Grace."

Breaking abruptly into this conversation, Claverhouse, in a few soldier-like words, informed Sir Robert that his Grace the Duke of York being alarmed, not for his own sake, but for his Majesty's, at the rebellious procession of the Green Ribbon and other Protestant clubs, headed by Shaftesbury and the heads of the Whig party, had made an effort to muster all the Tory gentlemen of Oxford

VOL. II.

Q

shire who were of approved loyalty and stanch adherents to Church and king, and who were begged to attend the opening of the parliament with as many blue-coat men and tenants as they could muster, armed back and breast, and carrying pistols in their holsters. "The lands of Crow's Nest we find, by an old return of the troubles, furnish sixty horse?"

"They did," said Sir Robert with a sigh. "But now, thanks to that Whig scoundrel I have just pinked, my own body-servants are all I can mount."

"You're steel of the true temper after all, I see," said Claverhouse, with a cold smile. "But to be frank with you, Sir Robert, I expected a far different response; for I heard you were but little better than a Trimmer, and even kept a Puritan chaplain."

"So I do," said Sir Robert, with a wince; "it's more from charity, though, than choice. But, egad, I keep him down, and make him drink loyal at least that is—he's a good sort of man."

"Try him with the oath of allegiance,' said Claverhouse; "that is the best touchstone in these times; and then twist"

"My friend Claverhouse," said Churchill, laughing, "is exceedingly anxious to introduce several new systems of torture into England; he is determined, if the boots do not become soon popular with English judges, to join Kirk at Tangiers, and devote the rest of his life to exterminating the Moors."

"Churchill, you know the limits of my patience; so keep your wit for La Belle Hamilton or the blushing Bagot. If my feeling of duty seems to you cruel or ascetic, that is between me and my God. I have, at least, not devoted my life to the study of dress-wigs, Martial's gloves, ragouts, or chatelains; it is on the fidelity of such gentlemen as Sir Robert Darcy the de jure succession may depend."

"Now, don't be angry, Claverhouse,” said Churchill. "I yield to no one in a sense of a soldier's duty; but we may surely sometimes stand at ease. You're always seeing