ferent a throat. We took the freedom to spice his goblet a little, and ease him of his packet of letters; and the fool went on his way the next morning with a budget artificially filled with gray paper. Ned would have kept him, in hopes to have made a witness of him, but the boy was not of that mettle." "How will you prove your letters?" said the courtier.

"La you there, my lord," said chiffinch; "one may see with half an eye, for all your laced doublet, that you have been of the family of Furnival's, before your brother's death sent you to court. How prove the letters?-Why we have but let the sparrow fly with a string round his foot-We have him again so soon as we list."

Why, thou art turned a very Machiavel, Chiffinch," said his friend. "But how if the youth prove restiff?-I have heard these Peak men have hot heads and hard hands."

"Trouble not yourself-that was cared for, my lord," said Chiffinch-" his pistols might bark, but they could not bite."

"Most exquisite Chiffinch, thou art turned micher as well as padder-Can'st both rob a man and kidnap him?"

"Micher and padder-what terms be these?" said Chiffinch. "Methinks these are sounds to lug out upon. You will have me angry to the degree of falling foul-robber and kidnapper!"

"You mistake verb for noun-substantive," replied his lordship; "I said rob and kidnap a man may do either once and away, without being professional." "But not without spilling a little foolish noble blood, or some such red-coloured gear," said Chiffinch, starting up.

"Oh yes," said his lordship; "all this may be without these direful consequences, and so you will find to-morrow, when you return to England; for

at present you are in the land of Champagne, Chiffie, and that you may continue so, I drink thee this parting cup to line thy night-cap."

"I do not refuse your pledge," said Chiffinch, ❝ but I drink to thee in dudgeon and in hostilityIt is a cup of wrath, and a gage of battle. To-morrow by dawn, I will have thee at point of fox, wert thou the last of the Savilles.-What the devil, think

you I fear you because you are a lord?"

"Not so, Chiffinch," answered his companion. "I know thou fearest nothing but beans and bacon, washed down with bumpkin-like beer.-Adieu, sweet Chiffinch-to bed-Chiffinch-to bed."

So Saying, he lifted a candle, and left the apartment. And Chiffinch, whom the last draught had nearly overpowered, had just strength enough left to do the same, muttering, as he staggered out, "Yes, he shall answer it-Dawn of day-D-n me -It is come already-Yonder's the dawn-No, d-n me, 'tis the fire glancing on the cursed red lattice-I am whistled drunk, I think-This comes of a country inn-It is the smell of the brandy in this cursed room-It could not be the wine-Well, old Rowley shall send me no more errands in the country again-Steady, steady."

So saying, he reeled out of the apartment, leaving Peveril to think over the extraordinary conversation he had just heard

The name of Chiffinch, the well-known minister of Charles's pleasures, was nearly allied to the part which he seemed about to play in the present intrigue; but that Christian, whom he had always supposed a Puritan as strict as his brother-in-law Bridgenorth, should be associated with him in a plot so infamous, seemed alike unnatural and monstrous. The near relationship might blind Bridgenorth, and warrant him in confiding his daughter to such a man's charge; but what a wretch he must be,

that could coolly meditate such an ignominious abuse of his trust. In doubt whether he could trust for a moment the tale which Chiffinch had revealed, he hastily examined his packet, and found that the seal-skin case in which it had been wrapt up, now only contained an equal quantity of waste-paper. If he had wanted further confirmation, the failure of the shot which he had fired at Bridgenorth, and of which the wadding only struck him, showed that his arms had been tampered with. He examined the pistol which still remained charged, and found that the ball had been drawn. "May I perish," said he to himself, " amid these villanous intrigues, but thou shalt be more surely loaded, and to better purpose! The contents of these papers may undo my benefactress-their having been found on me, ruin my father-that I have been the bearer of them, may cost, in these fiery times, my own lifethat I care least for-they form a branch of the scheme laid against the honour and happiness of a creature so innocent, that it is almost sin to think of her within the neighbourhood of such infamous knaves. I will recover the letters at all risks-But how?-that is to be thought on.-Lance is stout and trusty; and when a bold deed is once resolved upon, there never yet lacked the means of executing it."

may

His host now entered, with an apology for his long absence; and after providing Peveril with some refreshments, invited him to accept, for his nightquarters, the accommodation of a remote hay-loft, which he was to share with his comrade; professing, at the same time, he could hardly have afforded them this courtesy, but out of deference to the exquisite talents of Lance Outram, as assistant at the tap; where, indeed, it seems probable that he, as well as the admiring landlord, did that evening contrive to drink nearly as much liquor as they drew.

But Lance was a seasoned vessel, on whom liquor made no lasting impression; so that when Peveril awaked that trusty follower at dawn, he found him cool enough to comprehend and enter into the design which he expressed, of recovering the letters which had been abstracted from his person.

Having considered the whole matter with much attention, Lance shrugged, grinned, and scratched his head; and at length manfully expressed his resolution. "Well, my naunt speaks truth in her old

saw,

He that serves Peveril munna be slack,
Neither for weather, nor yet for wrack.'

And then again, my good dame was wont to say, that whenever Peveril was in a broil, Outram was in a stew; so I will never bear a base mind, but even hold a part with you, as my fathers have done with yours, for four generations, whatever more."

"Spoken like a most gallant Outram," said Julian; "and were we but rid of that puppy lord and his retinue, we two could easily deal with the other three."

"Two Londoners and a Frenchman?" said Lance,

"I would take them in mine own hand. And as for my Lord Saville, as they call him, I heard word last night that he and all his men of gilded gingerbread that looked at an honest fellow like me, as if they were the ore and I the dross-are all to be off this morning to some races, or such like junkettings, about Tutberry. It was that brought him down here, where he met this other civet-cat by accident."

In truth, even as Lance spoke, a trampling was heard of horses in the yard; and from the hatch of their hay-loft, they beheld Lord Saville's attendants mustered, and ready to set out so soon as he should make his appearance.

"So ho, Master Jeremy," said one of the fellows, to a sort of principal attendant, who just came out of the house, methinks the wine has proved a sleeping cup to my lord this morning."

"No," answered Jeremy, "he hath been up be fore light, writing letters for London; and to punish thy irreverence, thou, Jonathan, shalt be the man to ride back with them."

"And so to miss the race," said Jonathan, sulkily; "I thank you for this good turn, good Master Jeremy; and hang me if I forget it."

Further discussion was cut short by the appearance of the young nobleman, who, as he came out of the inn, said to Jeremy, "These be the letters. Let one of the knaves ride to London for life and death, and deliver them as directed; and the rest of them get to horse and follow me.

Jeremy gave Jonathan the packet with a malicious smile; and the disappointed groom turned his horse's head sulkily towards London, while Lord Saville, and the rest of his retinue, rode briskly off in an opposite direction, pursued by the benedictions of the host and his family, who stood bowing and curtseying at the door, in gratitude, doubtless, for the receipt of an unconscionable reckoning.

It was full three hours after their departure that Chiffinch lounged into the room in which they had supped, in a brocaded night-gown, and green velvet cap, turned up with the most costly Brussels lace. He seemed but half awake; and it was with drowsy voice that he called for a cup of cold small beer. His manner and appearance were those of a man who had wrestled hard with Bacchus on the preceding evening, and had scarce recovered the effects of his contest with the jolly god. Lance, instructed by his master to watch the motions of the courtier, officiously attended with the cooling beverage he called for, pleading, as an excuse to the landlord, his VOL. II.

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