farther waiting. The Rev. Jonas Fleetword, one of the soundest of Puritan divines, stood like a statue of cast iron in the doorway, his arms folded on his breast, and his brow contracting and contracting into a narrow and fretted arch, as the minute-hand moved round and round the dial of the old clock. At length, assuming to himself the command, which in those times was as willingly ceded to the Reformed minister as it had formerly been to the not more arbitrary Catholic priest, he ordered the procession "to tarry no longer the coming of him whose feet were shod with heaviness, but to depart forthwith in the name of the Lord." The place of interment was at East-Church, a distance of about four miles from Cecil Place; and as they paced it but slowly, the increasing chill of the gathering clouds gave intimation that the prime of day was sinking into the eventide before the spire was in sight. As they at length ascended the hill upon whose summit was the vault of the Cecils, a young gentleman, mounted on a gray and noble charger, met the funeral train so suddenly, that those who preceded halted, and for a moment it was rumoured, that Sir Willmott Burrell, though late and last, had taken the lower road from King's ferry, and so arrived in time to behold the remains of her who was to have been his mother, deposited in the tomb. When the people observed, however, that the salutation of respect made by the youth to the Rev. Jonas Fleetword was followed by no sign of recognition, they moved silently onward, marvelling amongst themselves at the young gentleman's keeping a little in advance of the clergyman, so as to take the exact station which belonged to the chief mourner. He was habited in a suit of the deepest black; and though the cloak which fell in ample folds from his throat concealed his figure, yet his movements indicated that it was slight and graceful. His broad hat completely shaded his face, but the luxuriant curls of light hair, which, moistened by the misty atmosphere, fell negligently beneath its brim, intimated that he was more akin to the Cavalier than the Roundhead. By the time the ceremony was concluded, and the divine had finished one of those energetic and powerful appeals to the feelings which so effectually roused or subdued, as it pleased him to desire, darkness had nearly shrouded the surrounding landscape; and the multitude, whom respect or curiosity had assembled, retired from the churchyard, and wended to their homes. The year was in its third month, and the weather, which, when Hugh Dalton landed, had been clear and fine, was now foggy and cold: "The dewy night had with her frosty shade Immantled all the world, and the stiff ground Yet the steed of the youth, who had so unceremoniously joined Lady Cecil's funeral, was cropping the withered grass from the church-yard graves, while his master, apparently unconscious of the deepening night, leaned against one of the richly ornamented stone slabs that marked the entrance to the vault. Suddenly the clatter of horses' hoofs sounded on the crisp road, the cavalier involuntarily placed his hand on his sword, and his horse lifted his head from the earth, bent back his ears, and whinnied in the low and peculiar tone that serves to intimate the approach of strangers. The travellers (for there were two) halted in the church-yard gate. "What ho there!" exclaimed the foremost, "you, sir, who are pondering in grave-yards at this hour, canst tell me if Lady Cecil's funeral took place this morning?" "Her ladyship was buried this evening," replied the other, at the same time fairly drawing his sword out of his scabbard, though the movement was concealed by his cloak. They waited then?" 66 "They did, for one whose presence was not needed." "And pray, how know you that? or knowing, think you it wisdom, Sir Dolorus, to give forth such knowledge, when it might be him they tarried for who questioneth?" "It is because I know you, Sir Willmott Burrell, that I am so free of speech," replied the youth, vaulting into his saddle; "and I repeat it, your presence was not needed.The lady, as you truly know, loved you not while living, so it was as well that you profaned not her burial by a show of false grief." "Here's a ruffler!" exclaimed the other, turning to his follower. "And pray, who are you?" “You shall know that, good sir, when you least desire it,” answered he of the black cloak, reining up his horse, that pawed and pranced impatiently: he then ioosened the bridle, and would have crossed Burrell to pass into the highway; but the other shouted to his associate, "Hold, stop him, Robin! stop him in the name of the Lord! 'tis doubtless one of the fellows who have assailed his Highness's life,‚—a leveller—a leveller! a friend of Miles Syndercomb, or some such ruffian, who is tarrying in this remote part of the island for some opportunity of escape. If you are an innocent man, you will remain; if guilty, this shall be my warrant." He attempted to pull forth a pistol from his belt, but, before his purpose could be accomplished, the point of his adversary's rapier rested on his throat, which, at the same instant, was grasped with more strength than so slight a person could be supposed to possess. Burrell cried to his comrade for help, but he was already out of hearing, having set spurs to his horse the moment he had seen the assault; he then entreated for quarter in an altered and humbled tone. "I am neither a robber nor a murderer," replied the youth, "but, not having pistols, I hold my own safety of too much value to relax my grasp, till you pledge your honour not to attack me but with the same weapon I can use in my defence." Burrell pledged his word "as a Christian and a soldier:" the stranger withdrew his sword. "And now," said he, fixing himself firmly in his seat, and rolling his cloak around his left arm, "if you wish for honourable combat, I am at your service; if not, sir, I take my way, and you can proceed on yours." He drew up to his full height, and awaited Burrell's answer, who sat as if undetermined what course to pursue. He did not long hesitate; the villain's ready friend-treachery-was at his elbow-in an instant the pistol was presented to the head of his confiding antagonist, who, though unprepared for such an act, bent forward previously to the effort of raising himself in the saddle to give more strength to his good steel.Merciful Providence! at the very instant that he bowed himself, the ruffian fired! The ball passed over him-he swayed in his saddle:-the next moment, reining up his horse, he prepared to punish such dastardly conduct as it deserved; but, as worthless purposes are sometimes accomplished by worthy instruments, the fleet steed that Burrell rode was far on its way towards Minster, its track marked by fire-sparks, which glittered in the thickening darkness. The youth remained on the same spot until the sound of the horse's hoofs were lost in the distance, and then, setting spurs to his own gallant gray, proceeded on his course. CHAPTER III. Now is the time when rakes their revels keep; "A BREWER may be like a fox or a cub, GAY. Which nobody can deny. A Brewer may be as bold as Hector, Which nobody can deny. But here remains the strangest thing, Which nobody can deny. Then push the Brewer's liquor about, "Shout not, I pray you, but rather keep silence," exclaimed an old woman, cautiously opening the door of a room in which the revellers were assembled, and thus in66 shout not terrupting their rude, but animated harmony; you may hear a horse's tramp without; and Crisp grumbles so hard, that sure I am 'tis no friend's footstep.' Why, mother," cried one of the company, winking on the rest," you say it was a horse you heard?" "Well! and I say so still, good master Roupall." "Sure you do not make friends of horsos!" “Better make them of horses than of asses,” replied the crone, bitterly; and the laugh was raised against Roupall, who, as with all jesters, could ill brook the jest that was at his own expense. "I hear no tramp, and see no reason why you should interrupt us thus with your hooting, you ill-favoured owl," he exclaimed fiercely. "Hush!" she replied, placing her finger on her lip, while the little terrier that stood at her feet, as if comprehending the signal, crept stealthily to the door, and laying his nose on the floor, drew in his breath hardly; and then erecting his ears, and stiffening his short tail, uttered a low, determined growl. "There are strangers, and near us too," observed an older man, who had hitherto remained s lent; "there is little doubt of their being unfriendly: we had, therefore, better, seeing it would be imprudent to fight, retreat." "Retreat! and why, I wonder?" inquired Roupall, the most reckless and daring of the set; and whose efforts were invariably directed towards meriting the soubriquet of 'Jack the Rover,' by which he was usually designated among his associates; "what care we whether they be friends or foes! let them enter. Old Noll himself has too much to do abroad, to heed a few noisy troopers in an obscure hostelry in the Isle of Shepey." "You are always heedless," observed the other; "and would sell your soul for an hour's uirth." 66 My soul thanks you for the compliment, truly, Master Grimstone, and my body would repay you for it, if there was time, which, I take it, there lacks just now, for it is past eleven. Observe, gentlemen, Jack Roupall retreats not-he only retires." As he spoke, he pushed from a corner of the apartment a huge settle of black oak, that apparently required the strength of six men to displace, but which the trooper handled as easily as if it had been a child's cradle. He then slid aside a panel, that fitted most accurately into the wall, of which it appeared a part; and in a few moments the party, consisting of some five or six, had entered the aperture, carrying with them the remnants of their feast, at the particular request of the old woman, who exhibited great alarm lest any symptom of revelling should remain. The last had hardly made good his retreat, when a loud knock at the door confirmed the dame in her apprehensions. "In the devil's name!" she growled, "how am I to shove this mountain into its place? One of you must remain here; I might as well attempt to throw Blackburn cliff into the sea." "I'l stay, then, if you'll wait a minute," replied Roupall; "I defy the devil and all his works; and old Noll himself, the worst of them;-so here goes." Another and a louder noise testified the traveller's impatience; but the summons was repeated a third time before the settle was replaced, and the room restored to its usually desolate and inhospitable appearance. Roupall ascended a narrow ladder, that led to the loft of the cottage-like VOL. 1. 3 |