midst of them with a brandy bottle at his head; and poor soul, he had need enough of comfort, to be sure, for to Heligoland he must go-and three horses lost, of course-besides the anxiety of his friends.

"It was a good while ere I got my thoughts any ways collected about me. Ellen, poor thing, sat close nestled beside me, shaking all over like a leaf. But yet it was she that first spoke to me, and, upon my soul, I think her face was more woful than it had ever been when we were in our utmost peril; it was a sore sight, truly, that had made it so, and the poor lassie's heart was visibly at the bursting. There were our two horses-the poor dumb beasts-what think ye of it? -there they were, both of them, swimming just by the stern of the boat. And our honest Bauer, God bless me! the tears were running over his face while he looked at them; and by and by one of the poor creatures made an exertion and came off the side of the boat where the lad sat, quite close to ourselves, that cut me

with an imploring look and a wurse by me, but to the very heart. Ellen sat and sobbed as all I every now and then she bolted up, and it's could do to hold her in her place. At last the poor beast made two or three most violent plunges, and reared himself half way out of the water, coming so near the boat, that one of the men's oars struck him on the head; and with that he groaned most pitifully, snorted, neighed, and plunged again for a moment, and then there was one loud, shrill such a terrible sound since I was born, and away he cry, I never heard drifted astern of us. We saw him after a very little while had passed, going quite passively the way the current was running, the other had done so just before; but I've been telling you a very long story, and perhaps you'll think, about very little matters too. As for ourselves, we soon reached one of the transports that Sir George Steuart had sent to fetch off the brave Brunswickers; and though the rascally Danes kept firing at us in a most cowardly manner, whenever we were obliged to come near their side on the tack, they

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while Ellen's hand wrung mine more and more closely, they also, one would have thought, were always shrinking nearer and nearer to each other, just as they had had the same kind of feelings. Ellen, I can tell you what her behaviour was. I don't believe there's a bold man in Europe would have behaved so well, sirs. Her cheek was white enough, and her lips were as white as if they had never had a drop of blood in them; but her eye, God bless me! after the first two or three minutes were over, it was as clear as the bonniest blue sky ye ever looked upon. I, for my part, I cannot help saying it, was, after a little while, more grieved, far more, about her than myself. I am an old man, sirs, and what did it signify? but to see her at blythe seventeen-But, however, why should I make many words about all that? I screamed, and screamed, and better screamed, but she only squeezed my hand, and shook her head, as if it was all of no avail. I had shouted till I was as hoarse as a raven, and was just going to give up all farther thoughts of making any exertion; for, iph Lbegan to fo less all oveph," quoth the old gentleman

might We her sir, if I were in a railing humour. But I've lived to see changes that may well shut my mouth :I mind the day, sir," he proceeded, lifting his voice

"I well mind the day, sir, when a Catholic gentleman could neither inherit the estate of his ancestors without some beggarly quirk to evade the laws, nor buy lands, nor leave them to his bairns-I weel mind the day, sir, when the Honourable James Talbot was tried in an English court, tried like a felon, for being in Catholic orders-1 mind good worthy Mr. Malony being tried in the same way, and sentenced to perpetual imprisonment, because he pleaded guilty, forsooth. These days are all gone past, Mr. Macdonald; King George, though I bore arms myself, when I was a beardless lad, against his grandfather, is a good man, and a good king, sir, and the prejudices of people must just get time to wear out. I shall not live to see the day that I can scarcely expect-but come it will, and you, Mr. Dalton, I hope will live to see it, when

it will be no blot on any man's escutcheon to be a Petre, a Jerningham, a Throgmorton, or a Clifford."

"You need not be in such a heat, man," quoth Macdonald; "I'm sure I'm none o' the enemies of your claims, as ye call them. For my part, I think the Church of Rome and the Church of England are sib to the back-bone-four pennies the one, and a groat the other."

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Ay, ay, have I gotten ye there at last, ye foul Whig loon?" cried Keith, throwing himself back in his chair with a scornful smile; "Have I brought ye to the sticking-place at length, my friend? It is such friendship as yours, sir, that disgraces us now, and does more harm to the cause than all the open enemies we ever mustered. You hate EPISCOPACY, sir; you hate THE CHURCH; you are a vile WHIG, it was born in you, and bred in you, and it will rot in your bones, man. It's just you, and the like o' you, being with us, that makes those that should be with us stand against us; and if there's too many of ourselves that are taken in wi' your vile snares, so much the worse.-Shame! Shame! and a black shame on all such tod's tricks, I say. NON TALI AUXILio, non defensoribus ISTIS !"

"Hear till him, hear till him, Mr. Dalton! Wha saw ever sic a bleeze ?"

But the jarring string had been touched, and the old man had risen and flung his mighty cloak about his shoulders ere Macdonald could find means to pacify him. He walked to the door in high dudgeon, but turned again just after he had laid his fingers on the lock, and resuming all the suavity of his usual smile; which was in truth a most mild and gracious one, said, "We must not part in ill blood, though, for all this, Ralph Macdonald. Here's my hand-God bless you gie my love to all friends in the Land o' Cakesthat will be no great trouble to you now-a-days, man." They shook hands, whispered together for a little while at the door of the room, and then, after wishing Reginald good-night, in a tone of great courtesy, and

adding, that, as he was about to be a resident in Oxford, he hoped to have the pleasure of meeting with him again, the good priest withdrew.

Macdonald, drawing his chair close to the fire-place, entertained Reginald with a few moments' conversation about the old father and his adventurous expedition; and then these two coach acquaintances exchanged a tolerably affectionate farewell. Mr. Macdonald was to set off at seven next morning per Bobart, so that they had but little prospect of seeing each other again.

CHAPTER IV.

THE bed-room, to which Betty Chambermaid conducted our young gentleman, was in a part of the house very remote from their supper-parlour. It is one of a great number situated along the line of an open wooden gallery, and its windows look out upon a lane branching from the street that gives entrance to the inn. Reginald, seeing that there was still fine moonlight, went to the window to peep out for a moment, ere he should undress himself. He threw up the sash, and was leaning over the balcony, contemplating a noble Gothic archway on the other side of the lane, when several persons turned the corner from the street, some retreating apparently, and others following; for, though none of them were moving at speed, there was opposition and anger in the tones of the voices.

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"Say the word, then, speak it out," cried one voice. Say Town, d- ye, or I'll floor your carcass." "Gown or Town?" roared another; "speak, or by jingo

Stand back, stand back, I say: halt, you knaves," shouted a third-" I am a clergyman."

Reginald thought it was certainly very like Mr. Keith's voice; but they were all on the dark side of the lane, and he listened for another moment.

"I am a clergyman, I am a priest, sirs," was reiterated.

"A clergyman! Then the devil's in't if you're not a gownsman-down with him, down with him, I say."

"Come, come, don't meddle with him; he's an old fellow, Hitchins."

"Old! d him, haven't they battered old Dry's windows about his ears? down with him!"'

"Staund back, I say; help, help!-God sauf us! watch, watch! Stap out, ony one o' you, if you're MEN."

Reginald could no longer be mistaken: He seized the poker, got out upon the balcony, and dropt on the pavement in a twinkling.

"Gown or Town? Gown or Town?"

"Cowards! rascals! back, you scoundrels!—Mr. Keith, Mr. Keith, here stand beside me, sir."

A violent tussle ensued: one fellow aimed a blow at the priest's head, which he parried secundum artem, and returned with energy. Of two that attacked Reginald, one got a push in the midriff that made him sick as a dog; the other, after inflicting a sharp cut with his stick, was repaid by a crashing blow that might have shivered the scapula of a Molineaux. The priest and another fellow, getting into close embrace, rolled down together, town uppermost, in the kennel. Black eyes and bloody noses were a drug. Reginald broke a bludgeon; but the poker flew from his grasp in doing so. Fists sounded like hammers for a few seconds; and then Town, first retreating for a few paces in silence, turned absolute tail, and ran into the street screaming and bellowing, "Town! Town! Town!"

REGINALD.

I am afraid you're hurt, sir. Take my arm, Mr. Keith.