Read A Jacobite Exile Page 17

  Chapter 17: The North Coach.

  Barnet was then, as now, a somewhat straggling place. Soon afterentering it, the horseman turned off from the main road. Hispursuers were but fifty yards behind him, and they kept him insight until, after proceeding a quarter of a mile, he stopped at asmall tavern, where he dismounted, and a boy took his horse and ledit round by the side of the house.

  "Run to earth!" Harry said exultantly. "He is not likely to movefrom there tonight."

  "At any rate, he is safe for a couple of hours," Charlie said. "Sowe will go to our inn, and have a good meal. By that time it willbe quite dark, and we will have a look at the place he has goneinto; and if we can't learn anything, we must watch it by turnstill midnight. We will arrange, at the inn, to hire a horse. Onewill be enough. He only caught a glimpse of us at that inn, andcertainly would not recognize one of us, if he saw him alone. Theother can walk."

  "But which way, Charlie? He may go back again." "It is hardlylikely he came here merely for the pleasure of stopping the nightat that little tavern. I have no doubt he is bound for London. Youshall take the horse, Harry, and watch until he starts, and thenfollow him, just managing to come up close to him as he gets intotown. I will start early, and wait at the beginning of the houses,and it is hard if one or other of us does not manage to find outwhere he hides."

  They had no difficulty in arranging with the landlord for a horse,which was to be left in a stable he named in town. They gave him adeposit, for which he handed them a note, by which the money was tobe returned to them by the stable keeper, on their handing over thehorse in good condition.

  After the meal they sallied out again, and walked to the tavern,which was a small place standing apart from other houses. There wasa light in the taproom, but they guessed that here, as at the otherstopping place, the man they wanted would be in a privateapartment. Passing the house, they saw a light in a side window,and, noiselessly opening a little wicket gate, they stole into thegarden. Going a short distance back from the window, so that thelight should not show their faces, they looked in, and saw the manthey sought sitting by the fire, with a table on which stood abottle and two glasses beside him, and another man facing him.

  "Stay where you are, Harry. I will steal up to the window, and findout whether I can hear what they are saying."

  Stooping close under the window, he could hear the murmur ofvoices, but could distinguish no words. He rejoined his companion.

  "I am going to make a trial to overhear them, Harry, and it isbetter that only one of us should be here. You go back to the inn,and wait for me there."

  "What are you going to do, Charlie?"

  "I am going to throw a stone through the lower part of the window.Then I shall hide. They will rush out, and when they can find noone, they will conclude that the stone was thrown by somemischievous boy going along the road. When all is quiet again Iwill creep up to the window, and it will be hard if I don't manageto learn something of what they are saying."

  The plan was carried out, and Charlie, getting close up to thewindow, threw a stone through one of the lowest of the littlediamond-shaped panes. He heard a loud exclamation of anger inside,and then sprang away and hid himself at the other end of thegarden. A moment later he heard loud talking in the road, and a manwith a lantern came round to the window; but in a few minutes allwas quiet again, and Charlie cautiously made his way back to thewindow, and crouched beneath it. He could hear plainly enough, now,the talk going on within.

  "What was I saying when that confounded stone interrupted us?"

  "You were saying, captain, that you intended to have a week inLondon, and then to stop the North coach."

  "Yes, I have done well lately, and can afford a week's pleasure.Besides, Jerry Skinlow got a bullet in his shoulder, last week, intrying to stop a carriage on his own account, and Jack Mercer'smare is laid up lame, and it wants four to stop a coach neatly.Jack Ponsford is in town. I shall bring him out with me."

  "I heard that you were out of luck a short time ago."

  "Yes, everything seemed against me. My horse was shot, and, just atthe time, I had been having a bad run at the tables and had lost mylast stiver. I was in hiding for a fortnight at one of the cribs;for they had got a description of me from an old gentleman, who,with his wife and daughter, I had eased of their money and watches.It was a stupid business. I dropped a valuable diamond ring on theground, and in groping about for it my mask came off, and, like afool, I stood up in the full light of the carriage lamp. So Ithought it better, for all reasons, to get away for a month or so,until things quieted down. I wanted to visit my banker, and it wasa good many miles to tramp."

  "Oh, you have got a banker, captain?"

  "I have one who is just as good, though I cannot say he shells outhis money willingly--in fact he was rude enough to say, when Icalled this time, that if I ever showed my face to him again hewould shoot me, even if he were hung for it. Bad taste, wasn't it?At any rate, I mustn't call on him again too soon."

  "You haven't settled on the night yet, I suppose, captain?"

  "About the end of next week. Friday will be a full moon, I think,and I like a moon for the work. It gives light enough to see whatyou are doing, and not light enough for them to see much of you. SoI suppose I may as well fix Friday. I will send up a message forJack Mercer and Jerry Skinlow to be here on Thursday evening. Iwill be here that afternoon, and settle matters with them as towhere they shall meet me, and what each man shall do. Then I willride back to town, and come out again just as it gets dark, withJack Ponsford."

  "I suppose you will do it north of here?"

  "No, I will do it a mile or two out of town. The road north of thisis getting rather a bad reputation, and in going out of Barnet theguard now looks to his blunderbuss, and the passengers get theirpistols ready. It isn't once in a hundred times they have pluckenough to use them, but they always think they will, until the timecomes. Near town we shall take them by surprise, and stop thembefore they have time to think of getting out their arms.

  "Confound that window. Shove something into the hole, Johnson. Ican feel the cold right down my back."

  A cloth was pushed into the broken pane, and Charlie could hear nomore of what was said inside. He had heard, indeed, enough for hispurpose, but he had hoped to gather the name of the place at whichthe man would put up in London. However, he was well satisfied withhis success, and at once made his way back to the inn.

  "Well, Charlie, how have you succeeded?" Harry asked, as he satdown at the table.

  "Could not be better, Harry, though I did not find out where heputs up in London. However, that is of small consequence. In thefirst place, I found out that our suspicions were right, and thatthe fellow is a highwayman, and seems to be captain of a gangconsisting anyhow of three, and perhaps of more, fellows likehimself. In the second place, he intends, with his three comrades,to attack the coach on Friday week, two or three miles out of town.Nothing could better suit our purpose, even if we had planned theaffair ourselves. Of course, we will be there. If we can capturehim while engaged in that work, we can get anything out of him. Hehas either got to confess or be hanged."

  "That is a stroke of good luck, indeed," Harry exclaimed. "It willbe rather difficult to manage, though. The fellows will be sure tobe masked; and, if we were to shoot him instead of one of theothers, it would be fatal."

  "Yes, that would be awkward. Besides," Charlie said, "even if wedid recognize him and shot his horse, he might jump up behind oneof the other men, or might make off across the country, and wemight lose sight of him before we could get down from the top ofthe coach to pursue."

  "It might be better if we were mounted, instead of being on thecoach."

  "Better in some ways, Harry; but if they heard two mounted mencoming along beside the coach, they would probably take the alarmand not attack at all; while, if we were to keep a bit behind, andride up as soon as we heard the firing--for they generally shootone of the horses to bring the coach to a standstill--they mightride
off as soon as they heard the sound of the horses on the road.Those fellows are splendidly mounted. Their lives depend upon it,and nothing we should be able to hire would be likely to have achance with them."

  "Well, we shall have plenty of time to think this over, Charlie. Isuppose we shall carry out our plan tomorrow, as we arranged."

  "Certainly. It is as important to find out where he lives in Londonas it was before, for if he gets away, we can then look him upthere. We may as well go to bed at once, for I shall start at four,so as to get to town before him, however early he may be off. Butas we know, now, he is going up on pleasure and not on business, Idon't suppose he will be in any hurry in the morning."

  Charlie arrived in town about eight o'clock, and, havingbreakfasted at the first tavern he came to, walked along for somedistance, to decide upon the spot where he should take up hisposition. As Nicholson was going up, as he said, to enjoy himself,it was not likely that he would put up at Islington, but would takeup his quarters in the centre of the town. He therefore decided towalk on, until he came to some junction of important roads; andthere wait, as the man might make either for the city orWestminster, though the latter appeared the more probabledirection.

  Here he walked up and down for an hour, and then, entering atavern, took his place at the window, where he could see up thestreet, called for a stoup of wine, and prepared for a long wait.

  It was not, indeed, until three o'clock that he saw Nicholsoncoming along. He was more gaily dressed than he had been on theprevious day. He had on a green cloth coat with gold braid roundthe cuffs, an embroidered waistcoat, yellow breeches, top boots,and three-cornered hat. He was riding at foot pace.

  Charlie went to the door as soon as he passed, and saw that, as heexpected, he took the road to Westminster. Looking round, he sawHarry riding about a hundred yards behind. Charlie had nodifficulty in keeping up with Nicholson, and traced him to a housein a quiet street lying behind the Abbey. A boy came out and heldthe horse, while its rider dismounted, and then led it away to thestable of an inn a short distance away. Charlie turned at once, andjoined Harry.

  "I need not have taken all the trouble I have, Harry, still therewas no knowing. Evidently the fellow has no fear of being detected,and is going to pass, for a week, as a gentleman from the country.I suppose he is in the habit of stopping at that house whenever hecomes up with his pockets lined, and is regarded there as arespectable gentleman by the landlord. Now you had better take yourhorse to the stable, where you agreed to hand it over, and we willmeet at our lodgings and plan what to do next."

  The discussion did not lead to much. There did not seem, to them,anything to do until the day when the coach was to be attacked, butthey agreed it would be well to take the advice of their friend thetipstaff. Hitherto, they had not told him more of their motive fordesiring to find Nicholson, than Charlie had said at his firstinterview with him. They thought it would be better, now, to makehim more fully acquainted with the facts, for they had found himshrewd, and eager to assist them to the best of his power. Theytherefore sent a boy with a note to him, at the court, and at seveno'clock he came to their lodgings.

  "We have found our man," Charlie said as he entered.

  "I am very glad to hear it, gentlemen. I had quite given up allhopes that you would be able to do so, and thought he must haveleft town altogether for a time."

  "Sit down and take a glass of wine. We want your advice in thismatter, and unless you know how much there is at stake, you willnot be able to enter fully into the affair.

  "Some four years ago, this fellow was concerned in a plot by whichsix gentlemen, among whom were our friends, were brought to ruin.They were in the habit of meeting together, being all of similarpolitical opinions, and advantage was taken of this by a man, whohoped to profit largely by their ruin, especially by that of myfather. In order to bring this about, he recommended this fellow weare in search of to my father, who happened, at the time, to be inwant of a servant.

  "The fellow undoubtedly acted as a spy, for I once caught him atit. But spying alone would have been of no use, for there wasnothing at any time said that would have brought harm upon them.They simply discussed what thousands of other people havediscussed, the measures that should be taken on behalf of theStuarts, if one of them came over from France supported by a Frenchforce. The fellow, however, swore that the object of these meetingswas to arrange for an assassination of William. He gave fulldetails of the supposed plot, and in order to give substance to hisstatements, he hid, in a cabinet of my father's, a number ofcompromising papers, professing to be letters from abroad.

  "These were found by the officers sent to arrest my father. He andhis five friends managed to escape, but their estates wereforfeited. Of course, what we want to prove is the connectionbetween this spy and his employer, who, for his services inbringing this supposed plot to light, received as a reward myfather's estates. There is no way of doing this, unless this mancan be brought to confess his own villainy in the matter of theletters, and to denounce the scoundrel whose agent he was.Probably, by this time, he has got nearly all he can expect fromhis employer, and will at least feel no scruples in exposing him,if by so doing he can save his own neck.

  "Now, we have not only discovered the man, but have found out thathe is a notorious highwayman, and the leader of a gang; but more, Ihave found out the day and hour on which he proposes to stop androb the North coach."

  "Well, Mr. Carstairs, if you have done that," the man said, "youhave done marvels. That you should find the man might be a piece ofgood luck, but that you should have learned all this about himseems to me wonderful."

  "It was a lucky accident, altogether. We saw him, watched him, andmanaged to overhear a conversation from which we gathered thesefacts. It was all simple enough. Of course, our idea is that weshould, if possible, catch him in the act of robbing the coach,bind and take charge of him, saying that we should hand him over tojustice, when the coachman and passengers would, of course, appearto testify against him. Instead of doing this, we should take himsomewhere, and then give him the option of either making a cleanbreast of the whole story, and remaining in our custody untilcalled upon to testify to his statement in a court of justice,whenever required; or of being handed over to the authorities, tobe tried and hung as a highwayman.

  "One of our greatest difficulties is how to effect his capture. Theattack will be made at night on the coach, and in the darkness wemight shoot him, or he might get away. He is at present in London,at a lodging in a street behind the Abbey, where, doubtless, hisreal profession is altogether unsuspected by the people of thehouse.

  "Now you know the whole affair. Let us have your opinion as to themanner in which we had best set about the business."

  The man sat for some time, in silence.

  "I can think of no better plan than yours, sir, and yet it seems tome that there is scarcely any chance of your catching him at thecoach. Of course, it would be easy enough if you did not carewhether you killed or caught him. All you would have to do would beto get half a dozen stout fellows, armed with pistols, on the coachwith you instead of passengers, and then you would be prettycertain to kill some of them, perhaps all; but, as you can't dothat, and are afraid to shoot lest you should kill him, it seems tome that you have a very small chance of catching him that way."

  Charlie and his friend so thoroughly saw this, that they sat silentwhen he ceased speaking.

  "We could not arrest him now, I suppose?" Harry said at last.

  "Well, you see, you have got nothing against him. He may have beena Knight of the Road for the last five years, but you have nowitnesses to prove it, and it is not much use to accuse him ofintending to rob the North mail. You have no proofs, even of that.It is only your word against his.

  "There is no doubt that, after they have robbed the coach, theywill separate. They may go away in twos, or singly. Now, you see,we know three of this fellow's hiding places. He would hardlychoose the one at Barnet. It is too close. It is more likely hewould ch
oose the next place, the little inn in which you saw himfirst; but I think it more likely still that he and his mates willdivide the plunder, half a mile or so from the place where theystopped the coach, and will then separate, and I am inclined tothink his most likely course is to strike off from the main road,make a long round, and come down before morning to where he is now.He may take his horse into its stable, or, more likely, he mayleave it at some place he may know of on the road leading outthrough Putney, and then arrive at his lodgings just aboutdaybreak. He would explain he had been at a supper, and had kept itup all night, and no one would even have a suspicion he had beenengaged in the affair with the coach. I am sure that is his mostlikely plan."

  "Then, what would you do?" Harry asked.

  "What I should do is this. I will get two sharp active boys. I knowof two who would just do, they have done jobs for us before now. Iwill give them the exact description of those two taverns, and sendthem down the day before the coach is to be attacked, and tell themthat, that night, they are each to keep watch over one of them, seewho goes in, watch till they come out, and then follow them, fordays if necessary, and track them down. Then they can send word upby the guard of the coach, each day; so that, if we find our mandoes not come back here by Saturday morning, we shall have newsthat will put us on his track again, before long.

  "However, I think he is sure to come back here. You had betterpoint out to me, this evening, where he lodges, and I shall be ableto find out, before long, whether they are respectable people, orwhether they are likely to be pals of his.

  "If they are respectable, I will see them on Friday evening, showthem my badge, and tell them that the man who has been lodging hereis a notorious highwayman, and that I am going to arrest him. Toprevent any chance of a mistake, I will put three or four of mymates round the house, to see that no one goes out to give him thealarm. I will come down and open the door for you, at two o'clockin the morning. You can then come up with me into his bedroom, andas he comes in, I will nab him.

  "If, on the other hand, I find the people of the house have adoubtful reputation in the neighbourhood, we must simply hide indoorways, make a rush upon him as he goes up to the house, andoverpower him there. If one stands in his doorway, and leaps out onhim as he comes up, he won't have much chance of using a pistol. Iwill have a cart ready, close by. We will truss him up tightly, gaghim and put him into it, and I will have some place ready for us todrive him to, if you think that plan is as good as any other."

  "I think it is an excellent plan, and could not be better," Charlieexclaimed, and his friend heartily agreed with him.

  "I think you will be able to get anything out of him, when you gethim there," said the tipstaff. "He is sure to have some of the swagabout him, and, even if none of the passengers of the coach areable to swear to him, that and the talk you overheard would besufficient to hang him."

  "Can those boys you speak of write?"

  "Not they, sir."

  "There might be a difficulty about a verbal message."

  "The guard will give it, all right, if he gets half a crown withit. You need not trouble about that, sir. I will have a man to meeteach coach, as it comes in.

  "And now we have arranged matters, sir, I will go with you to seethe house, and will send a sharp fellow down tomorrow, to makeinquiries about the people of the place."

  When they returned, the friends sat for a long time, talkingtogether. The suggested plan looked so hopeful that they feltconfident of its success.

  "I think, Charlie," Harry said, "it would be a good thing for us topresent ourselves to the Duke of Marlborough. Then we shall see ifhe is disposed to take an interest in us, and help us. If he is, hewill tell us what had best be done towards getting Nicholson'sstatement made in the presence of some sort of official who willact on it. If he gives us the cold shoulder, we shall have to do asbest we can in some other direction, and it will be well to havethe matter settled, if possible, before we catch the fellow."

  "I think that will be a very good plan, Harry. I know where helives. I inquired directly I came over. Tomorrow morning we can gothere and inquire, at the door, at what hour he receives callers."

  The next day at eleven o'clock the young men, dressed in their bestattire, called at the duke's. They were informed that the great manwas at home, and would be as likely to see them then as at anyother hour. Accordingly they entered, and were shown into ananteroom, and sent their names in by a footman. He returned with arequest that they would follow him, and were shown into a library,where a singularly handsome man, in the prime of life, was sittingat a desk. He looked at them in some surprise.

  "Is there not some mistake, young gentlemen?" he asked. "My servantgave the names as Captain Jervoise, and Captain Carstairs. I do notrecall the names as those of officers in her majesty's service."

  "No, my lord, we have the honour to be captains in the service ofKing Charles of Sweden, as this document, signed both by hisminister, Count Piper, and by the king himself, will testify."

  The duke took the paper, and read it.

  "The king of Sweden speaks very highly of you both, gentlemen," hesaid cordially. "It is no mean credit to have gained such warmpraise from the greatest general of his time. What can I do foryou? Do you wish to be transferred from the service of Sweden tothat of her majesty? We have need of good officers, and I canpromise that you shall receive the same rank that you now hold, andit is likely that, before long, you will have an opportunity ofseeing some service under your national flag."

  "I thank you warmly for your kindness, my lord, but it is not withthat view that we have now come to you, though I am sure that weboth should prefer to fight under our own flag, rather than underthat of a foreign king, however kindly he may be disposed to us,personally. We have called upon a private matter, and I am thebearer of this letter from my father, who had once the honour ofyour lordship's friendship."

  "Jervoise," the duke repeated, as he took the letter. "Not MatJervoise, surely?"

  "That is my father's name, sir."

  "Do I remember him? Why, he was one of my closest friends when Iwas a lad, and I once stayed with him at his father's place, for afortnight, on a journey I took to the north. But I will read hisletter--

  "What changes happen," he said, as he laid it down. "To think thatMat Jervoise should be an exile, his old home in the hands ofstrangers, and he a major in the Swedish service; and that I shouldnever have heard a word about it!

  "Well, young sir," and he held out his hand to Harry, "I canpromise you my aid and protection, to the utmost, in whatevermatter you may be concerned. I seem to remember the name of yourcompanion, too."

  "His father, Sir Marmaduke, was a neighbour of ours. There hasalways been great friendship between the two families."

  "Of course, I remember him now. He was some fifteen or twenty yearsolder than your father. I remember that I went over with yourfather and grandfather, and dined at his place. He is still aliveand well, I hope?"

  "He is both, sir," Charlie said; "but, like Major Jervoise, anexile."

  "You amaze me, but I will not ask you to tell me more, now. I haveto be at Saint James's at twelve.

  "Let me see, this evening I shall be engaged. Come tomorrowmorning, at half past eight, and I shall then be able to give youan hour, or maybe two, if necessary, and will then hear the wholestory fully."

  The young men, on presenting themselves the next morning, at thehour named, were at once ushered in.

  "Now, let us lose no time," the duke said, after shaking handsheartily. "Which of you will tell the story?"

  "Carstairs will do so, my lord," Harry replied. "The mischief washatched in his house, and my father, and six other gentlemen, werethe victims of the treachery of a kinsman of his."

  Charlie told the story of the events that had brought about theruin of his father and friends.

  "It is monstrous!" the duke exclaimed indignantly, when he hadbrought this part of his story to a conclusion. "That my oldfriend, Mat Jervoise, should be c
oncerned in a plot forassassination, is, I would pledge my life, untrue; and SirMarmaduke Carstairs was, I know, an honourable gentleman, who wouldbe equally incapable of such an act. That they were both Jacobites,I can well believe, for the Jacobites are strong everywhere in thenorth, but, as half of us are or have been Jacobites, that canscarcely be counted as an offence. At any rate, a Stuart is uponthe throne now, and, as long as she reigns, there is no fear that acivil war will be set up by another of the race. The story, as youhave told it, sir, is, I doubt not for a moment, true, but atpresent it is unsupported; and though, on my assurance of theirloyalty, I think I can promise that her majesty would extend apardon to the gentlemen who have been so unjustly accused, I fearthat she could not, by her own act, restore the estates that havebeen confiscated, unless you can bring some proof that this fellowyou speak of was suborned to get up false evidence against them."

  "That, sir, is what I shall have the honour to inform you now."

  And Charlie then related the story of their quest for the manNicholson, and its result.

  "Rarely devised and carried out," the duke said warmly. "Do you laythe knave by the heels, and frighten him into confessing the truth,and I will see to the rest of the matter. I do not know that Iought to let the North coach be robbed, after the information youhave given me, but, as we will hunt down all the other fellows, andshall probably recover the booty they carry off, the passengerswill have no reason to grumble.

  "Well, young sirs, the king of Sweden has given you a testimonialas to your bravery and conduct. If necessary, I will give you onefor your ingenuity in planning and carrying out a difficult scheme.

  "So you have both been with the Swedes through their campaignagainst the Russians and Poles. I envy you. King Charles' serviceis a grand school for soldiers, and that victory of Narva is themost extraordinary one ever seen. Had you the honour of anypersonal intercourse with the king?"

  "Only during three days, when our company formed part of his escortat a hunting expedition," Harry, whom he addressed, replied. "ButCarstairs spoke to him more frequently. He has been a captainnearly two years, while I only had my promotion two months ago. Wewere in the same regiment, and of the same rank, but Carstairs waspromoted by the king, after the battle at the passage of the Dwina,as a reward for the suggestion he made in conversation with him,that the passage might be made under the screen of smoke caused bythe lighting of the forage stacks."

  "I must have a long talk with you both. It is certain that, nextspring, the campaign with France will re-open, and your experiencein the field will be very useful to me. The Swedes are wonderfulsoldiers. The Muscovites, at present, are little better thanbarbarians carrying European arms, but the Saxons are good troops,and the Swedes have twice beaten them heavily, and they evidentlyretain the fighting qualities that, under Gustavus Adolphus, shookthe imperial power to its centre.

  "The trouble is to find time. I am pestered with men desirous ofemployment in the army, with persons who want favours at court,with politicians of both parties, with people with schemes andintrigues of all kinds. I have to be in attendance at the palace,and to see into the whole details of the organization of the army.I have no doubt that, at present, my antechamber is crowded withpeople who want to see me."

  He looked at his tablets.

  "Next Wednesday evening I am free, except for a reception at LordGodolphin's, but I can look in there late. I will not ask you here,because I want you to myself. I will have a private room atParker's coffee house in Covent Garden. We will sup at seven. Whenyou go there, ask for Mr. Church's room, and make yourselfcomfortable there until I come, for I can never answer for my ownhours. In that way, we shall be free from all chance ofinterruption, and I can pick your brains undisturbed. You willremember the day and hour. Should there be any change in thisprivate matter of yours, do not hesitate to come to me here."

  Tony Peters, their guide and adviser, reported favourably as to thepeople with whom the highwayman was lodging.

  "The house is kept by the widow of an usher at the palace. Sheentertains gentlemen from the country, who come up on business atthe courts of justice, or with people of influence at court. I haveascertained that our man passes as a well-to-do trader ofSalisbury, who comes up, two or three times a year, to transactbusiness, and to enjoy for a short time the pleasures of town. Heis liberal in his payments, and is held in high respect by thewoman, whose only objection to him, as a lodger, is the late hourshe keeps. He is a crafty fellow this, for by always going to thesame house, and comporting himself with moderation, he secures aplace of retirement, where, however close the quest after him,there will be no suspicion whatever, as to his profession, on thepart of the people he is with.

  "My man found out all these matters from the servant wench. Weshall have no difficulty in taking him quietly. The woman will beso terrified, when I tell her what he is wanted for, that she willdo anything rather than have a scandal that would damage thereputation of the house."

  He assured Charlie that he need give the matter no further thought.All the arrangements would be made, and, unless he heard fartherfrom him, he and Harry would only have to present themselves, atthe door of the house in question, at two o'clock on the morning ofSaturday.

  The evening with the duke passed off pleasantly. The general'squestions turned, not so much upon the actual fighting, as upon theorganization of the Swedes, their methods of campaigning, ofvictualling the army, of hutting themselves in winter, themaintenance of discipline in camp, and other military points thatwould be of service to him in his next campaign.

  "Your king is very wise, in so strictly repressing all plunderingand violence," he said. "Only so can a general maintain an army inan enemy's country. If the peasantry have confidence in him, andknow that they will get a fair price for their produce, they willbring it into the market gladly, in spite of any orders their owngovernment may issue to the contrary. I am determined that, if Iagain lead an English army in the field, I will follow KingCharles' example; though I shall find it more difficult to enforcemy orders than he does, for he is king as well as general, and hisSwedes are quiet, honest fellows, while my army will be composed ofne'er-do-wells--of men who prefer to wear the queen's uniform to aprison garment, of debtors who wish to escape their creditors, andof men who find village life too quiet for them, and prefer to seethe world, even at the risk of being shot, to honest labour on thefarms. It requires a stern hand to make a disciplined army out ofsuch materials, but when the time of fighting comes, one need wishfor no better."

  Before parting with them, the duke inquired farther into theirarrangements for the arrest of the highwayman, and said he shouldexpect to see them on Saturday, and that, if he heard that all hadgone well, he would at once take steps for bringing the matterbefore a court that would deal with it.

  The young men felt restless, as the day approached. They had seenno more of Tony, but they felt complete confidence in him, and weresure that they would hear if any difficulties arose; but though,throughout Friday, they did not quit their lodging, no messagereached them.

  Chapter 18: A Confession.

  At the appointed hour, as the clock of the Abbey was striking, theygave three gentle knocks at the door of the house. It wasimmediately opened by Tony, who held a candle in his hand, closedthe door quietly behind them, and then led them into a parlour.

  "Well, Tony, I suppose all has gone well, as we have not heard fromyou."

  "There was nothing to tell you, sir, and, indeed, I have beenmightily busy. In the first place, I got two days' leave from thecourts, and went down myself, in a light cart, with the boys andtwo men. That way I made sure that there should be no mistake as tothe houses the boys were to watch. The two men I sent on, ten milesbeyond the farthest tavern there to watch the road, and if anyhorseman goes by tonight, to track him down.

  "This evening I came here. I brought with me one of my comradesfrom the courts, and we told the good woman the character of thelodger we had seen leave the house a quarter of an hour before.
Shealmost fainted when we showed her our badges, and said we mustarrest him, on his return, as a notorious highwayman and breaker ofthe laws. She exclaimed that her house would be ruined, and it tooksome time to pacify her, by saying that we would manage the job soquietly that no one in the house need know of it, and that wewould, if possible, arrange it so that the place of his arrestshould not be made public.

  "At that, she at once consented to do all that we wished her. Wesearched his room carefully, and found some watches, rings, andother matters, that answered to the description of those stolenfrom a coach that was stopped near Dorking, three weeks ago. Mymate has taken them away. As she was afraid that a scuffle in thebedroom might attract the attention of the four other gentlemen whoare lodging here, I arranged that it should be done at the door. Inthat case, if there was any inquiry in the morning, she could saythat it was some drunken fellow, who had come to the house bymistake, and had tried to force his way in.

  "So she put this parlour at our disposal, and, as I have got theshutters up and the curtains drawn, there is no fear of hisnoticing the light, for, as we may have some hours to wait, it ismore pleasant to have a candle, than to sit in the dark."

  "Does she come down to let him in?" Harry asked.

  "No, sir, the door is left on the latch. She says he finds his wayup to his room, in the dark, and the candle and a tinderbox arealways placed handy for him there. We will take our shoes offpresently, and, when we hear footsteps come up to the door andstop, we will blow out the candle and steal out into the passage,so as to catch him directly he closes the door. I have gothandcuffs here, some rope, and a gag."

  "Very well, then. I will undertake the actual seizing of him,"Charlie said. "You slip on the handcuffs, and you, Harry, if youcan find his throat in the dark, grip it pretty tightly, till Tonycan slip the gag into his mouth. Then he can light the candleagain, and we can then disarm and search him, fasten his legs, andget him ready to put in the cart."

  The hours passed slowly, although Tony did his best to divert them,by telling stories of various arrests and captures in which he hadbeen concerned. The clock had just struck five, when they heard astep coming up the quiet street.

  "That is likely to be the man," Tony said. "It is about the hour weexpected him."

  He blew out the candle and opened the door quietly, and they wentout into the passage. A moment later the step stopped at the door,the latch clicked, and it was opened. A man entered, and closed thedoor behind him. As he did so Charlie, who had marked his exactposition, made a step forward and threw his arms round him.

  The man gave an exclamation of surprise and alarm, and thenstruggled fiercely, but he was in the hands of one far strongerthan himself. A moment later, he felt that his assailant was notalone, for he was grasped by the throat, and at the same time hefelt something cold close round his wrists. There was a sharpclick, and he knew that he was handcuffed.

  Then a low voice said, "I arrest you, in the name of the queen, forbeing concerned in the robbery of the Portsmouth coach at Dorking."

  Then a gag was forced between his teeth. Bewildered at thesuddenness of the attack, he ceased to struggle, and remainedquiet, in the grasp of his captors, till there was the sound of thestriking of flint and steel hard by. Then Tony came out of theparlour with a lighted candle, the highwayman was lifted into theroom, and the door was shut.

  He then saw that his captors were three in number. There were twoyoung gentlemen, and a smaller man, who, as he looked at him, heldout a badge, and showed that he was an officer of the law. Hispistols and sword were removed, then his pockets were searched, andtwo watches and three purses, with some rings and bracelets, weretaken out and laid on the table.

  "It came off, you see," Tony said to Charlie.

  "Well, Master Nicholson, to use one of your aliases, of which youhave, no doubt, a score or more, you may consider yourself underarrest, not only for the robbery of the Portsmouth coach threeweeks ago, but of the North coach last evening."

  The prisoner started. It seemed impossible to him that that affairshould be known yet, still less his connection with it.

  "You know what that means?" Tony went on grimly. "Tyburn. Now I amgoing to make you a little safer still. You have been a hard birdto catch, and we don't mean to let you slip through our fingersagain."

  So saying, he bound his arms closely to his side with a rope, andthen, with a shorter piece, fastened his ankles securely together.

  "Now I will fetch the cart."

  He had been gone but five minutes, when they heard a vehicle stopat the door. The others lifted the highwayman by his shoulders andfeet, carried him out, and laid him in the cart. Tony closed thedoor quietly behind them, and then jumped up by the side of thedriver, who at once started the horse at a brisk trot. They crossedWestminster Bridge, and, after another ten minutes' drive, stoppedat a small house standing back from the road, in a garden of itsown.

  "We will carry him in, Tony," Charlie said, "if you will get thedoor open."

  They carried him in through the door, at which a woman wasstanding, into a room, where they saw, to their satisfaction, ablazing fire. The prisoner was laid down on the ground. Leaving himto himself, Charlie and his friends sat down to the table, whichwas laid in readiness. Two cold chickens, and ham, and bread hadbeen placed on it.

  "Now, Tony, sit down. You must be as hungry as we are."

  "Thank you, gentlemen. I am going to have my breakfast in thekitchen, with my wife."

  As he spoke, the woman came in with two large tankards full ofsteaming liquid, whose odour at once proclaimed it to be spicedale.

  "Well, wife, we have done a good night's work," Tony said.

  "A good night's work for all of us," Charlie put in. "Your husbandhas done us an immense service, Mrs. Peters, and, when our fatherscome to their own again, they will not forget the service he hasrendered us."

  When they had made a hearty meal, Tony was called in again.

  "Now, Tony, we will proceed to business. You have got pen and inkand paper, I suppose?"

  "I have everything ready, sir. I will clear away this table, so asto have all in order."

  When this was done, the highwayman was lifted up and placed in achair, and the gag removed from his mouth.

  "You don't remember us, I suppose, my man?" Charlie began. "Thelast time I saw you was when I brought my stick down on your head,when you were listening outside a window at Lynnwood."

  An exclamation of surprise broke from the prisoner.

  "Yes, I am Charlie Carstairs, and this gentleman is Harry Jervoise.By the way, I have made a mistake. I have seen you twice sincethen. The first time was in a wayside tavern, some twelve milesbeyond Barnet, nine days ago. The second time was at another tavernin Barnet. You will remember that a mischievous boy threw a stone,and broke one of the lattice panes of the window, where you weresitting talking over this little affair of the North coach."

  A deep execration broke from the lips of the highwayman.

  "Now you see how we know all about it," Charlie went on. "Now, itentirely depends on yourself whether, in the course of anotherhour, we shall hand you over to a magistrate, as the leader of thegang who robbed the North coach, and took part in the robbery nearDorking--we have found some of the watches and other plunder inyour bedroom--or whether you escape trial for these offences. Youmay be wanted for other, similar affairs."

  "Yes, sir," Tony put in. "Now I see him, he answers exactly to thedescription of a man the officers have been in search of, for along time. He goes by the name of Dick Cureton, and has beenengaged in at least a dozen highway robberies, to my knowledge."

  "You see," Charlie went on, "there is no doubt whatever what willhappen, if we hand you over to the officers. You will be hung atTyburn, to a moral certainty. There is no getting out of that.

  "Now, on the other hand, you have the alternative of making a cleanbreast of your dealings with John Dormay, of how he put you atLynnwood to act as a spy, how you hid those two letters he gave youin my father's
cabinet, and how he taught you the lying story youafterwards told before the magistrates at Lancaster. After havingthis story written down, you will sign it in the presence of thisofficer and his wife, and you will also repeat that story beforeany tribunal before which you may be brought.

  "I don't know whether this is a hanging matter, but, at any rate, Ican promise that you shall not be hung for it. The Duke ofMarlborough has taken the matter in hand, and will, I have nodoubt, be able to obtain for you some lesser punishment, if youmake a clean breast of it. I don't say that you will be let free.You are too dangerous a man for that. But, at any rate, yourpunishment will not be a heavy one--perhaps nothing worse thanagreeing to serve in the army. You understand that, in that case,nothing whatever will be said as to your being Dick Cureton, or ofyour connection with these last coach robberies. You will appearbefore the court simply as Robert Nicholson, who, having metCaptain Jervoise and myself, felt constrained to confess thegrievous wrong he did to our fathers, and other gentlemen, at thebidding of, and for money received from, John Dormay."

  "I do not need any time to make up my mind," the highwayman said."I am certainly not going to be hung for the advantage of JohnDormay, who has paid me poorly enough, considering that it wasthrough me that he came into a fine estate. I take it that you giveme your word of honour, that if I make a clean breast of it, andstick to my story afterwards, this other business shall not bebrought up against me."

  "Yes, we both promise that on our word of honour."

  "Very well then; here goes."

  The story he told was in precise accordance with the suspicionsthat his hearers had entertained. He had been tramping through thecountry, sometimes pilfering, sometimes taking money as a footpad.He had, one day, met John Dormay and demanded his money. He wasarmed only with a heavy cudgel, and thought Dormay was defenceless.

  The latter, however, produced a pistol from his pocket, andcompelled him to drop his stick; and then, taking him by thecollar, made him walk to his house. He had asked him questions asto his previous life, and had then given him the choice of going tojail, or of acting under his instructions, in which case he wouldbe well rewarded. Naturally, he had chosen the second alternative.And, having him completely under his thumb, John Dormay had madehim sign a paper, acknowledging his attempt at highway robbery uponhim.

  The rest of the story was already known to his hearers. He had,several times, overheard the conversations in the dining room, buthad gathered nothing beyond talk of what would be done, if thePretender came over. John Dormay had taught him the story of theassassination plot, and had given him the letters to hide. He nowswore that the whole story was false, and had been told entirely atthe dictation of John Dormay, and from fear of the consequence tohimself, if he refused to obey his orders.

  When he had finished, Tony's wife was called in, and she made hermark, and her husband signed his name, as witnesses to thesignature of Robert Nicholson.

  "Now, I hope I may have something to eat," the man said,recklessly. "I am ready to tell my story to whomsoever you like,but am not ready to be starved."

  "Give him food, Tony," Charlie said, "and keep a sharp lookoutafter him. We will go across, and show this paper to the duke."

  "I will bring the matter, at once, before the council," the generalsaid, when Charlie gave him the document, and briefly stated itscontents. "There is a meeting at three o'clock today. I shall seethe queen previously, and will get her to interest herself in thematter, and to urge that justice shall be done without any delay. Iwill arrange that the man shall be brought before the council, atthe earliest date possible. If you will come here this evening, Imay be able to tell you more. Come at eight. I shall be in then todress, as I take supper at the palace, at nine."

  "I have ventured to promise the man that he shall not be hung, mylord."

  "You were safe in doing so. The rogue deserves the pillory orbranding, but, as he was almost forced into it, and was the mereinstrument in the hands of another, it is not a case for hanginghim. He might be shipped off to the plantations as a rogue and avagabond.

  "What are you smiling at?"

  "I was thinking, sir, that, as you said there were a good many ofthat class in the army, the man might have the option of enlistinggiven him."

  "And so of getting shot in the Netherlands, instead of getting hungat Tyburn, eh? Well, I will see what I can do."

  At eight o'clock, they again presented themselves. The duke lookedat them critically.

  "You will do," he said. "Put your cloaks on again, and come withme. Where do you suppose that you are going?"

  "Before the council, sir," Harry suggested.

  "Bless me, you don't suppose that your business is so pressing,that ministers have been summoned in haste to sit upon it. No, youare going to sup with the queen. I told her your story thisafternoon. She was much interested in it, and when I informed herthat, young as you both were, you had fought behind Charles ofSweden, in all his desperate battles, and that he had not onlypromoted you to the rank of captain, but that he had, under his ownhand, given you a document expressing his satisfaction at yourconduct and bravery, she said that I must bring you to supper atthe palace. I told her that, being soldiers, you had brought withyou no clothes fit for appearance at court; but, as at littlegatherings there is no ceremony, she insisted that I should bringyou as you are.

  "My wife Sarah went on half an hour ago, in her chair. There willprobably be two others, possibly Godolphin and Harley, but morelikely some courtier and his wife.

  "You do not feel nervous, I hope? After being accustomed to chatwith Charles of Sweden, to say nothing of the Czar of Russia,Carstairs, you need not feel afraid of Queen Anne, who is goodnature itself."

  Nevertheless, both the young men felt nervous. After beingconducted up some private stairs, the duke led them into anoak-panelled room, of comparatively small size, lighted by numeroustapers, which displayed the rich hangings and furniture. A lady wassitting by the fire. A tall, handsome woman, with a somewhatimperious face, stood on the rug before her, talking to her, whilea pleasant-looking man, who by his appearance and manner might havebeen taken for a country squire, was sitting opposite, playing withthe ears of a spaniel lying on his knee.

  The tall lady moved aside, as they entered, and Charlie noticed alittle glance of affectionate welcome pass between her and theduke--for the pair were devotedly attached to each other--then hebowed to the seated lady.

  "Madam," he said, "allow me to present to you the two youngofficers, of whose bravery Charles of Sweden has written sostrongly, and whose parents have, with other gentlemen, been drivenfrom the land by villainy."

  The young men bowed deeply. Anne held out her hand, and each inturn, bending on one knee, raised it to his lips.

  "There," she said, "let that be the beginning and end of ceremony.This is not a court gathering, but a family meeting. I want to hearyour stories, and I want you, for the time, to forget that I amAnne of England. I know that your fathers have always been faithfulto our house, and I hope that their sons will, ere long, do as goodservice for me as they have done for a foreign prince.

  "You have not seen these gentlemen yet, Sarah?"

  "No, my husband has kept them to himself."

  "I have had but little time to give them, Sarah, and wanted it all,to question them on the Swedish modes of warfare."

  "And you thought I should be an interruption?

  "I am glad to meet you both, nevertheless. Since my husband likesyou, I am sure to do so;" and she smiled pleasantly, as she gave ahand to each.

  They were then introduced to the Prince Consort, George of Denmark.

  At this moment, supper was announced. The queen and the duchesswent in together, followed by the four gentlemen.

  "Lord Godolphin and Mr. Harley were to have been of the partytonight," the queen said, as she took her seat at table, "but I putthem off till tomorrow, as I wanted to hear these gentlemen'sstory."

  During the meal, the conversation was gay. As soon as the las
t dishwas removed, the party returned to the other room. Then the queencalled upon the young men to tell their story.

  Charlie began, and related up to the time when he had aided in therescue of his father from the hands of his escort. Harry told thestory of their military experiences, and then Charlie related hisnarrow escape at Warsaw, his adventure with the brigands, and thefight with the wolves.

  "That is the most exciting of all," the queen said.

  "I think that even you, general, would rather have gone through thebattle of Narva, than have spent that night among the wolves."

  "That would I, indeed, madam, and I doubt if I should have got aswell through it as Captain Carstairs did. I am sure, madam, youwill agree with me, that these young gentlemen ought to be fightingunder our flag, rather than that of Sweden. There is no blame tothem, for they were most unjustly driven from the country; but Ihope that, by Monday at this time, I shall have the pleasure ofpresenting a document for your majesty's signature, stating that,in the opinion of the council, a very grave miscarriage of justicehas taken place; and that the gentlemen, whose estates were fouryears ago confiscated, are proved to be innocent of the crime ofwhich they were accused, and are true and faithful subjects of yourmajesty; and that the proceedings against them are hereby quashed,and their estates restored to them.

  "I had the honour of relating to you, this afternoon, the manner inwhich these gentlemen have succeeded in bringing the truth tolight."

  Shortly afterwards, the party broke up, the queen speaking mostgraciously to each of the young men.

  On Monday morning, they received a summons to appear before thecouncil, at two o'clock in the afternoon, and to produce one RobertNicholson, whose evidence was required in a matter of moment. Theyhired a carriage, and took the highwayman with them to SaintJames's, and were conducted to the council chamber; where theyfound Lord Godolphin, the Marquis of Normanby, Mr. Harley, and theDuke of Marlborough, together with two judges, before whom thedepositions, in the case of Sir Marmaduke Carstairs and hisfriends, had been laid.

  Lord Normanby, as privy seal, took the chair, and briefly saidthat, having heard there had been a grievous miscarriage ofjustice, he had summoned them to hear important evidence which wasproduced by Captains Carstairs and Jervoise, officers in theservice of the king of Sweden.

  "What have you to say, Captain Carstairs?"

  "I have, sir, only to testify that this man, who stands beside me,is Robert Nicholson, who was in my father's employment for twoyears, and was, I believe, the principal witness against him.Captain Jervoise can also testify to his identity. I now producethe confession, voluntarily made by this man, and signed in thepresence of witnesses."

  He handed in the confession, which was read aloud by a clerkstanding at the lower end of the table. A murmur of indignationarose from the council, as he concluded.

  "You have acted the part of a base villain," Lord Normanby said toNicholson. "Hanging would be too good for such a caitiff. Whatinduced you to make this confession?"

  "I have long repented my conduct," the man said. "I was forced intoacting as I did, by John Dormay, who might have had me hung forhighway robbery. I would long ago have told the truth, had I knownwhere to find the gentlemen I have injured; and, meeting them bychance the other day, I resolved upon making a clean breast of it,and to take what punishment your lordships may think proper;hoping, however, for your clemency, on account of the fact that Iwas driven to act in the way I did."

  One of the judges, who had the former depositions before him, askedhim several questions as to the manner in which he had put thepapers into Sir Marmaduke's cabinet.

  He replied that he found the key in a vase on the mantel, and aftertrying several locks with it, found that it fitted the cabinet.

  "His statement agrees, my lords," the judge said, "with that madeby Sir Marmaduke Carstairs in his examinations. He then said thathe could not account for the papers being in his cabinet, for itwas never unlocked, and that he kept the key in a vase on themantel, where none would be likely to look for it."

  In a short time, all present were requested to withdraw, but inless than five minutes they were again called in.

  "Gentlemen," Lord Normanby said to the young officers, "I havepleasure in informing you, that the council are of opinion that theinnocence of your fathers and friends, of the foul offence of whichthey were charged, is clearly proven; and that they have decidedthat the sentence passed against them, in their absence, shall bequashed. They will also recommend, to her majesty, that thesentence of confiscation against them all shall be reversed.

  "As to you, sir, seeing that you have, however tardily, endeavouredto undo the evil you have caused, we are disposed to dealleniently, and, at the request of the Duke of Marlborough, we haveagreed, if you are ready to leave the country and enlist at once,as a soldier in the army of Flanders, and there to expiate yourfault by fighting in the service of your country, we will notrecommend that any proceedings shall be taken against you. But if,at any time, you return hither, save as a soldier with a report ofgood conduct, this affair will be revived, and you will receive thefull punishment you deserve.

  "For the present you will be lodged in prison, as you will beneeded to give evidence, when the matter of John Dormay comes upfor hearing."

  Nicholson was at once removed in custody. The two young officersretired, an usher bringing them a whispered message, fromMarlborough, that they had better not wait to see him, as thecouncil might sit for some time longer; but that, if they wouldcall at his house at five o'clock, after his official reception, hewould see them.

  "This is more than we could have hoped for," Harry said, as theyleft Saint James's. "A fortnight ago, although I had no intentionof giving up the search, I began to think that our chances of eversetting eyes on that rascal were of the slightest; and noweverything has come right. The man has been found. He has been madeto confess the whole matter. The case has been heard by thecouncil. Our fathers are free to return to England, and theirestates are restored to them; at least, the council recommends thequeen, and we know the queen is ready to sign. So that it is asgood as done."

  "It seems too good to be true."

  "It does, indeed, Charlie. They will be delighted across the water.I don't think my father counted, at all, upon our findingNicholson, or of our getting him to confess; but I think he hadhoped that the duke would interest himself to get an order, that nofurther proceedings should be taken in the matter of the allegedplot. That would have permitted them to return to England. He spoketo me, several times, of his knowledge of the duke when he was ayoung man; but Churchill, he said, was a time server, and hascertainly changed his politics several times; and, if a man isfickle in politics, he may be so in his friendships. It was a greatmany years since they had met, and Marlborough might not have beeninclined to acknowledge one charged with so serious a crime.

  "But, as he said to me before I started, matters have changed sincethe death of William. Marlborough stands far higher, with Anne,than he did with William. His leanings have certainly been, allalong, Jacobite, and, now that he and the Tories are in power, andthe Whigs are out of favour, Marlborough could, if he chose, dovery much for us. It is no longer a crime to be a Jacobite, andindeed, they say that the Tories are intending to upset the act ofsuccession, and bring in a fresh one, making James Stuart thesuccessor to Anne.

  "Still, even if we had succeeded so far, by Marlborough'sinfluence, that our fathers could have returned to England withoutfear of being tried for their lives, I do not think that either ofthem would have come, so long as the charge of having beenconcerned in an assassination plot was hanging over them.

  "Now that they are cleared, and can come back with honour, it willbe different, altogether. It will be glorious news for them. Ofcourse, we shall start as soon as we get the official communicationthat the estates are restored. We shall only have to go back tothem, for, as you know, yours is the only estate that has beengranted to anyone else. The others were put up for sale, but no onewou
ld bid for them, as the title deeds would have been worthnothing if King James came over. So they have only been let tofarmers, and we can walk straight in again, without dispossessinganyone."

  "I don't know what to do about John Dormay," Charlie said. "Thereis no doubt that, from what the judge said, they will prosecutehim."

  "So they ought to," Harry broke in. "He has striven, by falseswearing, to bring innocent men to the scaffold. Why, it is worsethan murder."

  "I quite agree with you, Harry, and, if I were in your place, Iwould say just as strongly as you do that he ought to be hung. Butyou see, I am differently situated. The man is a kinsman of ours bymarriage. My cousin Celia has been always most kind to me, and ismy nearest relative after my father. She has been like an aunt,and, indeed, did all she could to supply the place of a mother tome; and I am sure my little sweetheart Ciceley has been like asister. This must have been a most terrible trial to them. It was abad day for cousin Celia when she married that scoundrel, and I amsure that he has made her life a most unhappy one. Still, for theirsake, I would not see his villainy punished as it deserves, norindeed for our own, since the man is, to a certain extent, ourkinsman.

  "Besides, Harry, as you must remember well enough, Ciceley and I,in boy and girl fashion, used to say we should be some day husbandand wife, and I have never since seen anyone whom I would so soonmarry as my bonny little cousin; and if Ciceley is of the samemind, maybe some day or other she may come to Lynnwood as itsmistress; but that could hardly be, if her father were hung forattempting to swear away the life of mine."

  "No, indeed, Charlie. I know how fond you were of your cousin."

  "Indeed, Harry, there was a talk between my father and cousinCelia, a few months before the troubles came, of a formal betrothalbetween us, and, had it not been for the coolness between ourfathers, it would have taken place."

  "Yes, I remember now your telling me about it, Charlie.

  "Well, what is to be done? for I agree with you that, if possible,John Dormay must escape from the punishment he deserves. But how isit to be done?"

  "Well, Harry, a week or two will make no difference to our fathers.They will have no expectation of hearing from us, for a long timeto come. I should say it were best that I should go down and warnhim, and I shall be glad if you will go with me."

  "Of course I will go," Harry said. "Indeed, it were best that the warningcame from me. The man is a villain, and a reckless one; and in hispassion, when he hears that his rascality is known, the prize for whichhe schemed snatched from him, and his very life in danger, might evenseek to vent his rage and spite upon you. Now it is clear, Charlie, thatyou could not very well kill a man, and afterwards marry his daughter.The thing would be scarce seemly. But the fellow is no kinsman of mine.He has grievously injured us, and I could kill him without the smallestcompunction, and thereby rid the world of a scoundrel, and you of aprospective father-in-law of the most objectionable kind."

  Charlie laughed.

  "No, Harry; we will have no killing. We will go down and see himtogether. We will let him know that the orders are probably alreadyon the road for his arrest, and that he had best lose not an hour,but at once cross the water. I should not think that he would wishto encumber himself with women, for I never thought he showed theleast affection to either his wife or daughter. At any rate, wewill see that he does not take them with him. I will tell him that,if he goes, and goes alone, I will do my best to hush up thematter; and that, so long as he remains abroad, the tale of hisvillainy shall never be told; but that, if he returns, theconfession of Nicholson shall be published throughout the country,even if no prosecution is brought against him."

  When they called upon the duke, he shook them warmly by the hand.

  "This parchment is the royal assent to the decision of the council,that the estates of those inculpated in the alleged plot for theassassination of the late king should be forthwith restored tothem, it having been clearly proved that they have been falselyaccused of the said crime, and that her majesty is satisfied thatthese gentlemen are her true and loyal subjects.

  "I think I may say," the duke continued with a smile, "that noaffair of state has ever been so promptly conducted and carriedthrough."

  "We feel how deeply indebted we are, for our good fortune, to yourkindness, your grace," Charlie said. "We know that, but for you,months might have elapsed, even years, before we could haveobtained such a result, even after we had the confession ofNicholson in our hands."

  "I am glad, in every way, to have been able to bring this about,"the duke said. "In the first place, because I have been able toright a villainous piece of injustice; in the second, because thoseinjured were loyal gentlemen, with no fault save their steadfastadherence to the cause of the Stuarts; and lastly, because one ofthese gentlemen was my own good friend, Mat Jervoise, of whosecompany I have so many pleasant recollections.

  "I hope that, as soon as you have informed your fathers that theirnames are cleared, and their property restored, you will think ofwhat I said, and will decide to quit the service of Sweden, andenter that of your queen.

  "An officer fighting for a foreign monarch is, after all, but asoldier of fortune, however valiantly he fights. He is fighting fora cause that is not his own, and, though he may win rewards andhonours, he has not the satisfaction that all must feel who haverisked their lives, not for gold, but in the service of theircountry. But I do not want any answer from you on that head now. Itis a matter for you to decide upon after due thought. I only saythat I shall go out, early in the spring, to take command of thearmy; and that, if you present yourselves to me before I leave, Ishall be glad to appoint you on my personal staff, with the samerank you now hold.

  "You can now leave the country without any farther trouble. As tothe affair of the man Dormay, a messenger has been sent off, thisafternoon, with an order to the magistrates at Lancaster, to arresthim on the charge of suborning false evidence, by which the livesof some of her majesty's subjects were endangered; and of forgingletters whereby such evil designs might be furthered. I do notsuppose I shall see you again before you sail, for tomorrow we godown to our country place, and may remain there some weeks. I maysay that it was the desire to get your affair finished, before weleft town, that conduced somewhat to the speed with which it hasbeen carried through."

  After again thanking the duke most warmly for his kindness, andsaying that they would lay his offer before their fathers, and thattheir own inclinations were altogether in favour of accepting it,the young men took their leave.

  "It is unfortunate about Dormay."

  "Most unfortunate," Harry said.

  "I think, if we start tomorrow morning, Harry, we shall be in time.There is no reason why the messenger should travel at anyextraordinary speed, and, as he may be detained at Lancaster, andsome delay may arise before officers are sent up to Lynnwood tomake the arrest, we may be in time.

  "We must take a note of the date. It is one we shall remember allour lives. It is the 25th of November, and we will keep it up as aday of festivity and rejoicing, as long as we live."

  "That will we," Harry agreed. "It shall be the occasion of anannual gathering of those who got into trouble from those suppersat Sir Marmaduke's. I fancy the others are all in France, but theirfriends will surely be able to let them know, as soon as they hearthe good news.

  "I think we shall have a stormy ride tomorrow. The sky looks verywild and threatening."

  "It does, indeed; and the wind has got up very much, in the lasthour.''

  "Yes, we are going to have a storm, beyond all doubt."

  The wind got up hourly, and when, before going to bed, they went topass an hour at a tavern, they had difficulty in making their wayagainst it. Several times in the night they were awoke by thegusts, which shook the whole house, and they heard the crashing offalling chimney pots above the din of the gale.

  They had arranged to start as soon as it was light, and had, theevening before, been to a posting inn, and engaged a carriage withfour horses
for the journey down to Lancashire.

  "There is no starting today, gentlemen," the landlord said, as theywent down to breakfast by candlelight. "I have looked out, and thestreet is strewn with chimney pots and tiles. Never do I remembersuch a gale, and hour by hour it seems to get worse. Why, it isdangerous to go across the street."

  "Well, we must try," Charlie said, "whatever the weather. It is amatter of almost life and death."

  "Well, gentlemen, you must please yourselves, but I am mistaken ifany horse keeper will let his animals out, on such a day as this."

  As soon as they had eaten their breakfasts, they wrapped themselvesup in their cloaks, pressed their hats over their heads, andsallied out. It was not until they were in the streets that theyrealized how great was the force of the gale. Not only were thestreets strewn with tiles and fragments of chimney pots, but therewas light enough for them to see that many of the upper windows ofthe houses had been blown in by the force of the wind. Tiles flewabout like leaves in autumn, and occasionally gutters and sheets oflead, stripped from the roofs, flew along with prodigiousswiftness.

  "This is as bad as a pitched battle, Charlie. I would as lief bestruck by a cannonball as by one of those strips of lead."

  "Well, we must risk it, Harry. We must make the attempt, anyhow."

  It was with the greatest difficulty that they made their way along.Although powerful young fellows, they were frequently obliged tocling to the railings, to prevent themselves from being swept awayby the gusts, and they had more than one narrow escape from fallingchimneys. Although the distance they had to traverse was not morethan a quarter of a mile, it took them half an hour to accomplishit.

  The post master looked at them in surprise, as they entered hisoffice flushed and disordered.

  "Why, gentlemen, you are not thinking of going on such a day asthis? It would be a sheer impossibility. Why, the carriage would beblown over, and if it wasn't, no horses would face this wind."

  "We would be willing to pay anything you may like to ask," Charliesaid.

  "It ain't a question of money, sir. If you were to buy the fourhorses and the carriage, you would be no nearer, for no post boywould be mad enough to ride them; and, even supposing you got onestage, which you never would do, you would have to buy horsesagain, for no one would be fool enough to send his animals out. Youcould not do it, sir. Why, I hear there are half a dozen houses,within a dozen yards of this, that have been altogether unroofed,and it is getting worse instead of better. If it goes on like this,I doubt if there will be a steeple standing in London tomorrow.

  "Listen to that!"

  There was a tremendous crash, and, running out into the street,they saw a mass of beams and tiles lying in the roadway--a housetwo doors away had been completely unroofed. They felt that, insuch a storm, it was really impossible to proceed, and accordinglyreturned to their lodgings, performing the distance in a fractionof the time it had before taken them.

  For some hours the gale continued to increase in fury. Not a soulwas to be seen in the streets. Occasional heavy crashes told of thedamage that was being wrought, and, at times, the house shook sothat it seemed as if it would fall.

  Never was such a storm known in England. The damage done wasenormous. The shores were strewn with wrecks. Twelve ships of theroyal navy, with fifteen hundred men, were lost; and an enormousnumber of merchant vessels. Many steeples, houses, and buildings ofall kinds were overthrown, and the damage, in London alone, wasestimated at a million pounds.

  There were few who went to bed that night. Many thought that thewhole city would be destroyed. Towards morning, however, the furyof the gale somewhat abated, and by nightfall the danger hadpassed.

  The next morning the two friends started, and posted down toLancashire. The journey was a long one. In many places the road wascompletely blocked by fallen trees, and sometimes by the ruins ofhouses and barns. In the former case, long detours had often to bemade through villainous roads, where the wheels sank almost totheir axles, and, in spite of the most liberal bribes to post boysand post masters, the journey occupied four days longer than theusual time.

  At last, they reached the lodge gate of Lynnwood. A man came outfrom the cottage. He was the same who had been there in SirMarmaduke's time.

  Charlie jumped out of the post chaise.

  "Why, Norman, don't you know me?"

  The man looked hard at him.

  "No, sir, I can't say as I do."

  "What, not Charlie Carstairs?"

  "Bless me, it is the young master!" the man said. "To think of mynot knowing you. But you have changed wonderful. Why, sir, I havebeen thinking of you often and often, and most of all the lastthree days, but I never thought of you like this."

  "Why the last three days, Norman?"

  "Haven't you heard the news, sir?"

  "No, I have heard nothing. Captain Jervoise and I--my old friend,you know, Norman--have posted all the way from London, and shouldhave been here six days ago, if it had not been for the storm."

  "Well, sir, there is bad news; at least, I don't know whether youwill consider it bad. Most of the folk about here looks at it theother way. But the man in there shot hisself, three days ago. Amagistrate, with some men from Lancaster, came over here. They sayit was to arrest him, but I don't know the rights of the case.Anyhow, it is said they read some paper over to him, and then heopened a drawer at the table where he was sitting, and pulled out apistol, and shot hisself before anyone could stop him.

  "There have been bad goings here of late, Mr. Charles, very bad,especially for the last year. He was not friends with his son, theysay, but the news of his death drove him to drink, worse thanbefore; and besides, there have been dicing, and all sorts ofgoings on, and I doubt not but that the ladies have had a terribletime of it. There were several men staying in the house, but theyall took themselves off, as soon as it was over, and there are onlythe ladies there now. They will be glad enough to see you, I willbe bound."

  Charlie was shocked; but at the same time, he could not but feelthat it was the best thing that could happen, and Harry freelyexpressed himself to that effect.

  "We won't take the carriage up to the house," Charlie said, after along pause. "Take the valises out, and bring them up to the housepresently, Norman."

  He paid the postilion who had brought them from Lancaster, andstood quiet until the carriage had driven off.

  "I hope Sir Marmaduke is well, sir. We have missed him sorelyhere."

  "He was quite well when I saw him, ten weeks ago. I hope he will behere before long. I am happy to say that his innocence of thecharge brought against him has been proved, and his estates, andthose of Mr. Jervoise and the other gentlemen, have been restoredby the queen."

  "That is good news, indeed, sir," the man exclaimed. "The best Ihave heard for many a long year. Everyone about here will go wildwith joy."

  "Then don't mention it at present, Norman. Any rejoicings would beunseemly, while John Dormay is lying dead there."

  "Shall I go up with you, Charlie, or will you go alone?" Harryasked. "Of course, there are some horses here, and you could lendme one to drive over to our own place."

  "You shall do that presently, Harry, and tell them the news. Butcome in now. You know my cousin and Ciceley. It will be all thebetter that you should go in with me."

  His cousin received Charlie with a quiet pleasure. She was greatlychanged since he had seen her last, and her face showed that shehad suffered greatly. Ciceley had grown into a young woman, and methim with delight. Both were pleased to see Harry.

  "We were talking of you but now, Charlie," Mrs. Dormay said."Ciceley and I agreed that we would remove at once to our oldplace, and that this should be kept up for you, should you at anytime be able to return. Now that Queen Anne is on the throne, andthe Tories are in power, we hoped that you, at least, would erelong be permitted to return. How is your dear father?"

  "He is well, cousin, and will, I trust, be here ere long. Ourinnocence of the charge has been proved, the proceed
ings against usquashed, and the Act of Confiscation against my father, Mr.Jervoise, and the others reversed."

  "Thank God for that," Mrs. Dormay said earnestly, and Ciceley gavean exclamation of pleasure. "That accounts, then, for what hashappened here.

  "I do not want to talk about it, Charlie. You may imagine howCiceley and I have suffered. But he was my husband, spare him formy sake."

  "I will never allude to the subject again, cousin," Charlie said."But I must tell you that Harry and I have posted down from London,in hopes of being in time to warn him, and enable him to escape. Ineed not say we did so because he was your husband, and Ciceley'sfather."

  Harry then turned the subject, by a remark as to the effects of thestorm. Then Ciceley asked questions as to their life abroad, andthere was so much to tell, and to listen to, that even Mrs.Dormay's face brightened. Harry willingly allowed himself to bepersuaded to remain for the night, and to ride over to his place inthe morning.

  The funeral took place two days later. Charlie went as solemourner.

  "He was my kinsman," he said to Harry, "and, though I can pretendno sorrow at his death, my attendance at the funeral will dosomething towards stopping talk, and will make it easier for mycousin."

  The next day, Mrs. Dormay and Ciceley returned to Rockley, whosetenant had fortunately left a few weeks before. Charlie and Harryboth went over with them, and stayed for three or four days, andthey were glad to see that Mrs. Dormay seemed to be shaking off theweight of her trouble, and was looking more like her old self.

  They then rode to Lancaster, and returned to London by coach. Theycrossed to Gottenburg by the first vessel that was sailing, and SirMarmaduke was delighted to hear the success of their mission, andthat he was at liberty to return at once, as master of Lynnwood.

  "Luck favoured you somewhat, Charlie, in throwing that vagabond inyour way, but for all else we have to thank you both, for themanner in which you have carried the affair out, and captured yourfox. As for John Dormay, 'tis the best thing that could havehappened. I have often thought it over, while you have been away,and have said to myself that the best settlement of the businesswould be that you, Harry, when you obtained proofs, should go down,confront him publicly, and charge him with his treachery, force himto draw, and then run him through the body. Charlie would, ofcourse, have been the proper person, in my absence, so to settlethe matter, but he could not well have killed my cousin's husband,and it would have added to the scandal.

  "However, the way it has turned out is better altogether. It willbe only a nine days' wonder. The man has been cut by all thegentry, and when it is known that he shot himself to escape arrest,many will say that it was a fit ending, and will trouble themselvesno more concerning him.

  "You are coming back with me, I hope, Charlie. I have seen butlittle of you for the last four years, and if you are, as you say,going with the Duke of Marlborough to the war in the spring, Idon't want to lose sight of you again till then. You can surelyresign your commission here without going back to the army,especially as you have leave of absence until the end of March."

  Charlie hesitated.

  "I think so, too," Harry said. "I know that the colonel told theking the whole story, when he asked for leave for me and obtainedthat paper. He told my father that the king was greatly interested,and said: 'I hope the young fellows will succeed, though I suppose,if they do, I shall lose two promising young officers.' So he willnot be surprised when he hears that we have resigned.

  "As for me, I shall, of course, go on at once. My father will, I amsure, be delighted to return home. The hardships have told upon hima good deal, and he has said several times, of late, how much hewished he could see his way to retiring. I think, too, he willgladly consent to my entering our own service, instead of that ofSweden. He would not have done so, I am sure, had William beenstill on the throne. Now it is altogether different."

  "Well, Harry, if you do see the king, as it is possible you may do,or if you do not, you might speak to the colonel, and ask him, inmy name, to express to Charles my regret at leaving his service, inwhich I have been so well treated, and say how much I feel thekindly interest that his majesty has been pleased to take in me. Ifthere had been any chance of the war coming to an end shortly, Ishould have remained to see it out; but, now that the Polishbusiness may be considered finished, it will be continued withRussia, and may go on for years, for the czar is just as obstinateand determined as Charles himself."

  Accordingly, the next morning, Charlie sent in the formalresignation of his commission to the war minister at Stockholm, andHarry left by ship for Revel. Sir Marmaduke placed his businessaffairs in the hands of a Scotch merchant at Gottenburg, withinstructions to call in the money he had lent on mortgage, and, twodays later, took passage with Charlie for Hull, whence they postedacross the country to Lancaster, and then drove to Lynnwood.

  As soon as the news spread that Sir Marmaduke had returned, thechurch bells rang a joyous peal, bonfires were lighted, the tenantsflocked in to greet him, and the gentry for miles round rode overto welcome and congratulate him.

  The next morning he and Charlie rode over to Rockley.

  "Oh, Marmaduke," cried Celia, "I am happy indeed to know that youare back again. I have never known a day's happiness since youwent."

  "Well, don't let us think any more about it, Celia," Sir Marmadukesaid, as he kissed her tenderly. "Let us look on it all as an uglydream. It has not been without its advantages, as far as we areconcerned. It has taken me out of myself, and broadened my view ofthings. I have not had at all an unpleasant time of it in Sweden,and shall enjoy my home all the more, now that I have been awayfrom it for a while. As to Charlie, it has made a man of him. Hehas gained a great deal of credit, and had opportunities of showingthat he is made of good stuff; and now he enters upon life withevery advantage, and has a start, indeed, such as very few youngfellows can have. He enters our army as a captain, under the eye ofMarlborough himself, with a reputation gained under that of thegreatest soldier in Europe.

  "So we have no reason to regret the past, cousin, and on that scoreyou have no cause for grief. As to the future, I trust that it willbe bright for both of us, and I think," he added meaningly, "ourformer plans for our children are likely to be some day realized."

  Four years later, indeed, the union that both parents had at hearttook place, during one of the pauses of the fierce struggle betweenthe British forces under Marlborough, and the French. At Blenheim,Ramillies, and Oudenarde, and in several long and toilsome sieges,Charlie had distinguished himself greatly, and was regarded byMarlborough as one of the most energetic and trustworthy of hisofficers. He had been twice severely wounded, and had gained therank of colonel. Harry Jervoise--who had had a leg shot away, belowthe knee, by a cannonball at Ramillies, and had then left the armywith the rank of major--was, on the same day as his friend, marriedto the daughter of one of the gentlemen who had been driven intoexile with his father.

  In the spring Charlie again joined the army, and commanded abrigade in the desperate struggle on the hill of Malplaquet, one ofthe hardest fought battles in the history of war. Peace was madeshortly afterwards, and, at the reduction of the army thatfollowed, he went on half pay, and settled down for life atLynnwood, where Tony Peters and his wife had, at the death of theformer occupant of the lodge, been established.

  When Harry Jervoise returned to the Swedish headquarters, with thenews that his father was cleared, he was the bearer of a veryhandsome present from Charlie to his faithful servant Stanislas,who had, on their return from Poland, been at once employed byCount Piper on other service.

  When, years afterwards, the young Pretender marched south with theHighland clans, neither Charlie nor Harry were among the gentlemenwho joined him. He had their good wishes, but, having served in theBritish army, they felt that they could not join the movement inarms against the British crown; and indeed, the strong Jacobitefeelings of their youth had been greatly softened down by theircontact with the world, and they had learned to doub
t much whetherthe restoration of the Stuarts would tend, in any way, to thebenefit or prosperity of Britain.

  They felt all the more obliged to stand aloof from the struggle,inasmuch as both had sons, in the army, that had fought valiantlyagainst the French at Dettingen and Fontenoy. The families alwaysremained united in the closest friendship, and more than onemarriage took place between the children of Charlie Carstairs andHarry Jervoise.

  Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net
Share this book with friends