rse, and go for a ride now. Not over
there, Charlie. I know, if you happened to meet that fellow, he
would read in your face that you knew the part he had been playing,
and, should nothing come of the business, I don't want him to know
that, at present. The fellow can henceforth do us no harm, for we
shall be on our guard against eavesdroppers; and, for the sake of
cousin Celia and the child, I do not want an open breach. I do not
see the man often, myself, and I will take good care I don't put
myself in the way of meeting him, for the present, at any rate.
Don't ride over there today."

"Very well, father. I will ride over and see Harry Jervoise. I
promised him that I would come over one day this week."

It was a ten-mile ride, and, as he entered the courtyard of Mr.
Jervoise's fine old mansion, he leapt off his horse, and threw the
reins over a post. A servant came out.

"The master wishes to speak to you, Master Carstairs."

"No ill news, I hope, Charlie?" Mr. Jervoise asked anxiously, as
the lad was shown into the room, where his host was standing beside
the carved chimney piece.

"No, sir, there is nothing new. My father thought that I had better
be away today, in case any trouble should arise out of what took
place yesterday, so I rode over to see Harry. I promised to do so,
one day this week."

"That is right. Does Sir Marmaduke think, then, that he will be
arrested?"

"I don't know that he expects it, sir, but he says that it is
possible."

"I do not see that they have anything to go upon, Charlie. As we
agreed last night, that spy never had any opportunity of
overhearing us before, and, certainly, he can have heard nothing
yesterday. The fellow can only say what many people know, or could
know, if they liked; that half a dozen of Sir Marmaduke's friends
rode over to take supper with him. They can make nothing out of
that."

"No, sir; and my father said that, at the worst, it could be but
the matter of a fine."

"Quite so, lad; but I don't even see how it could amount to that.
You will find Harry somewhere about the house. He has said nothing
to me about going out."

Harry Jervoise was just the same age as Charlie, and was his
greatest friend. They were both enthusiastic in the cause of the
Stuarts, equally vehement in their expressions of contempt for the
Dutch king, equally anxious for the coming of him whom they
regarded as their lawful monarch. They spent the morning together,
as usual; wen