ld lay it to
their consciences to plunder Protestants when, a mile or two away, there
were Catholics lording it over the soil--Catholics whose husbands and
sons were fighting in the ranks of the army of James Stuart?'

"I was in the house with my mother, but we heard what was said; and she
whispered to me to slip out behind, and find my father, and tell him what
was being done. I made off; but before I had gone a quarter of a mile, I
saw the soldiers riding off towards the castle, with my grandfather
riding at their head. I was not long in finding my father, who at once
called the men off from their work, and sent them off in all directions
to raise the country; and in an hour two hundred men, armed with any
weapon they could snatch up, were marching towards the castle, my father
at their head. There were Catholics and Protestants among them--the
latter had come at my father's bidding, the former of their own free
will.

"We hurried along, anxiously fearing every moment to see flames rise from
the castle. Fortunately, the soldiers were too busy in plundering to
notice our approach, and we pounced down upon them and seized them
unawares. They were stripping the place of everything worth carrying
away, before setting it on fire. We burst into the hall, and there was a
sight which filled my father and myself with anger and shame. Your
grandmother was standing erect, looking with dignity mingled with disdain
at my grandfather; while your mother, holding your brother's hands, stood
beside her. My grandfather was standing upon a chair; in his hand he held
a Bible, and was pouring out a string of denouncing texts at the ladies,
and was, at the moment we entered, comparing them to the wicked who had
fallen into a net.

"I don't think, Walter, his senses are quite right now. He is crazed with
religion and hate, and I believe, at the time, he fancied himself in the
meeting house. Anyhow, there he was, while two sergeants, who were
supposed to be in command of the troop, were sitting on a table, with a
flagon of wine between them, looking on with amusement. Their expression
changed pretty quickly, when we rushed in.

"It needed all my father's efforts to prevent the whole party being hung,
so furious were all the rescuers at the outrage upon the good ladies of
the castle. But my father pointed out to them that, although such a
punishment was well deserved, it would do harm rather than good to the
ladies. They had orders of pro