ass of armed men, and a picket of
troops in a village on the borders of the wood. There was now no time
to be lost. I returned to the spot where the body lay, placed my hand
on its forehead, to ascertain whether any remnant of life lingered
there; found all cold; and, remounting my horse, wound my dreary and
difficult way back to the mansion.

To my surprise, I found the windows blazing with lights, carriages
arriving, and all the signs of a night of gala. I had forgotten that
this was my noble entertainer's birthday, and that the whole circle of
the neighbouring nobles and gentlemen had been for the last month
invited. There were to be private theatricals, followed by a ball and
supper. The whole country continued to pour in. Full of my disastrous
intelligence, my first enquiry was for the noble host; he was not to
be seen. I was at length informed under the seal of secrecy by his
secretary, that some information of popular movements within a few
miles, having been conveyed to him late in the day, he had put himself
at the head of a squadron of his yeomanry to ascertain the nature of
the disturbance, and as it was then too late to countermand the
invitations to the ball, had given strict orders that the cause of his
absence should be concealed, and that the entertainments should go on
as if he were present.

Agreeing that this was the wisest thing which could be done, to avoid
unnecessary alarm, which paralyses action beforehand, and renders all
ridiculous after, I seldom felt it more difficult to play my part than
on this occasion. As a minister, any thing in the shape of solicitude
on my part, was sure to be magnified into actual disaster, and I was
forced to keep an unembarrassed countenance. I immediately sent out
servants in every direction to bring intelligence of the actual state
of affairs, and above all, to ascertain what had detained their
master. Though all this was done with the utmost secrecy, it was
impossible to suppress the growing impression that something
extraordinary must have occurred, to withdraw from his own hospitable
roof, and so long detain, the lord of the mansion, distinguished as he
was for the most polished courtesy. As the hour waned, the enquiries
became more urgent, the dance languished, and the showy crowd forming
into groups, and wandering through the saloons, or gathered to the
windows, had evidently lost all the spirit of festivity. To my
astonishment, strong opinions began to fin