to leave Magna Charta
to take care of itself--and took himself as fast as possible to his
heels. A general rush was now made by the servants and the dragoons to
the ramparts on the other side of the castle, a station from which, in
consequence of the winding line pursued by the road, they promised
themselves the gratification of snowballing the poor reformer for
nearly a quarter of a mile.

Whilst all the world was at these "high jinks" with Mr. Dulberry, a
stranger muffled up in a cloak had very early in the disturbance taken
advantage of the general confusion to pass the gate unobserved. He
appeared to be well acquainted with the plan of the castle, and pressed
on to one of the principal saloons, in which at this moment Sir Morgan
Walladmor was sitting alone. A slight rustling at the other end of the
room caused Sir M. to raise his head from the letters which lay before
him; and, seeing a dusky figure standing between two whole-length
portraits of his ancestors, he almost began to imagine that some one of
the house of Walladmor had returned from the grave to give him ghostly
admonition.

The stranger turned and locked the door; and then, without unmuffling
himself, advanced towards Sir Morgan; who, on his part, was struck with
some indistinct sense of awe as before a mysterious being--but kept his
seat without alarm. At a few paces from the table, the stranger paused;
and said--

"Sir Morgan Walladmor! I come to let you know that an innocent man is
confined under your sanction: the prisoner in the chambers of the
Falcon's tower is not the person you take him for."

"And is this your reason for pressing thus unceremoniously to my
presence?"

"It is."

"Then appear as a witness for the accused, and give your evidence
before the jury by whom he will be tried."

"Sir Morgan, I again assure you that your prisoner is not Captain
Edward Nicholas."

"Who then?"

"Let it suffice that he is not Captain Nicholas?"

"But who is it that I am required to believe? Who are you? What
vouchers, what security, do you offer for the truth of what you tell
me?"

"Security!--You would have security? You shall. Do you remember that
time, when the great Dutch ship was cruizing off the coast, and the
landing of the crew was nightly expected?"

"I remember it well; for at that time I had beset the coast with
faithful followers: political disturbances at Chester and Shrewsbury
concurred at that time to make such a descent on t