ell, boy, pass the letter here."

"How, sir?"

"Put it on the point of your pike, and pass it up."

Fred did as he was bidden, and sticking the folded missive on the point
of the pike which carried the white flag, he held it up, and it was
taken.

"You had better retire while it is read," said Sir Godfrey,
contemptuously. "I see there are two of our men paying attention to
you. Rein back, if you are afraid."

It was a hard struggle, for with those two fierce-looking troopers
watching him along the barrels of their pieces, Fred's inclination was
still to turn and gallop away as fast as his horse would go.

But at that moment he raised his eyes, and could see that Scarlett was
looking down at him, as if to watch the effect of Sir Godfrey's words.

This look seemed to stiffen him, and he sat perfectly erect upon his
horse, with the pike-shaft resting upon his toe, as he told himself that
he hoped if the men fired they would miss; that before he would run
away, with Scar Markham to laugh at his flight, they might riddle him
with bullets through and through.

"Well, sir," said Sir Godfrey, half mockingly, "are you going to
retire?"

"I am under a flag of truce, Sir Godfrey," said Fred, quietly. "I
thought the Royalist party were gentlemen, and knew the meaning of such
a sign."

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the tall Cavalier by the general's side. "That's
a good sharp retort for you, Markham. Well done, youngster! Don't be
afraid."

"I am not," said Fred, stoutly; but at the same time he said to himself,
"Oh, what a horrible lie, when I'm all of a cold shiver."

"I didn't quite mean afraid," said the tall officer, laughing, "I meant
to say that no one here shall harm you, my young ambassador. But look
here, how comes it that you, who are evidently a gentleman, are taking
sides with that beggarly scum of tatterdemalions who have taken up arms
against their sovereign?"

"Look here, sir," said Fred, "is this meant for flattery or insult?"

"Neither one nor the other, young ferocity," said the Cavalier,
laughing. "But don't look like that; you alarm me. Here, young
Markham, you had better come and deal with this pernicious enemy; he is
too much for me."

But Scarlett did not move, and Fred drew a deep breath, as he prepared
for the next verbal encounter, for the fair Cavalier was leaning
carelessly out of the window, and looking down at him till, as if
fascinated by his look, and after a long struggle to kee