e river--get to her, and be gone
with all speed."
"But the captain will not sail without the Lady Helen," said the
conspirator, with some hesitation: "she, it seems, has hired the
vessel, and he refused this morning to go without her."
"That shall be no impediment," said the lady. "You may tell the
captain that I set him free from his engagement, and I will give an
order to his grace that the money may be paid which is the man's due.
I told you before, Miss Villars had met with a severe accident, and I
can neither quit her in such circumstances, nor go till she has
recovered."
"Will you be kind enough, madam," replied Sir George, who always had
thoughts for his own safety, "to write what you have said in these
tablets? Here is a pencil."
The lady took the tablets and wrote; and while she did so, two or
three, more of the conspirators dropped quietly out of the room. The
Duke of Berwick at the same time advanced, and said a few kindly
words to Lady Laura, and spoke for a moment to Wilton, with a
familiar smile, in regard to the risk he had run.
"To tell the truth," he said, "I was almost afraid that I should
myself meet with a shot between you; for I saw you had your pistol
cocked in your hand, and expected that the next fire would have been
upon your side."
"I saw you knock his arm up, sir," replied Wilton; "and though I was
not aware of the name of the person who entered, I was not a little
rejoiced to see, at least, one man of honour amongst them."
"Alas! sir," replied the Duke, in a lower tone, "they are all, more
or less, men of honour; but you must remember that there is a
fanaticism in politics as well as in religion, and men will think
that a great end will justify any intermediate means. An oak, planted
in the sand, sir, is as soon blown down as any other tree; and it is
not every heart that is firm and strong enough constantly to support
the honour that is originally implanted in it against the furious
blasts of passion, interest, or ambition. You must remember, too,
that those who are called Jacobites in this country have been hunted
somewhat like wolves and wild beasts; and nothing drives zeal into
fanaticism so soon as persecution."
"My lord, I am now ready to depart," said Sir George Barkley,
approaching, "and doubt not to be able to make my views and motives
good to my royal master."
"There is none, sir, who will abhor your views so much," replied the
Duke of Berwick, proudly, "though he may applaud your motives. But
you linger, Sir