indecorous in a pacific drawing-room. He paused at the door of
the cabinet, but when the King called on him to advance, came hastily
forward, with every feeling of his earlier and later life afloat, and
contending in his memory, threw himself on his knees before the King,
seized his hand, and, without even an effort to speak, wept aloud.
Charles, who generally felt deeply so long as an impressive object was
before his eyes, indulged for a moment the old man's rapture.--"My good
Sir Geoffrey," he said, "you have had some hard measure; we owe you
amends, and will find time to pay our debt."

"No suffering--no debt," said the old man; "I cared not what the rogues
said of me--I knew they could never get twelve honest fellows to believe
a word of their most damnable lies. I did long to beat them when they
called me traitor to your Majesty--that I confess--But to have such an
early opportunity of paying my duty to your Majesty, overpays it all.
The villains would have persuaded me I ought not to come to Court--aha!"

The Duke of Ormond perceived that the King coloured much; for in truth
it was from the Court that the private intimation had been given to Sir
Geoffrey to go down to the country, without appearing at Whitehall; and
he, moreover, suspected that the jolly old Knight had not risen from
his dinner altogether dry-lipped, after the fatigues of a day so
agitating.--"My old friend," he whispered, "you forget that your son is
to be presented--permit me to have that honour."

"I crave your Grace's pardon humbly," said Sir Geoffrey, "but it is
an honour I design for myself, as I apprehend no one can so utterly
surrender and deliver him up to his Majesty's service as the father that
begot him is entitled to do.--Julian, come forward, and kneel.--Here
he is, please your Majesty--Julian Peveril--a chip of the old block--as
stout, though scarce so tall a tree, as the old trunk, when at the
freshest. Take him to you, sir, for a faithful servant, _a pendre_,
as the French say; if he fears fire or steel, axe or gallows, in your
Majesty's service, I renounce him--he is no son of mine--I disown him,
and he may go to the Isle of Man, the Isle of Dogs, or the Isle of
Devils, for what I care."

Charles winked to Ormond, and having, with his wonted courtesy,
expressed his thorough conviction that Julian would imitate the loyalty
of his ancestors, and especially of his father, added, that he
believed his Grace of Ormond had something