ns in their defence. Yet you hear
me not praise, or even vindicate the death of the King, though so far
deserved, as he was false to his oath as a Prince and Magistrate. I only
tell you what you desired to know, that Richard Whalley, one of the
late King's judges, was he of whom I have just been speaking. I knew
his lofty brow, though time had made it balder and higher; his grey eye
retained all its lustre; and though the grizzled beard covered the lower
part of his face, it prevented me not from recognising him. The scent
was hot after him for his blood; but by the assistance of those friends
whom Heaven had raised up for his preservation, he was concealed
carefully, and emerged only to do the will of Providence in the matter
of that battle. Perhaps his voice may be heard in the field once more,
should England need one of her noblest hearts."

"Now, God forbid!" said Julian.

"Amen," returned Bridgenorth. "May God avert civil war, and pardon those
whose madness would bring it on us!"

There was a long pause, during which Julian, who had scarce lifted his
eyes towards Alice, stole a glance in that direction, and was struck by
the deep cast of melancholy which had stolen over features, to which a
cheerful, if not gay expression, was most natural. So soon as she caught
his eye, she remarked, and, as Julian thought, with significance, that
the shadows were lengthening, and evening coming on.

He heard; and although satisfied that she hinted at his departure, he
could not, upon the instant, find resolution to break the spell which
detained him. The language which Bridgenorth held was not only new and
alarming, but so contrary to the maxims in which he was brought up,
that, as a son of Sir Geoffrey Peveril of the Peak, he would, in another
case, have thought himself called upon to dispute its conclusions, even
at the sword's point. But Bridgenorth's opinions were delivered with
so much calmness--seemed so much the result of conviction--that they
excited in Julian rather a spirit of wonder, than of angry controversy.
There was a character of sober decision, and sedate melancholy, in
all that he said, which, even had he not been the father of Alice (and
perhaps Julian was not himself aware how much he was influenced by
that circumstance), would have rendered it difficult to take personal
offence. His language and sentiments were of that quiet, yet decided
kind, upon which it is difficult either to fix controversy, or quarre