emplar.

It was along in the month of July, when having become habituated
to my situation I was accustomed to move about with greater freedom,
that being in Fleet Street, I made one of the crowd to gaze at the
horrid spectacle of the heads of the unfortunate Messieurs Towneley
and Fletcher displayed on Temple Bar, whose cruel fate I had only
escaped by my firm resolution in withstanding the unreasonable
demands of the Duke of Perth to remain behind in their company in
Carlisle.

"Your Grace, though I am willing to shed the last drop of my blood
for Prince Charles," I had answered, with great firmness, "I will
never allow myself to be marked out as a victim for certain
destruction," and I held to my place in the retreat.

At such times the least error in judgment is certain to be attended
by a train of inevitable disaster, and apart from my own personal
escape, for which I am duly thankful, it was a satisfaction to me
that his Grace later on most handsomely acknowledged himself to
have been in the wrong.

But to return: I was plunged in these sombre reflections when I
heard a cry near me, a cry that has never appealed to my support
in vain--that of a lady in distress. I turned at once, and there,
in full view of my sympathising eyes, was as fair an object as I
ever looked upon. An unfortunate lady, overcome by the sights and
sounds about her, had fallen back on the shoulder of her maid, who
supported her bravely; her black silken hood had been displaced,
and her rich amber-coloured hair in some disorder framed her lovely
face. Another moment and I was beside them, shifting the unconscious
lady to my left arm, to the great relief of the maid, who at once
recognised my quality in spite of my disguise.

"Spy 'em close, my beauty! Spy 'em close! Only a penny!" shouted
a ruffian, holding a perspective-glass before the unhappy lady. "A
rebel wench, lads, and must see her lover close!" But I cut his
ribaldry short with a blow in the face, and with my foot pushed
off a wretched hag busily engaged in trying to find the pocket of
my poor charge, and made immediate move to withdraw her from the
crowd.

[Illustration: "A rebel wench, lads, and must see her lover close!"]

But my efforts were met with a storm of curses and howls from the
scum about us, and matters were fast growing serious, when a most
genteelly dressed man pushed in beside us, and, with sword in hand,
soon cleared a way, which I threaded with a determined