"With all my heart," said Mareschal; "the more mischief the better sport.' Sir Frederick looked grave and disconcerted. "Walk aside with me, my good friend," said Ellieslaw to the sombre Baronet, "I have something for your private ear, with which I know you will be gratified." They walked into the house, leaving Ratcliffe and Mareschal standing together in the court. "And so," said the former to the latter, "the gentlemen of your political persua sion think the downfal of this government so certain, that they disdain even to throw a decent disguise over the machinations of their party?" "Faith, Mr Ratcliffe," answered Mareschal," the actions and sentiments of your friends may require to be veiled, but I am better pleased that ours can go barefaced." "And is it possible," continued Ratcliffe, "that you, who, notwithstanding your thoughtlessness and heat of temper, (I beg pardon, Mr Mareschal, I am a plain man) that you, who, notwithstanding these constitutional defects, possess natural good sense and acquired information, should be infatuated enough to embroil yourself in such desperate proceedings? How does your head feel when you are engaged in these dangerous conferences ?" "Not quite so secure on my shoulders," answered Mareschal, " as if I were talking of hunting and hawking. I am not of so indifferent a mould as my cousin Ellieslaw, who speaks treason as if it were child's nursery rhymes, and loses and recovers that sweet girl, his daughter, with a good deal less emotion on both occasions, than would have affected me had I lost and recovered a greyhound puppy. My temper is not quite so inflexible, nor my hate against government so inveterate, as to blind me to the full danger of the attempt." 7 "Then why involve yourself in it?" said Ratcliffe. "Why, I love this poor exiled king with all my heart; and my father was an old Gilliecrankie-man, and I long to see some amends on the courtiers that have bought and sold old Scotland, whose crown has been so long independent." "And for the sake of these shadows," said his monitor, " you are going to involve your country in war, and yourself in trouble ?" "I involve? No!-but, trouble for trouble, I had rather it came to-morrow than a month hence. Come, 1 know it will; and, as our country folks say, better soon than syne-it will never find me younger-and, as for hanging, as Sir John Falstaff says, I can become a gallows as well as another. You know the end of the old ballad ; "Sae dauntonly, sae wantonly, Sae rantingly gaed he, He play'd a spring, and danced a round, Beneath the gallows tree." "Mr Mareschal, I am sorry for you," said his grave adviser. "I am obliged to you, Mr Ratcliffe; but I would not have you judge of our enterprise by my way of vindicating it; there are wiser heads than mine at the work." "Wiser heads than yours may lie as low," said Ratcliffe, in a warning tone. Perhaps so; but no lighter heart shall; and, to prevent its being made hea vier by your remonstrances, I will bid you adieu, Mr Ratcliffe, till dinner time, when you shall see that my apprehensions have not spoiled my appetite." CHAPTER XIV. To face the garment of rebellion With some fine colour, that may please the eye Henry the Fourth, Part II. THERE had been great preparations made at Ellieslaw-Castle for the entertainment of this important day, when not only the gentlemen of note in the neigh bourhood, attached to the jacobite interest, were expected to rendezvous, but also many subordinate malcontents, whom difficulty of circumstances, love of change, resentment against England, or any of the numerous causes which inflamed men's passions at the time, rendered apt to join in perilous enterprise. The men of rank and subtance were not many in number, |