better company. It is some comfort to me to think that,
although the villain has my estates, he is getting no enjoyment out
of them.

"However, I hope some day to have a reckoning with him. The Stuarts
must come to their own, sooner or later. Until then I am content to
rest quietly here in Sweden."

Chapter 8: The Passage of the Dwina.

A few hours after Charlie's arrival home, Major Jervoise and Harry
came round to the house.

"I congratulate you, Jervoise, on your new rank," Sir Marmaduke
said heartily, as he entered; "and you, too, Harry. It has been a
great comfort to me, to know that you and Charlie have been
together always. At present you have the advantage of him in looks.
My lad has no more strength than a girl, not half the strength,
indeed, of many of these sturdy Swedish maidens."

"Yes, Charlie has had a bad bout of it, Carstairs," Major Jervoise
said cheerfully; "but he has picked up wonderfully in the last ten
days, and, in as many more, I shall look to see him at work again.
I only wish that you could have been with us, old friend."

"It is of no use wishing, Jervoise. We have heard enough here, of
what the troops have been suffering through the winter, for me to
know that, if I had had my wish and gone with you, my bones would
now be lying somewhere under the soil of Livonia."

"Yes, it was a hard time," Major Jervoise agreed, "but we all got
through it well, thanks principally to our turning to at sports of
all kinds. These kept the men in health, and prevented them from
moping. The king was struck with the condition of our company, and
he has ordered that, in future, all the Swedish troops shall take
part in such games and amusements when in winter quarters. Of
course, Charlie has told you we are going to have a regiment
entirely composed of Scots and Englishmen. I put the Scots first,
since they will be by far the most numerous. There are always
plenty of active spirits, who find but small opening for their
energy at home, and are ready to take foreign service whenever the
chance opens. Besides, there are always feuds there. In the old
days, it was chief against chief. Now it is religion against
religion; and now, as then, there are numbers of young fellows glad
to exchange the troubles at home for service abroad. There have
been quite a crowd of men round our quarters, for, directly the
news spread that the company was landing, our countrymen flocked
round, each eager to learn how ma