ason, that they are both devoted adherents of your
house; men ready to hazard all for your cause.'

Gerald smiled superciliously, and the Cardinal seeing it, said--

'Nay, Prince, distrust was no feature of your race, and, from what the
Pere Massoni says, these gentlemen do not deserve it.' He paused to
let Gerald reply, but, as he did not speak, the Cardinal went on: 'The
younger of the two, who speaks out his mind more freely, is a very
zealous partisan of your cause. He has worn a miniature of your father
next his heart since the memorable day at Preston, when he acted as
aide-de-camp to his Royal Highness; and when he had shown it to us he
kissed it with a devotion that none could dare to doubt.'

'This is he that is called Purcell,' asked Gerald.

'The same. He held the rank of colonel in the Scottish army, and was
rewarded with a patent of nobility, too, of which, however, he has not
availed himself.'

Again there flashed across Gerald's mind the words he had overhead from
the orangery, and the same cold smile again settled on his features,
which the Cardinal noticed and said--

'If it were for nothing else than the close relation which once bound
him to his Royal Highness, methinks you might have wished to see and
speak with him.'

'And so I mean to do, sir; but not to-night.'

'Chevalier,' said the Cardinal resolutely, 'it is a time when followers
must be conciliated, not repulsed; flattered instead of offended.
Reflect, then, I entreat you, ere you afford even a causeless impression
of distance or estrangement. On Monday last, an old Highland chief, the
lord of Barra, I think they called him, was refused admittance here,
on the plea that it was a day reserved for affairs of importance. On
Wednesday, the Count D'Arigny was told that you only received envoys,
and not mere Charges d'Affaires; and even yesterday, I am informed, the
Duc de Terracina was sent away because he was a few minutes behind the
time specified for his audience. Now these are trifles, but they leave
memories which are often disastrous.'

'If I _had_ to render an account of my actions, sir,' said Gerald
haughtily, 'a humiliation which has not yet reached me--I might be able
to give sufficient explanation for all you have just mentioned.'

'I did but speak of the policy of these things,' said the Cardinal, with
an air of humility.

'It is for _me_ to regard them in another light,' said Gerald hastily.
He paused, and, after a few min