ghness
will think little of the shell where the kernel is sound----'

'And who is to warrant me that, sir?' said the Prince angrily. 'Is it
your guarantee I 'm to take for it?'

The poor friar almost felt as if he were about to faint at the stern
speech, nor did he dare to utter a word of reply. So far, this was in
his favour, since, when unprovoked by anything like rejoinder, Charles
Edward was usually disposed to turn from any unpleasant theme, and
address his thoughts elsewhere.

'I 'm half relenting, my good friar,' said he, in a calmer tone, 'that I
should have brought you here on this errand. How am _I_ to burden myself
with the care of this boy? I am but a pensioner myself, weighed down
already with a mass of followers. So long as hope remained to us we
struggled on manfully enough. Present privation was to have had its
recompense--at least we thought so.' He stopped suddenly, and then, as
if ashamed of speaking thus confidentially to one he had seen only once
before, his voice assumed a harsher, sterner accent as he said: 'These
are not your concerns. What is it you propose I should do? Have you a
plan? What is it?'

Had Fra Luke been required to project another scheme of invasion, he
could not have been more dumbfounded and confused, and he stood the very
picture of hopeless incapacity.

Charles Edward's temper was in that state when he invariably sought to
turn upon others the reproaches his own conscience addressed to him, and
he angrily said: 'It is by this same train of beggarly followers that my
fortunes are rendered irretrievable. I am worried and harassed by
their importunities; they attach the plague-spot of their poverty to me
wherever I go. I should have freed myself from this thraldom many a year
ago; and if I had, where and what might I not have been to-day? You, and
others of your stamp, look upon me as an almoner, not more nor less.'
His passion had now spent itself, and he sat moodily gazing at the fire.

'Is the lad here?' asked he, after a long pause.

'Yes, your Royal Highness,' said the friar, while he made a motion
toward the door.

Charles Edward stopped him quickly as he said, 'No matter, there is not
any need that I should see him. He and his aunt--she is his aunt, you
said--must return to Ireland; this is no place for them. I will see
Kelly about it to-morrow, and they shall have something to pay their
journey. This arrangement does not please you, Frate, eh? Speak out,
man. Yo