of the
wild earth and still wilder sea; but I have never done a deed of blood
and plunder, that those words have not echoed--echoed in my ears, struck
upon my heart like the fiend's curse. Yet," he added in a subdued
accent, "it was no cursing lips pronounced them: I have been the curse
to the holy words, not they to me."

"I never before heard you speak of your father," observed the youth.

"I do not like to speak of him; I ran off to sea when I was about ten
years old, and when I came back he was dead. There was war enough in
England at that time to occupy my active nature: I first joined the
King's party, and had my share of wounds and glory at Gainsborough,
where I fought with and saw poor Cavendish killed by that devil
Cromwell. It was at that same battle his successes began: he had a brave
horse-regiment there of his countrymen, most of them freeholders and
freeholders' sons, who upon matter of conscience engaged in this quarrel
under him. It was there he ousted us with his canting. Gadsooks! they
went as regularly to their psalm-singing as they had been in a
conventicle; and thus, d'ye see, being armed after their own fanatical
fashion within, and without by the best iron armour, they stood as one
man, firmly, and charged as one man, desperately.--But we have other
things to talk of than him or me; so sit down, young gentleman, and
let's hear the news;--or, stay, Robin must first bring us some wine--my
warehouse is full of it; I must wash down the poison that fellow has
crammed into my throat. Ah! ah! ah! what chafes me is, that, from my
cursed reputation, greater villains than myself thrust me forward to do
their work, and think they have a right to storm and stare if I have
conscience in any thing. But I'll be even with them all yet--with one in
particular. That villain!--shall that far greater villain have peace?
'There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.'"

He summoned Robin, who placed on the table some meat and wine, and other
matters that supplied a pretty substantial supper: a ceremony, the
rendering justice to which affords us sufficient leisure to examine the
form and features of the young Cavalier, who, having laid aside his
enormous cloak, reclined on some piles of foreign cloths with an ease
and grace that belongs only to those of gentle blood. Amid the bustle
and occupation of life, it is a simple matter for people of ordinary
rank to assume the bearing of the well-bred; but repose is the tr