r, smiling at his own conceit.

The youth went off, not very steadily, to the little gate by which he
entered; and a servant immediately announced to De Guerre, that Sir
Robert Cecil waited for him in the supper-hall.

He followed the domestic through the great vestibule, which bore a more
cheerful aspect than on the sad but memorable night of Hugh Dalton's
most unwelcome visit. Although the spring was considerably advanced, the
fagot blazed up the huge chimney, and illumined every corner of the
overgrown apartment. The grim portraits which graced the walls looked
more repugnant than usual in the red light that was thrown upon them by
the glowing fire; while beneath hung the very suits of armour in which,
if their most approved chroniclers are to be believed, they had
performed feats of valour. Upon the table of massive marble were strewed
sundry hawk's hoods, bells and jesses; some fishing-tackle, and a
silver-mounted fowling-piece also appeared amid the melange; while a
little black spaniel, of the breed that was afterwards distinguished by
a royal name, was busily engaged in pulling the ears of a magnificent
hound of the wolf kind, who, shaggy and sleepy, seemed little disposed
to be roused from his lair by the caprioles of the diminutive creature
that hardly reached to the first joint of his fore-leg. The lesser
animal, in accordance with the general custom of his kind, ran yelping
and barking at the stranger as he advanced up the hall; while the more
sagacious and dangerous dog raised his head, shook his ears, stretched
forth his paws, and elevated his broad chest, then sniffed the air so as
to be able to remember De Guerre if ever he needed to do so; seeing that
he was escorted by the servant, and therefore, doubtless, a person of
respectability, he composed himself again to rest as De Guerre entered
the presence of Sir Robert Cecil.

A few weeks had wrought a fearful change upon his countenance and form:
the eyes were more hollow, the cheeks more pale, the hair ribanded with
white, where but a little before there had been few grey hairs, and the
shoulders were much rounded since his interview with the Buccaneer. He
proceeded courteously to meet his guest, bowing, and expressing the
honour he felt in being introduced (through the Lord's mercy) to the
preserver of his friend. The baronet had approached slowly towards De
Guerre during this salutation, but either his dim sight, or the
obscurity of the further end o