ly reached
the quick ear of the Ranger at intervals.

"His Highness has been tormented to-night; methinks the length of a
summer day ought to satisfy those who want to see him."

The sun had set a good hour or more, when Sir Christopher Packe, the
worshipful Lord Mayor, passed in.

"His Highness," replied the stern gruff voice of an old soldier, "is of
the people; and he knows that his duty--next to awaiting the Lord
always--is to wait on them."

"His time is not an easy one, then," thought Robin; and as he so
thought, the messenger returned with an order that the Rabbi should be
immediately admitted. The lumbering carriage passed under one archway,
and traversed a small court--then under another--then across the
next--then stopped, and one of the principal servants opened the door,
and requested Manasseh to descend.

"Her Highness," he said, "had been indisposed; the Lord Protector,
therefore, hoped the worthy Israelite would not object to walk across
the next court, as her chamber was nearly over the entrance."

The Jew leaned upon Robin for support, as they mounted the flight of
steps leading to the grand entrance hall. He paused once or twice; they
were many in number, and hard to climb for one bent with age, and now
bowed down by trouble. When they arrived at the great door, he perceived
that, instead of two, there were four sentries, who stood, two on each
side, like fixed statues, and the torch their conductor carried
glittered on the bright points of their swords that rested on the
ground. The stair was faintly illumined by one large massive iron lamp,
hanging from the ceiling, and flickering, so as to show the outline, not
the minutiae of the objects.

When they had fairly entered the great hall, Robin truly and sincerely
wished himself safely out again; the more particularly when he saw,
mingled with the pages and servants in waiting, some tried and trusty
soldiers, by whom, if his disguise were penetrated, he would be better
known than trusted. It was one thing to steal and pry about a place, and
another to be only separated by a single plank of oak from Cromwell--the
all-powerful, all-seeing Protector of England--liable to be called at
once into his presence; for the Jew might mention--doubtless would
mention--that one who had served Sir Willmott Burrell, and knew much of
his doings, was in attendance.

This magnificent room, though used as a hall of audience on state
occasions, was generally occup