d the room, and right pleased to find
that Barbara was absent: "were it only to avoid giving her pain, it
would ill become either of us to blaspheme Him in whom we trust."

"And so you say," commenced Dalton, uniting the thread of the discourse,
which had been broken, "that Sir Walter and Lady Cecil are seldom seen
at court? I heard this before, but not for certain."

"Seldom, you may well say," returned Springall; "the king presented Lady
Castlemaine to the Lady Constantia, at one of the drawing-rooms; and our
right noble dame declared it was the last she would ever attend. It was
said that the king spoke to Sir Walter about it; and I think it likely,
as he knew him abroad so well. And Sir Walter was even more high on the
matter than his lady had been; and the king jested, and said it was only
the court fashion; to which Sir Walter returned for answer, that,
however it might be the court fashion, it was scarce courtly to present
an immodest to a modest woman. With that the king chafed, and said he
supposed Lady Constantia's friendship for Dame Frances Russell was
stronger than her loyalty, for she regarded Cromwell's daughter, both as
RICH and RUSSELL, more than she did his favour. And Sir Walter, making a
low bow, replied that Lady Constantia had little thought to displease
her king by her attachment to a lady who had once been honoured by the
offer of his hand. Upon which the king bit his lip, turned upon his
heel, and spoke no farther word to Sir Walter Cecil."

"Good! good! good!" exclaimed Robin with manifest delight, chuckling and
rubbing his hands, "that _was_ good! How it warms my heart when an
honest subject speaks to a king as man to man, feeling he has no cause
to dread his frown or court his smile. Brave! brave, Sir Walter! There
is a moral dignity, a fearlessness in truth, that makes one not
tread--not tread, mind ye, but spurn the earth he walks upon. If we
would not be of the earth, earthy, but of the heavens, heavenly, we must
be independent in thought and action! Brave, brave Sir Walter!"

"Master Robin," said the captain, looking earnestly in his countenance,
and half-inclined to smile at his enthusiasm--"Master Robin, _that_'s
not the court fashion."

"D--n the court!" shouted the Ranger; then suddenly checking himself, he
added, turning to his wife, whose return he had not heeded,--"I beg your
pardon, my dear Barbara,--it was his fault, not mine. Nay, I have said
nothing half so wicked this long