ettice.

"Louvaine," Tom Rookwood was saying, next door, "I met Mr Tom Winter
this afternoon, and he asked me if you had gone to the Low Countries to
take service under the Archduke. He hath seen nought of you, saith he,
these three weeks."

"I know it," said Aubrey, sulkily.

"Well, he told me to bid you to supper with him o' Thursday even next.
I shall be there, and Sir Josceline Percy, Sir Edward Bushell, and Mr
Kit Wright."

"I can't. Wish I could."

"Why, what's to hinder?"

"Oh, I'm--ah--promised beforehand," said Aubrey, clumsily.

"Can't you get off?"

"_No_. But I've as great a mind to go--"

"You come, and never mind the other fellows. You'll find us much
jollier grigs of the twain."

"I know that. Hang it, Tom, I'll go!"

"There's a brave lad! Four o'clock sharp, at the Duck. I'll meet you
there."

"Done!"

"Where was he promised, I marvel?" asked Dorothy in a whisper, with a
yawn behind her hand.

"Oh, didn't you see how he flushed and stammered?" said Gertrude,
laughing. "I vow, I do believe old Knitting-pins had made him swear on
her big Bible that he wouldn't speak another word to Mr Winter. Had it
been but another merry-making, he should never have looked thus."

There was no visit from Aubrey at the White Bear that evening. He felt
as if he could not meet his grandmother's eyes. He was not yet
sufficiently hardened in sin to be easy under an intention of deliberate
disobedience and violation of a solemn promise; yet the sin was too
sweet to give up. This once, he said to himself: only this once!--and
then, no more till the month was over.

When the Saturday evening arrived, Aubrey made a very careful toilet,
and set forth for the Strand. It was a long walk, for the Earl of
Oxford lived in the City, near Bishopsgate. Aubrey was rather elated at
the idea of making the acquaintance of Sir Josceline Percy and Sir
Edward Bushell. He was concerned at the family disgrace, as he
foolishly considered it, of Hans's connection with the mercer, and
extremely desirous to attain knighthood for himself. The way to do
that, he thought, was to get into society. Here was an opening which
might conduct him to those Elysian fields--and at the gate stood his
grandmother, trying to wave him away. He would not be deprived of his
privileges by the foolish fancies of an old woman. What did old women
know of the world? Aubrey was not aware that sixty years before, that
very grandmother,