ou go
against me. There. That's the true reason why I came to-night. You know
that, master, I am sure.'

'You are a specious fellow,' returned Sir John, fixing his eyes upon
him, 'and carry two faces under your hood, as well as the best. Didn't
you give me in this room, this evening, any other reason; no dislike
of anybody who has slighted you lately, on all occasions, abused you,
treated you with rudeness; acted towards you, more as if you were a
mongrel dog than a man like himself?'

'To be sure I did!' cried Hugh, his passion rising, as the other meant
it should; 'and I say it all over now, again. I'd do anything to have
some revenge on him--anything. And when you told me that he and all
the Catholics would suffer from those who joined together under that
handbill, I said I'd make one of 'em, if their master was the devil
himself. I AM one of 'em. See whether I am as good as my word and turn
out to be among the foremost, or no. I mayn't have much head, master,
but I've head enough to remember those that use me ill. You shall see,
and so shall he, and so shall hundreds more, how my spirit backs me
when the time comes. My bark is nothing to my bite. Some that I know had
better have a wild lion among 'em than me, when I am fairly loose--they
had!'

The knight looked at him with a smile of far deeper meaning than
ordinary; and pointing to the old cupboard, followed him with his eyes
while he filled and drank a glass of liquor; and smiled when his back
was turned, with deeper meaning yet.

'You are in a blustering mood, my friend,' he said, when Hugh confronted
him again.

'Not I, master!' cried Hugh. 'I don't say half I mean. I can't. I
haven't got the gift. There are talkers enough among us; I'll be one of
the doers.'

'Oh! you have joined those fellows then?' said Sir John, with an air of
most profound indifference.

'Yes. I went up to the house you told me of; and got put down upon the
muster. There was another man there, named Dennis--'

'Dennis, eh!' cried Sir John, laughing. 'Ay, ay! a pleasant fellow, I
believe?'

'A roaring dog, master--one after my own heart--hot upon the matter
too--red hot.'

'So I have heard,' replied Sir John, carelessly. 'You don't happen to
know his trade, do you?'

'He wouldn't say,' cried Hugh. 'He keeps it secret.'

'Ha ha!' laughed Sir John. 'A strange fancy--a weakness with some
persons--you'll know it one day, I dare swear.'

'We're intimate already,' said Hugh.