must speak in charity,
though this lord did him and his two grievous wrongs: for one of these
he would have made amends, perhaps, had life been spared him; but the
other lay beyond his power to repair, though 'tis to be hoped that a
greater Power than a priest has absolved him of it. He got the comfort
of this absolution, too, such as it was: a priest of Trim writing a
letter to my lady to inform her of this calamity.

But in those days letters were slow of travelling, and our priest's took
two months or more on its journey from Ireland to England: where, when
it did arrive, it did not find my lady at her own house; she was at the
King's house of Hexton Castle when the letter came to Castlewood, but it
was opened for all that by the officer in command there.

Harry Esmond well remembered the receipt of this letter, which Lockwood
brought in as Captain Westbury and Lieutenant Trant were on the green
playing at bowls, young Esmond looking on at the sport, or reading his
book in the arbor.

"Here's news for Frank Esmond," says Captain Westbury; "Harry, did you
ever see Colonel Esmond?" And Captain Westbury looked very hard at the
boy as he spoke.

Harry said he had seen him but once when he was at Hexton, at the ball
there.

"And did he say anything?"

"He said what I don't care to repeat," Harry answered. For he was now
twelve years of age: he knew what his birth was, and the disgrace of
it; and he felt no love towards the man who had most likely stained his
mother's honor and his own.

"Did you love my Lord Castlewood?"

"I wait until I know my mother, sir, to say," the boy answered, his eyes
filling with tears.

"Something has happened to Lord Castlewood," Captain Westbury said in a
very grave tone--"something which must happen to us all. He is dead of a
wound received at the Boyne, fighting for King James."

"I am glad my lord fought for the right cause," the boy said.

"It was better to meet death on the field like a man, than face it on
Tower-hill, as some of them may," continued Mr. Westbury. "I hope he has
made some testament, or provided for thee somehow. This letter says he
recommends unicum filium suum dilectissimum to his lady. I hope he has
left you more than that."

Harry did not know, he said. He was in the hands of Heaven and Fate; but
more lonely now, as it seemed to him, than he had been all the rest of
his life; and that night, as he lay in his little room which he still
occupied, the bo