e) ought to bow down to Viscount Castlewood.

"I know my place, Harry," he said. "I'm not proud--the boys at
Winchester College say I'm proud: but I'm not proud. I am simply Francis
James Viscount Castlewood in the peerage of Ireland. I might have been
(do you know that?) Francis James Marquis and Earl of Esmond in that of
England. The late lord refused the title which was offered to him by
my godfather, his late Majesty. You should know that--you are of our
family, you know you cannot help your bar sinister, Harry, my dear
fellow; and you belong to one of the best families in England, in spite
of that; and you stood by my father, and by G--! I'll stand by you.
You shall never want a friend, Harry, while Francis James Viscount
Castlewood has a shilling. It's now 1703--I shall come of age in 1709.
I shall go back to Castlewood; I shall live at Castlewood; I shall build
up the house. My property will be pretty well restored by then. The late
viscount mismanaged my property, and left it in a very bad state.
My mother is living close, as you see, and keeps me in a way hardly
befitting a peer of these realms; for I have but a pair of horses, a
governor, and a man that is valet and groom. But when I am of age, these
things will be set right, Harry. Our house will be as it should be. You
will always come to Castlewood, won't you? You shall always have your
two rooms in the court kept for you; and if anybody slights you, d---
them! let them have a care of ME. I shall marry early--Trix will be a
duchess by that time, most likely; for a cannon ball may knock over his
grace any day, you know."

"How?" says Harry.

"Hush, my dear!" says my Lord Viscount. "You are of the family--you are
faithful to us, by George, and I tell you everything. Blandford will
marry her--or"--and here he put his little hand on his sword--"you
understand the rest. Blandford knows which of us two is the best weapon.
At small-sword, or back-sword, or sword and dagger if he likes; I can
beat him. I have tried him, Harry; and begad he knows I am a man not to
be trifled with."

"But you do not mean," says Harry, concealing his laughter, but not his
wonder, "that you can force my Lord Blandford, the son of the first man
of this kingdom, to marry your sister at sword's point?"

"I mean to say that we are cousins by the mother's side, though that's
nothing to boast of. I mean to say that an Esmond is as good as a
Churchill; and when the King comes back, the M