arquis of Esmond's sister
may be a match for any nobleman's daughter in the kingdom. There are
but two marquises in all England, William Herbert Marquis of Powis, and
Francis James Marquis of Esmond; and hark you, Harry,--now swear you
will never mention this. Give me your honor as a gentleman, for you ARE
a gentleman, though you are a--"

"Well, well?" says Harry, a little impatient.

"Well, then, when after my late viscount's misfortune, my mother went
up with us to London, to ask for justice against you all (as for Mohun,
I'll have his blood, as sure as my name is Francis Viscount Esmond)--we
went to stay with our cousin my Lady Marlborough, with whom we had
quarrelled for ever so long. But when misfortune came, she stood by her
blood:--so did the Dowager Viscountess stand by her blood,--so did
you. Well, sir, whilst my mother was petitioning the late Prince of
Orange--for I will never call him king--and while you were in prison, we
lived at my Lord Marlborough's house, who was only a little there, being
away with the army in Holland. And then . . . I say, Harry, you won't
tell, now?"

Harry again made a vow of secrecy.

"Well, there used to be all sorts of fun, you know: my Lady Marlborough
was very fond of us, and she said I was to be her page; and she got Trix
to be a maid of honor, and while she was up in her room crying, we used
to be always having fun, you know; and the Duchess used to kiss me, and
so did her daughters, and Blandford fell tremendous in love with Trix,
and she liked him; and one day he--he kissed her behind a door--he did
though,--and the Duchess caught him, and she banged such a box of the
ear both at Trix and Blandford--you should have seen it! And then she
said that we must leave directly, and abused my mamma who was cognizant
of the business; but she wasn't--never thinking about anything but
father. And so we came down to Walcote. Blandford being locked up, and
not allowed to see Trix. But I got at him. I climbed along the gutter,
and in through the window, where he was crying.

"'Marquis,' says I, when he had opened it and helped me in, 'you know I
wear a sword,' for I had brought it.

"'Oh, viscount,' says he--'oh, my dearest Frank!' and he threw himself
into my arms and burst out a-crying. 'I do love Mistress Beatrix so,
that I shall die if I don't have her.'

"'My dear Blandford,' says I, 'you are young to think of marrying;' for
he was but fifteen, and a young fellow of that age