? Did you not tell me
that our duty was to die for him? Did you not teach me, mother, night
and morning to pray for the King, before even ourselves? What would you
have of me, cousin, for you are the chief of the conspiracy against me;
I know you are, sir, and that my mother and brother are acting but as
you bid them; whither would you have me go?"

"I would but remove from the Prince," says Esmond, gravely, "a dangerous
temptation; heaven forbid I should say you would yield; I would only
have him free of it. Your honor needs no guardian, please God, but his
imprudence doth. He is so far removed from all women by his rank, that
his pursuit of them cannot but be unlawful. We would remove the dearest
and fairest of our family from the chance of that insult, and that is
why we would have you go, dear Beatrix."

"Harry speaks like a book," says Frank, with one of his oaths, "and, by
---, every word he saith is true. You can't help being handsome, Trix;
no more can the Prince help following you. My counsel is that you go out
of harm's way; for, by the Lord, were the Prince to play any tricks with
you, King as he is, or is to be, Harry Esmond and I would have justice
of him."

"Are not two such champions enough to guard me?" says Beatrix, something
sorrowfully; "sure, with you two watching, no evil could happen to me."

"In faith, I think not, Beatrix," says Colonel Esmond; "nor if the
Prince knew us would he try."

"But does he know you?" interposed Lady Castlewood, very quiet: "he
comes of a country where the pursuit of kings is thought no dishonor
to a woman. Let us go, dearest Beatrix. Shall we go to Walcote or to
Castlewood? We are best away from the city; and when the Prince is
acknowledged, and our champions have restored him, and he hath his own
house at St. James's or Windsor, we can come back to ours here. Do you
not think so, Harry and Frank?"

Frank and Harry thought with her, you may be sure.

"We will go, then," says Beatrix, turning a little pale; "Lady Masham is
to give me warning to-night how her Majesty is, and to-morrow--"

"I think we had best go to-day, my dear," says my Lady Castlewood; "we
might have the coach and sleep at Hounslow, and reach home to-morrow.
'Tis twelve o'clock; bid the coach, cousin, be ready at one."

"For shame!" burst out Beatrix, in a passion of tears and mortification.
"You disgrace me by your cruel precautions; my own mother is the first
to suspect me, and would take me