d, and turned angrily on the interrupter.

"You have no cause, my lord," he cried, "to attack the Secretary's
churchmanship."

"Then you have no cause, sir," retorted Quinton, "to defend it with so
much temper. Come, let me be. I have said as much to the Secretary's
face, and he bore it with more patience than you can muster on his
behalf."

By this time I was in some distress to see my old friend and my new at
such variance, and the more as I could not understand the ground of
their difference; the Secretary's suspected leaning towards the Popish
religion had not reached our ears in the country. But Darrell, as though
he did not wish to dispute further with a man his superior in rank and
age, drew off with a bow to my lord and a kindly nod to me, and rejoined
the other gentlemen in attendance on the King and his party.

"You came off well with the King, Simon," said my lord, taking my arm
again. "You made him laugh, and he counts no man his enemy who will do
him that service. But what did Arlington say to you?"

When I repeated the Secretary's words, he grew grave, but he patted my
arm in a friendly fashion, saying,

"You've shown wisdom and honour in this first matter, lad. I must trust
you in others. Yet there are many who have no faith in my Lord
Arlington, as Englishman or Churchman either."

"But," cried I, "does not Lord Arlington do as the King bids him?"

My lord looked full in my face, and answered steadily,

"I think he does, Simon." But then, as though he had said enough, or
even too much, he went on: "Come, you needn't grow too old or too
prudent all at once. Since you have seen the King, your business at
Whitehall will wait. Let us turn back to the coach and be driven to my
house, for, besides my lady, Barbara is there to-day on leave from her
attendance, and she will be glad to renew her acquaintance with you."

It was my experience as a young man, and, perchance, other young men may
have found the like, that whatsoever apprehensions or embarrassments
might be entailed by meeting a comely damsel, and however greatly her
displeasure and scorn were to be dreaded, yet the meeting was not
forgone, all perils being taken rather than that certain calamity.
Therefore I went with my lord to his handsome house in Southampton
Square, and found myself kissing my lady's hand before I was resolved on
how I should treat Mistress Barbara, or on the more weighty question of
how I might look to be treated by he