d was fifty guineas,
and perhaps a serviceable gratitude in the minds of two great men,
provided I lived to enjoy the fruit of it.

"You'll accept this task?" asked the Duke.

The task was to thwart M. de Perrencourt and gratify the Duke of
Monmouth. If I refused it, another might accept and accomplish it; if
such a champion failed, M. de Perrencourt would triumph. If I accepted,
I should accept in the fixed intention of playing traitor to one of my
employers. I might serve Buckingham's turn, I should seek to thwart
Monmouth.

"Who pays me fifty guineas?" I asked.

"Faith, I," he answered with a shrug. "Young Monmouth is enough his
father's son to have his pockets always empty."

On this excuse I settled my point of casuistry in an instant.

"Then I'll carry the lady away from the Castle," I cried.

He started, leant forward, and looked hard in my face. "What do you
mean, what do you know?" he asked plainly enough, although silently. But
I had cried out with an appearance of zeal and innocence that baffled
his curiosity, and my guileless expression gave his suspicions no food.
Perhaps, too, he had no wish to enquire. There was little love between
him and Monmouth, for he had been bitterly offended by the honours and
precedence assigned to the Duke; only a momentary coincidence of
interest bound them together in this scheme. If the part that concerned
Buckingham were accomplished, he would not break his heart on account of
the lady not being ready for Monmouth at the hostelry of the Merry
Mariners.

"I think, then, that we understand one another, Mr Dale?" said he,
rising.

"Well enough, your Grace," I answered with a bow, and I rapped on the
door. The gaoler opened it.

"Mr Dale is free to go where he will within the Castle. You can return
to your quarters," said Buckingham.

The soldier marched off. Buckingham turned to me.

"Good fortune in your enterprise," he said. "And I give you joy on your
liberty."

The words were not out of his mouth when a lieutenant and two men
appeared, approaching us at a rapid walk, nay, almost at a run. They
made directly for us, the Duke and I both watching them. The officer's
sword was drawn in his hand, their daggers were fixed in the muzzles of
the soldiers' muskets.

"What's happened now?" asked Buckingham in a whisper.

The answer was not long in coming. The lieutenant halted before us,
crying,

"In the King's name, I arrest you, sir."

"On my soul, you've a