see the play! Though indeed, I should not
be surprised if it is some time before the curtain draws up. I had
some hopes that you might rejoin, for after your last escape I
doubted whether any Austrian prison would hold you long. I am glad
to see you back again.

"Ah! it was a heavy loss, that of our good marshal. None but myself
can say how I miss him. He was not only, as a general, one of the
best and most trustworthy; but as a friend he was always cheery,
always hopeful, one to whom I could tell all my thoughts. Ah! If I
had but taken his advice at Hochkirch, I should not have had to
mourn his loss.

"It was a heavy blow to you also, Major Drummond."

"A heavy blow indeed, your Majesty. He was as kind to me as if he
had been my father."

"I will try to supply his place," the king said gravely. "He died
in my service, and through my error.

"For my own sake, I am glad that you are here. You have something
of his temperament, and I can talk freely with you, too, whatever
comes into my head."

"I did not know whether I did rightly in coming to report myself
direct to you, sire; but your kindness has always been so great to
me that I thought it would be best to come straight to you, instead
of reporting myself elsewhere, having indeed no fixed post or
commander."

"You did quite right. By the way, Keith's brother, the Scottish
Earl Marischal, is here."

He touched a bell, and said to the officer who came in:

"Will you give my compliments to Earl Marischal Keith, and beg him
to come to me for a few minutes."

Two minutes later Keith entered--a tall man, less strongly built
than his brother, but much resembling him.

"Excuse my sending for you, Earl Marischal," the king said, "but I
wanted to introduce to you your young cousin, Major Drummond; a
very brave young officer, as you may well imagine, since he has
already gained that rank, and wears our military order of the Black
Eagle. He tells me that he has not hitherto met you; but he came
over here at your brother's invitation, was a very great favourite
of his, and was deeply attached to him."

"My brother mentioned you frequently, in his letters to me," Keith
said, holding out his hand to Fergus. "I knew but little of your
mother, first cousin as she is; for being ten years older than my
brother, she was but a little child in my eyes when I last saw her.
Were it not that I am past military work, I would gladly try to
fill my brother's place to you; but