a
Gothic closet or chapel appertaining to the hall.

When this was performed, Oliver told him that he was ignorant of one of
the high privileges of his own corps, which only received orders from
the King in person, or the High Constable of France, in lieu of their
own officers. "You are placed here by his Majesty's command, young man,"
added Oliver, "and you will not be long here without knowing wherefore
you are summoned. Meantime your walk extends along this gallery. You are
permitted to stand still while you list, but on no account to sit down,
or quit your weapon. You are not to sing aloud, or whistle, upon any
account; but you may, if you list, mutter some of the church's prayers,
or what else you list that has no offence in it, in a low voice.
Farewell, and keep good watch."

"Good watch!" thought the youthful soldier as his guide stole away from
him with that noiseless gliding step which was peculiar to him, and
vanished through a side door behind the arras.

"Good watch! but upon whom and against whom?--for what, save bats
or rats, are there here to contend with, unless these grim old
representatives of humanity should start into life for the disturbance
of my guard? Well, it is my duty, I suppose, and I must perform it."

With the vigorous purpose of discharging his duty, even to the very
rigour, he tried to while away the time with some of the pious hymns
which he had learned in the convent in which he had found shelter after
the death of his father--allowing in his own mind, that, but for the
change of a novice's frock for the rich military dress which he now
wore, his soldierly walk in the royal gallery of France resembled
greatly those of which he had tired excessively in the cloistered
seclusion of Aberbrothick.

Presently, as if to convince himself he now belonged not to the cell but
to the world, he chanted to himself, but in such tone as not to exceed
the license given to him, some of the ancient rude ballads which the old
family harper had taught him, of the defeat of the Danes at Aberlemno
and Forres, the murder of King Duffus at Forfar, and other pithy sonnets
and lays which appertained to the history of his distant native country,
and particularly of the district to which he belonged. This wore away a
considerable space of time, and it was now more than two hours past
noon when Quentin was reminded by his appetite that the good fathers of
Aberbrothick, however strict in demanding his attendance