me, Quentin, my man, hath the King any advice of this brave, Christian,
and manly resolution of yours, for, poor man, he had need, in his
strait, to ken what he has to reckon upon. Had he but brought the whole
brigade of Guards with him!--But God's will be done.--Kens he of your
purpose, think you?"

"I really can hardly tell," answered Quentin; "but I assured his learned
Astrologer, Martius Galeotti, of my resolution to be silent on all that
could injure the King with the Duke of Burgundy. The particulars which
I suspect, I will not (under your favour) communicate even to your
lordship; and to the philosopher I was, of course, far less willing to
unfold myself."

"Ha!--ay!" answered Lord Crawford.--"Oliver did indeed tell me that
Galeotti prophesied most stoutly concerning the line of conduct you were
to hold; and I am truly glad to find he did so on better authority than
the stars."

"He prophesy!" said Le Balafre, laughing; "the stars never told him that
honest Ludovic Lesly used to help yonder wench of his to spend the fair
ducats he flings into her lap."

"Hush! Ludovic," said his captain, "hush! thou beast, man!--If thou
dost not respect my gray hairs, because I have been e'en too much of a
routier myself, respect the boy's youth and innocence, and let us have
no more of such unbecoming daffing."

"Your honour may say your pleasure," answered' Ludovic Lesly; "but, by
my faith, second sighted Saunders Souplesaw, the town souter of Glen
Houlakin, was worth Galeotti, or Gallipotty, or whatever ye call him,
twice told, for a prophet. He foretold that all my sister's children,
would die some day; and he foretold it in the very hour that the
youngest was born, and that is this lad Quentin--who, no doubt, will one
day die, to make up the prophecy--the more's the pity--the whole curney
of them is gone but himself. And Saunders foretold to myself one day,
that I should be made by marriage, which doubtless will also happen in
due time, though it hath not yet come to pass--though how or when, I can
hardly guess, as I care not myself for the wedded state, and Quentin is
but a lad. Also, Saunders predicted--"

"Nay," said Lord Crawford, "unless the prediction be singularly to the
purpose, I must cut you short, my good Ludovic; for both you and I must
now leave your nephew, with prayers to Our Lady to strengthen him in the
good mind he is in; for this is a case in which a light word might do
more mischief than all the