y good lad. Let me see, you nearly captured
Sir Henry Norland, too, did you not?"

"I should have taken him if he had been there," replied Hilary; "but I
was glad he was not."

"Why?"

"Because he was an old friend."

"Let me see," continued the officer; "Sir Henry asked you to join us,
did he not?"

"Several times," said Hilary quietly.

"Ah, yes! I suppose he would. Came to see you when you were a
prisoner, I suppose?"

"He did."

"But he is not a good diplomat, Sir Henry Norland. By the way, what did
he offer you?"

"The captaincy of a man-of-war."

"Young as you were?"

"Young as I am."

"But that was in prospective. Hard gold coin is much more satisfactory,
Mr Hilary Leigh," said the officer, pouring out some bright golden
guineas upon the table. "Of course you thought that Charles Edward
might not come to the throne, and that you would never get your--get
your--"

"Traitor's pay," said Hilary sharply, finishing the sentence.

"Don't call things by hard names, young man," said the officer sternly.
"And let me tell you that I know for a certainty that your position in
Hanoverian George's service is a very precarious one. Strange things
have been told of you."

"Very likely," said Hilary coldly.

"I believe your officer has reported upon your conduct."

"I can't help that," said Hilary coldly. "I have always served his
majesty faithfully and well."

"Even to taking pay from the other side?" said the officer with a
mocking smile.

"It is a lie," cried Hilary angrily; "I never tampered with my duty to
the king."

"Till now," said the officer laughing. "There, there, there, my lad,
I'm not going to quarrel with you, and we will not use high-sounding
phrases about loyalty, and fealty, and duty, and the like. There, I am
glad to welcome you to our side. There are a hundred guineas in that
bag. Take them, but spend them sensibly, or you will be suspected. If
I were you I would save them, and those that are to come. Here is your
despatch, and you will see the address at Dunquerque. Be faithful and
vigilant and careful. There, take them and go your way. No one will be
a bit the wiser for what you have done, and when you return to port
bring your answer here, and give it to anyone you see. One word more:
do not trust your lieutenant. I don't think he means well by you."

"I know that," said Hilary scornfully.

"Never mind," said the officer; "some day, when we are in power, w