Now your riding-cloak, the
nights are damp here, by the river-side, even in summer; oh! never
mind your pistols, you'll find a brace in my holsters, genuine
Kuchenreuters. I can hit a crown piece with them, for a hundred
guineas, at fifty paces."

"Heaven send that you never shoot at me with them, if that's the case,
George."

"Heaven send that I never shoot at any one, my lord, unless it be an
enemy of my king and country, and in open warfare; for so certainly as
I do shoot I shall kill."

"I do not doubt you, George. But let's be off. The lights are burning
low in the sockets, and these good fellows are evidently tired out
with their share of our festivity. Fore Gad! I believe we are the
last of the guests."

And with the word, the young men mounted joyously, and galloped away
at the top of their horses' speed to the quarters of the life-guard in
Windsor.

Half an hour after their departure, the two sisters sat above stairs
in a pleasant chamber, disrobing themselves, with the assistance of
their maidens, of the cumbrous and stiff costumes of the ball-room,
and jesting merrily over the events of the evening.

"Well, Blanche," said Agnes archly, "confess, siss, who is the lord
paramount, the beau _par excellence_, of the ball? I know, you demure
puss! After all, it is ever the quiet cat that licks the cream. But to
think that on your very first night you should have made such a
conquest. So difficult, too, to please, they say, and all the great
court ladies dying for him."

"Hush! madcap. I don't know who you mean. At all events, I have not
danced four dances in one evening with one cavalier. Ah! have I caught
you, pretty mistress?"

"Oh! that was only _poor_ George Delawarr. A paltry cornet in the
guards. He will do well enough to have dangling after one, to play
with, while he amuses one--but fancy, being proud of conquering poor
George! His namesake with the Saint before it were worth a score of
such."

"Fie, sister!" said Blanche, gravely. "I do not love to hear you talk
so. I am sure he's a very pretty gentleman, and has twice as much head
as my lord, if I'm not mistaken; and three times as much heart."

"Heart, indeed, siss! Much you know about hearts, I fancy. But, now
that you speak of it, I _will_ try if he has got a heart. If he has,
he will do well to pique some more eligible--"

"Oh! Agnes, Agnes! I cannot hear you--"

"Pshaw!" interrupted the younger sister, very bitterly, "this
affectat