, when you've had your breakfast. All's well, sir; and them
ten farmers are ready to stand on their heads with joy at getting
through the enemy's ranks."

"Ah! how was it?"

"Only kept back by the sentries watching 'em; so they all went home as
if they'd done work, and agreed to crawl to our place after dark, and
creep to the gates."

"But no one was hurt?"

"No, sir; nothing worse happened to 'em than a wetting in the moat, and
that don't count, because they were well wet before with crawling
through the grass and damp ditches. See you in 'bout an hour's time
then, sir?"

Roy nodded shortly, and the man left the room with his bundle; while
Roy, uneasy still in mind, turned to his mother, who embraced him
tenderly.

"You will not be long, Roy, my dear?" she said. "I want my breakfast,
too."

"But surely, mother, you have not been sitting up all night while I
slept?"

"Indeed, yes," she said, merrily. "And many a time before last night,
when you were a tiny thing and could not sleep. Last night you could,
peacefully and well, to awake this morning strong mentally and bodily,
to do your duty like my brave son."

Roy winced; but there was something in his mother's look which told him
that his words of the past night were as if uttered only to himself, and
that the subject of their conversation must be buried in the past.

"You will not be long?" said Lady Royland, as she went to the door.

"No, mother; not above ten minutes. Quite enough for a soldier's
toilet," he said, cheerily. And she nodded and went off; while he
hurried to his own room, and after plunging his face in the fresh cold
water felt such a healthy glow coming through his veins, that he was
ready to wonder at the previous night's depression.

"What a glorious morning!" he muttered. "Couldn't have been well last
night.--Hope my mother didn't think me stupid.--What a shame to let her
sit up there all night!--Why, how hungry I do feel!--And only to think
of our getting those fellows in quite safe after all.--Ha, ha, ha! how
mad the enemy must have felt."

Roy was standing before a mirror combing his wet locks as he burst out
into a hearty laugh, full of enjoyment; but he checked it directly, and
stood staring at himself in wonder as the thoughts of the past night
intruded, and he remained for a few moments puzzled to account for the
change that a long rest had wrought in him.

The next minute he was hurrying with his sword and belt un