ession of his
countenance, and interrupted herself to exclaim, "For God's sake, what is
the matter?"

"His Majesty's faithful subjects have gained a great and most decisive
victory near Blair of Athole; but, alas! my gallant friend Lord Dundee--"

"Has fallen?" said Edith, anticipating the rest of his tidings.

"True, most true: he has fallen in the arms of victory, and not a man
remains of talents and influence sufficient to fill up his loss in King
James's service. This, Edith, is no time for temporizing with our duty. I
have given directions to raise my followers, and I must take leave of you
this evening."

"Do not think of it, my lord," answered Edith; "your life is--essential
to your friends,--do not throw it away in an adventure so rash. What can
your single arm, and the few tenants or servants who might follow you, do
against the force of almost all Scotland, the Highland clans only
excepted?"

"Listen to me, Edith," said Lord Evandale. "I am not so rash as you may
suppose me, nor are my present motives of such light importance as to
affect only those personally dependent on myself. The Life Guards, with
whom I served so long, although new-modelled and new-officered by the
Prince of Orange, retain a predilection for the cause of their rightful
master; and "--and here he whispered as if he feared even the walls of
the apartment had ears--"when my foot is known to be in the stirrup, two
regiments of cavalry have sworn to renounce the usurper's service, and
fight under my orders. They delayed only till Dundee should descend into
the Lowlands; but since he is no more, which of his successors dare take
that decisive step, unless encouraged by the troops declaring themselves!
Meantime, the zeal of the soldiers will die away. I must bring them to a
decision while their hearts are glowing with the victory their old leader
has obtained, and burning to avenge his untimely death."

"And will you, on the faith of such men as you know these soldiers to
be," said Edith, "take a part of such dreadful moment?"

"I will," said Lord Evandale,--"I must; my honour and loyalty are both
pledged for it."

"And all for the sake," continued Miss Bellenden, "of a prince whose
measures, while he was on the throne, no one could condemn more than Lord
Evandale?"

"Most true," replied Lord Evandale; "and as I resented, even during the
plenitude of his power, his innovations on Church and State, like a
freeborn subject, I am determ