d terrify the tender hearts of two
helpless young ladies, travelling, no doubt, upon some cruel emergency,
which compels them, unattended, to encounter in the night the dangers of
the highway?"

"Hearkye, Don Bethlem," said the captain, strutting up, and cocking
his hat in the face of our adventurer, "you may be mad as ever a
straw-crowned monarch in Moorfields, for aught I care, but damme! don't
you be saucy, otherwise I shall dub your worship with a good stick across
your shoulders." "How! petulant boy," cried the knight, "since you are
so ignorant of urbanity, I will give you a lesson that you shall not
easily forget." So saying, he unsheathed his sword, and called upon the
soldier to draw in his defence.

The reader may have seen the physiognomy of a stockholder at Jonathan's
when the rebels were at Derby, or the features of a bard when accosted by
a bailiff, or the countenance of an alderman when his banker stops
payment; if he has seen either of these phenomena, he may conceive the
appearance that was now exhibited by the visage of the ferocious captain,
when the naked sword of Sir Launcelot glanced before his eyes; far from
attempting to produce his own, which was of unconscionable length, he
stood motionless as a statue, staring with the most ghastly look of
terror and astonishment. His companion, who partook of his panic, seeing
matters brought to a very serious crisis, interposed with a crest-fallen
countenance, assuring Sir Launcelot they had no intention to quarrel, and
what they had done was entirely for the sake of the frolic.

"By such frolics," cried the knight, "you become nuisances to society,
bring yourselves into contempt, and disgrace the corps to which you
belong. I now perceive the truth of the observation, that cruelty always
resides with cowardice. My contempt is changed into compassion, and as
you are probably of good families, I must insist upon this young man's
drawing his sword, and acquitting himself in such a manner as may screen
him from the most infamous censure which an officer can undergo."
"Lack-a-day, sir," said the other, "we are no officers, but prentices
to two London haberdashers, travellers for orders; Captain is a good
travelling name, and we have dressed ourselves like officers to procure
more respect upon the road."

The knight said he was very glad, for the honour of the service, to find
they were impostors, though they deserved to be chastised for arrogating
to the