e hands of the enemy. Farewell to his long-cherished hope of specially
neat retribution, to wit, that the ruins of his family should be the
ruin of the land which had rejected him! Then a fierce thought crossed
his mind, and became at once a stern resolve. If he could never restore
Carne Castle, and dwell there in prosperity, neither should any of his
oppressors. The only trace of his ancestral home should be a vast black
hole in earth.

For even if the landing still succeeded, and the country were subdued,
he could never make his home there, after what he had done to-night.
Dolly was lost to him for ever; and although he had loved her with all
the ardor he could spare from his higher purposes, he must make up his
mind to do without her, and perhaps it was all the better for him. If
he had married her, no doubt he could soon have taught her her proper
place; but no one could tell how she might fly out, through her
self-will and long indulgence. He would marry a French woman; that would
be the best; perhaps one connected with the Empress Josephine. As soon
as he had made up his mind to this, his conscience ceased to trouble
him.

From the crest of the hill at the eastern gate many a bend of shore was
clear, and many a league of summer sea lay wavering in the moonlight.
Along the beach red torches flared, as men of the Coast-Defence pushed
forth, and yellow flash of cannon inland signalled for the Volunteers,
while the lights gleamed (like windows opened from the depth) where
sloop and gun-boat, frigate and ship of the line, were crowding sail
to rescue England. For the semaphore, and when day was out the
beacon-lights, had glowed along the backbone of the English hills, and
England called every Englishman to show what he was made of.

"That will do. Enough of that, John Bull!" Defying his native land,
Carne shook his fist in the native manner. "Stupid old savage, I shall
live to make you howl. This country has become too hot to hold me, and
I'll make it hotter before I have done. Here, Orso and Leo, good dogs,
good dogs! You can kill a hundred British bull-dogs. Mount guard for
an hour, till I call you down the hill. You can pull down a score of
Volunteers apiece, if they dare to come after me. I have an hour to
spare, and I know how to employ it. Jerry, old Jerry Bowles, stir your
crooked shanks. What are you rubbing your blear eyes at?"

The huge boar-hounds, who obeyed no voice but his, took post upon the
rugged r