veril, again
speaking, though by the same effort which a man makes who talks in his
sleep.

"Aldrick has seen the Duke of York in secret, and his Royal Highness,
who wept while he confessed his want of power to protect his
friends--and it is no trifle will wring tears from him--told him to
send us information that we should look to our safety, for that Dempster
Christian and Bridgenorth were in the island, with secret and severe
orders; that they had formed a considerable party there, and were likely
to be owned and protected in anything they might undertake against us.
The people of Ramsey and Castletown are unluckily discontented about
some new regulation of the imposts; and to tell you the truth, though
I thought yesterday's sudden remove a whim of my mother's, I am almost
satisfied they would have blockaded us in Rushin Castle, where we could
not have held out for lack of provisions. Here we are better supplied,
and, as we are on our guard, it is likely the intended rising will not
take place."

"And what is to be done in this emergency?" said Peveril.

"That is the very question, my gentle coz," answered the Earl.
"My mother sees but one way of going to work, and that is by royal
authority. Here are the warrants she had prepared, to search for, take,
and apprehend the bodies of Edward Christian and Robert--no, Ralph
Bridgenorth, and bring them to instant trial. No doubt, she would soon
have had them in the Castle court, with a dozen of the old matchlocks
levelled against them--that is her way of solving all sudden
difficulties."

"But in which, I trust, you do not acquiesce, my lord," answered
Peveril, whose thoughts instantly reverted to Alice, if they could ever
be said to be absent from her.

"Truly I acquiesce in no such matter," said the Earl. "William
Christian's death cost me a fair half of my inheritance. I have no fancy
to fall under the displeasure of my royal brother, King Charles, for a
new escapade of the same kind. But how to pacify my mother, I know not.
I wish the insurrection would take place, and then, as we are better
provided than they can be, we might knock the knaves on the head; and
yet, since they began the fray, we should keep the law on our side."

"Were it not better," said Peveril, "if by any means these men could be
induced to quit the island?"

"Surely," replied the Earl; "but that will be no easy matter--they
are stubborn on principle, and empty threats will not move them. Th