ile we are condemned
to sit in our royal halls, as dull and as immovable as if our Majesty
was carved on the stern of some Manx smuggling dogger, and christened
the King Arthur of Ramsey."

"Nay, in that case you would take the sea," said Julian, "and so enjoy
travel and adventure enough."

"Oh, but suppose me wind-bound, or detained in harbour by a revenue
pink, or ashore, if you like it, and lying high and dry upon the sand.
Imagine the royal image in the dullest of all predicaments, and you have
not equalled mine."

"I am happy to hear, at least, that you have had no disagreeable
employment," said Julian; "the morning's alarm has blown over, I
suppose?"

"In faith it has, Julian; and our close inquiries cannot find any cause
for the apprehended insurrection. That Bridgenorth is in the island
seems certain; but private affairs of consequence are alleged as the
cause of his visit; and I am not desirous to have him arrested unless I
could prove some malpractices against him and his companions. In fact,
it would seem we had taken the alarm too soon. My mother speaks of
consulting you on the subject, Julian; and I will not anticipate her
solemn communication. It will be partly apologetical, I suppose; for we
begin to think our retreat rather unroyal, and that, like the wicked, we
have fled when no man pursued. This idea afflicts my mother, who, as a
Queen-Dowager, a Queen-Regent, a heroine, and a woman in general, would
be extremely mortified to think that her precipitate retreat hither had
exposed her to the ridicule of the islanders; and she is disconcerted
and out of humour accordingly. In the meanwhile, my sole amusement has
been the grimaces and fantastic gestures of that ape Fenella, who is
more out of humour, and more absurd, in consequence, than you ever saw
her. Morris says, it is because you pushed her downstairs, Julian--how
is that?"

"Nay, Morris has misreported me," answered Julian; "I did but lift her
_up_ stairs to be rid of her importunity; for she chose, in her way, to
contest my going abroad in such an obstinate manner, that I had no other
mode of getting rid of her."

"She must have supposed your departure, at a moment so critical, was
dangerous to the state of our garrison," answered the Earl; "it shows
how dearly she esteems my mother's safety, how highly she rates your
prowess. But, thank Heaven, there sounds the dinner-bell. I would the
philosophers, who find a sin and waste of time in good