his Highness and I continued to cut at their long pikes with
our swords; and I think might have broken in, but that I had a tall,
long-legged brute of a horse, and my sword was somewhat short,--in fine,
at last we were obliged to make volte-face, and then, as I was going to
say, the fellows were so glad to get rid of us, that they set up a great
jubilee cry of 'There goes Prince Robin and Cock Robin!'--Ay, ay, every
scoundrel among them knew me well. But those days are over.--And where
were you educated, young gentleman?"

Peveril named the household of the Countess of Derby.

"A most honourable lady, upon my word as a gentleman," said Hudson.--"I
knew the noble Countess well when I was about the person of my royal
mistress, Henrietta Maria. She was then the very muster of all that was
noble, loyal, and lovely. She was, indeed, one of the fifteen fair ones
of the Court, whom I permitted to call me Piccoluomini--a foolish jest
on my somewhat diminutive figure, which always distinguished me from
ordinary beings, even when I was young--I have now lost much stature by
stooping; but, always the ladies had their jest at me.--Perhaps, young
man, I had my own amends of some of them somewhere, and somehow
or other--I _say_ nothing if I had or no; far less do I insinuate
disrespect to the noble Countess. She was daughter of the Duc de la
Tremouille, or, more correctly, des Thouars. But certainly to serve the
ladies, and condescend to their humours, even when somewhat too free, or
too fantastic, is the true decorum of gentle blood."

Depressed as his spirits were, Peveril could scarce forbear smiling when
he looked at the pigmy creature, who told these stories with infinite
complacency, and appeared disposed to proclaim, as his own herald, that
he had been a very model of valour and gallantry, though love and
arms seemed to be pursuits totally irreconcilable to his shrivelled,
weather-beaten countenance, and wasted limbs. Julian was, however,
so careful to avoid giving his companion pain, that he endeavoured
to humour him, by saying, that, "unquestionably, one bred up like
Sir Geoffrey Hudson, in court and camps, knew exactly when to suffer
personal freedoms, and when to control them."

The little Knight, with great vivacity, though with some difficulty,
began to drag his seat from the side of the fire opposite to that where
Julian was seated, and at length succeeded in bringing it near him, in
token of increasing cordiality.