" for each other.

"You are too good a herald, Sir Frederic," she said, "not to know the
Danverses of Dorsetshire."

"I shall be proud," replied the baronet, "to make the acquaintance of
Miss Danvers."

"She has come to my poor castle," continued Miss Sherwood, "like the
distressed princess in the Faery Queen, and I must look out for some
red-cross knight to be her champion, and redress her wrongs."

"It is not the first time," said the lady thus introduced, "that I have
heard of the name of Sir Frederic Beaumantle."

"I dare say not, I dare say not," answered the gratified baronet. "Mine,
I may venture to say, is an historic name. Did you ever peruse, Miss
Danvers, a work entitled 'The History of the County of Huntingdon?' You
would find in it many curious particulars relating to the Beaumantles,
and one anecdote especially, drawn, I may say, from the archives of our
family, which throws a new light upon the reign and character of Charles
II. It is a very able performance is this 'History of the County of
Huntingdon;' it is written by a modest and ingenious person of my
acquaintance, and I felt great pleasure in lending him my poor
assistance in the compilation of it. My name is mentioned in the
preface. Perhaps," he added with a significant smile, "it might have
claimed a still more conspicuous place; but I hold it more becoming in
persons of rank to be the patrons than the competitors of men of
letters."

"I should think," said Miss Danvers very quietly, "it were the more
prudent plan for them to adopt. But what is this anecdote you allude
to?"

"An ancestor of mine--But I am afraid," said the baronet, casting a
deprecatory look at Miss Sherwood, "that some here have read it, or
heard me repeat it before."

"Oh, pray proceed," said the young lady appealed to.

"An ancestor of mine," resumed the baronet, "on being presented at the
Court of Charles II., soon after the Restoration, attracted the
attention of that merry monarch and his witty courtiers, by the antique
fashion of his cloak. 'Beaumantle! Beaumantle!' said the king, 'who gave
thee that name?' My ancestor, who was a grave man, and well brought up,
answered, 'Sire, my godfathers and my godmothers at my baptism.' 'Well
responded!' said the king with a smile; 'and they gave thee thy raiment
also, as it seems.' These last words were added in a lower voice, and
did not reach the ear of my ancestor, but they were reported to him
immediately afterwards,