er braid off my hat, I bound wig and
blade together and flung them into the sea. From my portmanteau
I took a pair of stout black hose which I drew over the more modish
ones I wore, removed the buckles from my shoes, and placing them
with the sword-hilt in the portmanteau, muffled myself carefully
in my cloak, and, taking up my burden, trudged towards the town.

I found the inn where Lady Jane and Margaret lodged without
difficulty, and on my inquiry for them the land-lord said:

"If you are the servant my lady has been expecting, let me tell
you you have been within an ace of losing your place, for you are
a day late, and but for the wind she would have sailed this morning.
You are to go to your room at once, and then you wait on her, and
I, for one, don't envy you your reception! Take your things and
come this way."

The thought of being so near friends banished any petty annoyance
I might have felt at this treatment; indeed I could but so admire
Lady Jane's cleverness that I entered into the jest, and inquired
what manner of person my new mistress might be.

"Masterful, masterful. 'Tis a God's mercy she was not born a man,
or it might have been ill holding with her!" the honest creature
returned, with much decision, and I at once placed him as a man of
fair judgment.

In my room I found the suit of bottle-green livery Lady Jane had
promised laid out for me, so I soon made my transformation complete,
and presented myself at the door my guide had pointed out.

My cousin's voice, in answer to my discreet signal on the panel,
bade me enter, and my welcome was a merry one. How I made them
laugh over my appearance! With what satisfaction did I turn the
tables on Lady Jane by the landlord's estimate of her character,
when she attempted to resume her quizzing over "Mr. Simpkin"! But
it was when I came to the relation of my adventure with Captain
Galway that I met a veritable triumph. To Lady Jane it afforded a
new mark for her wit, and she professed to be vastly amused at my
groundless alarm; but to Margaret, who was much distressed by Lady
Jane's levity, 'twas all tragedy of the most serious description.

[Illustration: "How I made them laugh over my appearance!"]

The measures taken for her brother's safety had proved entirely
effectual, and it was clear that Margaret credited me solely with
his release, which was now assured, though I honestly believe the
Duke's signature would have been only so much worthless p