en lost to England; and had not our allegiance
stood in the breach, the cause of rebellion would have triumphed."

"And is this character for loyalty worth so much money?" said the Jew,
slowly.

"Not as a mere empty name, not as a vain boast," replied D'Esmonde,
quickly; "but if the tree be stunted, its fruits are above price. Our
martyrdom will not go unrewarded. The moment of peril over, the season
of concessions will begin. How I once hated the word! how I used to
despise those who were satisfied with these crumbs from the table of the
rich man, not knowing that the time would come when we should sit at the
board ourselves. Concession! the vocabulary has no one word I 'd
change for it; it is conquest, dominion, sovereignty, all together. By
concession, we may be all we strive for, but never could wrest by force.
Now, my good Signor Morlache, these slow and sententious English are
a most impulsive people, and are often betrayed into the strangest
excesses of forgiveness and forgetfulness; insomuch that I feel assured
that nothing will be refused us, if we but play our game prudently."

"And what is the game?" said the Jew, with impatience; "for it seems to
me that you are not about to strike for freedom, like the Hungarians or
the Lombards. What, then, is the prize you strive for?"

"The Catholicism of Ireland, and then of England, the subjugation of the
haughtiest rebel to the Faith, the only one whose disaffection menaces
our Holy Church; for the Lutheranism of the German is scarce worth the
name of enemy. England once Catholic, the world is our own!"

The enthusiasm of his manner, and the excited tones of his round, full
voice seemed to check the Jew, whose cold, sarcastic features were
turned towards the priest with an expression of wonderment.

"Let us come back from all this speculation to matter of plain fact,"
said Morlache, after a long pause. "What securities are offered for the
repayment of this sum? for, although the theme be full of interest to
you, to me it has but the character of a commercial enterprise."

"But it ought not," said D'Esmonde, passionately. "The downfall of the
tyranny of England is your cause as much as ours. What Genoa and Venice
were in times past, they may become again. The supremacy of the seas
once wrested from that haughty power, the long-slumbering energies of
Southern Europe will awaken, the great trading communities of the Levant
will resume their ancient place, and the r