s will be given to you. There will be no danger to
yourself; for the persons to whom you will be sent are not suspected;
indeed one of them is a clergyman. We think that a boy will have less
difficulty in getting about the country in its present state than any
man, provided, of course, that you travel by different routes on each
journey. If, however, by some extraordinary chance, you should be caught
with these letters in your wallet, we shall take steps to bring you off;
for we have a good deal of power, in one way or another, by which we
get things done. Still, it may well fall out, Hyde, in spite of all
our care, that you will come into the hands of men with whom we have no
influence. If you should, (remember, it is quite possible) you will be
transported to serve in one of the Virginian or West Indian plantations.
That will be the end of you as far as we are concerned. We shan't
be able to help you then. If you think the cause is right, join us,
provided that you do not think the risks too great."

"If all goes well," said the Duke, "if the summer should prove
prosperous, I may be able to reward a faithful servant, even if he is
only a boy."

"I will serve your Majesty gladly," I answered. "I should like to join
your service."

"Very well then, Jermyn," he said, rising swiftly on his way to the
door; "bring him on board at once."

"We're off to Holland tonight, in the schooner there," said Mr. Jermyn.
"So put these biscuits in your pocket. Give him another glass of wine,
Falk. Now, then. Good-bye, Lane. Good-bye everybody."

"Good-bye," they said. "Good-bye, boy." In another minute we were in
the narrow road, within earshot of the tumbling water, going down to the
stairs at the lane end, to take boat. The last that I saw of my uncle's
house was the white of my ladder ropes, swinging about against the
darkness of the bricks.

"Remember, Hyde," said Mr. Jermyn in a low voice, "that his Majesty is
always plain Mr. Scott. Remember that. Remember, too, that you are never
to speak to him unless he speaks to you. But you won't have much to do
with him. Were you ever at sea, before?"

"No, sir. Only about the Broads in a coracle."

"You'll find it very interesting, then. If you're not seasick. Here we
are at the boat. Now, jump in. Get into the bows."

"Mr. Scott" was already snug under a boat-cloak in the sternsheets. As
soon as we had stepped in, the boatman shoved off. The boat rippled the
water into a gleamin