f the Castle hall. Several of the members clustered round
me with hints for my journey or suggestions as to my conduct.

'He is a proud, froward man,' said one. 'Speak humbly to him or he will
never hearken to your message, but will order you to be scourged out of
his presence.'

'Nay, nay!' cried another. 'He is hot, but he loves a man that is a
man. Speak boldly and honestly to him, and he is more like to listen to
reason.'

'Speak as the Lord shall direct you,' said a Puritan. 'It is His message
which you bear as well as the King's.'

'Entice him out alone upon some excuse,' said Buyse, 'then up and away
mit him upon your crupper. Hagelsturm! that would be a proper game.'

'Leave him alone,' cried Saxon. 'The lad hath as much sense as any of
ye. He will see which way the cat jumps. Come, friend, let us make our
way back to our men.'

'I am sorry, indeed, to lose you,' he said, as we threaded our way
through the throng of peasants and soldiers upon the Castle Green. 'Your
company will miss you sorely. Lockarby must see to the two. If all goes
well you should be back in three or four days. I need not tell you that
there is a real danger. If the Duke wishes to prove to James that
he would not allow himself to be tampered with, he can only do it by
punishing the messenger, which as lieutenant of a county he hath power
to do in times of civil commotion. He is a hard man if all reports be
true. On the other hand, if you should chance to succeed it may lay the
foundations of your fortunes and be the means of saving Monmouth. He
needs help, by the Lord Harry! Never have I seen such a rabble as this
army of his. Buyse says that they fought lustily at this ruffle at
Axminster, but he is of one mind with me, that a few whiffs of shot and
cavalry charges would scatter them over the countryside. Have you any
message to leave?'

'None, save my love to my mother,' said I.

'It is well. Should you fall in any unfair way, I shall not forget his
Grace of Beaufort, and the next of his gentlemen who comes in my way
shall hang as high as Haman. And now you had best make for your chamber,
and have as good a slumber as you may, since to-morrow at cock-crow
begins your new mission.'

Chapter XXII. Of the News from Havant

Having given my orders that Covenant should be saddled and bridled by
daybreak, I had gone to my room and was preparing for a long night's
rest, when Sir Gervas, who slept in the same apartment, came dancin