we resumed our journey. 'Why, it seems but yesterday that I
played hide-and-seek wi' my brothers in the old Boteler Castle, that
stood where the new house o' Badminton, or Acton Turville, as some calls
it, now stands. The Duke hath built it but a few years, and, indeed, his
Dukedom itself is scarce older. There are some who think that he would
have done better to stick by the old name that his forebears bore.'

'What manner of man is the Duke?' I asked.

'Hot and hasty, like all of his blood. Yet when he hath time to think,
and hath cooled down, he is just in the main. Your horse hath been in
the water this morning, vriend.'

'Yes,' said I shortly, 'he hath had a bath.'

'I am going to his Grace on the business of a horse,' quoth my
companion. 'His officers have pressed my piebald four-year-old, and
taken it without a "With your leave," or "By your leave," for the use of
the King. I would have them know that there is something higher than
the Duke, or even than the King. There is the English law, which will
preserve a man's goods and his chattels. I would do aught in reason for
King James's service, but my piebald four-year-old is too much.'

'I fear that the needs of the public service will override your
objection,' said I.

'Why it is enough to make a man a Whig,' he cried. 'Even the Roundheads
always paid their vair penny for every pennyworth they had, though they
wanted a vair pennyworth for each penny. I have heard my father say that
trade was never so brisk as in 'forty-six, when they were down this way.
Old Noll had a noose of hemp ready for horse-stealers, were they for
King or for Parliament. But here comes his Grace's carriage, if I
mistake not.'

As he spoke a great heavy yellow coach, drawn by six cream-coloured
Flemish mares, dashed down the road, and came swiftly towards us. Two
mounted lackeys galloped in front, and two others all in light blue and
silver liveries rode on either side.

'His Grace is not within, else there had been an escort behind,' said
the farmer, as we reined our horses aside to let the carriage pass. As
they swept by he shouted out a question as to whether the Duke was at
Badminton, and received a nod from the stately bewigged coachman in
reply.

'We are in luck to catch him,' said Farmer Brown. 'He's as hard to find
these days as a crake in a wheatfield. We should be there in an hour
or less. I must thank you that I did not take a fruitless journey into
Bristol. What did