The Crimson Sign

mpanied her part of the way himself, and had provided her with an escort for the remainder of her journey. To Gervase he had shown unaffected kindness. H

r their fatherland. But it is still our curse to be divided--torn and rent by civil feuds. But believe me when I say that Patrick Sarsfield has only one desire on earth, and that is that his country should have her own laws and her own government, and freedom for the meanest. I think I shall meet

d he not been checked by narrow prejudices and the bitter envy of those who did not understand his proud and chivalrous n

placed under the protection of her aunt, he returned to his old lodgi

ion and cowardice or from deliberate treachery, had made no effort to oppose their approach, and had done his best to secure the surrender of the city. At the very moment when he was about to carry out his designs, the citizens awakened to his intention

furbished up, and gentlemen and yeomen alike were filled with the same ardour, and wore the same determined air. Every regiment had its post. On the ramparts the guards were posted at regular intervals; little knots of armed and resolute men were gathered in the great square, and companies were being drilled from morning till night in the Bogside. A spirit of unyielding loyal

strong 133force that shut off communication with Culmore. Away towards St. Johnston′s and Carrigans was the main army of the enemy under Eustace and Ramsay. From the heights of Clooney one could see at long intervals a swift leap of flam

tance might have see

e gradual slope toward the square-towered Cathedral; the walls were low and might be easily breached. Still, there were seven thou

llant soldier had just returned after a hot encounter with the enemy, and had heard from his lips an account of their first skirmish that h

e went down the crooked stair, and came into the ill-lighted shop. The door was lying open, but the shutters had not been taken down. Trade was not of the briskest of late days, and the stock was somewhat meagre. The varied assortment of wares--linens, broadcloth, and laces--had nearly disappeared, and the little linen-draper, Simon Sproule, was s

It was only on Thursday I was telling Elizabeth--and she′ll bear me out in what I say--that ′twas likely

, laughing, "but you can see that I look little like a dying

and he was encased to the thighs in a pair of jack-boots that gave his nether extremities a very striking appearance. On a stool hard by was a steel head-piece of an antiquated pattern, and leaning against the counter was a musket, the lock of which he had apparently rece

down with a long sword by your side and a murderous weapon like that in your hand, but for a married man like myself with eight children to his own sha

dest man in the city, and I remember you made

he bullets begin to whistle about your head. I was out yesterday, Mr. Orme, and do you know"--here he loo

d your ground

I even ran like a coward for the walls, and never thought of my duty till I was out of reach of their sword-blades. It was too

e air of a veteran. "A fortnight hence you will be as bold as a lion. Mistress S

r what I have told you. She must needs know the whole story when I came back last night, and my invention would not s

blous times we are 137living in, and hard knocks are in fashion. You must even pluck up courage and show a stout heart in that buff coat

avour. But I wish with all my heart we could see the end of our troubles. My trade is even ruined, and there is a list of debts for you that will

were all he owed us the city would be well

now not what devil′s work I may have to do before the day is over. But I will take what

"and should it give you courage, I′ll even bl

of consternation depicted on the face of his little landlord, who had been among the l

e armour, but men who looked as if they had a work to do and meant to do it. Four companies of Parker′s regiment of foot he met on their way to the Bogside, and he was struck by their soldierly bearing and the precision and regularity of their march. From the Royal Bastion a

t a glance. The tall, burly figure and frank face full of boldness and resolution spoke of action rather than of study, and the sword that he carried at his side was little in k

e been telling you but now, Governor Walker," said Murray

was intended it should by those who sent you, and that you alone of your party have returned in safety. We have now, I trust, cleared ou

wed in acq

u will. Our men are eager, but they want discipline. I am no soldier myself, but I have set myself to l

t the goo

tis well to strike hard and stand to it. You would then have seen

rug of his shoulders, "but I have no doubt Mr. Orme will do

the enemy or we should have seen him ere now. 140H

ldier I never met, and one with knowledge g

the cause?--that i

n if you knew the man; Cromwel

tain Ashe, will you walk as far with m

nose, Mr. Orme. There′s a great heart in yon cassock but half of him is only a parson, after all. He would have us drilled from the pulpit steps, and no man may march but to the t

ny," said Gervase, "and none can

rdly hope he will get through. And they will draw them closer yet, for they will have to starve us out; storm us they cannot. Pray 141God, they do not sleep in England.

my had not attempted any further offensive operations, but lay sullenly in their quarters, or employed themselves in exercising their levies. Oc

little advantage in discipline and order over the silent and determined men who sat in the trenches round him. Ill-armed and ill-clad, the royal troops were wanting in the fi

ue of domestic virtue, with two of her eight children clutching at her gown. That something had disturbed her equan

your supper is gone, and your friend is hardly satisfi

to supper," Gervase

I should have known more about him, but he stopped me short and told me to mind my ow

p the staircase, and burst into the room. Macpherson was still seated at the table, the empty dishes ranged before him. His long jaws were le

taken possession and wasted your commissariat," he said, with a smile on his brown face. "You

back into his seat, "and all the more as you seem to have fa

these two days past, and since we parted I have not tas

fe and

poltroon, and deserting my company when it came to the push of sword. But I could see no other way to help you after I shot yon swaggering ruff

aid Gervase. "Let me tell you, Captain Macpherson, it

stood up before me in the oak wood, and with the look in her eyes that I never saw in a woman before--told me she trusted me. ′Twas like the handshake of a co

ase said soberly, "We buried him the ne

t mean they m

asure broke his heart, and hardly

sting on the back of his chair, and a look on

jesting

loved better than life was more than he could bear, and he never moved again after he fell. Then the troopers came

rough the night in the bramble by the river-side, as God is my witness, I could see through the lid the glint of the gold and the shimmer of the precious stones, and I, who never feared before, quaked like a schoolboy at the birch rod. I prayed for light, but I could find no comfort. Then I rose up with my load, for the girl had placed

he tre

shrewd one too; but for them, they will never answer to their names again till the muster roll is called at the Judgment. I must have lost my senses for a while, for when I came to reason there were we four lying stretched upon the road, but myself on the top with that devil′s box at my feet. With my load under my arm I set off again, but what with the loss of blood, and the enemy gathered round me so closely that I could not see my way thro

r all than I had hoped for;

n, and know more of my business than I had a mind he should. I lied boldly and vehemently, which is a matter permissible by the laws of war, and having brought me hard by our lines at the Windmill, I even knocked him down with my fist, and ran for it as fast as my legs would carry me. They might have

rish ill-will of Luttrel; and how she had carried herself throughout with a patience and fortitude that a man might envy; and all the while Macpherson watched him under his half-closed eyelids with the same grave smile upon his face. It was evident he was no less interested in the speaker than in the narrative, and when it was done he rose up and placed his hand on Gervase′s shoulder, and bade him forget that he had spoken a word in her disparagement. "God hath made few women like her, my lad," he

ides, he felt that she was so lifted above him that he dared not trust himself to speak of her. It did not come to him with surprise that Macpherson, 148whose cynicism he regarded as a matter of course, should have been captivated by her grace and sp

rning that he had given him before the journey began. Then, with some solicitude, he insisted on hi

wound (which, he said, proved the thickness of his skull) had been dressed, arrayed himself in a clean shir

nscious Macpherson. She watched him with lowering brows, blowing a cloud of smoke in his placid contentment; then her pent-up feelings broke out. "Marry," she said, "there are some folk who ca

mouth of the shrew, and lead her down to the Market-place, where she stands for a war

e was over, the storm broke out with renewed violence, and while Macpherson placed his fingers in his ears, Gervase intervened as a peacem

on. "Man, that′s a terrible woman. Hav

age to cross her. Poor Simon fears her more than he fears the bullets of the enemy, and I think I

ou will be willing enough, for I must give her an account of my stewardship before 150I sleep, through how I shall bring myself to tell her what I have done after all