The Tavern Knight

ed an evil laugh-such a laugh as might fall

k, standing with white face and quivering lip in a corner of the mean chamber. Then he laughed again, and in a hoarse voice, sorely suggestive of the

red of the wen

ate kiss bu

l time, and o

is to take

own, de

rains and he sh

his rake-h

to woo and mos

was all y

own, de

rward with somethi

e of loathing, "or, if croak you

of eyes that of a sudden seemed ablaze glared at his companion; then the lids droop

d worn my throat dry in praising the Lord; for three months have I been a living monument of Covenanting zeal and godliness; and now that at last I have shaken the dust of your beggarly Scotland from

erable on the lad's f

ed service under you, I held you to be at l

ain from his companion's eye. Then, as before,

Think you a gentleman is a Jack Presbyter, or a droning member of your kirk committee, strutting

ly. "Suffer me to leave you, Sir Crispin, to

ever my evil star led me into. The door is yonder, and should you chance to

back in his chair once more, and took

he cried, at th

she would

e crept out of

a s

the mean chamber, fell in that instant upon

Open, for the

the lad paused in the act of quitting the r

quoth Galliard, "fo

, sir," was the answe

one without whose wishes bro

rtment stumbled a roughly clad man of huge frame. He was breathing hard, and fear was writ large upon his rugged face. An in

ccent proclaiming his Irish origin. "My Go

t is toward? Has Cr

d to Heaven 'twere no w

dead, w

made an impat

y, 'twill be a short shrift they'll give me. The King will serve me as poor Wrycraft was served two days ago at Kendal. Mother of M

aid Crispin shortly. "I will try to head them

turned to the lad, who had been a silent spectator of what had passed. From

" he said

ed of him, drew back at sight of those car

began. "I'll

y the living God, I'll-" Without completing his threat he leaned forward until Kenneth felt his hot, wine-laden breath upon his cheek. Cowed by his words, his gesture, and

ing up the cards, he flung a portion of them to the boy, whilst those he retained he

ach, lights flashed before the window, and the

voice-for his quick eye had caught a glimpse of a face that watched them

Crispin rapped out an oath. Then he rose, and with a last look of warning to Kenneth, he went to open.

Hath the Sultan Olive

he rested upon the edge of the open door. It wa

ne a man to death not half an hour agone;

e who fumbles in his memory. "Ah, yes-an Irishman with

as done th

rstand. 'Tis not the fi

be the last,

id he, "and I regret that in my poor house there be naught I can offer you wherein to drink His Majesty's health ere you proceed u

ung officer, "that-that perch

n of anger. "Assist you take a man? Sink me, sir, I

w crimson under the sti

rispin, that have yet

in craven heads. But, sirs, the night air is chill and you are come inopportunely,

st search this house. He is b

take it from me that he could not be here without my kn

ned the officer doggedly.

s though he had been struck, "am I to take it that your errand is a trumped-up business to affront me? First you invite me to turn tipstaff, then you add your cursed innuendoes of what people say of me, and now

f passion the ensign re

General Montgome

ceived you courteously. As it is, sir, the cause for complaint is on my side, and complain I will. We shall see whether the King permits

er. Moreover, he could not think, from what Sir Crispin had said, that it would have been possible for Hogan to have entered the house. With this, and realizing that much trouble and possible loss of time must result from S

arting threat to bring the matter to the King's ears, up

pin's face as he walked slowly to

out. There is a face glued to the window at this moment, and I make little doubt that for t

n his companion. He had not stirred from hi

them," he s

will account to you for offending your delicate soul by suggesting a falsehood in your presence. To-night we have a man

onsented to keep up this pretence. But in his soul he rebelled. He had been reared in an atmosphere of honourable and religious bigotry. Hogan was to him a coarse ruffler; an evil

e his duty. But 'neath the suasion of Galliard's inexorable eye he sat limp and docile, vowing to himself that on the morrow he would lay the matter before Lord Middleton, and thus not

the street men stirred and lanthorns gleamed fitfully, whilst ever and anon a fa

which poor Hogan sat above, alone wi