"But is he not beautiful?" she exclaimed.

"I must pay you a compliment, Dame Katherine, if I praise your son, seeing that he is just a small copy of yourself." As he spoke Ralph laid a small bunch of roses in Alice's lap, very choice ones, of a most delicious perfume.

Alice thanked him and smiled one of her rare smiles that seemed amply to repay him; yet the flowers gave her a pang; a bright morning in Mr. Marvel's garden came to mind when Andrew pelted her with rose leaves, while he repeated, in his melodious voice, Waller's pretty lines, "To the Rose."

"Did those sweet love-tokens grow in our town?" asked Kate. "No; I saw them in a countrywoman's basket and straightway coveted them for my lady here. I know she loves flowers. They grew at West Ella and the woman says they are French roses. I told her to bring thee some, Alice, as long as they bloomed."

Certainly Ralph was the most persevering of lovers, the most assiduous of courtiers. No coldness quenched his ardour, no indifference repulsed him.

"We have not quite fixed on a name for our baby yet; and, just think, he is nearly eight weeks old and is nameless," said Kate. "Will thinks with me that we cannot do better than call him after you."

"Better keep to the Lister side of the house," replied Ralph moodily; "our fortunate star can't be in the ascendancy, else why the rending of family ties in our generation ?-an unprecedented scandal, as far back as we can trace, for Hildyards to be in arms against one another."

Kate left the cradle and came to her brother's side.

"Have you heard anything about Henry?"

"Yes," replied Ralph; "he is made Major-General of the horse in England and Wales. We cannot take any pride in his advancement, for it only gives him more power to injure our cause." Kate sighed.

"If only this war was over!"

"It is but just begun, I fear; and even were it ended we should not regain our brother."

"Alas! no, Ralph; but you might at any rate be passive whatever differences of opinion you held.”

"A war of words most likely instead of a war with swords, and it seems to me that the former inflict the deepest and deadliest wounds."

The door opened and Sir William Lister appeared with a face full of excitement.

"Have you had ono of these, Ralph ?" he asked, holding out a letter that looked official from the size of the seal.

"Not I," said Ralph quickly. "What may it be?"

"A most private letter from the Corporation; there will be one sent to you, of course, unless you are summoned in person to hear further particulars. It is no news to you nor to me either, and your father, Alice, prophesied it would be so in the end."

"What is it?" asked Kate and Alice in a breath, and Dame Lister got up from her chair in some alarm.

"This is well!" cried Ralph, after scanning the paper, and getting as much excited as Will. "A wiser plan than calling a meeting,

which would have led to suspicion."

"May we know?" asked Kate.

“Hush," said Ralph, trying to look and speak more calmly. "It is a secret."

'But Will and you should have no secrets from your wives, should they, Alice?"

"Especially after raising our curiosity," responded Alice.

Ralph coloured slightly. "Of course you shall hear. I did but jest. Still I affirm that it is a great and important secret and must continue so until to-morrow, then all the town may know if only we are successful. Hotham is to be arrested this night. He and his son have been treating with the Queen and have promised to give up our good town to Her Majesty. I shall breathe more

freely when the traitors are in safe custody."

"Ah, if only they get no hint of this and escape us," replied Will. "There are so few men with only one face belonging to them, so few that can be relied on."

"Well, I must go home," said Ralph; "perhaps there may be some work for my company to do. Such a commission would please them well; they have no love for the Governor nor for his blustering son. Alice, are you coming, or are you going to spend the morning with Kate and her new hero?"

Alice said she would go with him; perhaps her services, too, might be wanted.

Kate smiled, and called her a pattern soldier's wife. ""Tis a comfort," she said to Will when they were gone; "'tis a comfort that those two are always of one mind on all matters of town and state. I am often edified to hear Alice discussing the most tedious business details with Ralph; she looks such a frail bit of womankind to study the fate of a nation-as strange and fastastic as if I should dress our eight weeks' baby in a suit of armour."

That night most of the people of Hull went to rest as usual, but the Mayor and fifteen hundred soldiers and civilians were keeping secret watch. A company of stout mariners from the Hercules man-of-war, then lying in the Humber, was to begin the work by seizing the garrison, and then the signal was to be given to secure

the magazine, block-houses, and the different gates, while the Governor's house was to be surrounded.

Alice and Kate could not think of sleep, and as soon as the servants were all safely in bed Ralph and Alice went over to Sir William's-as his house lay on the river side of the street-to watch for the first signs of the attack. They stationed themselves at a back chamber window; but two hours after midnight their anxiety and impatience became so great that they noiselessly left the house and descended to the garden; there nothing was to be heard but the waves softly rippling over the broad steps.

"Oh! what was that?" said Kate, trembling all over.

"Go in, dear Kate; I cannot let thee stay here," whispered Sir William.

"I am not cold, love; I am sure that was a sound from the river." They listened intently, and surely there was the splash of oars. A few minutes afterwards two or three long dark shadows glided past over the starlit waters; they were the boats from the Hercules.

"So far all is right," said Ralph, with a deep sigh of relief. "Now, if they are lucky we shall soon have our summons. Go in now, dear women. Will and I had better run down to the Mayor's; those sailors will soon begin their work and then our turn will come."

Kate's heart failed her a little then, for she faltered as she asked if there would be any struggle, any bloodshed.

"Most likely there will be some violent resistance," replied Will; "the Governor knows the penalty of treason. But there is nothing that need make thee anxious, dear heart;" and with a hasty farewell the soldiers repaired to their leader's house.

The ladies had the worst time of it then, straining their ears to listen and wandering from one window to another, sometimes venturing to look from the door and even going down to the front gates. Kate's thoughts were diverted by occasional visits to her infant's couch, and these visits seemed to comfort her wonderfully. By-and-by there were confused sounds, then they died away, and right glad the watchers were to see the morning break, and to feel that soon the world would be astir and they should hear some news. Then the tumult increased hourly, shots were occasionally heard, little companies of soldiers marched quickly up the street, and now and then a messenger sped past like a Mercury.

About seven o'clock Alice went down to the gate alone, and just at that moment Ralph and a few men galloped up. He checked his horse suddenly and cried, "Captain Hotham is secured; the Governor has escaped; we are in pursuit!" and almost before Alice could take in the full meaning of his words, he disappeared.

All day the commotion was very great. Little regret was felt for

the traitors, some people expressing themselves most bitterly when they heard how they were to have been betrayed. Towards evening Ralph returned, and said that Sir John had been overtaken and was coming behind under a strong guard from Beverley.

So it was; and a few hours afterwards both Sir John and his son were safely on board the Hercules, which sailed the next day for London and lodged the prisoners in the Tower.

CHAPTER XXXII.-THE ROYALISTS SEND ANOTHER MESSENGER.

On the very day that the Hercules sailed for London the battle of Atherton Moor was fought. It was a disastrous engagement for the Parliament, for Lord Fairfax's army was utterly defeated and dispersed by the Earl of Newcastle, and Lord Fairfax and his son, with the remnant of their forces, were pursued to Bradford and from thence to Leeds.

The discovery of Hotham's treason had been a severe blow to the Queen and her friends; but Newcastle's victory raised their spirits and they again confidently looked upon Hull as their next prize. The Mayor and a committee of gentlemen had been appointed by Parliament to take charge of this town for the present; but scarcely had the inhabitants recovered from the surprise and commotion caused by their Governor's arrest when Hull became the scene of still more exciting events.

Late in the evening of the day that the battle of Atherton was fought, and before the ill tidings had travelled so far, a stranger presented himself at Sir Ralph Hildyard's house and asked to see him. Old Simon's place as butler was now filled by a younger servant, who ushered the stranger into the library and then sought his master. There was enough light in the room to distinguish any object clearly; but the stranger's face was so muffled in his cloak that it was difficult to discern a single feature, save the eyes, that eagerly scrutinised Ralph's countenance when he entered the apart

ment.

"I have come on business that demands the utmost secresy," said the visitor, as if to excuse his disguise.

"I presume so," replied Ralph, significantly.

"We may safely converse here, I suppose; no one will overhear us?" asked the stranger, looking cautiously round. "There are no eaves-droppers in my house, I believe. All are loyal and true servants of the Parliament," returned Ralph, trying to make out who the muffled figure might be.

66

Hum, of course," said the latter, as if embarrassed for a moment. "I am here merely as a messenger from a noble personage, and my errand is of the highest importance. Nothing but my great solici

tude for the welfare of the town, and my desire for the restoration of peace, would have induced me to run the risk I do in venturing here. My liberty is in your hands, Sir Ralph, and before I open my commission I pray you to pledge me a safe exit from this town."

Ralph considered for a few minutes. This was evidently an envoy from some Royalist leader, whom, of course, he might arrest as a spy, for he must have stolen into the town. If he arrested him they would probably extract nothing from him; but if he were encouraged to disclose the object of his coming something might be learned that would be worth more than his detention as a prisoner.

"Before I engage to give you a safe conduct," said Ralph, “you must tell me with whom you have spoken since you passed the gates."

"I have exchanged words with no one save a wherry man, who showed me where you lived."

"Will you swear that you said nothing to him besides asking the way to my house, and have transmitted no letters or papers through him, or by any other means, to any one in this place?"

"I swear by my honour," replied the stranger. "I know not what your coolly; "but I am content. to say?"

honour may be worth," said Ralph, And now what has your noble friend

"I come direct from the Earl of Kingston, who is at present occupying Gainsborough! He thinks the worthy people of Hull cannot know how grieved the King is with their continued resistance to his authority. His Majesty laments that they should be so deceived by ill-meaning and strife-loving men concerning his intentions, for these have always been to maintain the rights and liberties of his subjects and to uphold the Protestant religion. Indeed, how can anyone doubt the King's integrity and sincerity when he so vehemently declares his resolution to uphold the ancient constitution? But malicious persons have misrepresented his Majesty and corrupted the affections of his people."

The stranger paused, and Ralph quietly remarked, "I suppose you were not sent here simply to explain the King's purposes, for I believe we are as well informed on that matter as his lordship."

"That can hardly be, or rebellion here would soon cease."

"There may be divers interpretations put upon the same words and actions," replied Ralph.

"His Majesty's friends are surely the most likely persons to interpret truly both words and actions," returned the stranger, quietly. "And as a proof how much the King's faithful subjects trust in the royal clemency, the Earl engages to procure his Ma