"Tush, Jonathan," said Redgauntlet; "talk not to me, man; it is neither the craft of a young lawyer, nor the simplicity of an old hypocrite, can drive me from my purpose.'

"By my faith," said the captain, coming forward in his turn, "this is hardly fair, General; and I doubt," he added, “whether the will of my owners can make me a party to such proceedings.-Nay, never fumble with your sword-hilt, but out with it like a man, if you are for a tilting."

-He unsheathed his hanger, and continued,-“ I will neither see my comrade Fairford, nor the old Quaker, abused. D-n all warrants, false or true-curse the justice-confound the constable !-and here stands little Nanty Ewart to make good what he says against gentle and simple, in spite of horse-shoe or horse-radish either." The cry of "Down with all warrants !" was popular in the ears of the militia of the inn, and Nanty Ewart was no less so. Fishers, ostlers, seamen, smugglers, began to crowd to the spot. Crackenthorp endeavoured in vain to mediate. The attendants of Redgauntlet began to handle their fire-arms; but their master shouted to them to forbear, and, unsheathing his sword as quick as lightning, he rushed on Ewart in the midst of his bravade, and struck his weapon from his hand with such address and force, that it flew three yards from him. Closing with him at the same moment, he gave him a severe fall, and waved his sword over his head, to show he was absolutely at his mercy."

66

There, you drunken vagabond," he said, "I give you your life-you are no bad fellow, if you could keep from brawling among your friends.—But we all know Nanty Ewart," he said to the crowd around, with a forgiving laugh, which, joined to the awe his prowess had inspired, entirely confirmed their wavering allegiance.

They shouted, "The Laird forever!" while poor Nanty, rising from the earth, on whose lap he had been stretched so rudely, went in quest of his hanger, lifted it, wiped it, and, as he returned the weapon to the scabbard, muttered between his teeth, "It is true they say of him,

and the devil will stand his friend till his hour come; I will cross him no more.

So saying, he slunk from the crowd, cowed and disheartened by his defeat.

"For you, Joshua Geddes," said Redgauntlet, approaching the Quaker, who, with lifted hands and eyes, had beheld the scene of violence, "I shall take the liberty to arrest thee for a breach of peace, altogether unbecoming thy pretended principles; and I believe it will go hard with thee both in a Court of Justice and among thine own Society of Friends, as they call themselves, who will be but indifferently pleased to see the quiet tenor of their hypocrisy insulted by such violent proceedings."

"I violent!" said Joshua; "I do aught unbecoming the principles of the Friends! I defy thee, man, and I charge thee, as a Christian, to forbear vexing my soul with such charges it is grievous enough to me to have seen violences which I was unable to prevent.'

“Oh, Joshua, Joshua!" said Redgauntlet, with a sardonic smile," thou light of the faithful in the town of Dumfries and the places adjacent, wilt thou thus fall away from the truth? Hast thou not, before us all, attempted to rescue a man from the warrant of law? Didst thou not encourage that drunken fellow to draw his weaponand didst thou not thyself flourish thy cudgel in the cause? Think'st thou that the oaths of the injured Peter Peebles, and the conscientious Cristal Nixon, besides those of such gentlemen as look on this strange scene, who not only put on swearing as a garment, but to whom, in Custom-House matters, oaths are literally meat and drink,-dost thou not think, I say, that these men's oaths will go farther than thy Yea and Nay in this matter ?"

"I will swear to anything," said Peter. when it comes to an oath ad litem."

"All is fair

"You do me foul wrong," said the Quaker, undismayed by the general laugh. "I encouraged no drawing of weapons, though I attempted to move an unjust man by some use of argument-I brandished no cudgel, although

it may be that the ancient Adam struggled within me, and caused my hand to grasp mine oaken staff firmer than usual, when I saw innocence borne down with violence.— But why talk I what is true and just to thee, who hast been a man of violence from thy youth upwards? Let me rather speak to thee such language as thou canst comprehend. Deliver these young men up to me," he said, when he had led Redgauntlet a little apart from the crowd, “and I will not only free thee from the heavy charge of damages which thou hast incurred by thine outrage upon my property, but I will add ransom for them and myself. What would it profit thee to do the youths wrong, by detaining them in captivity ?"

"Mr. Geddes,' said Redgauntlet, in a tone more respectful than he had hitherto used to the Quaker, “ your language is disinterested, and I respect the fidelity of your friendship. Perhaps we have mistaken each other's principles and motives; but if so, we have not at present time for explanation. Make yourself easy-I hope to raise your friend Darsie Latimer to a pitch of eminence which you will witness with pleasure ;-nay, do not attempt to answer me. The other young man shall suffer restraint a few days, probably only a few hours,-it is not more than due for his pragmatical interference in what concerned him not. Do you, Mr. Geddes, be so prudent as to take your horse and leave this place, which is growing every moment more unfit for the abode of a man of peace. You may wait the event in safety at Mount Sharon.”

"Friend," replied Joshua, "I cannot comply with thy advice; I will remain here, even as thy prisoner, as thou didst but now threaten, rather than leave the youth, who hath suffered by and through me and my misfortunes, in his present state of doubtful safety. Wherefore I will not mount my steed Solomon; neither will I turn his head towards Mount Sharon, until I see an end of this matter."

"A prisoner, then, you must be," said Redgauntlet. I have no time to dispute the matter further with you

-But tell me for what you fix your eyes so attentively on yonder people of mine ?"

"To speak the truth," said the Quaker, "I admired. to behold among them a little wretch of a boy called Benjie, to whom I think Satan has given the power of transporting himself wheresoever mischief is going forward; so that it may be truly said, there is no evil in this land wherein he hath not a finger, if not a whole hand.”

The boy, who saw their eyes fixed on him as they spoke, seemed embarrassed, and rather desirous of making his escape; but at a signal from Redgauntlet he advanced, assuming the sheepish look and rustic manner with which the Jackanapes covered much acuteness and roguery.

"How long have you been with the party, sirrah ?" said Redgauntlet.

"Since the raid on the stake-nets," said Benjie, with his finger in his mouth.

"And what made you follow us ?”

"I dauredna stay at hame for the constables," replied the boy.

"And what have you been doing all this time ?"

"Doing, sir?—I dinna ken what ye ca' doing-I have been doing naething," said Benjie; then seeing somcthing in Redgauntlet's eye which was not to be trifled with, he added, "Naething but waiting on Maister Cristal Nixon."

“Hum !—-ay--indeed ?" muttered Redgauntlet. "Must Master Nixon bring his own retinue into the field? -This must be seen to."

"The

He was about to pursue his inquiry, when Nixon himself came to him with looks of anxious haste. Father is come," he whispered, " and the gentlemen are getting together in the largest room of the house, and they desire to see you. Yonder is your nephew, too, making a noise like a man in Bedlam."

"I will look to it all instantly," said Redgauntlet. the Father lodged as I directed ?"

Cristal nodded.

Is

"Now, then, for the final trial," said Redgauntlet. He folded his hands-looked upwards-crossed himself -and, after this act of devotion, (almost the first which any one had observed him make use of,) he commanded Nixon to keep good watch-have his horses and men ready for every emergence-look after the safe custody of the prisoners-but treat them at the same time well and civilly. And these orders given, he darted hastily into the house.

CHAPTER XV.

NARRATIVE CONTINUED.

REDGAUNTLET's first course was to the chamber of his nephew. He unlocked the door, entered the apartment, and asked what he wanted, that he made so much noise.

"I want my liberty," said Darsie, who had wrought himself up to a pitch of passion in which his uncle's wrath had lost its terrors. "I desire my liberty, and to be assured of the safety of my beloved friend, Alan Fairford, whose voice I heard but now."

"Your liberty shall be your own within half an hour from this period-your friend shall be also set at freedom in due time and you yourself be permitted to have access to his place of confinement."

"This does not satisfy me," said Darsie; "I must see my friend instantly; he is here, and he is here endangered on my account only-I have heard violent exclamations -the clash of swords. You will gain no point with me unless I have ocular demonstration of his safety."

"Arthur-dearest nephew," answered Redgauntlet, "drive me not mad! Thine own fate-that of thy house -that of thousands-that of Britain herself, are at this moment in the scales; and you are only occupied about the safety of a poor insignificant pettifogger!'