Read Ebook: In Honour's Cause: A Tale of the Days of George the First by Fenn George Manville Speed Lancelot Illustrator

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Ebook has 4027 lines and 114807 words, and 81 pages

"Bah! It is ridiculous. Pretty fashion these Dutchmen have brought in."

"Dutchmen! What Dutchmen?"

"Oh, never mind, innocence," said Andrew, with a half laugh. "Just think of how handsome the gentlemen of the Stuart time looked in their doublets, buff boots, long natural hair, and lace. This fashion is disgusting. Here's old Granthill coming now," he continued, as the trampling of horses made him glance back. "Don't turn round; don't see him."

"Very well," said Frank with a laugh; "but whoever he is, I don't suppose he'll mind whether I bow or not."

"Whoever he is!" cried Andrew contemptuously. "I say, don't you know that he is one of the King's Ministers?"

"No," said Frank thoughtfully. "Oh yes, I do; I remember now. Of course. But I've never thought about these things. He's the gentleman, isn't he, that they say is unpopular?"

"Well, you are partly right. He is unpopular; but I don't look upon him as a gentleman. Hark! hear that?" he shouted excitedly, as he looked eagerly toward where the first carriage had passed round the curve ahead of him on its way toward Westminster.

"Yes, there's something to see. I know; it must be the soldiers. Come along; I want to see them."

"No, it isn't the soldiers; it's the people cheering Lord Ronald on his way to the Parliament House. They like him. Every one does. He knows my father, and yours too. He knows me. Didn't you see him smile? I'll introduce you to him first time there's a levee."

"No, I say, don't," said Frank, flushing. "He'd laugh at me."

"So do I now. But this won't do, Frank; you mustn't be so modest."

The second carriage which had passed them rolled on round the curve in the track of the first and disappeared, Frank noticing that many of the promenaders turned their heads to look after it. Then his attention was taken up by his companion's words.

"Look here," he cried; "I want to show you Fleet Street."

"Fleet Street," said Frank,--"Fleet Street. Isn't that where Temple Bar is?"

"Well done, countryman! Quite right."

"Then I don't want to see it."

"Why?" said Andrew, turning to him in surprise at the change which had come over his companion, who spoke in a sharp, decided way.

"Because I read about the two traitors' heads being stuck up there on Temple Bar, and it seems so horrible and barbarous."

"So it is, Frank," whispered Andrew, grasping his companion's arm. "It's horrible and cowardly. It's brutal; and--and--I can't find words bad enough for the act of insulting the dead bodies of brave men after they've executed them. But never mind; it will be different some day. There, I always knew I should like you, young one. You've got the right stuff in you for making a brave, true gentleman; and--and I hope I have."

"I'm sure you have," cried Frank warmly.

"Then we will not pass under the old city gate, with its horrible, grinning heads: but I must take you to Fleet Street; so we'll go to Westminster Stairs and have a boat--it will be nice on the river."

"Yes, glorious on an evening like this," cried Frank excitedly; "and, I say, we can go round by Queen Anne Street."

"What for? It's out of the way."

"Well, only along by the Park side; I want to look up at our windows."

"But your mother's at the Palace."

"Father might be at home; he often sits at one of the windows looking over the Park."

"Come along then," cried Andrew mockingly; "the good little boy shall be taken where he can see his father and mother, and--hark! listen! hear that?" he cried excitedly.

"Yes. What can it be?"

"The people hooting and yelling at Granthill. They're mobbing his carriage. Run, run! I must see that."

Andrew Forbes trotted off, forgetting all his dignity as one of the Princess's pages, and heedless now in his excitement of what any of the well-dressed promenaders might think; while, laughing to himself the while, Frank kept step with him, running easily and looking quite cool when the tall, overgrown lad at his side, who was unused to outdoor exercise, dropped into a walk panting heavily.

"Too late!" he said, in a tone of vexation. "There the carriage goes, through Storey's Gate. Look at the crowd after it. They'll hoot him till the soldiers stop them. Come along, Frank; we shall see a fight, and perhaps some one will be killed."

GETTING INTO HOT WATER.

The excitement of his companion was now communicated to Frank Gowan, and as fast as they could walk they hurried on toward the gate at the corner of the Park, passing knot after knot of people talking about the scene which had taken place. But the boy did not forget to look eagerly in the direction of the row of goodly houses standing back behind the trees, and facing on to the Park, before they turned out through the gate and found themselves in the tail of the crowd hurrying on toward Palace Ward.

The crowd grew more dense till they reached the end of the street with the open space in front, where it was impossible to go farther.

"Let's try and get round," whispered Andrew. "Do you hear? They're fighting!"

Being young and active, they soon managed to get round to where they anticipated obtaining a view of the proceedings; but there was nothing to see but a surging crowd, for the most part well-dressed, but leavened by the mob, and this was broken up from time to time by the passing of carriages whose horses were forced to walk.

"Oh, if we could only get close up!" said Andrew impatiently. "Hark at the shouting and yelling. They are fighting with the soldiers now."

"No, no, not yet, youngster," said a well-dressed man close by them; "it's only men's canes and fists. The Whigs are getting the worst of it; so you two boys had better go while your heads are whole."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I know a Whig when I see one, my lad."

"Do you mean that as an insult, sir?" said Andrew haughtily.

"No," said the gentleman, smiling; "only as a bit of advice."

"Because if you did--" said Andrew, laying his hand upon his sword.

"You would send your friends to me, boy, and then I should not fight. Nonsense, my lad. There, off with your friend while your shoes are good, and don't raise your voice, or some one will find out that you are from the Palace. Then the news would run like wild fire, and you ought to know by this time what a cowardly London mob will do. They nearly tore Sir Marland Granthill out of his carriage just now. There, if I am not on your side, I speak as a friend."

Before Andrew could make any retort, and just as Frank was tugging at his arm to get him away, they were separated from the stranger by a rush in the crowd, which forced them up into a doorway, from whose step they saw, one after the other, no less than six men borne along insensible and bleeding from wounds upon the head, while their clothes were nearly torn from their backs.

Then the shouting and yelling began to subside, and the two lads were forced to go with the stream, till an opportunity came for them to dive down a side street and reach the river stairs, where they took a wherry and were rowed east.

"I should like to know who that man was," said Andrew, after a long silence, during which they went gliding along with the falling tide.

"He spoke very well," said Frank.

"Yes; but he took me for a Whig," said the youth indignantly.

"But, I say, what was it all about?"

"Oh, you'll soon learn that," replied Andrew.

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