'You are mistaken in me, Master Jocelyn Mounchensey,' he said; 'I have

no design upon your purse
'You are mistaken in me, Master Jocelyn Mounchensey,' he said; 'I have
no design upon your purse. I call upon you to surrender yourself my
prisoner.'

'Certes, you must not contemn the Star-Chamber, or you will incur its

censure,' Sir Francis replied in a low tone
'Certes, you must not contemn the Star-Chamber, or you will incur its
censure,' Sir Francis replied in a low tone. 'No court in England is so
jealous of its prerogatives, nor so severe in punishment of its
maligners. It will not have its proceedings canvassed, or its judgments
questioned.'

'"T is easily explained, chuck,' Lord Roos rejoined

'"T is easily explained, chuck,' Lord Roos rejoined. 'Anxious, no doubt,
to set herself off to advantage, she hath made free with the countess"s
wardrobe. Your own favourite attendant, Sarah Swarton, hath often
arranged herself in your finest fardingales, kirtlets, and busk-points,
as Diego will tell you. Is it not so, rascal?'

It was one of those delicious spring mornings, when all nature seems to

rejoice; when the newly-opened leaves are greenest and freshest; when
the lark springs blithest from the verdant mead, and soars nearest
heaven; when a thousand other feathered choristers warble forth their
notes in copse and hedge; when the rooks caw mellowly near their nests
in the lofty trees; when gentle showers, having fallen overnight, have
kindly prepared the earth for the morrow"s genial warmth and sunshine;
when that sunshine, each moment, calls some new object into life and
beauty; when all you look upon is pleasant to the eye, all you listen to
is delightful to the ear;--in short, it was one of those exquisite
mornings, only to be met with in the merry month of May, and only to be
experienced in full perfection in Merry England
It was one of those delicious spring mornings, when all nature seems to
rejoice; when the newly-opened leaves are greenest and freshest; when
the lark springs blithest from the verdant mead, and soars nearest
heaven; when a thousand other feathered choristers warble forth their
notes in copse and hedge; when the rooks caw mellowly near their nests
in the lofty trees; when gentle showers, having fallen overnight, have
kindly prepared the earth for the morrow"s genial warmth and sunshine;
when that sunshine, each moment, calls some new object into life and
beauty; when all you look upon is pleasant to the eye, all you listen to
is delightful to the ear;--in short, it was one of those exquisite
mornings, only to be met with in the merry month of May, and only to be
experienced in full perfection in Merry England.

'This is a frolic, gentleman, I perceive

'This is a frolic, gentleman, I perceive. You are resolved to make me
your sport--ha! ha!' Sir Francis said, trying to disguise his uneasiness
under an appearance of levity--'But you will not carry the jest too far.
You will not maltreat me. My partner, Sir Giles Mompesson, will be here
anon, and will requite any outrage committed upon me.'

'If he preach against extortioners and usurers only, I am with him,'

Dick Taverner said
'If he preach against extortioners and usurers only, I am with him,'
Dick Taverner said. 'If he rid London of Sir Giles Mompesson and his
peers he will do good service--still better, if he will put down
corruption and injustice as exhibited in the Court of Star-Chamber--eh,
Master Jocelyn Mounchensey?'

'Heavens above! Aunt, she"s turned! Do I forgive you, my heart"s own

treasure? How did you ever offend me, my darling? You
'Heavens above! Aunt, she"s turned! Do I forgive you, my heart"s own
treasure? How did you ever offend me, my darling? You. know you never
did. But if you ever did, my own Ellen, I do forgive you.'

'Because I wanted to warn you!' answered Bob, and hurriedly he related

all he had overheard and the incidents of the pursuit
'Because I wanted to warn you!' answered Bob, and hurriedly he related
all he had overheard and the incidents of the pursuit.

'Mebbe you can and mebbe you can"t,' observed the surly-looking man, who

had edged his way to where the agent and Bob were talking and had heard
the boy"s last remark
'Mebbe you can and mebbe you can"t,' observed the surly-looking man, who
had edged his way to where the agent and Bob were talking and had heard
the boy"s last remark.

It is not to be supposed that the circumstances attending the quarrel

between him and Meehaul Neil, on the preceding night, would pass off
without a more than ordinary share of public notice
It is not to be supposed that the circumstances attending the quarrel
between him and Meehaul Neil, on the preceding night, would pass off
without a more than ordinary share of public notice. Their relative
positions were too well known not to excite an interest corresponding
with the characters they had borne, as the leaders of two bitter and
powerful factions: but when it became certain that Meehaul Neil had
struck Lamh Laudher Oge, and that the latter refused to fight him, it
is impossible to describe the sensation which immediately spread through
the town and parish. The intelligence was first received by O"Rorke"s
party with incredulity and scorn. It was impossible that he of the
Strong Hand, who had been proverbial for courage, could all at once turn
coward, and bear the blow from a Neil! But when it was proved beyond the
possibility of doubt or misconception, that he received a blow tamely
before many witnesses, under circumstances of the most degrading insult,
the rage of his party became incredible. Before ten o"clock the next
morning his father"s house was crowded with friends and relations,
anxious to hear the truth from his own lips, and all, after having heard
it, eager to point out to him the only method that remained of wiping
away his disgrace, namely, to challenge Meehaul Neil. His father"s
indignation knew no bounds; but his mother, on discovering the truth,
was not without that pride and love which, are ever ready to form an
apology for the feelings and errors of an only child.

'You don"t happen to have any lunch in that box, do you, that you would

be willing to sell me?' asked the stranger
'You don"t happen to have any lunch in that box, do you, that you would
be willing to sell me?' asked the stranger. 'I didn"t have time to get
any before I started. In fact, I came mighty near losing the train as it
was, and there won"t be any station where I can get anything before
noon.'

'So you"re going West, are you? That is a good one

'So you"re going West, are you? That is a good one. Why, you couldn"t
even get across the river to Jersey City. It takes money, money, my boy,
to travel, and you haven"t a cent. And yet you"re going West! That _is_
a good one. Do you think the trains will carry you for nothing, just for
the pleasure of having you travel on them?' and the grocer indulged
himself in another burst of laughter at what he considered his keen
wit.

'Damnation!' exclaimed Lord Roos

'Damnation!' exclaimed Lord Roos. 'What brings them here at such an
hour? But you must on no account admit them, Diego--at least, till I
have had time to remove the Countess to her own chamber. What a cursed
mischance!'

Realizing that the turn of affairs was making them appear ridiculous,

the officer who had suggested that Bob be allowed to plead guilty, and
receive a light sentence, if he would divulge the name of the two
swindlers, hurriedly exclaimed:

On this a brisker movement took place on the couch, and a hand was

raised as if to snatch away the "kerchief
On this a brisker movement took place on the couch, and a hand was
raised as if to snatch away the "kerchief.

'Depends on how you travel

'Depends on how you travel. You can go in a plain car for about ten or
eleven dollars. That is on one of the round-about railways, at cut
rates. Or, you can pay between fifty and seventy-five dollars for a
state-room.'

Turning their backs, so Bob could not see exactly what they were doing,

the brakemen opened a cupboard and took out some things which they
slipped into the pockets of their jumpers
Turning their backs, so Bob could not see exactly what they were doing,
the brakemen opened a cupboard and took out some things which they
slipped into the pockets of their jumpers.

Making his way diffidently to one of the tables, he sat down

Making his way diffidently to one of the tables, he sat down. In a
moment a waitress, in what seemed to him a dazzlingly white and gorgeous
dress, approached, and, with a smile, asked:

Amongst the foremost of those who thus obstructed Sir Francis and his

party was a young man with a lithe active figure, bright black eyes,
full of liveliness and malice, an olive complexion, and a gipsy-like
cast of countenance
Amongst the foremost of those who thus obstructed Sir Francis and his
party was a young man with a lithe active figure, bright black eyes,
full of liveliness and malice, an olive complexion, and a gipsy-like
cast of countenance. Attired in a tight-fitting brown frieze jerkin with
stone buttons, and purple hose, his head was covered with a montero cap,
with a cock"s feather stuck in it. He was armed neither with sword nor
dagger, but carried a large cudgel or club, the well-known and
formidable weapon, of the London "prentices, in the use of which,
whether as a quarterstaff or missile, they were remarkably expert. Even
a skilful swordsman stood but poor chance with them. Besides this
saucy-looking personage, who was addressed as Dick Taverner by his
comrades, there were many others, who, to judge from their habiliments
and their cudgels, belonged to the same fraternity as himself; that is
to say, they were apprentices to grocers, drapers, haberdashers,
skinners, ironmongers, vintners, or other respectable artificers or
tradesfolk.

This had little effect on the magistrate, who at no time placed any

reliance on Nell"s assertions; he immediately, however, dispatched a
summons for Nanse M"Collum
This had little effect on the magistrate, who at no time placed any
reliance on Nell"s assertions; he immediately, however, dispatched a
summons for Nanse M"Collum.