"I give you my reasons for it. I cannot bear being censured on all sides. To-morrow I may be better able to endure it. The thunder-storm which has gathered over my head must pass away a little before I shall return. It is true, you have good reason to be angry with me; but you are not, and I am sure you have forgiven me long since." them for Ludlow Castle. I soon learned the | holding the reins loosely in his hands. At particulars of your rescue by two young men, times a blossoming branch touched his hat and of whom one at least is no stranger to you." cheek, but he paid no attention to it. The "And now you are going to leave us again, dogs trotted at first merrily by his side and and roam no one knows where." barked a little whenever they scented game, but the sullen hunter did not hear them. He was following an entirely different scent. His game was a slender young girl with hazel eyes and dark ringlets. Beautiful Lucy Henderson engrossed all his thoughts, and he pursued her image, or rather it pursued him on his way. He knew her dwelling, which lay in the valley below, near the bank of the Teme. An irresistible longing drew him thither, but his aversion to meeting the austere Puritan prevented him from riding directly toward the place. The closer he came up to the cottage occupied by old Henderson and his daughter, the more audibly throbbed the heart in the youth's bosom. "Yes, I have, you wild madcap; and if you will stay here, I will intercede with father in your behalf." "Not to-day," said the youth, beseechingly. "I should play too sorry a part among you. Spare me this confusion in presence of the strangers, and let me go." "Well, I do not care, incorrigible one; but Already he saw the small dwelling in the I will let you go only on condition that you re- midst of the blossoming fruit-trees. How often turn before nightfall. I will excuse your ab-had he played there with his brother, his sister, sence as well as I can." and little Lucy, and playfully called her his "Do so,” replied the youth, vaulting into little bride! The happy days of innocent child the saddle and galloping away. Alice looked after him until he disappeared; she then went to her room, where she engaged in company with her mother in needlework, which gave her the best opportunity for thinking undisturbedly of the absent poet and the grave conversation she had held with him. Meanwhile Thomas was galloping with his dogs toward the neighboring forest. But a close observer would soon have perceived that the youth was not intent on hunting to-day; this had been only a pretext to cloak, in his own eyes, the disquietude which drove him away from home. No sportsman rides so carelessly through the fields and forest as he did. Before long he left to his horse the task of finding the way, seeming to be entirely indifferent as to the direction which the noble animal took. He hung carelessly in the saddle, hood were over, and more ardent longings and desires now filled the heart of the fiery youth. How much he would have given for permission to be together with her as quietly and undisturbedly as he was but a few years ago! Now he was quite close to the entrance-gate, but he was not bold enough to ask admittance. He halted his horse on the opposite bank of the river, and looked with longing eyes at the cottage where lived the fair friend of his childhood. Like a thief, he crept close up to it, hidden by the dense willows and alders on the river-bank. From time to time he cast a furtive glance on the cottage, but its door remained closed, and no white hand drew back the bolt, no blooming girlish face appeared at the window. At no great distance from Thomas, and entirely unnoticed by him, there lay a man stretched out on the turf amidst the shrubbery. | tween dogs. Your dogs know only how to He looked with seeming carelessness at the fishing-rod, which he held in his hand, but the shrewd twinkling of his squint-eyes showed that the presence of the young man had not escaped him. The angler watched him cautiously, but with great attention and curiosity. He saw very well what Thomas was after, and why he watched old Henderson's cottage so closely. At times a sneering air overspread the broad, shrewd face of the rough-looking fellow. "Hem!" he murmured to himself. "I warrant the young nobleman is not watching here for nothing. If I am not mistaken, the old Puritan has a pretty daughter well worth committing a little sin. A sweet morsel for such a hunter! I will see how the fowler will manage to catch this little bird. Attention, Billy Green! perhaps there is something for you to do here. Lovers are generous, and my pockets are as empty as my stomach. What if I offered him my assistance ? I know the necessary little tricks ten times better than any one else." So saying, Billy Green, who is no stranger to us, raised himself from his comfortable posture. The noise which he made caused the dogs to bark, which aroused Thomas from his reverie. scent lean rabbits or half-starved grouse; but I can find the most beautiful girl in the whole country for you. I know here a nice little girl named Lucy Henderson, who is surely worth hunting for." "Fellow," cried the youth, eagerly, "what do you know about the girl? Speak!" "Aha! I see that I am on the right trail, for you are as eager for it as a hunter is to get sight of a fat deer with sixteen branches. Well, it will not be my fault if you do not catch your game this very day." "No bad jokes, if you please. Tell me plainly, do you know the girl?" "How should I not know the flower of the valley, the fairest rose of Herefordshire? But take care. The old proverb says, 'No rose without thorns,' and morose old Henderson is a whole thorn-bush protecting the sweet little rose from profane hands. Unless you are, at least, a saint or an archangel, with your hair cropped like that of the Roundheads, he will slam his door in your face. Besides, he is desperate enough to send after you from his old blunderbuss some blue pills that might make it impossible for you ever to call again. The old Puritan dog is not a man to be joked with; he will snap and bite in the same "Who is there?" he said to the fellow, who breath." stood suddenly before him. "I know, I know," murmured Thomas; with a legion of devils should guard her. Will you do me a favor?” "Two for one," replied the fellow, gayly; "that is to say, if you pay me two prices." "I will pay you liberally. Take these two crowns on account." "Your servant," replied Billy Green, hum-"and yet I must see Lucy even though all hell bly, taking off his cap. "My name is of no consequence, and cannot be useful to you, but my person can. He whom you see before you is the best sleuth-hound in the whole country. I will drive up the game you are hunting for." "Take this," said the youth, dropping a small coin into the fellow's cap. "You see that I want to be alone. Go, therefore; I have no use for your services, and dogs, you see, are not wanting to me." "Oh, you are rather gruff, sir. But you ought to know that there is a difference be "So a poor devil like me gets two crowns when the king has but one'; but I doubt not that one often presses more heavily on his head than my two. Tell me now what I am to do; for I am sure you did not give me this money merely for the sake of my fine face. Billy Green is not a beggar of the highway, | I must bring her some such mysterious greetbut an honest fellow who will fight the devil ing, else she will not trust me. Is there not himself if he gets paid for it." some word or motto that is only known to her and you? Let me hear it." Thomas, who perceived the sagacity of what "I will trust you, though I do not know any thing about you. You seem to be a shrewd, smart fellow." "Just give me a chance to show my shrewd-time had elapsed since he had spoken with the ness and smartness, and you will see wonders. young girl. How was she to recognize, then, I suppose you are in love with pretty Lucy that it was he who wished to see her? ForHenderson? Just let me manage it, and you tunately he remembered a little ditty which shall see her speedily. By Heaven, I know of both had sung very often in their youth, and no greater fun than to play a trick on such a whose last lines were as follows: canting, sanctimonious, psalm-singing Puritan ! Just think of what he did the other day! Meeting me on Sunday, not in a very sober condition, I must confess, he called me a ruthless Sabbath-breaker, a son of Antichrist and of Babylon; in short, he gave me all sorts of hard names, and all for being a little merry on Sunday. The devil take these Puritanic scoundrels, who want to deprive every merry fellow of his little amusements!" "You may vent your bile another time, and curse the Puritans as much as you like. I will not prevent you from so doing, but join in it with all my heart. But now you have no time to lose if you intend to redeem your promise." "There you are right; but, above all things, I must know how far you have conquered the girl's heart; whether you are at the A or the Z of love; whether the little bird is only casting furtive glances on the berries, or has already tasted the forbidden fruit." "What does that concern you, fellow? You use language which I do not want to hear again." "All right, sir; but that will render my task more difficult. I know the girls and the birds, for Billy Green is no novice so far as that sort of sport is concerned. Lucy will not believe me, unless you give me a token which will satisfy her that the message I bring comes from you. Lovers have a cant of their own. "He raised the maiden on his steed, It was not difficult for Billy Green to remember the words of this old song, and the melody which the youth sang to him in a low voice. Thus prepared, Billy set out, promising to obtain an interview with beautiful Lucy Henderson, and return speedily with a reply from her. He approached cautiously the house of the Puritan, with whom he did not wish to meet, because he knew that the morose old man was not in the habit of treating such idlers and good-for-nothings very kindly or considerately. The shrewd fellow prowled for some time around the closed court-yard like a fox intending to visit a dove-cot. He hoped to find somewhere an open side-gate, by which he might slip stealthily into the cottage; but he very soon found that this was impossible. The distrustful and misanthropic Henderson had taken means to prevent strangers from penetrating into his house. A high and substantial wall, surmounted with stout spikes, surrounded the whole building. Billy Green was not very eager to endanger his limbs, or to receive a wound. Nothing, therefore, remained for him but to knock loudly at the entrance-gate, and demand admittance. His ingenuity had already suggested to him an excellent excuse in case he should meet the Puritan, and he took care to impart to his face as grave and sanctimonious an expression as pos- | hiding-place, for there was no longer any thing sible. He had knocked already for some time without attracting any one to the gate. The house seemed entirely deserted; not a voice resounded in response to his calls; not a foot, not a hand stirred to open the gate to him. He almost gave up the hope of succeeding in delivering his message to the beautiful Lucy. He was upon the point of withdrawing and retracing his steps, when he determined to make a final desperate effort before returning to Thomas. He was bent on mischief, and his ambition also prompted him to persist; and he resolved to force his way into the house, even at the risk of getting a sound whipping. For this purpose he commenced shouting with all his might: "Fire! fire! Help! help!" This last resort had the desired effect. He heard persons moving in the house. An elderly woman and a young girl rushed anxiously into the court-yard, and a laborer hurried up from the stable. All three had heard the shouts, and looked for the man who had uttered them, but who took good care to conceal himself, in order to await the effect of his stratagem. He had already seen enough to be satisfied that old Henderson, of whom he was more afraid than of any one else, was not present. The frightened inmates of the house soon arrived at the conviction that some passer-by had fooled them; for, notwithstanding the most careful researches, they were unable to discover any traces of fire. Lucy and the old housekeeper were about to return into the house, but the laborer was not yet willing to drop the matter. "I will pay the fool for this," he cried, with clinched fist. "I bet he is concealed close by. I'll pay him for the fright he gave us." Before the women, who were still excited and anxious, could prevent him, he had drawn back the bolt from the gate and rushed out. to prevent him from entering the house. As soon as the laborer, in the eagerness of his pursuit, was sufficiently distant from the house, Billy left his hiding-place, and stepped boldly into the court-yard. At the sight of the stranger, whose appearance was by no means reassuring, the timid housekeeper uttered a loud cry, and ran away. Lucy, who was a courageous girl, stood still and waited for the new-comer to tell his errand. "What do you want?" she inquired, fearlessly. "My father is not at home. If you want to see him, you must come again to-morrow, when he will be back from his trip to the neighboring city.” "I am glad to hear that, for now I can deliver my message without being interfered with by him." "Your message? To whom?" she asked, in surprise, and starting back a few steps, as the stranger's conduct aroused her suspicion. "To whom but yourself, beautiful Lucy?” "I do not know who could send me a message." “A young man whom you know, and who loves you." "You are a rogue and villain to address such words to me. Begone, or I will have you driven ignominiously from the place.” "Do not get excited," said Billy, with an impudent leer," although your indignation sits very well on you. You cannot deceive me, for I know all about it. We all know what girls will do." "Silence, sirrah! There comes our laborer, and he shall punish you for your impudence." "You will change your mind before he gets here. If you are determined not to hear my message, let me sing a nice little ditty to you: 'He raised the maiden on his steed, Billy Green rubbed his hands gleefully in his Well, how do you like that?" Lucy had immediately recognized the words and the melody, which Green hummed to her in an undertone, and accompanied by expressive ludicrous gestures. He looked at her at the same time so archly, and watched her so closely, that her agitation could not escape him. "I see already that I have struck the right note this time," he added, smilingly. "Well, why do you stand staring as though some miracle had happened to you?" well to taste. The young nobleman wants to see, embrace, and kiss you. If you do not come, he will commit suicide. He is dying of longing and impatience. Perhaps he has already, driven to despair by my long delay, plunged into the cold waters of the Teme to cool his ardent love." "He wants to see me, did he say?" "He said so, and swore and raved, as all lovers do; for he is head over ears in love with you. I can bear witness to that, His loud "How do you come to know that song?" sighs aroused me from my sleep, and it was faltered out Lucy. "Great heavens! she asks me how I come to know that song! A merry bird sang it to me under the willows; and as I liked it, I remembered it easily." "No, no, he taught it to you. Do not torment me, but tell me the truth: is the commission which you have for me from him?” "If you mean by he and him a slender young hunter of aristocratic appearance, distinguished manners, a face like milk and blood, and a pretty little black mustache, you are right?" nothing but compassion for his sufferings that caused me to become his messenger. But now make up your mind quick, for I really see that boor of a servant coming toward us, after ransacking every shrub, and looking for me behind every blade. What am I to tell your lover? 'My love, my love, oh come to me, Although Lucy had perceived the approach of her father's servant, and saw that there was no time to be lost, she hesitated yet to make a reply. She was afraid of old Henderson's severity, and besides, a feeling of girlish timidity deterred her. But the very puritanic retirement and restraint to which she had been so long subjected, had aroused longings for freedom in her bosom. For a long time her mind had secretly revolted at the narrow bounds which had been set to it. She yearned for the wide world, from which she was shut out. By forbidding her to visit Ludlow Castle and its inmates, Henderson had sorely chafed her rebellious spirit. Her last meeting with Thomas had produced a truly feverish effect upon her warm blood. She had dreamed all night of her former playmate, and even in the daytime his image was ever present to her soul. Now he had taken the first step, and come to her; could she resist any longer? The servant was scarcely fifty steps from |