The Splendid Spur

rays sparkled cheerfully, and by them I saw on the holsters the silver demi-bear that I knew to be the crest of the Killigrews, having the fellow to

ain: but you may guess my satisfaction, when on thrusting my ha

I had won close on thirty guineas, as I counted in the moonlight; not to speak of this incomparable Molly. And I began to

I knew nothing of the road, which at this hour was quite deserted. So that, coming at length to a tall hill with a black ridge of pine wood standing up against the

oad, and a sign that creaked overhead and look'd for all the world like a gallows. Round this shoulder of the house, and into the main yard (that turn'd churl

ce; and I saw a couple of

he road, Cap-. Hillo! What i

is house, I want two things of you-f

et neith

ays that you

ee Cups': but

speech proves th

nd ridden away; but at this instant there floated down the stairs and out through t

onni-n

ols that w

ine to lau

lls of deat

s met by another surprise. The second man, that till now had stood well back in the shadow, was peering forward, and devouring Molly with his

p further, to-night," said I. - "Then bid

g him a little back, whisper'd a word or two. I guess'd what this meant, but resolved not

gh a stomach to

or the mare's sake, but not admitted to the house:"

ng still went on, only now I heard a man's voice joining in the catch) "our house is

you send out a maid to me with a cup of m

ecogniz'd. In the stable, that stood at the far end of the court, I was surprised to find half a dozen horses standing, ready saddled, and munching their fill of oats. They were ungroom'd, and one or two in a lather of sweat that on such a night was hard to account for. But I asked no questions, and my companion vouchsafed no talk, though twice

before I could answer, was picki

my truss of straw a dozen times I found myself still the centre of a whirl of draught. The candle-flame, too, was puffed this way and that inside the horn sheath. I was losing patience when I heard

; and a pair of eyes that did h

is, I want to know?" she panted ou

" said I, "when it co

ed, "what a du

ul

with the back of her left hand she wiped her mouth f

k. There's two, for interest: and another if you tell me whom your

sses with compo

carriage and heathenish French servant: a cranky old grandee and a daughter wit

sack all about the straw, where it trickled

nes worse than the ague;" and huddling my shoulders up, I counter

or

ot and then cold a

re,

h and flushes al

ass the night in thi

e in a high fever: and oh!

d I waited, eager for her next words. "Sure, master's at cards in the parlor, and 'll be

stress-what

f master's speaking distance forever. So

The girl took me by the hand to guide me: for, save from the one bright window in the upper floor, there was no light at all in the yard. Clearly, she was in dread of her master's anger, for we stole across like ghosts, and

a sort of trap, or buttery hatch, for pushing the hot dishes conveniently into the parlor on the other side of the wall. Besides this, for furniture, the room held a broad deal table, an oak dresser

punch for the men-folk in the parlor." She jerked her thumb toward

ees I could catch any word spoken more than ordinary loud on the other side of the wall. The chambermaid s

e maids a

stant S

hersel' in

the love

for

high note: but hush'd suddenly at the sound

en to

e grand

nnetes

said the chambermaid, and

he love of

ening name

sounded through

s you may tell by their speech. 'Tis pre

silence. In fact, through the hatch my ear had caught a s

was saying; "I warn'd 'n agen this fancy bus

: 'Cap'n,' says I, 'there's no sense o' proportions about ye.' A master mind, s

luence has that same mention o'

eaker that I recogniz'd for Black Dick; "sure the pre

were singing their catch very choicely,

ent d

ton, m

the chorus ceased: "thinks I to mysel' 'they be but Papisters,

Black Dick: "though I doubt something has miscarried.

on should ha' been, Dick, w

ep till t

h'd open the hatch, so that I had barely time to duck my head out of vie

nearly," a

hersel' in h

the love

wait only till I get t

again. I stood up and mad

'd, jerking a finger in th

n all b

e foreign gu

on the fir

stair

tside th

on singing f

ut

in

der thee! Oh! for pity's

e maids an'

t to pull off my boots, and, holding them in my left hand, crept up the stairs. In the kitchen, the girl was singing and clattering the g

me

y one window only, which now was hung with red curtains. By the fireplace, where a brisk wood fire was crackling, lean'd the young gentlewoman I had met at Hungerfor

amber that my gaze settled; and on two men bes

up like a ferret's. But the oddest thing about him was a complexion that any maid of sixteen would give her ears for-of a pink and white so transparent that it seem'd a soft light must be glowing beneath his skin. O

pan that sent up a rare fragrance as the liquid within it simmer'd and bubbled. So eager was the old gentleman in watching the progress

er the saucepan with a twisted flask in his hand, from which he pour'd a red syrup very gingerly, d

e the door, when the little old gentleman bounces up in a fury, kicks over his chair, hurls the nearest bottles to right and left, and s

rench'd in filthy liquor, when it

rvant like a wild-cat, and began to beat, cuff, and

f, and softly touched the strings of her instrument; while the servant took the rain of blows and

ut in a fit of coughing, the like of which no man can imagine. 'Twas hideous. He bark'd, and writhed, and bark'd again, till the disorder se

cried; and ran

and he lay back, livid in the face, with his eyes closed, and his hands clutching the knobs of the chair. I

I, "that your na

ew, and this is my

to visit his est

no

oor, and return'd quietly. There was no lock on the inside. After a minute he went across, and drew the red curtains. The window had a grating within, of iron bars as thick as a man's t

rrupt me, but listen'd in si

s all y

t I promise to tell you if we escape from

ho nodded. Whereupon she hel

ward the greed of these violent men. Nevertheless, we should be hurrying on our journey did we not await my brother

the main door open, and Captain Settle's voic

fth man has enter'd the house, and unless we

ver. "I, for my part shall mix another glass, and leave it all to Jacques. Come, sit by me, sir, and

dozen in all, and your life at pres

to empty. What a fool thing is youth! Sir, you must be a dying man like myself to

onni-no

ols that w

ine to lau

ells of de

ine to dro

n upon

g, hey-

onni-n

. You are too raw, I'll wager, to be

horoughly anger'd, "I can use th

ry him,

at he put aside as easily as though I were a babe. And then-I know not how it happened, but my sword slipp'd like ice out of my grasp,

ng to my tongue-tip, when the Frenchman, as he rose fro

ted to the hilt of my sword and

-turn your face aside-killed by t

n the instant it was drown'd by the sound of a d