persons closely wrapped in large cloaks, who were then stepping into a boat.

"Methinks they are men of some sort," replied Diggory, with a monstrous gravity, who fancying the question had been addressed to him, had plucked up courage to answer it.

"Mine eyes can tell me that," said his master, drily.

"And wear they goodly coptanck hats, out of all question," continued the man.

"That also I can see without thy assistance," answered the old knight. "I hope they be not coming after us."

"They are pulling across the river," observed Alice.

"That is evident to me likewise," responded Sir Nicholas; and for some minutes not a word more was spoken, till he cried out,-"but see, they are creeping along the shore on the other side. Odds my life! but I think they be spies.'

"If it please you, shall we run across?" said Diggory, "and Peter and I will draw upon them, and 'spoil their spying straight."

"Ay, that would we, with a vengeance, if it please you, master," exclaimed another, whose patch on the forehead betokened him to be one in no way averse to a broil.

"Peace, knaves," exclaimed the old knight;-"Dost think, if there be any need of drawing, I cannot play my part?"

"For the matter of that," observed Diggory, "I can affirm, with a safe conscience, there be no such a master at the weapon."

"Indeed, for a swashing blow, of all valorous knights commend me to Sir Nicholas Throck--: Oh!" shouted Peter, before he had finished his sentence, on finding the aforesaid ashen stick descending on his pate, with the very swashing blow he was speaking of.

nay,

"Wilt never hold thy prate?" angrily cried his master: " by God's suffering, I'll give thee a cudgeling all round, if I hear another word." At this the men said no more, but pulled on, passing divers noble mansions that stood on the slope of the Thames, nigh unto the village of Charing, Sir Nicholas watching very earnestly the strange boat, that kept at a good distance on the other side of the river, till they approached Ivy Bridge; when he commanded Diggory to make for a small flight of stone steps, adjutting out of a magnificent mansion that stood there. As it was high water, the barge was easily brought to the stairs, and then the old knight, handing out his daughter and his niece, pointed to them an open door above the wall, against which the tide was a running, for them to go into, while he tarried a moment to give directions to his men.

66

Courage, Bess! this is Durham House, and thou wilt soon be a wife now," exclaimed Alice, as the other, seeming more dead than alive, leaned upon her, as they advanced through the little door, into a dark passage. "At least Sir Walter Raleigh hath one virtue-he

hath

a goodly house to live in."

"To which he now welcomes his dear sweet wife and thee," said a well-known voice; and Mistress Elizabeth found herself clasped in the arms of her affianced husband.

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Oh, Walter!" was all she could say.

"Alack, I had like to have been frightened," exclaimed Alice;

"but now I see who it be, I only wonder I took any alarm, for I am not easily frightened at so small a matter."

"Another time, Alice, I will give it thee in good style for that," said Sir Walter, laughingly; and then, turning to Mistress Elizabeth, added," Come, Bess, to the chapel-all is ready; my chaplain waits, and there is no one with him but my friend Lord Cobham."

"And here comes her old father, to see her honourably wedded to a truly excellent and gallant gentleman," cried Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, a little way behind them.

"Welcome to Durham House, Sir Nicholas," exclaimed Raleigh: and then the two knights shook hands in a very friendly manner. "Thanks, Sir Walter," replied the other; "I have brought Bess here, with strict attention to your directions; yet had I at one time misgivings we were watched."

Who could have thought of playing the spy upon you?" asked Raleigh.

"In truth it was a mistake of mine," replied the old knight; "for the boat in which were the supposed watchers hath but now gone on, as I think, to the Bankside.'

"I beseech you, follow me then to the chapel," said Sir Walter; and then, with many kind and soothing words to her who hung so fondly on his arm, he led the way, closely followed by Alice and her uncle, through many courts and passages, till they came to a sort of oratory, dimly lighted, fitted up in very antique fashion as a place of worship; in the which stood, in his robes, at the altar, the chaplain, conversing with my Lord Cobham; and with a few hurried words of greeting betwixt that Lord and Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, the ceremony was proceeded with; Mistress Elizabeth looking all the whilst, as some thought, fitter for a burial than a bridal, and trembling wonderfully; but she said the responses with a proper distinctness; and in a marvellous little time she did receive the congratulations of those around her. She answered not to what was said, save by turning towards her husband, and with her beautiful eyes swimming in their own soft light, regarded him with a look of such infinite thankfulness, that it sunk direct to his heart, and never, whilst he had life, was thence erased.

"And now, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton," said Sir Walter, advancing to him, with his arm fondly encircling his wife, "I consign this precious charge into your keeping for a while, which I hope will be but brief. I am going, as it may be known unto you, upon a voyage, whereof the successful result will, I hope, win me the queen's pardon for this proceeding; and I know not where, with such excellent propriety and advantage, I could place in safety, during my absence, what I account so great a treasure, as with one from whom its value did proceed. I pray you look to her tenderly."

"That will I, Sir Walter, depend on't," replied the old knight, briskly. "A murrain on thee; what dost look so pale for?" added he to his daughter;-" when I married thy mother, her cheek outblushed the rose:-but there will come colour enough by and bye, or I'm hugely mistaken;" and then he gave a very merry chuckle, and did touch her playfully under the chin.

"It grieveth me that I should seem to play the niggard, Sir Nicholas," said Sir Walter; "but it must be known to you why it is so; and therefore do I trust you will excuse it."

"Odds my life, man, speak not of it," answered Sir Nicholas; "but if thou canst, come to us this eve at Aldgate, and we will have a merry night on't."

"I will strive to bring it about," replied Sir Walter.

"Art admiring my apparel, fair Alice?" asked my Lord Cobham, with a great shew of gallantry, as he advanced towards the place where she, with her roguish eyes, seemed intently scrutinizing his dress.

"Indeed it hath to me a right handsome look," replied she, very innocently; "but methinks it be a thousand pities it should have so sorry a lining."

"Tis a mad wench! 'tis a mad wench!" exclaimed the old knight, with a loud laugh, whilst my Lord Cobham appeared as if he knew not whether to be offended or amused; "she hath a lively wit, it cannot be denied; and they do say she taketh after me."

"The truth of which I here do affirm," said the merry girl; "for having many a day helped yourself before me, it standeth to reason, uncle, that I must take after you."

"Ha, ha!" shouted her kinsman, who seemed as fond of a jest as herself, "that be a truth beyond all contradiction. Now, Sir Walter, you take the lead, else I know not how I shall find my way back to the barge." Raleigh was whispering a few encouraging words to his beautiful wife, previous to his departure, when he was startled by a knocking at the chapel door.

"Now, Stephen, what news?" asked he; going to the door, yet without opening it.

is

"Please you, Sir Walter," replied the voice of an old man, "there my Lord Burghley at the gate, who says he must have immediate speech with you on the queen's business."

"Get him into the library, good Stephen," said Raleigh, "and say that I am dressing, and will be with him in the instant."

"That will I, without fail," responded the other, and immediately he was heard hastening away.

"Now, Bess, my life," exclaimed Sir Walter, catching hold of her arm, "I must be so ungallant as to hurry thee from the house; for if the lord treasurer were to get but a hint of thy being here, it must needs come to the queen's ears, and then it would go hard for us both." So saying, he hastened with her-not without saying many endearing words by the way, which doubtless were mightily refreshing to her affectionate nature-to the little door that opened unto the river; at the which he parted with her, and her father, and Alice; who straightway proceeded into their barge, and continued their journey, whilst he hurried back; and after going through other passages, and up a flight of steps, joined his visitor in the library.

The Lord Burghley was at that time a man getting to be aged, and of some infirmities also. His beard was very silvery, and broad at the bottom; and his face much wrinkled, pale, and of an exceeding grave aspect; his head, which seemed to be scant of hair, was co

vered with a close cap of black velvet (whereof the points came down over his ears), on the top of which was a rounded hat, with a fair jewel set in the centre. Below his ruff his gown was fastened, having the royal arms embroidered on the right side; over which he wore a goodly chain of gold, and a broad sash, from the left shoulder to the right hip; and in his hand he carried a white wand. He had sat himself down in an easy chair, the which a tall, thin, grey-headed old serving-man, who stooped much, had placed for his use; and seemed, with marvellous shrewd looks, to be scrutinising everything in the room; and certes there was a multitude of things opposite in their natures, the close approximation of the which would have been a marvel to many for above a vast heap of romances of love, and chivalry, and the like, was the model of a ship;-then, upon a pile of grave philosophers and ancient historians, there peeped out a portion of a quaint dress for a masque ;-here lay a theorbo, and by it a small piece of ordnance;-there a silver tankard, wrought with the story of Bacchus and Ariadne. Ovid's Art of Love lay on a shelf, with a jewelled dagger in it to mark the page; and between the leaves of Plato his works, in the original Greek, was seen part of the gold case of a Lady's miniature. In one corner were divers pikes and halberds, with a torn banner taken from the enemy; in another, a mass of ore, brought from the country of Guiana by a Spaniard, and one or two large shells found on the American shore;-in this, a right handsome arbalest, the handle of which was of ivory, very daintily carved, —with a quiver full of arrows; and in that a lot of swords, pieces, and the like sanguinary weapons, resting upon a roll of madrigals, with a leaf exposed, having on it part of the words and music of that admirable composition of the truly melodious Master Dowland, "Awake, sweet Love."

On parts of the carved wainscot, there were framed and hung up certain views of the invincible armada being discomfited by the English fleet-charts of the Spanish main-drawings of the coast of Virginia and a right exquisite portrait of Queen Elizabeth, looking wondrous handsome and majestical, riding upon horseback, as she appeared at Tilbury Fort. There was no lack of tables and chairs in the room, but most of them were covered with such a host of ancient books and weapons, with here and there a case of toothpicks, or a delicate pouncet box;-pistols and perfumes lying side by side, or a French trinket resting upon a Hebrew psalter, with a vast quantity of papers, as would be tedious to describe minutely.

"My master will be with you anon, an' it please you, my Lord," said the old serving-man, very respectfully.

"Humph!" exclaimed the lord treasurer, drawing in his lips very tight, and still regarding everything about him with an unmoved

countenance.

"He is but now a dressing, and bade me say, that he would not lose an instant in the coming.'

"Ho!" ejaculated my Lord Burghley, lowering his chin and throwing out his lips.

"And for a surety, he is always to be depended upon in his word, an' it please you, my lord," continued the other. "For though I

have served him since he hath been but a boy as it were, never knew I him to fail in the keeping of it."

"Ha!" cried the old lord, nodding his head with a sort of complacency.

"And when he employeth himself on the business of the queento whom be all honour and glory in this world and the next," added Stephen reverentially, and proud to be allowed to have speech with the great Lord Burghley. "I have known him to be quite put out should there be any let which would delay him but a moment." "Humph!" exclaimed my lord, still very gravely.

Therefore, it be certain, out of all contradiction, he will be here straight; an' it please you, my lord."

"Ho!" said the lord treasurer.

"And, here he is," concluded the serving man, as he heard his master's footstep approaching the door.

"Ha!" cried my Lord Burghley. Thereupon, Stephen respectfully went out as Sir Walter Raleigh entered. The lord treasurer budged not an inch as the other approached him, nor spoke a word, nor altered he his countenance, nor took he off his hat.

"I have first to thank you, my good lord, for the honour you have done me-in paying my poor house a visit," said Sir Walter, drawing a chair close to his guest, and sitting himself therein. "For, truly, may it be said, that where the Lord Burghley cometh, he bringeth honour with him-for he bringeth the superlatively wisest statesman of his age, which I take to be the honourablest of all titles of honour."

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Humph!" exclaimed the lord treasurer.

"And, next," continued his host, "I must make my excuses for keeping you waiting-but I made not the stop any longer than I could help for mine own sake, believe me; for know I well, that every minute that keepeth me from such excellent good society, depriveth me of more true wisdom than week's hard study could make up."

"Ho!" ejaculated the other.

"The queen, out of her own bountiful humour, hath given me expectation of your coming," added Sir Walter, "desiring me to put you in possession of certain matters touching my expedition to Panama, in the which I intend doing the villanous Spaniards great hurt, and coming back, fear not that I shall fail in despoiling them of the Plate fleet to the exceeding enrichment of her majesty's exchequer." "Ha!" cried Lord Burghley.

"The matter stands thus-the gentlemen adventurers who with me have subscribed the necessary monies for this golden undertaking, with her majesty's high sanction, have promoted me to be their admiral: and I, desirous that its good effects should not fail for want of a sufficiency of means, did seek of her majesty, on profitable conditions, such assistance in men, ships, and warlike stores, as seemed unto me to be necessary."

"Humph!" exclaimed the lord treasurer.

"And her majesty, with exceeding liberality, as I take it, hath condescended to promise me six of her ships, well appointed in all