“And so, my Wilhelmina,” said Ramsay, taking up her hand, which lay listless at her side, and playing with her taper fingers, “you really think William of Nassau is a good man.”

“And do not you, Ramsay?” replied Wilhelmina, surprised.

“However I may rejoice at his being on the throne of England, I doubt whether I can justify his conduct to the unfortunate King James; in leaguing against his own father-in-law and dispossessing him of his kingdom.  Suppose now, Wilhelmina, that any fortunate man should become one day your husband:  what a cruel—­what a diabolical conduct it would be on his part—­at least, so it appears to me—­if, in return for your father putting him in possession of perhaps his greatest treasure on earth, he were to seize upon all your father’s property, and leave him a beggar, because other people were to invite him so to do.”

“I never heard it placed in that light before, Ramsay; that the alliance between King William and his father-in-law should have made him very scrupulous, I grant, but when the happiness of a nation depended upon it, ought not a person in William’s situation to waive all minor considerations?”

“The happiness of a nation, Wilhelmina?  In what way would you prove that so much was at stake?”

“Was not the Protestant religion at stake?  Is not King James a bigoted Catholic?”

“I grant that, and therefore ought not to reign over a Protestant nation; but if you imagine that the happiness of any nation depends upon his religion, I am afraid you are deceived.  Religion has been made the excuse for interfering with the happiness of a nation whenever no better excuse could be brought forward; but depend upon it, the mass of the people will never quarrel about religion if they are left alone, and their interests not interfered with.  Had King James not committed himself in other points, he might have worshipped his Creator in any form he thought proper.  That a Protestant king was all that was necessary to quiet the nation, is fully disproved by the present state of the country, now that the sceptre has been, for some years, swayed by King William, it being, at this moment, in a state very nearly approaching to rebellion.”

“But is not that occasioned by the machinations of the Jacobite party, who are promoting dissension in every quarter?” replied Wilhelmina.

“I grant that they are not idle,” replied Ramsay; “but observe the state of bitter variance between William and the House of Commons, which represents the people of England.  What can religion have to do with that?  No, Wilhelmina; although, in this country there are few who do not rejoice at their king being called to the throne of England, there are many, and those the most wise, in that country, who lament it quite as much.”

“But why so?”