“And, in Scotland, father?”

“All is there ripe and ready—­and an army once landed, would be joined by thousands.  The injustice of the usurper in wishing to sacrifice the Scotch Settlement, has worked deep upon the minds of those who advanced their money upon that speculation—­in the total, a larger sum than ever yet was raised in Scotland.  Our emissaries have fanned the flame up to the highest pitch.”

“To my thoughts, good father, there needed not further discontent.  Have we not our king dethroned, and our holy religion persecuted?”

“True, my son—­true; but still we must lose no means by which we may increase the number of our adherents.  Some are swayed by one feeling, and some by another.  We have contrived to throw no small odium upon the usurper and betrayer of his wife’s father, by exposing and magnifying, indeed, the sums of money which he has lavished upon his courtesan, Mistress Villiers, now, by his heretic and unsanctified breath, raised into the peerage by the title of Countess of Orkney.  All these items added together, form a vast sum of discontent; and could we persuade his Catholic majesty to rouse himself to assert once more his rights by force of arms, I should not fear for the result.”

“Had I not been betrayed,” observed Sir George, musing, “before this the king would have had his own again.”

“And thrice blessed would have been the arm that had laid the usurper low,” rejoined the Jesuit; “but more of this hereafter.  Your lady hath had much converse with me.  She thinks that the character of the man who commands that cutter, is such as to warrant his services for gold—­and wishes to essay him.”

“The woman Corbett is of that opinion, and she is subtle.  At all events, it can be tried; for he would be of much utility, and there would be no suspicion.  The whole had better be left to her arrangement.  We may employ, and pay, yet not trust him.”

“That is exactly what Lady Alice had proposed,” replied the Jesuit.  Here Lilly came out to tell her father that the morning meal was ready, and they all returned to the cave.

That evening the boat was launched, and the Jesuit went over with Sir George, and landed at Cherbourg, from whence they both proceeded with all expedition to the court of King James.

We have entered into this short detail, that the reader may just know the why and the wherefore these parties in the cave were introduced, and now we shall continue our most faithful and veracious history.

Chapter XIX

In which Smallbones is sent to look after a pot of black paint.