“That may well be, Mike; but there will then be a chance of success, since the English forces will be fully occupied by our descent in the north, which will threaten London, while Ireland can be left to itself until the main question is settled.”

“It is mighty lucky, your honour, that I should have stuck to the horse we got when we rescued Miss Pointdexter.”

“I am very glad, too, Mike, for otherwise I should have had to buy one, and it is likely enough that I may want all the money I have, before this campaign that we are starting upon is over.”

O’Neil and O’Sullivan, at this moment, burst into the room.

“It is glorious that we three should all be going, Kennedy!” the latter exclaimed.  “It is just your luck, for you are the only ensign named, while the regiment will be left with only four lieutenants.  Of course, I should be still better pleased if we were going to Ireland.  Still, for anything we know that expedition may not come off, and, so that we are fighting for the king, it’s all one whether it is in Scotland or at home.”

Having seen that all was ready for departure, Desmond went to the colonel’s quarters to say goodbye.  Several of the officers who were going were already there, and the colonel motioned to him to stay until they had left.  When they had done so, he said: 

“Perhaps you guessed, Kennedy, that you were the one exception I mentioned to the rule I adopted, of fixing by lot upon those who were to go.”

“No, indeed, sir,” Desmond said, in surprise; “I thought it an extraordinary piece of good fortune that I should be the only ensign to go, when there were so many others all senior to me.  Indeed, I thought for a moment of saying that I would resign, in favour of one who was older and more experienced than myself; but then it struck me that if I did, some of the junior lieutenants might feel themselves obliged to do the same, in favour of their seniors.”

“I should not, in any case, have permitted a change to be made.  I had decided that, in order to avoid jealousy, chance should decide the matter.  Indeed, you are the only ensign going with the expedition.  I informed Colonel Wauchop and General Hamilton of the reason for which I specially included you.

“So long as it was supposed that the regiment was on the point of marching to Spain, I considered that, if you took my advice and did not leave the barracks after nightfall, no harm would befall you.  But the case is altered, now that it may remain here for some time, for no doubt it will take part in any expedition sent to Ireland.  I have heard, within the past forty-eight hours, that the friends of de Tulle have made very strong representations to the king.  They have urged that your proceedings, involving what they call the murder of their kinsman, were of the nature of civil war; and that, if his conduct had been reprehensible, it was for the Baron de Pointdexter to lay the matter before His Majesty and ask for redress.