University of Virginia Library

5. V.
I ENTER THE QUEEN'S GUARDS.

I shared Harry's bed that night, and was waked by
the trumpet sounding reveillé.

The Guardsmen paraded in the court,—stiff, motionless,
sitting their horses in line, and answering gruffly
to their names as the roll was called. The gay gallants
of the guard-room were turned to wooden figures;
but at the order to return to quarters they again broke
forth into jests and laughter.

As Harry came in, his rapier rattling against his
boots, I saw that he held a paper in his hand.

“Here is what one of the queen's ushers has just
brought, Ned,” he said.

I looked at the paper; it was my appointment to a
place in the queen's Guards.

“You see Miss Villiers stands by her friends, Ned,”
said Harry. “Come and don one of my old uniforms.
From this moment you are a Guardsman!”

He laughed, and put his arm round my neck. Of
all the faces I ever saw, Harry's came nearest sunshine
when he thus laughed.

The day passed in a round of excitement. I did not
reflect upon the scant respect paid my father in thus

cavalierly turning my back on the profession for which
he had destined me. Had the eyes of Frances Villiers
already worked their magic on me? I know not; but
I hailed the change in my destiny with delight. Let
me add here, as I shall pass soon to stirring events,
that my dear father manifested no displeasure at the
unceremonious step thus taken, but sent me his full approval;
and I had no sooner received my appointment
then I set about my arrangements. These were speedily
made. The tailor of the Guardsmen, in Rosemary Lane,
near the Tower, came and took my measure for my
uniform,—in the mean while I donned an old one of
Harry's;—Dick the hostler declared his strong wish
to remain and attend to my horses, and so behold me
suddenly a full-fledged guardsman of the queen!

I was to commence my duties more speedily than I
supposed. I had just entered the guard-room, about
noon, when Harry came in, and I could see that he was
angry.

“What is the matter?” I said.

He drew my arm through his own, and dragged me
rather than led me out.

“The matter is insolence and cruelty, Ned!” he
said, with a sort of growl peculiar to him when anything
moved him. “The crop-eared knaves in parliament
have insulted her majesty!”

“Insulted?”

“Judge! Here comes to-day a messenger with a
paper from that rascal Pym and the rest, that her majesty
`must surrender her young family into their hands
during the absence of the king, lest she should take an
opportunity of making papists of them.”'

“And her majesty has replied?”

“That her sons were under tuition of their governors,
who were not papists: she obeyed the will of her
husband that they should not be brought up in her religion.
And this is not all!”

“What more, Harry?”

“Secret information has just arrived that a parliamentary
order has been sent to a magistrate near Oatlands,
where the royal family now are, to be ready
with a part of the militia in the park of the palace to-night,—where
he would be joined by a body of cavalry,—and
await further orders.”

“They mean to seize on the royal family!”

Harry burst out into such oaths as I will not record.

“At their peril!” he said. “I say no more now,
but—”

The trumpet was heard without, sounding “Boots
and Saddles,” and the palace was in commotion. Harry
was hastening out, when an usher came in, looking
rapidly around.

“I am ordered to summon the first two gentlemen
of the Guards I meet, to her majesty's presence,” he
said.

“Come on, Ned!”

Harry was already rushing after the usher. I followed.
We passed along a great corridor, through a magnificent
suite of apartments, then into an antechamber,
where, at a sign from the usher, Harry paused, while
we were being announced.

“Let them come in!” exclaimed a voice in a decided
French accent.

A moment afterwards I had followed my brother

into a large apartment richly furnished and half filled
with maids of honor, among whom stood a lady clad
in black, with a pallid face and piercing eyes. This
lady, I heard afterwards, was the secret enemy of her
majesty, Lady Carlisle.

In one corner, near a prie-dieu, stood a father confessor
in black robes. On the carpet gamboled a small
black dog, the famous Mitte, so intimately associated
with her majesty's wanderings and perils.

Lastly, at a table, where she wrote rapidly, sat the
queen.