does snore all night, and is mischievous all day. He's not a very bad boy neither, and I should be sorry, maʼam, that should think so; he does not often do wrong, you and when he does, he always comes and confesses his faults, and I never caught him in a lie in my life, and never heard a wicked or saucy word, either to his mother or me, come out of his mouth; so I do hope that he will soon leave off his mischievous tricks, which, I will not say, are right, and then I shall call him a really good lad. Never fear about Billy, ma'am, he'll go safe enough, and if they let him in, will be sharp enough to mark where Master Clement is, and bring us word of it. However, we'll make all as safe as we can, and, therefore, I'll tell the mistress to put in a basket some bread and meat, which I'm sure he must want up there, all by himself, and if you or the young ladies will write a bit of a note to tell him to be on the look out, we'll put it at the bottom of the basket, where he may find it. So you see the bread and meat will be an excuse for their letting Billy in, as well as a comfort for the young master." This said, away went James to his wife, who was soon occupied in preparing the provisions for the young master, as he was called, and which, if there be any truth in the old saying of cupboard-love, might, from the quantity heaped up ready for the basket, have raised in the mind of the farmer, some jealousy as to the state of his wife's affections. James, however, had little fears on this head, and was, therefore, no more moved with this evidence of cupboard-love, for the young master, than he was at the kind turns which he was constantly witnessing his wife do towards his neighbours. On the contrary, James appeared to take much delight in the column of food, which was gradually growing up to an ominous height. "That's right, mistress," said he, "pile it up, pile it up; poor young fellow, in the hands of them rascally soldiers; I'll be bound to say they have managed to find enough for themselves, but not a bit I'll warrant you for him. No, no, there he is, in his father's house, cooped up in some garret or other, with nothing to eat; I hate those fellows, --- some how or other, though I know its wrong: but never mind, we'll have him out, and that before long." The note written, the contents of which were only these few words: "Be at the window at twelve o'clock;" and the basket packed up, all ready for its destination, Master Billy was aroused from his sleep in the chimney corner,much to his annoyance, if one might judge from the wry faces he made, and the inclination he betrayed to fall back into his former posture, and, after some time, was made to understand that he was to take the basket produced, to Master Clement at the rectory. Mrs. Otter was for some time very much disinclined to allow her dear boy, as she called him, and truly too, to go out in a cold winter night, and be subjected to all the dangers which the darkness, the soldiers, the commissioners, and divers other things which are needless to mention, called up in her mind on this occasion; at last, however, partly by persuasion, partly by bantering, the farmer persuaded her to consent. You dont think they'll eat him, do you, woman?" said James, "nonsense; the soldiers wouldn't touch such a child as that; besides, is he not going in a good cause, and is there not One above who can protect in the hours of darkness, just as well as in the midst of day? Dont be afraid; GOD will protect him, and it will be a comfort to us now, and hereafter through life, to think that we have been able in any way to repay a portion of that gratitude which we owe to our good rector, and every one of his family; I'm sure they have been kind enough to us at all times, so dont let us think much of a little risk on their account. Come, come, mistress, act like yourself." After this, Mrs. Otter had nothing more to say, and, in due time, Master Billy was sent off, well wrapped up in cloth and flannel, with the basket in his hand, which he was told to give to no one but Mr. Clement. "Find out the room where he is, Billy," said the father; "and mind you dont catch cold," said the mother; "and don't you answer the soldiers, if they ask you any questions; they're a queer set, only tell them that N you've a basket with some bread and meat in it for Master Clement, and that you are to wait for the basket." Billy's short journey was without incident; and scarcely knowing what he was about, having no apprehensions of danger, he was less likely to excite suspicion, he walked boldly up to the rectory, and knocked at the door, requesting to see Master Clement Peters, for whom, he said, he had brought something to eat. The soldier who admitted him, just opened the basket, and seeing that it contained what the boy had stated, did not trouble himself to examine very carefully its contents, but told Billy to take it up stairs to the first room on the right, where he would find the person for whom he brought it. Accordingly he went up, and in the room to which he was directed, discovered Clement sitting by the window, with his hands bound, apparently in no very happy mood. Billy's errand was soon told, and to Clement's hasty enquiries, as to the fate of his mother and sister, satisfactory answers returned. The little piece of paper was discovered in the bottom of the basket, and afforded hopes to the prisoner, which he had almost given up. He had but just time to roll up the paper in his hand, when the voice of his keeper was heard, summoning the little messenger to come out, and return home. Clement was too thankful to his young friend to forget a hasty embrace, for the kind office he had performed towards him, and after cautiously whispering to him to tell his father yes," dismissed him with many thanks for the acceptable present he had brought. After this, Clement returned to his seat at the window, his musings being of a less gloomy cast than they were before. Little Billy trotted home, and gave all the information he could, which was so far satisfactory as to convince the farmer, that caution and a long ladder would enable them to rescue the young master from the room in which he was confined. CHAPTER VIII. O Heaven! when swords for freedom shine SCOTT. THE hours passed very slowly, in Clement's opinion, as he sat mournfully by the window, musing over the foolish expressions of his anger which had brought him into his present trouble, and calculating in his own mind the probability of success in James Otter's friendly attempt for his release. The church clock had struck faithfully, hour by hour, as the time passed on, each appearing to follow at a greater distance its predecessor, as Clement's impatience and restlessness increased. The inmates of the house had all retired to rest, except the one soldier who had been placed outside the prisoner's door, to prevent an escape, and who every now and then gave visible evidence of his watchfulness by poking his head through the opened doorway and taking a cursory glance at his captive. It was now past twelve o'clock, and Clement's impatience was increasing more and more, as he at one time fancied that he heard noises differing from the mournful sighing of the wind among the trees, and then, discovering his mistake, heard the winds lull into quiet, and tried to reconcile himself to his lot, and to resign all hopes. "They wont come," he said to himself, "they wont come, something has occurred to prevent it, and I shall be taken off in the morning to some wretched dungeon, where they have already imprisoned so many; well, I have deserved it for my folly." In this mood he remained for a few minutes and then again his hopes revived, and he could not divest himself of the thought that they would come, and that his mother and James Otter would not allow of his being taken away without some attempt at his liberation. Thus alternating between hopes and fears, he heard the clock strike one,—he listened, all was quiet; and he now resolved to hope no longer, when he detected a slight symptom of a different noise from any he had yet heard, which became gradually more and more clear, and appeared to arise from some movement going on under his window. At this moment, when his expectations were raised to the highest pitch, and he was drawing himself close up to the window to ascertain if possible what was going on beneath, he heard the footsteps of his keeper in the passage, and immediately afterwards discovered his peering visage through the opened door. Clement had only just time enough to draw back from the window to his accustomed seat; which, however, he did, so as to avoid attracting the soldier's notice, who, after a cursory glance at his prisoner, immediately withdrew. The noise on the outside was now becoming very evident, and left no doubt in Clement's mind as to the cause which produced it. He heard smothered voices, as of persons in earnest converse, and then a little grating on the gravel, after which, the sound as of some body falling upon the wall; he listened, all was silent,-in a few minutes, however, he heard a gentle tap at the window, followed by "Master Clement, hist, hist!" Clement moved as silently as he was able, and succeeded in opening the window, which was fastened by a common catch. The night was very dark, but from the feeble light which came from the failing fire in the grate, he was enabled to discover the friendly face of James Otter. Come sir," said James, " and be sure that you make no noise,-mum's the word." To this advice, it may readily be supposed, Clement was not unobservant, and as quietly and speedily as possible, followed his friend down the ladder,-when once on the ground, escape was easy, as the night was too dark for his enemies to have seen him, even had an alarm been given. This, however, did not happen, until Clement |