18 A JACOBITE EXILE

assassination as one of its weapons. More zealous Jaco-
bites, although they regretted the assassination plot, and
were as vehement of their denunciations of its authors as
were the Whigs, remained staunch in their fidelity to “the
king over the water,” maintaining stoutly that his majesty
knew nothing whatever of this foul plot, and that his cause
was in no way affected by the misconduct of a few men who
happened to be among its adherents.

At Lynnwood things went on as usual. Charlie con-
tinued his studies in a somewhat desultory way, having but
small affection for books, kept up his fencing lesson dili-
gently and learned to dance, quarrelled occasionally with
his cousin Alured, spent a good deal of his time on horse-
back, and rode over not unfrequently to Rockley, choosing,
as far as possible, the days and hours when he knew that
Alured and his father were likely to be away. He went
over partly for his own pleasure, but more in compliance
with his father’s wishes.

“My cousin seldom comes over herself,”’ the latter said.
“T know right well that it is from no slackness of her own,
but that her husband likes not her intimacy here; it is well
then that you should go over and see them, for it is only
when you bring her that I see Ciceley. I would she were
your sister, lad, for she is a bright little maid, and would
make the old house lively.”

‘Vherefore, once a week or so, Charlie rode over early
too Rockley, which was some five miles distant, and brought
back Ciceley, cantering on her pony by his side, escorting
her home again before nightfall. Ciceley’s mother won-
dered sometimes that her husband, who in most matters
set his will in opposition to hers, never offered any objec-
tion to the girl’s visits to Lynnwood. She thought that
perhaps he was pleased that there should be an intimacy
between some member at least of his family and Sir Marma-
duke’s. ‘There were so few houses at which he or his