350 A JACOBITE EXILE

person in my absence so to settle the matter, but he could
not well have killed my cousin’s husband, and it would have
added to the scandal. However, the way it has turned out
is bettter altogether. It will be only a nine days’ wonder.
The man has been cut by all the gentry, and when it is
known that he shot himself to escape arrest, many will say
that it was a fit ending, and will trouble themselves no
more concerning him. You are coming back with me I
hope, Charlie. I have seen but little of you for the last
four years, and if you are, as you say, going with the Duke
of Marlborough to the war in the spring, I don’t want to
lose sight of you again till then. You can surely resign
your commission here without going back to the army,
especially as you have leave of absence until the end of
March.”

Charlie hesitated.

“T think so too,” Harry said. “I know that the colonel
told the king the whole story when he asked for leave for
me and obtained that paper. He told my father that the
king was greatly interested, and said: ‘I hope the young
feilows will succeed, though I suppose if they do, I shall
lose two promising young officers.’ So he will not be sur-
prised when he hears that we have resigned. As for me, I
shall of course go on at once. My father will, I am sure,
be delighted to return home. The hardships have told upon
him a good deal, and he has said several times of late how
much he wished he could see his way to retiring. I think,
too, he will gladly consent to my entering our own service
instead of that of Sweden. He would not have done so, I
am sure, had William been still on the throne. Now it is
altogether different.”

“Well, Harry, if you do see the king, as it is possible
you may do, or if you do not, you might speak to the col-
onel, and ask him in my name to express to Charles my
regret at leaving his service, in which I have been so well