un, and the two combatants stood away from each othe

some burning wreckage which had now got well into a blaze. Then his eyes wandered down to the

d your Jacobite is capable of!" he remarke

hat instead of vilifying a cause as far above your comprehension as the majority of its advocates are above you in breeding, in educati

better than the two boys. George did not fail to observe the little flush of satisfaction

he Fairburn colliers who were still on the spot, gave attention to the wounded and extinguished the burni

was greatly incensed, and talked much of prosecutions and so forth. But nothing came of it, the man's sound native sense presently leading him to adopt George's opinion. Said th

oughts were bitter enough, however, so far as Matthew Blackett was concerned. He could not get it out of his head that

e day the elder Fairburn, on his return from Lo

ill be the making of you, if you prove to be the lad I take you to be. You are now fifteen, and it is time you went from home to try your fortune; in fact, you'l

was useless to argue the matter with him. To London he would have

as soon as he was old enough. The Squire was anxious that his son should have a commission, and as he was wealthy, and his party was now decid

uite expected him to go to Oxford and become either a barrister or a bishop. He's a lucky fellow! And I-I am-well, never mi

he nations belonging to the Grand Alliance were at first England, Holland, and the Empire; at later dates Sweden, Denmark, and most of the States of Germany came in, a strong league. But it was needed. Louis was the most powerful sovereign in Europe, and France the richest nation. To its resources were added those of Spain and her dependencies; for the most part, at any ra

ost successful. He was now fifty-two years of age, and one of the leading men at the Court of Queen Anne. He had seen a fair amount of military service, and had earned the praise of William III,

urope In The Tim

esents the domin

e a great miser. His wife, Sarah Jennings, now the Countess of Marlborough, was in high favour

ven the command of the combi

le brig should be constantly running to and from London, and it was early rumoured that French cruisers and privateers were prowling about the North Sea and the Channel. A schooner of considerable size, belonging to Squire Blackett, had, indeed, been chased, of

may not still be on the watch, and seize the Ouseburn Lassie a

s either, but George laughed at the

Abbott, the skipper," he said, "

our colours if there's the least chance of doing anything by a bit of fighting. The master's a man of peace, but between you and me"-the old fellow sank his voice to a whisper

turned away to hide her tears. The lad must go and begin his new life. For a few days all was bustle and preparation, George in the seventh heaven of delight. The long voyage in a grimy and unc

ather glorious: could any boy be sad at such a time, even though there was before him the parting from home, from an indulgent and much-loved mother, fro

of primroses in the Spring, and their wealth of dogroses in June. He turned into the footpath that crossed the plantations, and presently found himself gazing at the mansion a hundred yards away. The place was almost new, the style that was known in later days as Q

p, my good lad," cried an old man i

tter?" George

at home but the women folk, except old Reuben, and he's jus

s he cleared the fence at a bound, and

Matthew with him. Run and do what you c

he hall he found old Reuben, the aged butler, whom Mr. Blackett still provided with a home, doing what he could to stay the progress of the flames, by throwing upo

elplessly, to which the superannuated gardener, who now c

of the grand staircase which could be seen from the well below. Almost every length of the ba

t. "I'll see if I can get up." And in spite of the shouts of the old fellows, and the redoubled shrie

Blinded, choked, scorched, George staggered back, tripped, and with a clatter fell down the six or eight steps he had mounted of that flight, and lay for a moment on th

himself, as he turned to de

zing shrieks rang out from somewhere abo

frantic, as the little band gazed terror-stricken upwards. George, too, cast his eyes aloft, and there, to h

d lady, said to be an impoverished relative of the Squire himself. The little pony chaise in which th

euben, who had pulled himself up the steps a little way. "They are lost!" the aged servant moaned.

e up to the top of the house

g," was the reply, "and that is

ut? And the stablemen

gone off to the town for an hour or tw

hesitation he dashed on, watching his chance after a big gust of smoke and flame had surged across the well. Through the fire he rushed, prot

ried piteously, "leave me, and

ircase. But he drew back in dismay. A big piece of the burning banister bel

idor farthest away from the fire. Into a room George dashed, and threw up the window. It was Mary's playroom, and it was in t

azed frantically down and around, to see if any help was arriving. Not a soul was to be seen. Smoke was pouring f

us!" Mary ple

a way yet." But cheerfully as he spo

carried along by the evening breeze that had sprung up. The sight seemed to drive Mrs. Maynard demented. With a shriek she darted away, sped along the burning passage, and before the boy and girl could rea

he thought he might run to a further wing of the building that seemed at present untouched by the fire. But the girl, what of her? He cast his eyes about and descried two or three skipping ropes in a corner. Hastily he tied them end to end, fasten

sky when suddenly a great shout came from below. George glanced down, and there, running wit