"Aye! he deserved all he got," replied Jack, with a wistful sigh and smile, "I'll take my oath of that."
"But ... I remember now," continued the Duke, "a tardy reparation was to have been offered you, sir ... but you were nowhere to be found."
"I'd become a scoundrel myself by then, and moneyless, friendless, disgraced, had taken to the road, like many another broken gentleman."
"Then take to the field now, man," exclaimed His Highness, gaily. "We want good soldiers and gallant gentlemen such as you, and your country still owes you reparation. You shall come with me, and in the glorious future which I predict for you, England shall forget your past."
He extended a kindly hand to Bathurst, who, still dreaming, still not quite realising what had happened, instinctively bent the knee in gratitude.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
THE JOY OF RE-UNION
On the green outside, the crowd of village folk were shouting themselves hoarse,—
"Three cheers for the Duke of Cumberland!"
Already the news had gone the round that Beau Brocade, the highwayman, had been granted a special pardon by His Royal Highness.