"Alas!" she ejaculated piously. "'Tis that reprobate Brother of mine!"
"So it is!" added Mr. Baggs drily. "'Tis meet he should raise his voice in defence of that baggage."
"But, who is it?" insisted my Lord Stour impatiently.
"Why, Betterton the Actor," replied Lord Douglas with a laugh. "Do you not know him?"
"Only from seeing him on the stage," said the other. Then he added: "An Actor confronting a mob! By gad! the fellow hath pluck!"
"He knows," protested Mr. Baggs acidly, "that the mob will not hurt him. He hath so oft made them laugh that they look upon him as one of themselves."
"Listen!" said Lady Barbara. "You can hear him speak quite plainly."
Whereupon they all became silent.
All this, of course, had occurred in far less time than it takes to describe. Not more than a few seconds had gone by since first I saw Mr. Betterton step out from Nowhere in particular into the Street. But his Interposition had given my Lady Castlemaine's Chairmen and also the Watchmen, who were guarding her, a distinct advance. They were making the most of the respite by hurrying up our street as fast as they were able, even while the Crowd—that portion of it that stood nearest to Mr. Betterton and could hear his Voice—broke into a loud laugh at some Sally of his which had apparently caught their Fancy.
From the distance the cry was raised: "To the pillory, the Castlemaine!"