"O Vivat! Gustavus Adolphus, we cry,
With thee all must either win honour or die!
Tan, ta ra, ra, ra, ra, ra!"
sang the chaplain; "O 'tis a jolly anthem. Heres to his memory—Gustavus Adolphus, the friend of the soldier of fortune—the Cæsar of Sweden—the Star of the North! I perceive, gentlemen," continued the divine, "that there are virginals and music in yonder oriel window. What say ye—shall we summon the rosy English dame, whose dainty fingers I doubt not, press those ivory keys, that she may sing us some of the merry southern madrigals King Charles loved so well?"
"Nay, Doctor, by Heaven!" said Walter, as the thought of his absent Lilian (for whose sake all the sex were dear to him) flashed upon his mind. "If there are ladies here, no man shall molest them while I can hold a rapier."
"Hear this young cock o' the game," said Joram, angrily; "he cocks his beaver like a mohock already."
"Well spoken, young comrade," said Finland; "our clerical friend hath mistaken his avocation. Instead of entering holy orders, he should have been purveyor to old Dalyel's Red Cossacks."
"'Sdeath! gentlemen," said the divine, colouring; "I only jested, and you turn on me like so many harpies. But as for you, Mr. Fenton, my pretty cavaliero, who proposed burning the mansion to the ground-stone?"
"I knew not that it contained ladies."
"My lady comes of an old cavalier family, noble sirs," said the old butler, with great perturbation; "and would herself appear to greet you, but illness——"
"It is enough, good fellow," replied Finland; "how is she named?"
"She is a daughter of old Sir Tufton Shirley."