with loaded rifles. It is true that the men were recruited from the lowest class-many of them being thieves, common rogues, and jailbirds, some of them having even volunteered as an exchange from prison; their pay was low, their fare poor; no woman of respectability would marry one of them; they were rude, fierce, and ill-disciplined; they frequently ill-treated the prisoners; and their superior officers-women who commanded from the rooms of a department had no control whatever over them. They would probably fight, if only for the contempt and hatred in which they were held by

men.

Where, for their own part, could they look for soldiers?

There were the rustics. They were strong, healthy, accustomed to work together, outspoken, never more than half convinced of the superiority of women, practising the duty of obedience no more than they were obliged, fain to go courting on their own account, the despair of preachers, who were constantly taunted with

the ill success of their efforts. Why, it was common-in some cases it was the rule-to find the woman in the cottage that most contemptible thing-a man-pecked wife. What was the good of paying wages to this wife, when her husband took from her what he wanted for himself? What was the good of making laws that men should not be abroad alone after dark, when in most of the English villages the men stood loitering and talking together in the streets till bed-time? What was the use of prohibiting all intoxicating drinks, when in every village there were some women who made beer and sold it to all the men who could pay for it, and though perfectly well known, were never denounced?

"They are ready to our hand," said Lord Chester. "The only question is, how to raise them, and how to arm them when they are raised."

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CHAPTER IX.

THE GREAT CONSPIRACY.

ONE morning, after six weeks of this pleasant life, Lord Chester, who had made excellent use of his time, and was now as completely a man as his companions, was summoned to the Bishop's study, and there received a communication of the greatest importance.

The Professor was the only other person present.

"I have thought it prudent, Lord Chester," said the Bishop gravely, "to acquaint you with the fact that the time is now approaching when the great Attempt will be made. Are you still of the same mind? May we look for your devotion-even if we fail?"

"You may, my lord." The young man held out his hand, which the aged Bishop clasped.

“It is good,” he said, "to see the devotion of youth ready to renounce life and its joys; to incur the perils of death and dishonour. This seems hard even in old age, when life has given all it has to give. But in young menYet, my son, remember that the martyr does not change a lower life for a higher."

"I give you my life, if so it must be," Lord Chester repeated.

"We take what is offered cheerfully. You must know then, my lord, that the ground has been artfully prepared for us. This conspiracy,

which you have hitherto thought confined to one old man's house and half-a-dozen young men

living with him, is in reality spread over the whole country. We have organisations, great or small, in nearly every town of England. Some of them have as yet only advanced to the stage of discontent; others have been pushed on to learn that the evil condition of men is due chiefly to the government of women; others

have learned that the sex which rules ought to obey; others, that the worship of the Perfect Woman is a vain superstition: none have gone so far as you and your friends, who have learned more-the faith in the Perfect Man. That is because you are to be the leaders, you yourself to be the Chief.

"Now, my lord, the thing having so far advanced, the danger is, that one or other of our secret societies may be discovered. True, they do not know the ramifications or extent of the conspiracy. They cannot, therefore, do us any injury by treachery or unlucky disclosures; yet the punishment of the members would be so severe as to strike terror into the rest of our members. Therefore, it is desirable to begin as soon as possible."

"To-day !" cried the young Chief.

"No-not to-day, nor to-morrow. The difficulty is, to find some pretext-some reasonable pretext-under cover of which we might rise. "Can we not invent something?"

"There are the convicts. We might raise a