Nevertheless, with a gallantly equipped host, with 20,000 soldiers at his command, and armed nominally with almost as much power in Ireland as she possessed in England, the noble Earl-the favourite of the people-rode forth to his embarkment, elate with pride, and cheered by the plaudits of admiring crowds.

With him rode Morven O'Connor of Fitzclare, and with him, too, did Sir Guy D'Esterre, rather to his displeasure, return to continue his adventures in the west.

CHAPTER II.

WHATEVER might have been his secret forebodings, it was with a lightened mind that Guy D'Esterre took possession of his apartment in Dublin Castle.

On his table he immediately perceived a small packet placed conspicuously, with the words, "With speed! haste! post haste!" rudely scrawled upon it. Cutting the cord with which it was elaborately tied, he found enclosed within the identical ring that had contributed to his recent troubles; in addition to which the packet only contained this line "The Lady Hilda Fitzclare.—To the rescue!"

To seek out the bearer of this missive was his first object; but his inquiries on the subject were fruitless: in the bustle

and confusion of the Lord Lieutenant's arrival, many strangers could have passed unnoticed to and fro; and whether this were another device to inveigle him into mischief, or a real demand on his plighted service from Hilda Fitzclare, he found himself unable to determine. He knew his ring had been in the possession of the Lord Marshal, who had lately fallen in battle with O'Neil; but notwithstanding this argument against the supposition that she could have sent it to him with a summons to her help, the mental balance very quickly and fully inclined to that side, and, starting from a brief cogitation, D'Esterre went off in search of Morven, to whom he communicated the occur

rence.

Morven either did take, or affected to take, another view of the case, and treated it altogether as a jest played on the returned knight by his comrades. But, seeing the flushing countenance and indignant glance that such a supposition produced, he became graver, and added"In any case, good friend, I can act as

your substitute, since I am fain to visit my family forthwith. I have the Lieutenant's leave, and mean to set forth as soon as a horse is made ready."

Sir Guy bit his lip, and twirled the ring on his finger.

"I came hither," he said, "to ask your company on the road, for I meant not to transfer to another a commission made to myself."

Morven smiled carelessly; the youth had been for more than two years parted from his sister, and his pride was hurt at the appearance, on her part, of renewing the singular acquaintance she had made with the English knight. But a thought darted like lightning to his brain: the intelligence he had received while in the Fleet-the probability that the arts of Symonds would prevail in drawing her into a contract of marriage suddenly occurred to him, and, bounding from his seat, he shouted--

"To horse, Guy! to horse!-it is that false hound again: Hilda is lost!"

Guy was gone while he yet spoke: the permission, hastily asked, was as readily

given by the Viceroy; and the young men, who had already dined, speedily mounted their horses in the Castle-yard, and soon found themselves several miles from the metropolis.

As Morven appeared to know so well the road to his father's castle, a doubt of their having taken the right one did not enter Sir Guy's mind, although it was one quite unknown to himself. At eventide they approached the deserted convent, and it chanced, at the moment, that Morven, having alighted to re-arrange some of his horse-furniture, Guy led his on in advance, and thus came opposite to the Round Tower and stone cross before the other. Morven was not, however, many yards distant, though a bend in the road kept him out of sight.

It was then that Hilda had seen Guy: and, if her fears had permitted her, might have seen her restored brother also.

The figure, seated on the basement of the stone cross, had first struck Sir Guy as a picturesque object only; but when she sprang up on the pedestal, twining an