countenance wore an expression of profound melancholy, as he gazed fixedly through the narrow window of his apartment. Alas! it was only too evident that he was in a prison hard to escape from. The rooms which he occupied were in the centre of the Castle, the Salisbury Tower, as it was called. They were all on the first floor, the view was confined by the battlements and in spite of the elevated situation of the Castle, nothing much beyond the bowling green, where the king was wont to walk and sit on fine evenings, as the summer advanced, was discernible. At length he said with some bitterness, "I would the Governor's feigned care for my health, took the form of inducing him to vary my recreation, and of allowing me to resume my rides, instead of cavilling at my only means of passing these weary hours of my captivity," and he sighed.

"I trust, Sire," said Charles looking up from his writing, "your deliverance from this irksome prison will not be much longer delayed.”

The king gave him an inquiring glance, and his secretary having first examined carefully the hangings of the room, to see if any one was concealed there, opened the door gently, and perceiving that all was safe, related to His Majesty what Major Bosville had told him that morning. The king was overjoyed at hearing of Firebrace's probable arrival at the Castle, it was a fresh gleam of hope, also of the efforts made for his deliverance by the Royalists at Netley Castle, and how, although within the walls of his prison he was so closely guarded, friends devoted to his service nightly hovered on the sea-shores and watched about his dwelling. Charles Harcourt, fearful lest he should give him pain, did not mention the fate of Captain Burley, but presently the king observed: About noon yesterday, I noticed a great stir going on in the Castle, and a troop of soldiers were despatched in the direction of Newport. I asked the Governor the cause of this, and he replied in a somewhat confused manner, that there had been an uproar in the town, and that the Mayor had sent for the military to restore order. Did you see anything of it when you were in Newport ?" Thus pressed, Charles narrated as concisely as he could, what had occurred, dwelling upon the gallant conduct of Captain Burley. When he ceased, the king covered his face with his hands. "Alas," he said, "I am doomed to bring ruin and death upon all who espouse my unhappy cause; my gallant friends, one by one, they perish in the attempt to save me. Perhaps I had better yield, before more noble lives are forfeited on my account. But that treaty: I can never sign

that, and nothing less will satisfy them. Rather let them take my life than my honour."

'Sire,” cried Charles, and starting up, he threw himself on his knees at his master's feet, while he seized one of his hands and passionately kissed it, "there is not one of us who would not sooner die twenty times if such were possible, rather than leave untried a single means to deliver you from this prison and set you again on your rightful throne. My life, poor and worthless as it is, is at your service, and if it is God's will that I should perish in the attempt, I should feel it only too great happiness to die in so noble a cause."

"My brave boy, my namesake," said the king, smiling sadly, as he passed his hand over the boy's head, "I trust in GOD, my liberty will not be purchased at the cost of your bright young life, but if ever it should please Him to restore me to the throne of my father, I will not forget any one of the generous efforts which have been made to help me in my adversity." Hearing footsteps in the passage, young Harcourt rose to his feet, and resumed his writing. The Governor entered. "A new attendant," he said, "one Firebrace by name, sent by the Speaker of the House of Commons, has just arrived. He claims to be made page of the Royal bed-chamber, if it be agreeable to your Majesty."

"I have no choice in these matters," said the king, without looking up from the book he was reading, "and of what avails it to mock me with the pretence of it ?"

"Will it please your Majesty to see him now, or at the usual hour of dinner, when he will be in attendance ?" persisted the Governor. “I will see him then, I do not wish to be disturbed now,” and the king still continued to read. Colonel Hammond however remained in the Royal presence, till at last Charles Harcourt guessed why he was waiting, and rose to ask the king the meaning of a word, which he could not decipher, their eyes met, and Charles gave a meaning look towards the door, whereupon the king said to him, "You may retire now; if you have any leisure moments which you can devote towards making a fair copy of those crabbed notes, either to-morrow, or next day, I shall be glad of your services."

"My time is always at your Majesty's disposal," replied Charles, and he withdrew. Colonel Hammond accompanied him out of the Royal suite of apartments, watching him narrowly, lest he should speak of the Guards. The Governor was already half inclined to re

to

any

pent that he had given young Harcourt leave to attend in this way upon the king, and he perceived that many difficulties might arise in

consequence.

He was still undecided as to the line of conduct which he should adopt towards his royal prisoner, and he felt that Charles Harcourt might be an inconvenient spy upon him, yet, on the other hand, he reflected that if he were now to dismiss the lad from the Castle, he would thereby forfeit any chance of being allowed to renew the friendly intercourse with Madam Harcourt, which he had so much desired. Even as matters stood this was difficult enough, and he was at a loss how to begin. The responsible nature of his office scarcely admitted of his leaving the Castle, and had it been otherwise, he had not courage to seek her out, and endeavour to renew his acquaintance with her, for he knew well the quiet determination of her character, and he felt that if he were too precipitate, he would run the risk of being for ever forbidden her presence. So he was forced to content himself with now and then asking Charles in a half shy, half defiant tone, "how his mother did," and he would beg to be remembered to her, but as no message was ever brought to him in return, he discontinued even this ordinary civility. Still, Charles continued his attendance as secretary, and secretly was the medium of a correspondence between the king and his friends, and thus passed the two first months of His Majesty's captivity. March had now begun, and the Royalists, who had been actively engaged in devising a scheme for his deliverance, felt that no more time was to be lost. They were only waiting to know how far the king's personal attendants were to be trusted before they made the attempt.

One day when young Charles, accompanied by the Governor, having left the Presence Chamber, was making his way past the sentinels stationed at the several doors of the Royal suite of apartments, just as he was reaching the last, a loud angry discussion behind them caused Colonel Hammond hastily to turn his head, and the sentinel close to Charles seized the opportunity to slip a paper into his hand, which young Harcourt quickly concealed, and did not open till he reached his own home.

A FRIDAY MEDITATION.

I.

GOD, Thou art here,

I love Thee and I fear.

II.

I come to meditate on Death,
Life-Giver, may Thy quickening Breath

Make fruitful what I do;

O ponder what the Spirit saith,
My soul, to you.

III.

'Tis night, dark night on Calvary,
The Cross is very high,
My straining eyes can scarcely see
Beneath the blackened sky
The Figure of the Crucified;
Ah me!

For me He died.

For me! for all! still whiter grows
That Figure on the Rood,

His life-blood (robe of purple) flows,
Thus must His Spouse be wooed;
The Royal Bridegroom claims the Bride,
The Church

For which He died.

And oh! how dark my life, and dark

Its Future as its Past,

But for His Saving Passion;-hark!

The goal is reached at last;

""Tis finished," the SAVIOUR cried; Ah me!

For me He died.

He speaks of work accomplished; yes! His labours have an end,

The Risen CHRIST is strong to bless,

Is mighty to befriend;

And ever open is His Side,

My Home,

For whom He died.