have seen the letter in the Museum. 'My liege,--Of the past I will not
speak. It is past. But since it hath graciously pleased your Majesty
to ask mine aid against the rebels who would overthrow your throne,
rest assured that all I have is at your Majesty's command, till such
time as your enemies are discomfited. It hath pleased Providence to so
prosper my fortunes that I have stored away in a safe place, till
these times be past, a very great sum in gold, whereof I will at once
place ten thousand pieces at the disposal of your Majesty, so soon as
a safe means can be provided of conveying the same, seeing that I had
sooner die than that these great moneys should fall into the hands of
rebels to the furtherance of a wicked cause.'

"Then the letter went on to say that the writer would at once buckle
to and raise a troop of horse among his tenantry, and that if other
satisfactory arrangements could not be made for the conveyance of the
moneys, he would bring them in person to the King.

"And now comes the climax of the story. The messenger was captured and
Sir James's incautious letter taken from his boot, as a result of
which within ten days' time he found himself closely besieged by five
hundred Roundheads under the command of one Colonel Playfair. The
Castle was but ill-provisioned for a siege, and in the end Sir James
was driven by sheer starvation to surrender. No sooner had he obtained
an entry, then Colonel Playfair sent for his prisoner, and to his
astonishment produced to Sir James's face his own letter to the King.

"'Now, Sir James,' he said, 'we have the hive, and I must ask you to
lead us to the honey. Where be those great moneys whereof you talk
herein? Fain would I be fingering these ten thousand pieces of gold,
the which you have so snugly stored away.'