at his side, though one rested lightly on the hilt of the sword which
lay near him. The ruffles of his shirt were torn, and, indeed, had
almost disappeared. By study one might have recognized them in the
bandage about the hand of the other. Somewhat disheveled was this
youth, yet his young, strong body, slender and shapely, seemed even in
its rest strangely full of power and confidence.

The younger man was in some fashion an epitome of the other, and it had
needed little argument to show the two were brothers. But why should two
brothers, well-clad and apparently well-to-do, probably brothers from a
country far to the north, be thus lying like common vagabonds beneath an
English hedge?

Far down the roadway there rose a cloud of dust, which came steadily
nearer, following the only vehicle in sight, probably the only one which
had passed that morning. As this little dust-cloud came slowly nearer it
might have been seen to rise from the wheels of a richly-built and
well-appointed coach. Four dark horses obeyed the reins handled by a
solemn-visaged lackey on the box, and there was a goodly footman at the
back. Within the coach were two passengers such as might have set
Sadler's Wells by the ears. They sat on the same seat, as equals, and
their heads lay close together, as confidantes. The tongues of both ran
fast and free. Long gloves covered the arms of these beauties, and their
costumes showed them to be of station. The crinoline of the two filled
all the body of the ample coach from seat to seat, and the folds of
their figured muslins, flowing out over this ample outline, gave to the
face of each a daintiness of contour and feature which was not ill
relieved by the high head-dress of ribbons and bepowdered hair. Of the
two ladies, one, even in despite of her crinoline, might have been seen
to be of noble and queenly figure; the towering head-dress did not fully