guard. You inspire them with terror of _you_, while my whole scheme is
to make them think well of _themselves_, and ill of their master. If I
once get them to entertain hard thoughts of him, and high thoughts of
themselves, my business is done, and they fall plump into my snares.
So, let this delicate affair alone to me. Parley is a softly fellow:
he must not be frightened, but cajoled. He is the very sort of man to
succeed with, and worth a hundred of your sturdy, sensible fellows.
With them we want strong arguments and strong temptations; but with
such fellows as Parley, in whom vanity and sensuality are the leading
qualities--as, let me tell you, is the case with far the greater
part--flattery, and a promise of ease and pleasure, will do more than
your whole battle array. If you will let me manage, I will get you all
into the castle before midnight."

At night the castle was barricaded as usual, and no one had observed
the hole which Parley had made in the hedge. This oversight arose that
night from the servants neglecting one of the master's standing
orders--to make a nightly _examination_ of the state of the castle.
The neglect did not proceed so much from wilful disobedience, as from
having passed the evening in sloth and diversion, which often amounts
to nearly the same in its consequences.

As all was very cheerful within, so all was very quiet without. And
before they went to bed some of the servants observed to the rest,
that as they heard no robbers that night, they thought they might soon
begin to remit something of their diligence in bolting and barring.
That all this fastening and looking was very troublesome, and they
hoped the danger was now pretty well over. It was rather remarkable,
that they never made this sort of observations, but after an evening
of some excess, and when they had neglected their private business