him and there revive. The youth had on a doublet of some reddish
colour, ill brought out by the moonlight, but its silver lace and
the rapier hilt inlaid with silver shone the keener against it. A
short cloak hung from his left shoulder, trimmed also with silver
lace, and a little cataract of silver fringe fell from the edges of
his short trousers into the wide tops of his boots, which were
adorned with ruffles. He wore a large collar of lace, and cuffs of
the same were folded back from his bare hands. A broad-brimmed
beaver hat, its silver band fastened with a jewel holding a plume of
willowy feathers, completed his attire, which he wore with just the
slightest of a jaunty air. It was hardly the dress for a walk at
midnight, but he had come in his mother's carriage, and had to go
home without it.

Alas now for Richard's share in the freedom to which he had of late
imagined himself devoted! No sooner had the words last spoken
entered his ears than he was but a driven slave ready to rush into
any quarrel with the man who spoke them. Ere he had gone three paces
he had stepped in front of him.

'Whatever rights mistress Dorothy may have given you,' he said, 'she
had none to transfer in respect of my father. What do you mean by
calling him a roundhead?'

'Why, is he not one?' asked the youth, simply, keeping his ground,
in spite of the unpleasant proximity of Richard's person. 'I am
sorry to have wronged him, but I mistook him for a ringleader of the
same name. I heartily beg your pardon.'

'You did not mistake,' said Richard stupidly.