it was mighty pleasant to receive so handsome a letter and offer of
service from the Earl. Nellie wrote for him a letter in which he
thanked the Earl for the kindness of his offer, for which, although
he hoped he should never be forced to benefit from it, he was none
the less obliged and grateful, seeing that he had done nothing that
any other bystander would not have done, to deserve it."

Early the next morning Sydney Oliphant rode up to the door, followed
by two grooms, one of whom had a led horse, and the other a
sumpter-mule, which was partly laden. Captain Dave went down with
Cyril to the door.

"I pray you to enter, my Lord," he said. "My wife will not be happy
unless you take a cup of posset before you start. Moreover, she and
my daughter desire much to see you, as you are going to sail with Sir
Cyril, whom we regard as a member of our family."

"I will come up right willingly," the young noble said, leaping
lightly from his horse. "If your good dame's posset is as good as the
wine the Earl, my father, tells me you gave him, it must be good
indeed; for he told me he believed he had none in his cellar equal to
it."

He remained for a few minutes upstairs, chatting gaily, vowing that
the posset was the best he had ever drank, and declaring to Nellie
that he regarded as a favourable omen for his expedition that he
should have seen so fair a face the last thing before starting. He
shook hands with John Wilkes heartily when he came up to say that
Cyril's valises were all securely packed on the horses, and then went
off, promising to send Captain Dave a runnet of the finest schiedam