preparations for sudden flight, in case it should be necessary, and Rookwood provided relays of horses all the way to Dunchurch. Guy Fawkes alone remained at his post. He took up his abode in the cellar, resolved to blow up himself together with his foes in case of a surprise.

On Thursday, the thirty-first of October, the King returned to Whitehall, and the mysterious letter was laid before him in the presence of the Privy Council by the Earl of Salisbury. James perused it carefully, but could scarcely hide his perplexity.

a

"Your Majesty will not fail to remark the expressions, terrible blow to the Parliament, and that the danger will be past as soon as you have burnt the letter,'-evidently referring to combustion," observed the Earl.

"You are right, Salisbury," said James, snatching at the suggestion. "I should not wonder if these mischievous Papists mean to blow us all up with gunpowder."

"Your Majesty has received a divine illumination," returned the Earl. "Such an idea never occurred to me; but it must be as you intimate."

"Undoubtedly-undoubtedly," replied the Monarch, pleased with the compliment to his sagacity, though alarmed by the danger; "but what desperate traitors they must be to imagine such a deed. Blow us up! God's mercy, that were a dreadful death! And yet that must evidently be the meaning of the passage. How else can it be construed, except by reference to the suddenness of the act, which might be as quickly performed paper would take to be consumed in the fire?"

as that

"Your Majesty's penetration has discovered the truth," replied Salisbury," and by the help of your wisdom I will fully develope this dark design. Where think you the powder may lie hidden ?"

"Are there any vaults beneath the Parliament House?" demanded James, trembling. "Heaven save us ! We have often walked there perhaps, over a secret mine."

"There are,” replied Salisbury," and I am again indebted to your Majesty for a most important suggestion. Not a corner in the vaults shall be left unsearched. But, perhaps you will think with me, that, in order to catch these traitors in their own trap, it will be well to defer the search till the very night before the meeting of Parliament."

"I was about to recommend such a course myself, Salisbury," replied James.

"and

"I was sure you would think so," returned the Earl; now I must entreat you to dismiss the subject from your thoughts, and to sleep securely, for you may rely upon it (after your Majesty's discovery) that the plot shall be fully unravelled."

The significant tone in which the Earl uttered the latter part of this speech, convinced the King that he knew more of the

But I at once

matter than he cared to confess, and he contented himself with saying, "Well, let it be so. I trust all to you. divined their purpose-I at once divined it."

The Council then broke up, and James laughed and chuckled to himself at the discernment he had displayed. Nor was he less pleased with his minister for the credit given him in the affair. But he took care not to enter the Parliament House.

On the afternoon of Monday, the fourth of November, the Lord Chamberlain, accompanied by the Lords Salisbury and Mounteagle, visited the cellars and vaults beneath the Parlia ment House. For some time, they discovered nothing to excite suspicion. At length, probably at the suggestion of Lord Mounteagle, who, as will be recollected, was acquainted with the situation of the magazine, they proceeded to the cellar where they found the store of powder, but not meeting with any of the conspirators, as they expected, they disturbed nothing, and went away, reporting the result of their search to the King.

By the recommendation of the Earl of Salisbury, James advised that a guard should be placed near the cellar during the whole of the night, consisting of Topcliffe and a certain number of attendants, and headed by Sir Thomas Knevet, a magistrate of Westminster, upon whose courage and discretion full reliance could be placed. Lord Mounteagle also requested permission to keep guard with them to witness the result of the affair. To this the King assented, and as soon as it grew dark, the party secretly took up their position at a point commanding the entrance of the magazine.

Fawkes, who chanced to be absent at the time the search was made, returned a few minutes afterwards, and remained within the cellar, seated upon a barrel of gunpowder, the head of which he had staved in, with a lantern in one hand, and petronel in the other, till past midnight.

The fifth of November was now at hand, and the clock of the adjoining abbey had scarcely ceased tolling the hour that proclaimed its arrival, when Fawkes, somewhat wearied with his solitary watching, determined to repair for a short space to the adjoining house. He, accordingly, quitted the cellar, leaving his lantern lighted within it in one corner.

Opening the door, he gazed cautiously around, but perceiving nothing, after waiting a few seconds, he proceeded to lock the door. While thus employed, he thought he heard a noise behind him, and turning suddenly, he beheld through the gloom several persons rushing towards him, evidently with hostile intent. His first impulse was to draw a petronel, and grasp his sword. But before he could effect his purpose, his arms were pinioned by a powerful grasp from behind, while the light of a lantern thrown full in his face revealed the barrel of a petronel levelled at his head, and an authoritative voice commanded him in the King's name to surrender.

241

AN IRISH LOVE ADVENTURE.

BY PHELIM O'TOOLE.

A FEW years ago,-no matter how many,-there appeared in the columns of that respectable and instructive hebdomadal, "The Roscommon Chronicle," the following notice of a

RECENT DUel.

"A very pretty affair came off yesterday morning near the big tree of Killanyman, in which the parties were a neighbour, Mr. Hugh Kelly, junior, of the ancient and honourable house of Lisnisky, and a Mr. O'Fogarty, from the County Galway, the former attended by his uncle, Mr. H. Kelly, senior, the latter by Mr. Christopher Cooney. The result, we are sure, will prove highly gratifying to the many friends and connexions of Mr. Kelly, who showed himself a perfect gentleman on the occasion, having winged his adversary in the very first fire, although we are told it was his first appearance on the sod. Indeed, if we are to do justice, we must say that the conduct of both gentlemen was truly exemplary; so much so, that a very competent authority has declared to us he never saw two finer fellows tread the daisies of Killanyman. We regret to add, that serious fears are entertained for the life of Mr. O'Fogarty, the ball having made a very ugly mouse-hole for itself in the direction of his lungs. Under the care of our experienced townsman, Dr. H****, he is, however, doing as well as could be expected. It is said the affair originated in Mr. Kelly's dog running away with a bone which Mr. O'Fogarty's dog was picking.

"Farther particulars.-We have since learned the true cause of the quarrel. It seems it arose from some very harsh and disparaging expressions applied by Mr. O'Fogarty to the ladies of Roscommon en masse, which Mr. Kelly, in that spirit of chivalry for which our part of the world is so deservedly famous, very angrily resented. The suffering gent. is, we believe, out of danger; the ball has been cleverly extracted, and he is doing well," &c. &c. &c.

And so it was that Mr. O'Fogarty recovered, thereby releasing us, Hugh, junior and senior, from the divers annoyances of the city of refuge to which we had fled in the Leitrim mountains, as well as from the prospective pains and penalties of the law, in that case made and provided, should Mr. O'Fogarty's friends be shabby enough to prosecute, and cast us upon the bowels of compassion of a Roscommon jury. It would make my story too long were I to tell of the triumph in which we were conducted home, or the honours that awaited us there. It is enough to say, there wasn't such another ovation in Lisnisky since the day on which "the masther got the lawshoot."

I was lolling on the sofa resting myself after the labours of return and congratulation, and anticipating what a hero I was likely to be among womankind, when the door burst open with a most alarming crash, and in came Mr. Hugh Kelly, senior, the personage who, as has been stated before, stood to me in the relation of an uncle. A newspaper was in his hand, joy in his eyes, and as many capers in his toes as would make the fortunes of a Coryphée. I looked on in silent wonder, until, breathless with his pirouetting, he sought the repose of a

chair.

VOL. IX.

R

“Oh, you lucky dog!" gasped the merry old gentleman, with a chuckle which almost inflicted apoplexy upon him.

“ Lucky!—for what, in the name of wonder?" inquired I, a little amazed by an imputation to which hitherto I had not been very

noxious.

ob

"Read! read!" exclaimed he in reply, thrusting the newspaper into my hand, and pointing to a paragraph. I obeyed him.

“Wanted, for a small family, a steady careful person to act as dry

nurse."

"Pshaw! that's not it. There, in the third column. Don't you see it there?"

"Moderation in strong drink is a quality which will always mark the distinction between the man properly so called and the "

"Confound me!" exclaimed mine uncle, interrupting me, “but you're the stupidest man in Connaught. Don't you see what's just under that?"

“Oh, ay— Lost, by an elderly gentleman'—”

"Holy Saint Bridget! is it trying to vex me you are? Thereread that, and bless your stars that I was born before you."

An account of my duel, as I am a gentleman! communicated by some fervent admirer to the Evening Post, and containing, moreover, a most flattering eulogium on the spirit exhibited on the occasion by me, Hugh, with a short account of my birth, life, and parentage, and I know not what besides; for I was knocked into such a bother by the first glance, that I stuck in the middle of the paragraph, and could get

no farther for the life of me.

"Elegant, isn't it!" ejaculated the old gentleman, after another explosion of delight. "Egad! it's the luckiest thing befell Lisnisky in my day."

“Would it suit you to expound?" replied I; "for deuce a bit of luck can I see in it."

"Not see the luck!" exclaimed he. "Why, you stupid dog, I bet my life there's not one of them but is dying to see you this minute." ́"One of who?” I ventured again to inquire.

“Murder! how innocent you are!" said the senior; "the Dublin girls, to be sure-rich and poor, gentle and simple-all mad to have a sight of you."

"Nonsense! What do they know about me?" said I, with something of a simper.

"What do they know about you! Is it after that!-after your fighting a duel for the sex, and getting into the papers-pooh! I believe you think I don't know them. Well, maybe I don't. Maybe I spent my thousand pounds and my three years among them for nothing. Dear, dear!—if it was to me that luck happened!-ah! it's I that would know how to make the most of it. Ten thousand at the very least I'd make by it, or twice that if I'd be content with a widow."

Who wouldn't be a champion, if such be the rewards of chivalry! Ten thousand pounds, and the pick of Dublin! My good fortune, and the brilliant prospects which accompanied it, were forthwith announced to the family conclave at the dinner-table assembled; and mine uncle, like all old bachelors since the Flood, being an incontrovertible uthority on all matters connected with the wooing and winning of adies fair, I need hardly say the result was the decision that I should ack up without delay, and take the canal-boat for Dublin, to catch the

golden opportunity, and gather my laurels before they withered. My father's parting behest was to take for my minimum "blood, beauty, and five thousand;" nothing less than which, he said, would clear Lisnisky. Uncle Hugh gave me his duelling-pistols, and good store of advice beside. My mother threw her slippers after me for luck; and thus prepared for all possible contingencies, I set out upon my expedition to seek adventures among the fair, and select among the expected candidates her who was on the average most worthy to bear away the palm.

Let it be supposed, for the sake of brevity, that I arrived safe at my journey's end, found out the boarding-house frequented by my Connaught friends, became one of its most highly-favoured inmates ere I was an hour under the roof, and was put in possession of one of the bed-rooms kept for those whom the hostess especially delighted to honour, number something, second floor, front, when I proceeded to divest myself of the soils and abominations of travel, that I might without loss of time commence my campaign by delivering the few letters of introduction with which the goodwill of the neighbours had provided

me.

I had been taught that a great deal depended on the first impression I should make; and, in order that my appearance might be in concord with the pugnacity on which my claims were to be founded, I determined my first impression should be a striking one; and so it was. "Maybe you won't be a posy !" was the delighted exclamation of our family valet, as he packed up the garments in which I was to conquer ; and, all things considered, I rather think I was a posy. My coat was a nice cool grass-green, set off with gold buttons; my waistcoat was azure, prettily relieved by a scarlet scarf, and further ornamented by a handsome silver watch-guard. Having donned this pleasing attire, I was about setting off on my errand, when chancing to cast my eye to the houses at the other side of the street, which, though a genteel enough sort of locality, was rather more narrow than is usual in Dublin, I thought I detected in the apartment of the opposite domicile corresponding with my own, the graceful movements of a female figure. "Be always reconnoitring," was one of Uncle Hugh's favourite maxims, and I prepared to put it in practice, straining my eye to catch another glance. "Decency, Hugh!" was my first impulse on the occasion; but, alas for poor human nature! Curiosity soon got the better of it. "Pshaw! it's only the housemaid," remonstrated Impulse No. one. "My head to a halfpenny that it isn't," responded No. two. did a spider-brusher move with such a step as that?""Take care, or you'll see something you won't like," hinted Decency. "I wonder what that same might be," suggested Curiosity. And so they went on, pro and con, like Gregg and Maguire, until I, as umpire, gave it in favour of Curiosity, who, according to my judgment, had decidedly the best of the argument. And so I gazed long and ardently, and ever and anon the fairy vision flitted by, now advancing into light, now receding into darkness, and once or twice, by approaching the window, partially displaying a beauty which, even in dishabille, made my heart jump within me. At length my eyes, growing more accustomed to the obscurity, was able to keep her longer in view, to scan her loveliness better. She couldn't be more than eighteen; marble wasn't fairer than her forehead and neck, nor sunset richer than her cheek. Even at that distance, the merry play of a bright blue eye was perceptible;

"When