Page:Cerise, a tale of the last century (IA cerisetaleoflast00whytrich).pdf/467

 courtesy, imprinted such a kiss upon her blooming face, as middle-aged gentlemen of those days distributed liberally without scandal, a kiss that, given in all honour and kindliness, left the maiden's cheek no rosier than before.

Then, as soon as the door was shut, Sir Marmaduke pulled his wig off, and began pacing his chamber to and fro, as was his custom when in unusual perplexity.

"A plot," he reflected; "no doubt of it. Another veritable Jacobite plot, to disturb private comfort and public credit; to make every honest man suspect his neighbour, and to set the whole country by the ears."

Though he had wisely concealed from Alice the importance he really attached to her information, he could not but admit her story was very like many another that had previously warned him of these risings, in one of which, long ago, he had himself been concerned on the other side. His sympathies even to-day were not enthusiastically with his duty. That duty doubtless was, to warn the executive at once.

He wished heartily that he knew which of his friends and neighbours was concerned in the business. It would be terrible if some of his intimates (by no means an unlikely supposition) were at its head. He thought it extremely probable that Sir George Hamilton was only named as a victim for a blind, and had really accepted a prominent part in the rising. Could he not give him a hint he was suspected, in time to get out of the way? Sir Marmaduke was not very bitter against the Jacobites; and perhaps it occurred to him, moreover, that if they should get the upper hand, it would be well to have such an advocate as Sir George on the winning side. He might tell him what he had heard, under pretence of asking his assistance and advice.

At all events he thought he had shut Alice's mouth for the present, by setting her to watch the conspirators closely in her aunt's house. "If she finds them out," said Sir Marmaduke, rubbing his bald head, "I shall have timely notice of their doings, and if they find her out, why, they will probably change the scene of operation with all haste, and I shall have got an exceedingly awkward job off my hands."