"
"They are a stiff-necked people," Mr. Harvey said. "That the
Sovereigns of Europe should have viewed with displeasure the
overthrow of the monarchy here was natural enough; but in Holland, if
anywhere, we might have looked for sympathy, seeing that as they had
battled for freedom of conscience, so had we done here; and yet they
were our worst enemies, and again and again had Blake to sail forth
to chastise them. They say that Monk is to command this time?"
"I believe so, sir."
"Monk is the bruised reed that pierced our hand, but he is a good
fighter. And after the war is over, Sir Cyril, you will not, I trust,
waste your life in the Court of the profligate King?"
"Certainly not," Cyril said earnestly. "As soon as the war is over I
shall return to Upmead and take up my residence there. I have lived
too hard a life to care for the gaieties of Court, still less of a
Court like that of King Charles. I shall travel for a while in Europe
if there is a genuine peace. I have lost the opportunity of
completing my education, and am too old now to go to either of the
Universities. Not too old perhaps; but I have seen too much of the
hard side of life to care to pass three years among those who, no
older than myself, are still as boys in their feelings. The next best
thing, therefore, as it seems to me, would be to travel, and perhaps
to spend a year or two in one of the great Universities abroad."
"The matter is worth thinking over," Mr.
Pages:
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418