“Is it France?” asked Tony; and Maitland had to bite his lip to repress a smile at such a question. “No, it is not France,” said he, calmly; “for France, under any rule, I 'd not shed one drop of my blood.” “Nor I, neither!” cried Tony. “I hate Frenchmen; my father hated them, and taught me to do the same.” “So far from enlisting you to serve France, it is more than probable that in the cause I speak of you 'll find yourself arrayed against Frenchmen.” “All right; I 'd do that with a heart and a half; but what is the State? Is it Austria?--is it Russia?” “Neither. If you only give me to believe that you listen favorably to my plan, you shall hear everything; and I 'll tell you, besides, what I shall offer to you, personally,--the command of a company in an Irish regiment, with the certainty of rapid advancement, and ample means to supply yourself with all that your position requires. Is that sufficient?” “Quite so, if I like the cause I 'm to fight for.” “I 'll engage to satisfy you on that head. You need but read the names of those of our own countrymen who adopt it, to be convinced that it is a high and a holy cause. I don't suppose you have studied very deeply that great issue which our century is about to try,--the cause of order _versus_ anarchy,--the right to rule of the good, the virtuous, and the enlightened, against the tyranny of the unlettered, the degraded, and the base.” “I know nothing about it.” “Well, I 'll tax your patience some day to listen to it all from me; for the present what say you to my plan?” “I rather like it. If it had only come last week, I don't think I could have refused it.” “And why last week?” “Because I have got a promise of an appointment since that” “Of what nature,--a commission in the army?” “No,” said he, shaking his head. “They 're not going to make a clerk of a fellow like you, I trust?” “They 'd be sorely disappointed if they did.” “Well, what _are_ they going to do with you?” “Oh, it's nothing very high and mighty. I am to be what they call a Queen's Messenger.” “Under the Foreign Office?” “Yes.” “Not bad things these appointments,--that is to say, gentlemen hold them, and contrive to live on them. How they do so it's not very easy to say; but the fact is there, and not to be questioned.” This speech, a random shot as it was, hit the mark; and Maitland saw that Tony winced under it, and he went on. “The worst is, however, that these things lead to nothing. If a man takes to the law, he dreams of the Great Seal, or, at least, of the bench. If he be a soldier, he is sure to scribble his name with 'lieutenant-general' before it. One always has an eye to the upper branches, whatever be the tree; but this messenger affair is a mere bush, which does not admit of climbing. Last of all, it would never do for you.” “And why not do for me?” asked Tony, half fiercely.