redeem me from this unlucky situation. Grantley, the town-bred fop, had just pierced me keenly with his wit; but next moment Grantley, officer of the King, and defender of his country, came bravely to my aid.
"My Lady Barbara," says he, mildly, but abating somewhat the mincing accents of the exquisite, "I think this mummery hath gone on long enough. 'Tis a very dangerous game for us both to play; and, madam, I think the more especially for you, since the more beautiful a woman is, the more perturbed the world is for her reputation. And, my dear lady, you really should consider the limitations of us poor susceptibles; we are very frail sometimes, you know. But let us have an end to the acting of this play."
"Play!" says I, with sweet surprise; "sir, to what do you refer?"
I gazed at him with perfect innocence, but I thought I heard sounds of hard, deep breathing issue from the straw behind me.
"My Lady Barbara," the Captain said, and setting the lantern a point the nearer to my face to mark the effect of his words upon it, "your conduct in this matter, I will confess, hath been exceeding creditable to your heart. But in the name of the King I summon one Anthony Dare, lying there behind you, to stand forth from that straw."
Now there was not a word in this demand beyond what I should have anticipated from the first; but my adversary had fenced and toyed with me
