THE CASTLE. — RANDOLPH S STRATAGEM. 91 



terms which, (although rejected by Margery herself,) banished every Scdnt from 

 my recollection, and made me eager to inflict a little salutary chastisement 

 upon him for his audacity. But how to quit my perch, so as to present myself 

 to Margery in an unmutilated state, greatly perplexed me ; for I felt that, 

 if perchance I got a broken hmb or two in my descent, I should be as unfit 

 to make love as to make prisoners. I determined, therefore, to think twice, 

 as the saying is, before I leapt. One fine night, however, as I paced the 

 ramparts, I had a clear peep, as I thought, into my destiny ; for I saw a couple 

 of lovers strolling suspiciously under the rocks, and the devil tempted me to 

 believe that . . . but I fear," interrupting himself, " I fear I shall be tedious." 

 " Rightly said," replied Randolph; " soldiers should be brief in speech, and 

 slow only to surrender. Tell me what thou hast, trippingly ; for, sooth to say, 

 I've little taste for tales of gallantry, with yonder proofs of our common 

 degradation before my eyes. One good spearman now were better than a 

 thousand prosers. Hast thou, with so much of thyself, nothing to say of thy 

 country ?" 



" Hear me, my chief," resumed the soldier; " to my country the story has 

 reference. The tempter, as I have said, urging me to believe Margery false, 

 and her gallant my sworn enemy, I resolved to quit the rock at all risks ; and, 

 employing the remainder of the night in various inventions, hit upon one, 

 which I soon put in execution. I made a rope-ladder, and the following night, 

 fastening it securely to an iron cramp in the balustrade, lowered myself inch 

 by inch over the jutting precipice, — groping my way from one crevice to 

 another — ^here suspended over the chasm, and there clinging to the rock that 

 often crumbled in my grasp, I reached the ground, I Know not how, and flew, 

 as I thought, to take my revenge .... But I will not stay to relate parti- 

 culars, nor what pleasing inducements I had to repeat my expedition ; suffice 

 that I did repeat it, and so often, that your nimblest sailor climbs not the mast 

 with greater facility than I learned to climb yonder precipice." 



" Thou art a bold fellow, Franks — and hast not forgot the path ?" " No ; 



and before sun-rise I will show you, my lord, how far my science in scaling 

 a rock may serve your purpose.— Give me thirty men, and I will lead the 

 expedition." " Take thy choice— and myself as the first," said Randolph. 

 " Thou hast inspired me with such hope, that methinks I see the outstretched 

 hand of St. Andrew beckoning us forward. At midnight, then !" . . . " At 

 midnight !" repeated Franks. 



At midnight, accordingly, the men were at their post— silent, but resolute, 

 and moving with steady pace towards the precipice. Franks led— Randolph 



