Page 311 - A Jacobite Exile

The next day at eleven o'clock the young men, dressed in their best attire,
called at the duke's. They were informed that the great man was at home,

and would be as likely to see them then as at any other hour. Accordingly
they entered, and were shown into an anteroom, and sent their names in by

a footman. He returned with a request that they would follow him, and were
shown into a library, where a singularly handsome man, in the prime of
life, was sitting at a desk. He looked at them in some surprise.

"Is there not some mistake, young gentlemen?" he asked. "My servant gave

the names as Captain Jervoise, and Captain Carstairs. I do not recall the
names as those of officers in her majesty's service."

"No, my lord, we have the honour to be captains in the service of King
Charles of Sweden, as this document, signed both by his minister, Count

Piper, and by the king himself, will testify."

The duke took the paper, and read it.

"The king of Sweden speaks very highly of you both, gentlemen," he said

cordially. "It is no mean credit to have gained such warm praise from the
greatest general of his time. What can I do for you? Do you wish to be
transferred from the service of Sweden to that of her majesty? We have

need of good officers, and I can promise that you shall receive the same
rank that you now hold, and it is likely that, before long, you will have an

opportunity of seeing some service under your national flag."

"I thank you warmly for your kindness, my lord, but it is not with that view

that we have now come to you, though I am sure that we both should prefer
to fight under our own flag, rather than under that of a foreign king,

however kindly he may be disposed to us, personally. We have called upon
a private matter, and I am the bearer of this letter from my father, who had
once the honour of your lordship's friendship."

"Jervoise," the duke repeated, as he took the letter. "Not Mat Jervoise,

surely?"