The Queen's Favourite: A Story of the Restoration
own land, and smoke his pipe in peace. So we need not feel any compunction over the fact that our father has given in his adhesion to the king at last, and now I shall be at liberty to follow the dictates of my heart. I was too young to fight for our martyred king, but I am of age now, and will at once enlist in his son's service. Let us hope we may have our rightful king and our rightful liberties as well. I'm for King Charles! Hurrah!"  And Reginald Newbolt took up his hat from the table beside him and tossed it gaily into the air.

His sister, Ann Newbolt, laughed at him as she echoed his "Hurrah!"

His sister, Ann Newbolt, laughed at him as she echoed his "Hurrah!"

"I am glad of it," she went on; "you cannot conceive how glad, Reginald! You can never know what pain and grief the murder of our king has been to me. I think my father felt it sorely, and yet he has always held that it was a necessity."

"I am glad of it," she went on; "you cannot conceive how glad, Reginald! You can never know what pain and grief the murder of our king has been to me. I think my father felt it sorely, and yet he has always held that it was a necessity."

"He had no hand in it," cried Reginald sharply.

"He had no hand in it," cried Reginald sharply.

"Not directly," answered Ann.  "I believe he would not vote either for or against, which vexed our mother greatly."

"Not directly," answered Ann.  "I believe he would not vote either for or against, which vexed our mother greatly."

"It was a mistake," said Reginald, his young face lighting up with a certain sternness.  "A man ought to know his own mind: it should be either 'yea' or 'nay'. My father would have had me enlist in Cromwell's army, young as I was; but I would not, and, thank God, I did not! I can show clean hands and a loyal heart to Charles Stuart when he lands."

"It was a mistake," said Reginald, his young face lighting up with a certain sternness.  "A man ought to know his own mind: it should be either 'yea' or 'nay'. My father would have had me enlist in Cromwell's army, young as I was; but I would not, and, thank God, I did not! I can show clean hands and a loyal heart to Charles Stuart when he lands."

"Will you go up to London with my father?" she said.


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