“Have we, father?”

“No, indeed, Walter.  You have told me that you would like, at any rate for a time, to see something of the world before settling down here for life; but it is no easy matter to say what is best for you to do.  Ireland offers but little field for anyone’s ambition.  Since King James came to the throne, and especially since Tyrconnell became governor, things have been a little more favourable for us; and I have hopes, yet, that justice will be done to the Catholic population of this unhappy country.

“Is it not monstrous, Colonel L’Estrange, that the very men who had a hand in the rebellion against King Charles the First, should still be in possession, during the reign of his son, of the lands which were taken from my father because he was loyal to his king?  And so it is all over Ireland.  The descendants of Cromwell’s men lord it in the homes of those who were faithful to King Charles.”

“It certainly seems so, sir,” Colonel L’Estrange said; “but I am no politician.  I am simply a soldier, and obey orders; but I own that it does seem a cruel injustice, that the great portion of the lands of this country should be held by the descendants of Cromwell’s soldiers, while the lawful owners, whose only fault was that they were loyal to their king, should still be dispossessed of it.”

“But I think better times are coming,” Mr. Davenant said.  “There can be no doubt of the king’s leaning towards our religion.  He has been restrained from carrying his goodwill towards us into effect, by his privy councillors and by the English party here, whose interest it is to prevent any change being made, and who constantly misrepresent the feelings of this country.  From the days when Strongbow first landed, this island has been the prey of adventurers, whose only object has been to wrest the land from the native population.”

“But you are yourself a descendant of one of the early English settlers, Mr. Davenant.”

“That is true enough,” Mr. Davenant said smiling, “and, no doubt, he was as bad as the rest of them; but, you see, we have held the land for some centuries now, and, like the other descendants of Strongbow’s men, have come to look at matters from the Irish point of view, rather than the English.  However, I hope for better times.”

“You haven’t heard the news, then, about the Prince of Orange?”

“No; what is the news?” Mr. Davenant asked.  “There have been rumours, for years, that he intended to make a bid for the English throne; but I have heard nothing else.”

“There was a report, before I left London, that he has already sailed from Holland,” Colonel L’Estrange replied; “and, indeed, I have no doubt the rumour is well founded.”

“But he will never succeed,” Mr. Davenant said eagerly.  “He will be put down as easily as Monmouth was.”

“I do not know,” Colonel L’Estrange said gravely.  “The Protestant feeling in England is very strong.  Monmouth was vain and empty headed, and he wrecked his own cause.  The Dutchman is a different sort of man altogether, and one thing is certain:  if King James can make a mess of matters, he is sure to do so.  The Stuarts have always been feeble and indecisive, and James is the most feeble and indecisive of them.  If William succeeds in effecting a landing, I think his chance of success is a good one.”