Till the shoals which surround it had become safe anchorage--till its precipices had melted beneath the sunshine--till of all its strong abodes and castles not one stone remained upon another,--would I have defended against these villainous hypocritical rebels, my dear husband's hereditary dominion.
The little kingdom of Man should have been yielded only when not an arm was left to wield a sword, not a finger to draw a trigger in its defence.

But treachery did what force could never have done.

When we had foiled various attempts upon the island by open force--treason accomplished what Blake and Lawson, with their floating castles, had found too hazardous an enterprise--a base rebel, whom we had nursed in our own bosoms, betrayed us to the enemy.

This wretch was named Christian----" Major Bridgenorth started and turned towards the speaker, but instantly seemed to recollect himself, and again averted his face.

The Countess proceeded, without noticing the interruption, which, however, rather surprised Lady Peveril, who was acquainted with her neighbour's general habits of indifference and apathy, and therefore the more surprised at his testifying such sudden symptoms of interest.