Go and tell him that he must take you to see Guy's Oak, in the dell; that you have heard so much about it; and when you get him on his hobby, it is hard if you can't make your peace." "Oh, I'll certainly do it, Master Varney;" and the young lady lost no time in obeying the hint.

Gabriel had set other tongues on the same cry, so that there was a general exclamation when the girl named the subject,--"Oh, Guy's Oak, by all means!" Much pleased with the enthusiasm this memorial of his pet ancestor produced, Sir Miles led the way to the dell, and pausing as he reached the verge, said,-- "I fear I cannot do you the honours; it is too steep for my chair to descend safely." Gabriel whispered the fair companion whose side he still kept to.
"Now, my dear Sir Miles," cried the girl, "I positively won't stir without you; I am sure we could get down the chair without a jolt.

Look there, how nicely the ground slopes! Jane, Lucy, my dears, let us take charge of Sir Miles.

Now, then." The gallant old gentleman would have marched to the breach in such guidance; he kissed the fair hands that lay so temptingly on his chair, and then, rising with some difficulty, said,-- "No, my dears, you have made me so young again that I think I can walk down the steep with the best of you." So, leaning partly on his valet, and by the help of the hands extended to him, step after step, Sir Miles, with well-disguised effort, reached the huge roots of the oak.
"The hollow then was much smaller," said he, "so he was not so easily detected as a man would be now, the damned crop-ears--I beg pardon, my dears; the rascally rebels--poked their swords through the fissure, and two went, one through his jerkin, one through his arm; but he took care not to swear at the liberty, and they went away, not suspecting him." While thus speaking, the young people were already playfully struggling which should first enter the oak.

Two got precedence, and went in and out, one after the other.