"Whither am I to be taken?" "You will be taken before the Lords of the Council in the first instance, and afterwards, in all probability, be consigned to the custody of the wardens of his Majesty's gaol of the Fleet," replied the serjeant-at-arms.

"On me, captain Willoughby!" answered the serjeant, in a tone of mortification.

However, I found no great difficulty in appeasing the pious and sanctified serjeant.

Ye've niver asked, serjeant, how the majjor got into the house, and ye a military sentry in the bargain!" "I suppose he came by command, Michael, and it is not the duty of the non-commissioned officers to question their superiors about anything that has happened out of the common way.

I went out with the intention of calling the serjeant to a severe account, when I was informed that he had just gone in pursuit with six others.

Withal, I have provided Master Gripe the usurer, who upon the instant will be ready to step in, charge the serjeants to keep thee fast, and that now he will have his five hundred pounds, or thou shalt rot for it.

These divisions, Maud, in one of her merry humours, had nick-named the three tribes; while her father, to make the enumeration complete, had classed the serjeant, Mike, and Jamie Allen, as supernumeraries.

Not content, however, with the discovery he had made at Wimbledon, James had secretly despatched a serjeant-at-arms to Rome, where Lord Roos had taken up his residence after leaving England, and obtained from him and from his confidential servant Diego, a statement incriminating Lady Lake, and denouncing the confession as a wicked forgery.

You will not find him,but you will find a serjeant-at-arms with a Star-Chamber warrant for your arrest.

The first glance told the captain that a serious reduction had taken place in his forces, and he led the serjeant aside to hear his report.

" To own the truth, there was a little bravado in this, mingled with the stern courage that habit and nature had both contributed to lend the serjeant.

"I see they have sent two men to meet our messengers serjeant," he said"This looks as if they understood the laws of war.

"Wait for orders, men, wait for orders," observed the serjeant, by way of quieting an impatience that was very apparent.

On my return here, I dismissed him, and obtained another serjeant, and a new guard, from the Governor, who caused my dismissed serjeant to be seized; and ordered him the pallo; but, at my intercession, he was pardoned, upon his promising for the future to evince a more soldierlike conduct, when summoned on duty.

It is evident, sir, that by the order now read, the serjeant at arms attending on this house, may take into custody all strangers that shall be found in the house or gallery while we are assembled; and that this order is not always put in practice, must be attributed to the lenity of the house.

" "And what did you do with them?" asked a youth, who regarded the serjeant as another CæsarNapoleon not having come into notice in 1776.

" "I think I understand Strides, your honour," resumed the serjeant.

And any of the strangers, who now hear this debate, may retire to a very small distance from the house, and set the serjeant at arms at defiance.

"Those axes sound nearer and nearer, serjeant," Captain Willoughby observed, after the march had lasted a long time in profound silence.

" "I thank you, serjeant, and shall not fail to employ you, on all proper occasions.

I am so far, sir, from being of opinion, that, to make the execution of this order valid, the house must sit, without interruption, from the time of the offence to that of the punishment, that if the gentlemen in the gallery were to be taken into custody, I should advise the serjeant to wait till the house should break up, and seize them as they should come out.

" The captain whispered the serjeant to ascertain whether the watch without was vigilant, when he led the way to the library, where, as he expected, he found his wife and daughters, anxiously waiting his appearance.