120
 
 Hppletons' 
 Uown anfc Country 
 
 No. 1 88 
 
 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN
 
 DISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN 
 
 BEING EXCERPTA FROM THE MEMOIRS OF 
 
 SIR EDWARD ARMSTRONG, BARONET, 
 
 OF COPELAND HALL, IN THE COUNTY OF SOMERSET 
 
 EDITED INTO MODERN ENGLISH 
 
 BY J. C. SNAITH 
 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTION 
 
 NEW YORK 
 D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 
 
 1896
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1896, 
 BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ONE of the distinctive features of the trend of popular 
 taste for the last two years has been the revival of interest 
 in historical fiction. It is true that from some of the more 
 exacting realists we have had vehement protests against 
 "the school of the trapdoor and dagger," but the majority 
 of readers show a readiness to stray from the paths of 
 realism, tempted by the clash of swords. Crockett and 
 Doyle, Hope with his " Count Antonio," Gilbert Parker, 
 Yeats with " The Honour of Savelli," and Hotchkiss with 
 " In Defiance of the King," are examples close at hand of 
 this alert interest in the revival of the past, and with them 
 we may now count Mr. Snaith. We are told often enough 
 that coats of mail or velvet cloaks and plumes are but 
 tarnished stage properties in the relentless light of modern- 
 ity ; but, without assuming to hold a brief for any school, 
 there are wholesome reasons for preferring the romance of 
 other days to the phases of fin-de-siecle fiction which deal 
 only with the revolting daughter and the mismated wife, 
 and, the woman with a past and the man without a future. 
 From the Troglodytes down to the problem-ridden readers 
 of our day story-telling for story-telling's sake has kept its 
 hold, and it exists now side by side with fiction which illu- 
 minates the life of which we form a part. For one mood 
 there is Weyman or Doyle, for another Mrs. Ward, let us 
 say, or Howells. The fiction which analyzes the motives 
 of modern social units may enrich and strengthen us by its 
 inferences, for the a^^Qtfi$5K>*Q !:eener anc ^ truer than
 
 Vi MIS TRE SS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 the layman's, and yet "A Hazard of New Fortunes" or 
 " Silas Lapham " need not and does not close the door to 
 " Lorna Doone." 
 
 One may sometimes suspect that the majority of read- 
 ers are less concerned with literary discussions than the 
 disputants like to believe, and it is quite possible that the 
 question, " Is it interesting ? " sums up a popular literary 
 creed. If so, Mr. Snaith's salvation is secure. He has 
 written a romance of rare interest, with a hero whose 
 adventures fall thicker than Vallombrosa's leaves. Even 
 Alan Breck would pronounce him a very pretty fighting 
 man, and Monmouth's Rebellion, outlawry, and the coming 
 of William of Orange have afforded him every chance to 
 prove his quality. Sedgemoor Field, where the billhooks 
 and scythes of Monmouth's men went down before the 
 swords of the Horse Guards, the Bloody Assizes dominated 
 by Jeffreys's flaming face, adventures " on the road " and in 
 political intrigues, and the landing and triumph of William, 
 are among the scenes of the dual career pictured in this 
 moving tale. Innkeepers and kings, blacksmiths and princes, 
 were among those with whom he had to do at this time 
 or that, and the stern, silent Prince of Orange, the swarthy, 
 narrow-minded king, and politic Jack Churchill, the first 
 Duke of Marlborough, all play their parts in pages which 
 have the serious merit of picturing the conditions attend- 
 ing England's great revolution and of indicating with much 
 force the characters of the foremost figures. That Mr. 
 Snaith has done this, and that he has written a romance of 
 unfailing interest augurs well for his literary future. 
 
 R. H.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 PROLOGUE ; 5 
 
 I. Has some Reference to the Why and Wherefore . . . 21 
 
 II. The Death of a Soul 35 
 
 III. Chilverly Farm 45 
 
 IV. Treats of a Wayside Venture . . . . .57 
 
 V. Sir Nicholas Marvin ........ 68 
 
 VI. A Balm for the Cark of Care 77 
 
 VII. In which we continue to enjoy the Society of Edward 
 
 Armstrong, Gentleman 85 
 
 VIIL High Treason 94 
 
 IX. A Perilous Mission 99 
 
 X. Tends to prove that Saints and Sinners are near akin . . 107 
 
 XI. In which my Lord Churchill knits his Brow . . .114 
 
 XII. The Swordsman in Homespun ...... 121 
 
 XIII. The Man in the Cloak 132 
 
 XIV. Tobe Hancock speaks his Mind ...... 144 
 
 XV. The Death's Head at the Feast 150 
 
 XVI. The Sword of a Titan 159 
 
 XVII. The Council" at Kelston Manor 167 
 
 XVIII. The Inconvenience of a Conscience 175 
 
 XIX. Alas! 181 
 
 XX. The Counting of the Cost 191 
 
 XXI. The Gathering of the Storm 201 
 
 XXII. The Fugitive 210 
 
 XXIIL The Strange Adventure of the " Goyal " . . . .218 
 XXIV. A Lesson in the Lost Art of managing Womankind . . 228 
 
 XXV. Beati Pacifici ! 243 
 
 XXVI. A Race for Life 258 
 
 XXVII. In which we live and learn 262 
 
 XXVIII. The Coming of the King's Men 273 
 
 XXIX. The Death-Song of Mars 287
 
 v iii CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 XXX. The Flight over the Hills in the Darkness . . . 290 
 
 XXXI. The Valley of the Shadow 299 
 
 XXXII. The King's Men take the Field again . . . .305 
 
 XXXIII. The Superiority of King's Men 314 
 
 XXXIV. Taunton Courthouse : Taunton Jail 317 
 
 XXXV. The Signal of Death 324 
 
 XXXVI. The Home-coming 329 
 
 XXXVII. The Singular Narrative of Peter Whipple : set forth by 
 
 Himself for the Information of Posterity . . . 337 
 
 XXXVIII. The Arrival of William of Orange 345 
 
 XXXIX. The Start for the Wars 352 
 
 XL. The Great Gathering at Exeter 364 
 
 XLI. The Opening of the Campaign 371 
 
 XLII. The Audience 376 
 
 XLIII. The Enemy's Camp 380 
 
 XLIV. The Affair at the Wheat Sheaf, Bugley . . . .391 
 
 XLV. The Night Ride to London 395 
 
 XLVL The Hand of God 399 
 
 XLV1L The Flight of James Stuart 403 
 
 XLVIII His Protestant Majesty King William III. . . .407 
 XLIX. The Return to the West 415
 
 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 -+43* 
 
 PROLOGUE. 
 
 New Year's Day in the West dawned cold and wet. A 
 cheerless thaw succeeded a three weeks' frost, and changed 
 a wintry landscape of glittering white into one of dripping 
 woods and hedges, blent in sombre harmony with an ex- 
 panse of uncomfortable mud. Accordingly, when the 
 citizens of Exeter rubbed their eyes in the morning and 
 saw this uninviting sight, much inquiry ensued concerning 
 the changes of the moon; and forthwith the New Year was 
 banned. For some were heard to remark "that if this was 
 a thaw, they preferred a frost; that if this was the New 
 Year, they preferred the Old; that '87 was bad enough, 
 but '88 was worse, and that thej^ knew mighty well there'd 
 be no luck in the West so long as a Stuart sate king- 
 crowned at Whitehall." 
 
 Yet towards the hour of noon these frost-bitten pessi- 
 mists forgot their meteorological grumbles in a more ab- 
 sorbing matter, as they then saw a horseman riding through 
 the narrow cleft of the rich Exe valley at a furious pace 
 towards the city. At every yard he scattered mud in his 
 track; whilst his horse, a brown sweat-steaming creature, 
 with smoking flanks and bloodied nostrils, bore testimo- 
 nials of a lightning journey. Ere long the horseman shot 
 through the east gate. It was then seen that the mire of 
 the western roads had ascended above the horse's withers, 
 and had half covered the coat and hat of the rider, a short, 
 lithe, well knit, apparently youthful man, who kept the 
 saddle with a singular mixture of ease and grace, and rode 
 with a light hand, a loose rein, and a free tongue. 
 
 Every impediment to rider and horse called forth a 
 curse of the fiercest ; nqt an uncommon thing this, indeed, 
 politeness alone would have been so, because tacked on to
 
 6 AffS TRESS DOPOTHT MARVIN. 
 
 every anathema was the tremendous announcement "In 
 the King's name!" 
 
 What could it mean? Had the nation again gone to 
 war with those schnapps-swilling Dutchmen? Had His 
 Majesty sickened and died? Or was it the Queen-mother? 
 
 In less than five minutes the news had spread half over 
 the town that King's Messenger had ridden from London 
 express, and that the bloody-minded papists (whom God 
 confound!) had blown up Parliament House. 
 
 In the meantime, the courier swerved neither to right 
 nor left, nor abated his reckless speed one whit, but rode 
 straight to the heart of the city, and there drew rein before 
 the door of themayor's abode. In an instant the rider was 
 out of the saddle, and had tethered the horse to the hook 
 of his worship's shutter. 
 
 The fortunate few in the vicinity were now able to 
 snatch a closer survey of the illustrious visitor; though 
 their eagerness was balked in two particulars. What the 
 curve of his nose was like, whether elegant or otherwise; 
 or whether nature had given him two eyes like common 
 folk, these they could not tell. For a large kerchief, tied 
 under his cap at the back of his head, swathed half his 
 face, and completely obscured one eye, and all save the tip 
 of his nose. 
 
 The messenger executed a fierce tattoo on the most ar- 
 tistic knocker in the parish, which imperative summons 
 was answered by a white-kirtled serving maid. 
 
 "Wench! conduct me straightway to your master. I 
 may not sleep, sup, nor tarry till I have clapped eyes upon 
 him. Service of the King!" 
 
 "Show the worthy gentleman into the parlor, Betsy," 
 called a loud voice from within. 
 
 The rider followed the girl through the open door, to 
 an apartment on the left side of the passage, and thereby 
 escaped further stares from the vulgar. 
 
 The horseman having discovered blazing logs in the 
 parlor, thankfully sat down on a settle beside them, and 
 stretched his legs fireward. They were encased, as was 
 the fashion of the time, in a strange length of riding boot 
 that enveloped three- fourths of his thighs. 
 
 Presently the mayor himself entered to receive his vis- 
 itor. The magistrate was a flourishing mercer of the city;
 
 PROLOGUE 7 
 
 a pietist of more heart than brain, and of more self-esteem 
 than either. He worshiped God with beautiful catholicity, 
 adored his business, feared the King, and had a sublime 
 conceit of civic distinction. In physical endowment, Dame 
 Nature had been somewhat kind, for he claimed a pleasing, 
 pot-bellied rotundity of person 1 , and a floridly pacific coun- 
 tenance. 
 
 The horseman flashed a glance at the face of his wor- 
 ship, and inquired concisely 
 
 "John Bunce, Mayor of Exeter?" 
 
 "Sir, I am he," was the reply, and the full- toned pomp 
 of it made the messenger cough. 
 
 Without more ado the King's man began to fumble 
 with one boot, then inserted a couple of fingers into the 
 top thereof, and deliberately drew from between the leather 
 and his hosen, a piece of parchment, tied with cord, and 
 secured with wax. 
 
 "John Bunce," said he, "these presents in the name of 
 his most gracious Majesty, King James the Second." 
 
 That breath-taking name much affected the mayor. 
 His heart fluttered, his hands trembled, his chest tightened. 
 With twitching fingers he broke the seals, and atop of the 
 regal signature, decked by three unsightly dabs of red, 
 beheld: 
 
 " We do hereby desire the presence, at our Palace at White- 
 hall, this day fortnight, of our leal subject, John Bunce, Mayor 
 of our leal city of Exeter, touching matters appertaining to the 
 well-being of our person, and the welfare of our state," 
 
 Five minutes went ere the mayor could focus his mind 
 to the mandate; not that the courier disturbed the awe- 
 struck provincial wits. He laughingly peeped at the mag- 
 isterial face, saw its verecund blank, and said nothing; but 
 spread his hands to the warmth, and being a humorous 
 man, grinned at the cat on the hearthstone. 
 
 When his worship lowered the missive he gazed at 
 the man by the fire. 
 
 "Well, Jack Dunce " began that gentleman, flip- 
 pantly. 
 
 "Bunce, sir; John Bunce." 
 
 "Oh, well, Bunce or Dunce, it don't much matter! 
 Thou'rt one or t'other, or both! Now, Jack, my man, 
 what dost make of it?"
 
 8 MISTRESS DOROTlir MARVIN 
 
 "It seems to me," replied his worship, with unspeak- 
 able dignity, "that his gracious majesty requests my pres- 
 ence at Whitehall." 
 
 "Quite so! That is a profound remark. Thou 'rt cer- 
 tainly wanted at Whitehall. But why?" 
 
 "Sir, that I can not tell." 
 
 "Tut, John, on wi' the thinking-cap! Dost suppose 
 he wants to ask whether thy health be sound, whether thy 
 lady hath an angel's temper, and whether thy children are 
 a credit to their parents?" 
 
 "H'm er no not exactly that is to say " 
 
 "Out with it, man!" 
 
 "That is to say, it might be something more important." 
 
 " 'Pon my soul, John, thou hast more in that .noddle 
 than I thought! A man of gumption, I see." 
 
 The mayor bowed. 
 
 "Perhaps you know Tom 'Crofter, of Worcester?" 
 King's man inquired. 
 
 "No, sir, I never had the pleasure of the gentleman's 
 friendship." 
 
 "Friend, I once served a similar missive upon him. 
 Of course, he obeyed the King's command and presented 
 himself at Whitehall. That man came back Sir Thomas." 
 
 "Gadzooks!" and something jumped in the mayor's 
 inside. 
 
 "Now, coz, set thine ear this way, and listen." 
 
 Master Bunce was blithe in his obedience. The way 
 that dignitary forgot his self-respect, by placing with inde- 
 cent eagerness his acoustic organ within three inches of 
 the messenger's lips, was a sight to have tickled Ben Jon- 
 son, had he but lived to see it. 
 
 "When His Majesty handed me this document, he 
 said ' ' The courier paused. 
 
 "Yes?" and the mayor grew hot and nervous. 
 
 "Said he to me " King's man suddenly stopped. 
 
 An Autolycusian twinkle leapt in his visible eye as he 
 gave his worship a dig in the ribs, and added, his tone 
 strangely melancholic, "Look here, John, it hath been 
 'spur and spare not' all the way hither; in fact, such hath 
 been my haste, that I have ne'er tarried for a morsel of 
 food this blessed day. And nature hath just whispered me
 
 PROLOGUE 9 
 
 that, till there's meat within eye-range, the tale must 
 stand untold." 
 
 "But, surely, Master Apparitor, your plight cannot be 
 quite so serious?" 
 
 "John, nature never lies." The messenger's voice 
 tailed off to a husky wheeze. 
 
 "Yet, sir " 
 
 His visitor turned his one black eye towards the ceil- 
 ing, and laid his hand on his abdomen with a highly path- 
 etic gesture. In desperation the mayor called for Betsy, 
 the maid, bade her lay a repast for the gentleman, and iras- 
 cibly added, "Be mighty smart about it." 
 
 Whilst she obeyed, the messenger assumed an air of 
 sphinx-like gravity, but cold-bloodedly kept his eye on the 
 fretful magistrate, who paced up and down the room, 
 swearing softly to himself at such singular aggravation. 
 
 Presently Betsy arrived with some collops of red deer's 
 meat, a mutton pasty, and a salmon cutlet. The recipient 
 of these good things thanked her, took a seat at the table, 
 and made a fine onslaught on the comestibles. He had 
 thought for nothing but the pleasing business of knife and 
 platter, and drove this thriving trade with diligence. 
 
 " 'Oons!" he gasped, his mouth full of venison, "this 
 deer's meat tickles my palate so, I fain would have another 
 serving." 
 
 "What, another? Come, my friend!" quoth his wor- 
 ship impatiently, excitement at last overcoming the polite- 
 ness of compulsory hospitality. 
 
 "Nay, 'tis go, my friend," retorted he of the covered 
 eye, and by way of adding example to precept, cut a huge 
 slice from the pasty, and disposed of it in three bites. 
 
 Having ministered to the demands of nature, the man 
 from London laid aside the implements of gluttony, and 
 plucked poor Tantalus from the purgatory of hopes de- 
 ferred. 
 
 "Jack Dunce, you patient man, methinks King Belly 
 hath ta'en his fill, so shut the door and come you hither to 
 hearken to my tidings." 
 
 Hisw T orship needed no second invitation. Within ten 
 seconds he had resumed his former attitude of hope, whilst 
 the narrator, having cleared his throat, began in a tone of 
 surprising secrecy.
 
 10 .\//S TXESS DORO Til 1 ' MA R I V. V 
 
 "Upon the day of my departure, His Blessed Majesty 
 sent word for me to repair to his private apartment. 'Jere- 
 miah,' said he to me (by the way, I should tell you he 
 hath a noble affability towards all his servants), 'Jeremiah, 
 I will thank you to make full use of your ears and eyes 
 upon this journey. You must take particular notice of all 
 matters that come within Master Bunce's jurisdiction, and 
 report fully to me on your return. I may say much de- 
 pends upon your affirmation. You, Master Harrison, are 
 selected for this mission, because you are one whom I can 
 rely upon not to let unworthy, dishonest, and ulterior mo- 
 tives influence your statement. Now, I am given to un- 
 derstand that the Mayor of Exeter is a person who might 
 worthily bear three letters before his name; therefore I am 
 despatching a responsible person to learn how he conducts 
 the business of his city.' ' 
 
 "And those were his words?" mused the mayor. 
 
 "Sooth! they were." 
 
 The sleek citizen rose, put his hands on his sides, 
 threw out his chest, and cocked up his head an inch higher. 
 Try as he might he could not conceal his pleasure, and the 
 ridiculous picture of delight and dignity united in one and 
 the same individual, set the King's man a-laughing at so 
 brave a display of spontaneous humor. 
 
 His worship made a circuit of the room. Perchance, 
 as he strutted round and round it, with eyes and chin aloft, 
 deep in the raptures of imagination, he felt, as distinctly as 
 possible, the light tap of King James's sword upon his 
 shoulder, and heard the regal voice exclaim, "Arise, Sir 
 John!" 
 
 Soon the prospective knight brought his mind back to 
 more everyday matters, and asked his visitor, with a gush 
 of generosity 
 
 "Sir, what will you take to drink?" 
 
 ' 'Let it be schnapps. ' ' 
 
 "I have liquids less homely in my cellar: Madeira, 
 Oporto, and Languedoc; whilst we broached yestere'en as 
 good a cask of cider as ever traveled from Somerset." 
 
 "Tut, tut, friend, schnapps is my panacea for all the 
 ills of life, and I'll not desert it. Schnapps and hot water, 
 say I, wi' a modicum o' sugar, a dash o' lemon, and a 
 smack o' spice, will e'er bring comfort to a weary spirit."
 
 PROLOGUE 11 
 
 The mayor again called the maid, and bade her bring 
 forth a flask of his best Schiedam, together with the other 
 accessories mentioned by his visitor. 
 
 Master Harrison sipped liquor in the pauses of conver- 
 sation with an air of the connoisseur. It may have been 
 by a strange coincidence, or by a latent principle of natural 
 law, that the courier bubbled with genial talk, and embel- 
 lished it by hot enthusiasm anent the beauties of a coat-of- 
 arms; by mentioning the abode of theexpertestemblazoner 
 of heraldic devices in the kingdom; and by discoursing at 
 length upon the correct method of kneeling before the 
 King. 
 
 The man from London was a brave companion. He 
 thawed the magistrate's dignity by his cheerful humor and 
 his sparkling wit. His pungent jokes kindled a light in his 
 worship's eye; the beneficence of his one uncovered orb set 
 a mighty hope in his worship's heart. There was such a 
 fine good-fellowship about the man, such a whole-souled 
 joviality, that he raised the glass ten times to his lips, and 
 pledged his host's health on each occasion; and insisted that 
 the mayor should respond in draughts of cherry brandy. 
 
 Still one momentous question was for ever on the tip of 
 his worship's tongue, one tremendous thought for ever up- 
 permost in his mind. Soon the good man coughed short 
 and dry, tried to subdue the twitching of his nervous fin- 
 gers; tried to keep his anxious features fairly straight. 
 But veritas prevalebit; so it must be recorded that Master 
 Bunce blundered head- foremost into the fateful query. 
 
 "Master Apparitor, I I trust you are satisfied with 
 this city's affairs, and that your report will be favorable?" 
 Here his heart failed him; so his tongue having run sud- 
 denly short of speech, he found nought better to do than to 
 look red and ridiculous, and inwardly regret the weakness 
 of his head and the strength of cherry brandy. 
 
 "John Bunce," said the other, in so cold a tone and in 
 so marked a contrast to his former one that it filled his au- 
 ditor with alarms, "I presume Heavy-Tree Gallows is with- 
 in thy jurisdiction?" 
 
 "Y e s," he stuttered. 
 
 "Then 'tis good-bye to knighthood," and the courier 
 hit the table, and set the crockery dancing, whilst a magni- 
 ficent fire came into his visible eye.
 
 12 .IffSTfiESS DOROTIir MARVIX 
 
 "Say not so, sir; say not so!" 
 
 "But I do say so, sir! Dost think I wear this rag as 
 an ornament?" and King's man placed a finger on his ban- 
 dage. 
 
 "I I don't quite understand, sir." 
 
 "Hark at that now! John, my man, if thy purse be as 
 heavy as thy understanding, there is yet a chance for that 
 coat-of-arms." 
 
 "But sir, I I I don't quite apprehend." 
 
 "Poor witling, must I tell the story? But I'll e'en 
 plenish my glass ere I begin, for my throttle's as dry as a 
 Godolphin oration. And, brother, you'll drain another' 
 dram wi'me, just for the sake o' company." 
 
 "I I think not, sir." 
 
 "Psha, if I cannot have civility, not another word 
 from me. I'll save it for King James, nor shall it be the 
 sweeter for keep." 
 
 King's man rose and clapped on his hat. Now it was 
 certain that the host's behavior much pained the gentle- 
 man from London, and when his worship's recantation 
 came, as of course it did, so wounded were his feelings, 
 that after due ponderation on the merits of the case, and on 
 terms of the apology, he said, exquisite grief depicted in 
 his face, "that being by nature a man, soft-hearted, long- 
 suffering, and much prone to the folly of forgiveness, he'd 
 overlook John Bunce's scurvy conduct, with the distinct 
 proviso, that he (J. Harrison) should mix the liquor. 
 
 Mix it he did; but it should be observed the compound 
 was concocted of two parts raw spirit to one part water. 
 The tale in itself was short; yet, despite its brevity, it stuck 
 Master Bunce on a cushion of thorns. 
 
 "It befell," began King's man impressively, "that 
 this very day I was making all speed hither to deliver His 
 Majesty's letter, when within ten yards of Heavy-Tree Gal- 
 lows, I was accosted by a prick-eared Jack Presbyter (no 
 true Catholic, I'll swear, would so insult the King's Maj- 
 esty), who impertinently asked me the time. Being, as I 
 have said, a singularly obliging man, I slackened speed, 
 and pulled out my watch. ' 'Twill be eleven of the clock 
 in two minutes,' said I. 'Pardon,' said he, bending his 
 head nearer my mouth, 'I'm hard of hearing.' But, Holy 
 Virgin! ere I could conceive the depths of his infamy, with
 
 PROLOGUE 13 
 
 one hand he grabbed the watch (purest gold, studded wi' 
 diamonds, from Doubleday of the Crown and Sceptre, 
 Westminster), and with the other hit me a gallows' blow 
 in the left eye that knocked me heels over head from the 
 saddle. Mayhap you'll not credit this, but sure as the 
 sun's in the sky, before I might rise, pluck a pistol, or put 
 up a prayer to the saints the peccant knave was upon me, 
 with two ungodly knees squeezing my vitals. I was half 
 through a yell when he cut it in two by cramming the butt 
 of a barker slap down my throat as far as the voice-box. 
 Quoth he, his laugh very impudent, 'Dear brother, speak 
 not, or I use a little gentle persuasion,' and he cracked out 
 three front teeth with the jar of the iron." 
 
 The narrator parted his lips: three teeth on the upper 
 jaw were missing. 
 
 "This done," continued the victim, "he set his digits 
 to work. In two minutes he had emptied every pocket on 
 my person, and had relieved me of thirty guineas. In fact, 
 he left me nought of value, save this precious missive, 
 which he failed to discover, for ever since the outrage per- 
 petrated upon me in Maidenhead Thicket, ten years agone, 
 I always convey thief tempting articles in my boot. 
 
 "Now, all this had been performed ere I could gather 
 my senses or lug the weapon from twixt my teeth; and 
 when at last I was able to do so, the caitiff had wished me 
 a very good morning, and was flying over hedge and ditch 
 in full possession of my worldly wealth. May the devil an- 
 nex him!" 
 
 "Oh, sir!" gasped the mayor, a weight of fear upon 
 him, " 'tis terrible news!" 
 
 "Terrible news! Strike me purple, 'twill cost a 
 knighthood!" 
 
 At this promised calamity the magistrate collapsed into 
 a state of limp inertion, whereat the visitor was so kind as 
 to proffer spirits with which to resuscitate his shattered 
 nerves and intellect. In equity to them both, it should be 
 said, this assisted to soothe his worship's nervous system, 
 and to further befog his thinking faculties. Asked he, at 
 lasti his voice thick with brandy and emotion 
 
 "Was your assailant a handsome man?" 
 
 "Handsome? Handsome ain't the, word! Ods my life! 
 twin-brother to Apollo."
 
 14 MIS TRESS DORO THT MAR VIN 
 
 "I presume you mean Apollyon?" the magistrate cor- 
 rected; then drew a sheriff's hand-bill from his doublet, 
 smoothed its creases, and inquired judicially 
 
 "Had he a chestnut horse? Was he very dark of 
 countenance; black eyes, straight black hair, smart carri- 
 age, comely person, gentleman-like speech, stature five feet 
 six, one inch scar on upper lip, and birth mark on right 
 temple?" 
 
 "Jack Dunce, thou hast named the man!" 
 
 "Sir, you have met Black Ned, the arrantest knave in 
 Europe!" 
 
 "What! he who robbed my lord Feversham, the King's 
 Commander, in these parts last fall?" 
 
 "The same." 
 
 "The devil!" exclaimed King's Messenger, in loose- 
 lipped astonishment. The injured man was seized with a 
 spasm of anger, and spluttered a mouthful of epithets. 
 "Pink my soul! trust a dunderheaded country justice to be 
 cocking over his fire-grate, while every cut-throat unhung 
 grins through his parlor window!" 
 
 Master Bunce groaned. 
 
 "That will not mend it, my friend! I tell 'ee, 'twill 
 not mend it! You had best procure a warrant for his ap- 
 prehension and a posse to execute it!" 
 
 Master Bunce groaned again, and added gloomily, 
 " 'Twill but be money and labor thrown away. Times 
 without number he hath tricked the law, and made it the 
 laughing-stock of three counties. He cares not a tinker's 
 damn for justice, nor ever will while the commonalty favor 
 him, shield him, and applaud his villainy. The West hath 
 ne'er seen his match within living memory. He's as clever 
 as Satan, and as artful as sin!" 
 
 "Methinks John Dunce, this is truly discreditable to 
 thee and thy brother justices. By Heaven, I'll acquaint 
 the King!" 
 
 "The King! Oh, don't, I conjure you!" 
 
 "Don't, quotha? Would ye seek to corrupt me, then? 
 Dost forget His Gracious Majesty's words ere I set forth on 
 this mission? Said he to me, 'Thou'rt one whom I can 
 rely upon not to let unworthy, dishonest and ulterior mo- 
 tives influence thy statement.' And, John, you, in the face 
 of those noble words, bid me perjure my soul. You arch- 
 dissembler!"
 
 PROLOGUE 15 
 
 He smartly slapped his knee, and fairly cowed the 
 mayor with the flash of his baleful eye. 
 
 "But, please, sir, do not jeopardise my knighthood," 
 pleaded Sir John that was to be. 
 
 Here the courier's demeanor underwent a startling 
 metamorphosis. In lieu of high looks, a smile appeared 
 as he playfully poked the citizen in the region of the ribs, 
 and said, with a throb of laughter 
 
 "Jack Dunce, dear man, I must tell thee that, tinder 
 certain conditions, Jeremiah Harrison hath an excellent 
 memory for forgetting." 
 
 The mercer stared amazed at the messenger, and 
 though he strove to fathom the meaning of a hint so broad, 
 he failed, because his brain was too befuddled to discover 
 its full significance. 
 
 "Yes, that's a paradox," laughed the man from Lon- 
 don, "and subtle enough for old Sam Butler. I see thy 
 torpid provincial mind doth not fathom its meaning. But 
 I have known a golden guinea to cast a spell ere now; in 
 fact, I once knew one to be responsible for a lapse of mem- 
 ory." This sample of official rectitude gave a portentous 
 wink; then fell to whistling a cheerful tune. 
 
 Precisely at this moment the bibacious citizen was 
 favored with a glimmer of penetration. For an instant the 
 cloud rolled back from his dram-befogged brain; his under- 
 standing jumped; he saw a light; he grasped a fact! 
 
 His worship did not pause to probe the depths of 
 his visitor's moral obliquity; nor to analyze his double 
 dealing. 
 
 "Master Messenger, would twenty guineas be of any 
 service in this matter?" 
 
 "Pish! Dost think I'm a scald attorney, with a con- 
 science like a weather-cock, who'd wipe his feet on his 
 honor for the feel of a six-groat piece?" 
 
 "I'll make it thirty, sir." 
 
 "Thirty, quotha? 'Pon my soul, John, that magnifi- 
 cent sum for a knighthood! Why, thou man of generous 
 mind, 'twould not pay for the loss of my self-respect!" 
 
 Thereupon they haggled and argued; twisted the con- 
 troversy into all manner of shapes; examined the matter 
 from every aspect; mutually conceded many minor points, 
 and showed a charming generosity one towards another in
 
 16 M/STTfESS DOROTHT MARVIN 
 
 regard to all side issues. But on the main contention, 
 neither budged an inch. They debated man to man, and 
 made^ a fair fight of it, with only one stoppage for refresh- 
 ments. Once, indeed, they tarried to drink. They 
 pledged each other's health, and clinked glasses with a 
 punctilious politeness; though, next minute, down came 
 the flag of truce, and hostilities began again. And whether 
 it was that King's man's head was middling clear, and that 
 the mayor's was undeniably fuddled; or whether King's 
 man's gift of rhetoric was finer than that of his worship, 
 may never be known; yet this much is on record: the cour- 
 ier gained the day, and, on this occasion, the value of a 
 coat of arms was assessed at one hundred guineas. For 
 this sum, cash in advance, he undertook to speak a kind 
 word in His Majesty's ear on his return to Town. Having 
 clasped hands on the bargain, Master Bunce went in quest 
 of the money. In a short time he returned with a bag of 
 bulk, which he deposited on the table; and sighed as he 
 did so. 
 
 " 'Tis a hard bargain!" The mayor's voice was re- 
 gretful. 
 
 "Ay, Sir John," said the other softly, with something 
 of an accent on the title, "it is a hard bargain. Think of 
 my perjured soul." 
 
 However, for his own part, he preferred to think of 
 the fruits of it. With quick fingers he untied the bag, and 
 carefully turned its contents onto the table. His visage in- 
 scrutable and his manner ostentatiously mild, he counted 
 aloud each golden guinea as he dropped it back into the 
 bag. He had reached number ninety-six, when a rattle of 
 hoofs sounded directly under the parlor window. The 
 messenger glanced sharply through it, hastily swept the 
 four remaining coins into their receptacle, tied up the 
 mouth of the bag, and slipped the fingers of his right hand 
 round it. Even as he did so the new arrival made power- 
 ful play with the door knocker. Half a minute later the 
 breathless visitor clanked into the parlor. He was a small, 
 shrimpy, pippin-faced man, red as a turkey and apparently 
 as wrathful as that short-tempered bird. 
 
 "Which be John Bunce?" he shouted. 
 
 "I am he," murmured his worship blandly. Be it 
 understood, his mind was already tinged with a delicious 
 foretaste of impending promotion.
 
 PROLOGUE 17 
 
 The newcomer began with a brilliant fanfaronade of 
 language; round, full-toned, symmetrical language; a 
 credit to his lungs and his power of invective. Then he 
 bounced about the room like a pea on a plate, and delivered 
 himself, though every tenth word was trimmed with a hys- 
 terical interjection, as follows 
 
 "My name is Joshua Pringle. I have ridden on King's 
 business directly hither, wi'out stint of horseflesh and 
 wi'out misadventure, to within five miles o' this city. All 
 have respected the urgence and exceeding notability of my 
 errand save one infernal child of hell, who accosted me 
 this very morning. He greeted me with a wave of his hat, 
 and cozened me into false security with sweet words and a 
 glib tongue. He inquired the time with the air of a gen- 
 tleman, and I, poor dolt! took out my watch to oblige him. 
 At that, sir, as Heaven is my witness! he snatched it from 
 mine hand, smote me out of my saddle, knelt on my chest, 
 robbed me of every stiver upon my person, including the 
 thrice-precious document the King hath entrusted to my 
 keeping, set my horse a-galloping into an easterly direc- 
 tion, gave me 'good morning,' and left me to come hither 
 as best I might." 
 
 The sense of his hard fortune completely overcame 
 him. He danced and skipped about the room, swinging 
 his arms in ill-regulated rhythm with his tongue, twisting 
 his meagre body, and contorting his shrewish face into 
 shapes, at once grotesque and fearful. Meantime, his lan- 
 guage took a higher flight of violence, and while he in- 
 voked the powers of heaven one minute, with strict im- 
 partiality, he invoked those of hell the next. His volubil- 
 ity was truly wonderful; but there is a belief abroad that 
 the little men try to atone for lack of stature by a super- 
 abundance of words. 
 
 While this was pending, his bewildered worship was 
 stricken dumb. The civic hands grew clammy, the sweat 
 came out on the civic brow. 
 
 Master Harrison took this new turn of events with 
 egregious coolness; kept his seat, said never a word, and 
 showed no sign of emotion beyond drumming his fingers on 
 the table-cloth. 
 
 "Mark me," shrilled Master Pringle, "ere I quit the 
 West, I'll see the scurvy villain hanged. If flesh and blood
 
 18 MISTRESS DOROTHT MARVIN 
 
 can compass it, his carcass shall adorn stout hemp! I de- 
 mand justice, and justice I will have! I have been beset 
 and robbed most foully robbed and I cry aloud for jus- 
 tice! And likewise ye may know, John Bunce, that upon 
 our second meeting I'll prove to his reptile mind (aye, and 
 to his reptile body also!) that the mouse's frame may hold 
 the lion's heart!" 
 
 "I've heard an old proverb anent first catching your 
 bear ere you barter his skin," cooed Master Harrison 
 meekly. 
 
 "You sir! Who the devil may you be, sir?" 
 
 "I, sir? I'm a man of no consequence; a man of hum- 
 ble mind," was the sweet reply. 
 
 Hereupon the mayor found enough speech to interrupt 
 this skirmish by asking victim Number Two what manner 
 of a man his aggressor was. 
 
 "A black-eyed, smooth-spoken rogue; dark skinned, 
 not uncomely in the features, and of somewhat shortish 
 height." 
 
 "Was he riding a chestnut horse?" 
 
 Pringle gave an affirmative reply; whereat the mayor 
 of Exeter subsided. 
 
 Seeing this victim Number One vented a great guffaw 
 of laughter, and added, in a chirruping tone 
 
 "Dear sir, didst happen to see whether thy opponent 
 lacked three teeth in his upper jaw?" 
 
 "No, I didn't." 
 
 "Well, I will add, for thy information, for the sheriff's 
 and for the furtherance of the ends of justice, that he doth." 
 
 Master Pringle was neatly puzzled. 
 
 "Sir," said he, "you speak in riddles." 
 
 Before an answer could be made, victim Number Two 
 had discovered another enigma. His eye caught the red- 
 sealed document on the table. He examined it eagerly, 
 then vented a cry of astonishment. 
 
 "In the name of the Virgin, whence came this?" 
 
 The mayor made an inarticulate guttural noise, and 
 pointed his finger towards Master Harrison. That gentle- 
 man rose to his feet with notable deliberation, saying 
 gravely 
 
 "Gentlemen, methinks ye would be aiding the law if 
 ye supplemented the incomplete description at present given
 
 PROLOGUE. 19 
 
 of that notorious malefactor, Black Ned, by stating that he 
 lacks three teeth in the upper jaw." And once more he 
 parted his lips and proved that three of his own were absent. 
 
 His hearers scratched their benighted polls, frowned, 
 looked first at each other, then at the speaker, and inter- 
 nally wondered whether they were themselves bewitched, 
 or whether the man of the covered eye had lost his mental 
 balance. 
 
 "Gentlemen," he said again, his gravity exchanged 
 for laughter, "own that ye are prettily mystified." 
 
 He enjoyed their perplexity for the space of half a 
 minute, then with a quick movement twitched his hat from 
 his head and ripped the bandage from his eye. 
 
 The effect was magical. The mayor gave back a step, 
 changed color in quick transitions from red to green, and 
 green to white; whilst Master Pringle's vaunted leonine 
 demeanor seemed immediately to suffer a paralytic stroke. 
 Cold terror chilled this pair, for the half-gay, half-sinister 
 countenance of Black Ned mocked them. There was no 
 mistaking his strange dark hair, the fine curve of his nose, 
 and the black, evil, fascinating lustre of his eyes. 
 
 "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" he cried, clapping 
 his hands to his sides, in a wild turbulence of laughter. 
 
 This impudent derision stung the mayor; he regained 
 the power of words, to such an extent did honest wrath 
 surmount the fumes of liquor. 
 
 "Base beast! Within a week ye shall taste Dame 
 Tuckfield's Bounty."* 
 
 The highwayman still clasped his ribs. 
 
 "Curse thee, thou arch villain! " the mayor continued, 
 his indignation superbly righteous. "Thou hast had the 
 grace to make as hearty a meal as man could desire at my 
 expense, and to accept one hundred guineas into the bar- 
 gain 
 
 "And which, by a continuation of that grace, I will 
 keep as a remembrance," interposed the trickster dryly, 
 transferring the bag from his right hand to an inner pocket 
 of his horseman's cloak. Next he turned on the empty 
 Pringle. 
 
 * In the reign of King Edward VI., a charitable lady, the 
 widow of Master Tuckfield, sometime Sheriff of Exeter, bequeath- 
 ed shrouds and an interment place for the decent burial of male- 
 factors executed on the gallows of Heavy Tree.
 
 20 MfSTfiESS DOROTHY MARVIN 
 
 "Best keep a guard on that valorous tongue o' thine, 
 my little bantam, or 'twill be a baneful thing for thee! 
 Speak not so light of gentlemen in future." 
 
 To fully impress these remarks, he tugged their recipi- 
 ent by the ear. That fire-eater pursed his lips for a howl, 
 but happily, in the mean time, Master Bunce had bawled to 
 his apprentices, who were working on hose and kersey stuff 
 across the passage. 
 
 "Run, John! ^run, Tom! Haste hither, asthoulovest 
 Our Lady, and seize this worker of iniquity!" 
 
 Black Ned loosed his grip of the real King's Messenger, 
 and ran to the door; though in his progress he whipped up 
 an untouched mutton pasty, and deposited this toothsome 
 dainty into his pocket. Hearing a clatter in the workshop, 
 and other preliminaries of action, he retreated hotfoot along 
 the passage, dashed through the street door, clipped the 
 reins from the shutter-hook, bounded into the saddle, shot 
 a word into his animal's ear, and was away to the east. 
 
 Scarce twenty yards had he made on his journey ere an 
 eloquent congregation were at his worship's threshold. The 
 . horseman turned half-around in his saddle; removed his hat 
 with a flourish, and bowed with exaggerated politeness and 
 lingering mockery. By the time he had reached the first 
 corner, volley upon volley of malediction sang in his ears; 
 but for this he had no heed, for within the space of five 
 minutes, Exeter city lay a mile in his rear. 
 
 The foregoing incident is without a place in the Armstrong 
 manuscript, Sir Edward maintaining a reticence, at once pro im'- 
 worthy and professional, upon matters pertaining to his public 
 career. Doubtless the advance of years blighted early vainglory, 
 much in the same way that mature reflections deplored the follies of 
 youth. 
 
 The editor has made so bold as to reclaim this exploit from the 
 mass of second-hand tradition that for generations clothed the mem- 
 ory of Black Ned with a doubtful though none the less delectable 
 halo of notoriety. This one in particular is selected, because respon- 
 sible authority can be found to back its authenticity ; and also in 
 the hope that readers may welcome an impartial portrait of the 
 rogue in the prime of infamy. 
 
 From this point Sir Edward will tell his own story.
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 HAS SOME REFERENCE TO THE WHY AND WHEREFORE. 
 
 KINSMEN ! the head of the House of Armstrong is about to 
 drain the cup of humiliation ; I, your sire, am going to take 
 shame unto myself in the winter of my days. 
 
 I have indited the above score empty words, yet cannot get 
 beyond them ; and for the last hour I have been seated at my 
 writing-table, gnawing quills to the stump in abject fatuity. I 
 have near my elbow the warranty of Doctor Proudfoot, my 
 physician, duly signed and attested to the effect that I am 
 wholly sane of mind. I have before me a quire of foolscap and 
 a horn of ink, yet am pulling my beard in' lieu of a fretful duty. 
 I tell myself to play the man, and so I will, if God be pleased 
 to let me. A conscience rendered frail by years (in its prime 
 'twas never of the stoutest), hath asked me many times of late 
 whether it really is my duty to tear the mask from the long- 
 veiled face of truth ; to lay bear the chiefest secret of my soul, 
 to degrade my gray hairs in your sight. Must I bequeath a 
 legacy of scorn to a memory that had otherwise been cherished ? 
 Must anathema be paid to him that held his head so high ? Is 
 this my duty ? O God ! methinks the expiation obscures the 
 crime ! 
 
 I have had this purpose in my mind for years. This page 
 would have been wrung from me a generation earlier, had not 
 fortitude been warped by pitiless adversity. From day to day 
 I have shirked the task, promising my soul to do it very shortly. 
 But as now I know, the sands of life have nearly run, I dare 
 delay no longer. Methinks this uneasy head will sit the kinder 
 in its coffin, when its owner, having paid the debt he owes his 
 kindred, comes in turn to pay the debt dark nature claimeth. 
 
 Accordingly I put all idle fears behind, and summon to my 
 aid every ounce of tottering resolution. I pray that my Peg- 
 asus be endowed with strength sufficient to traverse a parlous 
 path ; and upon hopes of this pen now meets paper. 
 
 The lines grow quick before mine eyes, but at every added 
 word of this halt confession my cheek doth burn with pain. 
 
 I hope for no mercy from you, kinsmen ; I know your pride
 
 2 2 Ml 'STRESS DOROTHY MA R VIN. 
 
 of birth too well. There are some of you, my children, decked 
 in your ruffles and your Mechlin lace, secure in the refinement 
 of your tastes, in the ease of your consciences, and the conse- 
 quence of your social states, who will upbraid me for a scatter- 
 brain, or flout me with disbelieving jeers. 
 
 Why should I write so much for the disturbance of your 
 minds, unless every word this goose-quill says be true ? You 
 may doubt my sanity, so I in forethought have provided the 
 sworn testimony of my sage friend Doctor Proudfoot. It alone 
 shall speak for the responsibility of my intellect. Nigh fifty 
 years I have borne my head high amidst my fellows. I have 
 been fawned upon and flattered ; have reclined in silk and 
 silver ; have had a case of green sealed sack from London every 
 month; have dispensed justice in the courthouse; and honest 
 men wherever they have walked "have breathed my name with 
 reverence. But now of mine own free will I prostitute my 
 honorable name. 
 
 Here have I lived this while, a skeleton in my closet ; a viper 
 in my breast. Unsuccessfully I have sought to erase from my 
 recollection the awful stain that blots my youth with infamy. 
 I take it, kinsmen, that ye have seen the head of your house, as 
 he hath toasted his feet near the blaze on a winter's night, 
 writhe in the throes of a quick convulsion. Ye have watched 
 the livid terrors creep in his face in a season of mirth and sun- 
 shine. Or upon a clatter of hoofs on the courtyard flags, ye 
 have beheld him start up shuddering with twitching limbs and 
 the eyes of a hunted man. You have marvelled at these omens, 
 but the best among you have found them dark, unwholesome 
 mysteries ; and as a book that is closed to the comprehension. 
 Now is the viper brought forth blinking to the light! So I 
 conjure you all to read; but, should it please you when the end 
 hath come, ye are free to curse your father. 
 
 There is a tradition in our parts, that the most notorious 
 rogue ever bred in the West was plucked hence by the devil, an 
 hour before his destined execution. Certain it is, the criminal 
 was ne'er seen again in the fle.sh since that eventful morning ; 
 and, to strengthen the theories of the vulgar, the only man in a 
 position to throw light on the strange event, went out of his 
 mind by virtue of such a dread phenomenon. Numberless ac- 
 counts were written at the time, numberless exaggerations were 
 made, and numberless songs were sung concerning " Black Ned
 
 THE WHY AND WHEREFORE. 23 
 
 and the Devil," so that to this hour the story is told in every 
 family in these parts in a thousand different ways, with a su- 
 perb divergence on all immaterial matters, but with fine unan- 
 imity that it was the devil himself , and none other who honored 
 Black Ned and Taunton gaol on that chimerical occasion. 
 
 Black Ned the highwayman built up a mighty reputation fifty 
 years agone, and to this hour it hath endurance. The extraordi- 
 nary exploits the man performed thrilled the countryside, and 
 made his name a household word in the West. And now, my 
 cold, pride-bitten kinsmen, consult Doctor Proudfoot's state- 
 ment, or stimulate your wits with wine, or burn my slow- 
 wrought narrative; for that same Black Ned afterwards became 
 Sir Edward Armstrong, of Copeland Hall your father ! 
 
 Prithee erase the inscription from my tomb in the church ; by 
 all means obliterate my name from the Armstrong tablets ; then, 
 if ye can, efface grim History ! Kinsmen, I mock ye with the 
 bitter levity of a lifetime's gall. 
 
 In the following singular story I will show you in what man- 
 ner my soul was lost, and how by God's mercy it was in a 
 measure regained. Now and then, in the course of it, stirring 
 events, landmarks of history, may be touched upon. Perchance 
 the recounting of them may differ in minute particulars from 
 what Mr. Oldmixon hath set down in his chronicles. I advise 
 you to lay this to a failing memory, for I would not will- 
 ingly lead you into bootless controversy with men of letters. I 
 shall be perfectly honest throughout my statement. I shall 
 neither offer palliation nor excuse, nor shall I crave your pity. 
 Yet I would have you, the children of a noble land, remember 
 she owes the world's part of her grandeur to the fidelity, the 
 loyalty, the bright courage and manliness of her sons (your 
 fathers) who have built up a freedom of thought and action for 
 a supercilious posterity, by the mortal sweat of their brows, and 
 the spilling of many drops of their life's blood. Upon this 
 common ground alone do I look for the slender store of gener- 
 osity I am like to get. 
 
 Dissertation is done, and I have merely proffered this pre- 
 liminary that you may know what my purpose is for saying so 
 much hereafter. 
 
 Two falchions gules, on a field argent, with the inscription 
 "Per crucem ad coronam" is the coat of arms that represents 
 our house. So it hath stood for centuries, though I know not 
 how many bars, quarterings, and transoms have been added 
 thereto, throughout those past ages, by deeds glorious or other- 
 wise. It is our boast that broad lands were ours long, ere the
 
 24 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 covetous Norman came ; indeed, we do affirm, that when King 
 Alfred met the Danes in combat, the Armstrongs mustered by 
 their liege lord. So be it ; yet you learn more of this than I, 
 for my head is too old to be concerned at all about chronology. 
 It doth suffice to set me self-complacent, to know that should I 
 hie across the stream, I may set eyes on crumbling tablets 
 hewn from stone and marble, which recount how valiant fore- 
 fathers bled at Poictiers and Crecy. 
 
 Well can I recollect how, years ago, half a dozen of you 
 younkers came a-running to me with, " Do you come and see 
 with us in the churchyard, father. We have surely found the 
 tomb of one of the Armstrongs who perished at Senlac." Away 
 I went with you, for were ye not my taskmasters in those days ? 
 But Nicholas, who has more knowledge in matters antiquarian 
 than any three of the rest of you, hath since overruled that 
 precious childish discovery. 
 
 Ah, well-a-day ! we will say no more in regard to such musty 
 memories. Copeland Hall ever harbored a warlike race. Much 
 too prone to adventure and knightly feats with sword and 
 buckler were its martial children. 
 
 Great deeds deeds to thrill the heart with pride were 
 wrought in strange lands by its warlike sons, and on fierce fields 
 of conflict in our own dear country too. Kinsmen, you who 
 hold your heads so high, may guess quite well the Armstrong 
 pride of race, 'tis fixt at a higher altitude than any in our 
 county. And in face of you, and in face of this, I make bold 
 to say that had we been more given to bowing our heads to our 
 fellow-men, and our stubborn knees to God, methinks it had 
 very often happened the better for your fathers. This defiance 
 of spirit cost your sire dear, hence his doctrine of humility. 
 
 To travel down to later times, and to matters which concern 
 you and me more nearly, my father was born in the reign of the 
 first King James, on a May morning in the year 1630, fourteen 
 months after his brother Peter had arrived in the world. He 
 was twelve years old when the Royal Standard was raised at 
 Nottingham ; and by that deed our country was torn in twain. 
 Her sons were at one another's throats in the crudest inward 
 strife that e'er hath wrought bloodshed in our fair land. Men 
 could not stand aloof ; there was no neutrality. Their neigh- 
 bors dubbed them Cavalier or Roundhead, either one or t'other, 
 for fight they must. 
 
 My grandfather, Sir Jasper Armstrong, having the family 
 leaven fermenting high within him, needed no incentive to 
 choose his side ; but straightway struck for the Parliament,
 
 THE WHY AND WHEREFORE. 25 
 
 and as heretofore our house was opposed to tyranny from any 
 man. At Roundway Down the baronet met with a grievous 
 scathe. A petard struck him in the left thigh, and ever after- 
 wards he hobbled perforce, most painfully, until death claimed 
 him in the year of the Restoration. 
 
 He had been a shrewd and thrifty man, and mine uncle Peter, 
 who took the title, thus found the coffers full, and the estate 
 void of the least encumbrance. He, it should be said, had an- 
 other thing that came part and parcel from Sir Jasper, for just 
 as he had his father's lands and wealth by hereditament, he 
 also had his careful little-spending mind by nature; so he in his 
 turn worthily carried this laudable chest-filling process forward. 
 Howbeit, I must observe, this trait, a mere pleasing idiosyn- 
 cracy in the sire, was, by the son, pushed beyond a virtue. I' 
 faith, I have heard men say, did he lay down a paltry groat, he 
 would have back a silver shilling for his recompense ; and this 
 I do ascribe unworthy of our family. 
 
 Sir Jasper had been sepultured two years, when John, his 
 second son, bethought himself of braving the perils of wedlock. 
 Hence he took Jane Ashburton in matrimony. 
 
 My mother's father was the famous Colonel Ashburton, who 
 did such credit to the Puritan arms during the great Civil War. 
 He resided in Taunton, and though himself a staunch Independ- 
 ent, his daughter had little of the zealot's bigotry, but was 
 well endowed with sense. 
 
 My father also was a plain and godly man, untainted by 
 fanatic rant, high-thinking, speech-sparing, and wholly peaceful 
 in his creed. 
 
 Thus my parents gave small heed to the narrow sectaries 
 of their time, but worshipped God in the manner they held be- 
 coming ; whereby true religion pervaded all our household. I, 
 Edward Armstrong, was the first pledge of their union. Two 
 other children were also the outcome of it ; my brother John 
 and my sister Betty. It doth appear an odd contingency, see- 
 ing that the stock from which my father sprang was so hot- 
 blooded and adventurous, that he should be content to abide in 
 a little hamlet, shut off well-nigh altogether from men and the 
 outer world and the big affairs of life. He chose a farmstead 
 in Chilverley village, which nestles in the heart of the Quan- 
 tock Hills, as the spot in which to pass his wedded life. And 
 such was the unambitious nature of the man that I verily be- 
 lieve he would have preferred to raise choice turnip crops than 
 to have become a great commander. 
 
 His piety had all the depths of silent waters : he had nought
 
 26 MISTRESS DOROTHY MAR VIN. 
 
 to say anent it." He never would allow that God was glorified 
 by mere lip-labor, or that the tongue alone could prove a man a 
 Christian. No, that never was his way ; for if he gave much 
 thought to sacred things, he seldom mouthed a holy sentiment. 
 He read but one book, and that book was the Bible. Tighter 
 than wax did he stick to the Ten Commandments. Forsooth 
 they formed his choicest dogmas, and embodied all his Chris- 
 tian principles. His hatred of a lie was truly marvellous ; like- 
 wise of all hypocrisy, of blasphemy, and of double-dealing. 
 As for his faith, 'twas almost childlike in simplicity. Once, as 
 I remember, indeed it was the day I was eight years old, he 
 lifted me on his knee. 
 
 " Hearken, my pretty lad ! " he said ; " wouldst like to go to 
 heaven ?" 
 
 " Ay, that I should, daddy." 
 
 He placed in my hand a little brown-backed Bible, which 
 that same morning he had purchased from Taunton. 
 
 "This will take thee there, my pretty boy," he said, in his 
 slow, half-smiling way. " Cherish it, lad, and ye'll have no call 
 to be Churchman, Presbyterian, or Anabaptist." 
 
 For sobriety, only one man matched him in the place, and he 
 was the blacksmith, Master Hancock. 'Twas a fitting thing 
 that they should consort together. Oft-times have the twain 
 sate face to face beside our hearthstone of an evening, when 
 their carnal indulgence assumed the shape of three pipes apiece 
 of Triniclado tobacco, and a bowl of the richest rum punch be- 
 tween them. Seeing that it was mother's brew, I know 'twas 
 as good as I've declared. Trust a woman to look to creature 
 comforts ! And foremost in the sex for attention to the same 
 will I place my mother, Mistress Armstrong. 
 
 Her pride lay in her concoctions. Justly it became her boast, 
 that her press sent forth the choicest cider in the county. Not 
 that she thought overmuch as regards the liquids, because, as 
 father went so shy of them, they were but scantily requested. 
 Her greatest care was lavished on things eatable. She was 
 without a peer in the high piling of dish and platter with deli- 
 cious meats, pies, conserves, pasties, and such-like stomach 
 ticklers. " Poor trencherman, poor servant," was her maxim. 
 Good nature and good temper ever held the sway of her, whilst 
 her liberality was truly noble, since she knew no stint in giving 
 whenever her purse allowed. Should any ill befall a villager, 
 he had but to apply to Dame Armstrong, and the remedy was 
 forthcoming. Did the crops fail, each sufferer was welcome to 
 her purse, her pantry, and her sympathy. Her bounty ne'er
 
 ' THE WHY AND WHEREFORE. 27 
 
 was sought in vain, for this was her religion. No time did she 
 spend in praising the Lord, when victuals lay in the pan, or 
 when hosen had need of darning ; whilst after her husband's 
 manner, she accounted honesty the most cardinal of virtues. 
 
 Being thus reared midst sound precept and rigid moral recti- 
 tude, my upbringing should have equipped me more surely 
 than a coat of mail for the stern battles of early manhood and 
 maturity. But alack ! the best armed may not be the boldest 
 warriors. 
 
 From babyhood my chief delight was the fresh air and the 
 fields. I was rarely happy unless rambling mid the hills and 
 valleys, and kicking my heels among the rocks and heather. I 
 could not abide inertion, but must be abroad on a new mischief, 
 reckless of limb and skin, as behoved a youthful scion of those 
 great spirited old Armstrongs. 
 
 It is on record that your hapless sire was picked out thrice in 
 a single week and on the point of drowning too from his 
 father's horse-pond, he having found that insalubrious spot by 
 tumbling thence from an adjacent beech tree, that had enticed 
 him by the hope of nuts. 
 
 Concerning education, I am afeared the sum of my book- 
 learning doth muster a meek totality. I hated it, and there's 
 the truth ! though my master, a deep scholar of Cambridge, 
 strove with monumental patience to knock, coax, or wheedle 
 notions of Greek aorists and iambics into my empty noddle. 
 Still the task was bootless. Scholarship and I did ne'er agree. 
 Nest-seeking and tree-climbing were more to my mind than 
 the rule of three ; and if my knowledge was modest in algebra- 
 ics and the classic lore, touching birds' eggs 'twas unlimited. 
 I am aware this does not redound to my credit, yet am convinced 
 that the minds of healthy boys are more prone to dwell thereon 
 than on feats of learning. 
 
 My boyhood was uneventful, save that when I arrived at ten 
 years of age I fell off a fence and broke my arm ; also at 
 Christmas time, in that same year, I came near ending my life 
 altogether, as I chanced to slip into the stream in the bed of 
 the ravine when it was topped with a coat of ice. School days 
 over, I assisted father on the farm ; being content to do this 
 until I had passed my twenty-first birthday. Then befell the 
 event which hath brought about this history. 
 
 As I remember, it occurred some time in hay-harvest. Our 
 household ne'er seemed more full of harmony, nor the beauteous 
 Quantock country more scented with kindly peace and quie- 
 tude. There appeared no hint of coming trouble ; no sign of
 
 28 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN, 
 
 the dread fatality that was to bathe the West in blood. Twas 
 one evening, as the family sat at supper, when the first token 
 of disturbance came. Just before the meal was clone, our 
 kitchen doorway was shadowed by the form of the huge Tobe 
 Hancock. His face was livid with excitement, and his eyes 
 were big and bright with a restless lustre. 
 
 " Vairmer Jan," he burst out, " hast heerd th' news? Tha 
 Duke o' Moonmouth landed at Lyme yester mornin' ! We 
 mist go vaight vor 'im ! " 
 
 Here was the prologue to the tragedy. The Duke had come 
 and declared himself the champion of the Protestant religion, 
 though the historians always said, and with a singular consensus 
 of opinion, that he came not from the Hague on any matter of 
 faith, but to wrest the crown from King James, his uncle, that 
 it might ornament his own ambitious brow. 
 
 This Monmouth was the bastard son of Charles II., by Lucy 
 Walters, one of his late Majesty's many mistresses ; and, to 
 support his claim to the Throne, contended that he was a legit- 
 imate child, declaring the King duly married his mother. Be 
 this as it may, I never thought enough upon the theme to learn 
 how just was his pretension. What I do know is, that father 
 and Tobias sat a-talking these infectious tidings over until the 
 small hours of the morning. 
 
 A thorough-going Puritan was the blacksmith, who stuck 
 close by his tenets, and one of that uncompromising bull-dog 
 breed that had consigned Charles I. to the block. The news of 
 the Duke's arrival had ignited his fiery soul. Fondly he 
 believed that His Grace had come for the sole purpose of 
 restoring the Protestant faith ; therefore he thought it became 
 all men to strike for the true religion. 
 
 There was no sleep for me that night ; and long before the 
 first streaks of light stole out of the east, there was my mind at 
 least made up, and my great determination taken. In the early 
 morning, when father and Bill Kyte, the farm hand, came to 
 the tool-shed, they found me there, burnishing the welded steel 
 headpiece of my maternal grandfather. 
 
 No sooner had I swallowed breakfast than I ran round the 
 corner by the church to the village forge. For once the jang- 
 ling hammer lay unplied ; the leathern apron was discarded. 
 In the little parlor behind the workshop I found the blacksmith. 
 A strange collection littered the table, and over it Tobe Han- 
 cock bent his eager body. 
 
 The first article to catch my eye was an old collar of bando- 
 leers, with bullet-bag, cords, rings, and primer all affixed thereto,
 
 THE WHY AND WHEREFORE. 29 
 
 though in sad need of adjustment. Hard by reclined a brace 
 of pistols, encumbered by a coat of rust ; and, to complete this 
 warlike collocation, were a snap-hance carbine, a half-pike, a 
 " hog's bristle," * a buff leather tunic, and a pikeman's pot- 
 helmet. The owner of these hostile implements was busily 
 renovating a corselet of rusty steel. 
 
 "Thease wan was mi vaither's, Ned," he said, holding it out 
 for my inspection. "Thease yer brit was dued at Naseby, lad," 
 and he placed his finger in a deep dent of the metal. 
 
 A long talk had we that morning. The upshot was to arrange 
 to set out for Monmouth's camp in company next day. The 
 blacksmith* was brimming with enthusiasm in fact, he was a 
 zealot. Like good workmen, we labored as we talked. With a 
 grumbling wonderment did old Joan (Tobe's serving woman) 
 watch us rub away each speck of rust from cankered steel and 
 ordnance. She having nursed Tobias in his babyhood, 'twas 
 her privilege to draw good wages, and to grumble till her tongue 
 grew tired. 
 
 The tools of war had been taken from an ancient chest, whence 
 they had lain since the end of the Great Civil War ; the father 
 and uncle of the blacksmith having been numbered among Noll 
 Cromwell's host. 
 
 My head was whirling with many anxious matters as I hied 
 back to the farm, hugging the snap-hance and the tunic which 
 Tobe had given me. My heart rose at the mere thought of 
 what valorous deeds I should encompass in the fast-approach- 
 ing future. Our homestead seemed so sleepy to me now, that 
 methought it beyond endurance. 
 
 However, a great battle had to be fought. All day in silence 
 my father had heeded my demeanor. 'Twas in the evening 
 that I first spoke of my resolution. Mother, John, and Betty 
 were strangely startled ; they had not observed what was pass- 
 ing through my mind. Father showed no surprise, but simply 
 looked grave, then sighed. 
 
 " Ah, Ned," said he, " I was afeared of this. I marked you 
 when Tobias told the news last night. Methinks 'twere best 
 you stayed at home ; scant good can come of this affair. May- 
 hap the cause is a goodly one, yet a handful of men cannot 
 hope for aught better than a sore hide against an army." 
 
 " All the West will flock to the Duke," said I. 
 
 * A " hog's bristle," or Swedish feather, was a weapon introduced into 
 the English army in the reign of James I. It consisted of a single steel 
 blade of considerable length, and was for the protection of the musketeer 
 after he had discharged his piece. EDITOR.
 
 3 
 
 MIS TA' ESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 " No matter," was his answer, " 'twill be without avail. Use- 
 less I trow to pit chawbacons against the trained soldiers of 
 the King." 
 
 " But Tobe says MacCullum More is to create a big rising in 
 Scotland." 
 
 " If so 'twill make no difference. At least, lad, have a care 
 for your skin ; besides, if ye leave a peaceful domicile to shed 
 blood, it will go to my very heart. Perchance I am too nice 
 i' th' stomach, for a true Armstrong, yet I speak as my feelings 
 direct. Forbear, my lad, from this perilous action." 
 
 He talked long and earnestly to this effect. Howbeit, I dog- 
 gedly pressed the point, as I was one who, having once my 
 heart upon a thing, would waver not in quest thereof ; and so 
 by sheer persistence would get my will. 
 
 'Twas near midnight when Tobe Hancock came to bid good- 
 bye to father. Thus our grave talking was disturbed, and well 
 pleased I was on that account methought the blacksmith would 
 surely speak on my behalf. 
 
 When our conference dissolved it was close by two of the 
 clock in the morning. And one was hurt and disappointed. 
 At the outset Tobias was all for me. He called up every argu- 
 ment he could lay his tongue to, that he might win consent for 
 me to ride with him to Monmouth. For long enough he urged 
 my cause ; tho' to small purpose did he lend his breath; my 
 parent was firmer than a rock. Then, having learned how in- 
 flexible his disapproval was, Tobe veered round altogether. 
 
 " Thee midden goa, lad. Obey thy vaither, 'e knaw'th best," 
 quoth he. 
 
 This doctrine of filial obedience hit me hard, although 
 naught else could he have counselled. Out of righteousness 
 alone he would have been the tardiest of men to bid me defy 
 my parents. Therefore the pair of them decreed that I must 
 bide at home. 
 
 That night I never slept. I was young then, my spirit ran 
 high and bold, and blood was frisky in the veins. 
 
 Reverently I carried to my chamber those arms and equip- 
 ments which were to have done such noble service, and 
 deposited them at the bed foot, that my eyes might rest upon 
 their glory. As a lump of lead was my blighted heart ; and, 
 alas, something like anger couched within it. Every daydream 
 of honor and victory had fled fled to gall and mockery. I 
 rolled over every inch of my uneasy bed, spirit-chafed, balked, 
 and at war with all save my ill-used self, whom I greatly pitied. 
 
 Until the coming of the dawn the moonlight glinted on the
 
 THE WHY AND WHEREFORE. 3: 
 
 shimmering metal at my feet, which seemed to flout and tempt 
 me, with its new unwonted beauty. Wickedness went crawling 
 through my mind now and then, and it needed all my strength 
 to fight it. No sooner did daylight reappear, than t dressed 
 myself, and took my heavy head into the cold air. I wandered 
 about with neither aim nor purpose. Naught could allay my 
 vague disquietude, though I sluiced head and face with chill 
 water, and afterwards set to work with such senseless vigor, 
 that sweat dripped from my forehead. Cold and perspiration 
 made no jot of difference, and having thus tried both, I perched 
 on a stile for a weary hour, balanced myself on the topmost 
 rung, and kicked my legs at space. 
 
 Thus was I occupied, when a clatter of hoofs came distinct 
 from the road, which ran in my vicinity. I set my feet on the 
 highest rail, that I might obtain a fuller view of horse and rider 
 as the twain passed by. I beheld a mottled, raw-boned mare ; 
 and a large fellow, whose form I should have known the wide 
 world over, was astride her. 'Twas Tobe Hancock, away to 
 Monmouth. 
 
 Were I younger I might weep on what follows, as I write ; 
 kinsmen, my fingers tremble as I grasp 'the pen. Without a 
 moment's tarrying I leapt down from my perch, and ran back 
 to the house. None were astir, so I made straight for that 
 seductive heap of leather and metal, lying upon my bed. At 
 another time it must have been a great while ere I had accoutred 
 myself, yet in some peculiar fashion I made the buff coat fit 
 middling well, though it called for time and temper ever after 
 to make it do so. With lively fingers I girded on the sword, 
 and affixed my grandfather's headpiece on my mad-brained 
 pate ; emptied my slender store of money from its usual 
 receptacle into my breeches' pocket; and finally pinned a paper 
 on my pillow, with, " I am gone to the wars," upon it. 
 
 Below stairs I then returned ; but not as I had ascended, 
 since my equipment, being none of the lightest, forbade undue 
 activity. Soon I had old Peggy saddled ; double-quick her 
 head was turned towards the town of Taunton ; and away I 
 went to the wars. 
 
 Would to God that on this woeful errand I ne'er had passed 
 the peat rick at the corner. Here you have my first deep sin. 
 Bitter, bitter, was the consequence of this first desertion from 
 the cause of right ! On the ill-fated campaign I will not dilate ; 
 of the things that happened ye know full well. 
 
 How the Duke came to Taunton amidst the joy of the people, 
 with what high hopes all flocked to his standard ; and how that
 
 32 AfJSTKESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 flock was scattered to the four winds of heaven, and those 
 hopes crushed forever, at Sedgemoor Field. To me, who was 
 there that day, it seems but a vision now, of sturdy, stout-hearted 
 fellows, standing up to be shot at, for Bussex Rhine lay 
 betwixt us and the forces of the King. Shall I ever forget that 
 thunder of hoofs, as the Horse Guards Blue came charging 
 down upon us ? What chance had bill-hooks and scythes 
 against those flashing blades, the swish of whose every stroke 
 dealt death. Still we fought till no strength was left. The 
 Mt-ndip miners, the Blackdown shepherds, and the simple 
 husbandmen of the villages, budged not a foot, as that 
 murderous horde of horse and men swept forth and slew them 
 where they stood. 
 
 Tobe and I fought thigh by thigh ; yet in the first wild onfall 
 I found myself grovelling in the blood-wet grass. I struggled 
 somehow to my feet, tho' every moment our comrades were cut 
 down by the score. Tobias distributed lusty blows to all and 
 sundry ; his blade cleft deep where'er it struck. I saw him 
 dealing out those fearsome knocks, till a cavalryman's sword 
 spun and whistled above my head, next my shoulder went quite 
 numbed and useless ; a bloody mist swam before mine eyes, 
 and for the rest I cannot say. 
 
 This was the glorious dream of war ! 
 
 Propitious Providence saved me from the trampling hoofs, as 
 they careered over the battlefield ; and I was left with life enough 
 to creep back home, beaten well-nigh unto death. Better far had 
 my carcase rotted in Sedgemoor marshes, for now there comes 
 an awful feature of my tale. Mother cried, out of both sorrow 
 and gladness, that my life was spared, though so very little of 
 it. Father chid me not, but was thankful for my return. 
 
 Forthwith I was put to bed, and a chirurgeon was called to 
 dress the hurt. Still, despite his energy and vigilance, for a 
 whole week I lingered by the verge of the Abyss. All that 
 time no word came of Tobias Hancock, and he was mourned 
 as a dead man in the village. 
 
 My injury, thanks to much maternal care, in the end assumed 
 kind ways, and slowly took to healing. However, one day, as 
 I was basking in the warmth of summer sunshine, there befell 
 this grievous thing. I sate thus in an open field, my face white, 
 much pinched, and woebegone, and my shoulder swathed in 
 many bandages, when without portent or word of warning, an 
 ugly, black-bearded wretch shot his unclean countenance over 
 the privet hedge. Quite as quick he shot it back, and bawled 
 in a tremendous key to some one down the road
 
 THE WHY AND WHEREFORE. 33 
 
 " Do you come here this minute, Dick ! As I live, here is 
 another on 'em." 
 
 Straightway he bundled through the hedge, and came and 
 stood beside me. As I beheld the man's appearance, a thrill 
 of fear jumped thro' my brain. There was no mistaking the 
 uniform he wore, though so ripped, .and rent, and blacked with 
 mud. 'Twas the King's. 
 
 " Lay me bleeding ! " he cried, grinning in my face ; " a 
 damned rebel, as I hope for salvation. Oh, oh, my poppet, 
 ye're as snivelled as a sucking calf ! If ye ain't a whelp o' 
 Monmouth's, then I'm a sinner." 
 
 " Ay, we know ye're that, Old Wiggle," sang out another of 
 the species, as he scrambled through the fence. " What hath 
 that pig-sticking maw o' thine lit on now? Some whining Jack 
 Presbyter, I'll swear." 
 
 This animal was a variation of the breed, as granting his 
 visage was equally ripe for Newgate, he bore himself with a 
 swaggering gait, and waved his sword aloft, the point of which 
 was stuck in a fine fat cheese ! 
 
 " Strike me stiff ! " this rogue said, " this be a right goodly 
 spot to hie to. A lack of rebels, but no stint o' bull beef, pork, 
 and cider. Mighty poor stomachs have these 'ere clowns for 
 fighting, but damnation good uns for Christian fare and victuals. 
 L'ap'n did right well to bring us hither, outlandish place an it 
 be. Yon little farm's the snuggest as ivver I seed. An' all the 
 boys boozy as lords ^ Bodkin's i' the ditch, Cap'n's a rolling; 
 and Sile Bickersteth and his brother Bill are a-sluicing of one 
 another wi' mulberry wine. Sich a flow of honest malt and 
 throat-tickling liquor I never did see afore; and s'elp me Holy 
 Mary, hams and bacon flitches are thick as rats in a stack o' 
 corn'! " 
 
 "That sooth, friend Dick? Then methinks 'twere meet 
 Old Wiggle should be among 'em. He hath a cultivated taste 
 for sich like tuck. Do you mind the prisoner, Dickie darlin', 
 while I'm gone, an ' I'll bring Cap'n back along wi' me to settle 
 this 'ere job, as the lawyers, an 'heducated pussons like meself 
 would say in toto /" 
 
 The first comer took himself away to find this appetizing pro- 
 vender. He having gotten out of earshot, the gentleman of 
 the name of Dick produced a horn of cider from his coat 
 pocket, and fell a-drinking, and at the same time bolted other 
 booty, seeing that he gulped down the cheese in most tremen- 
 dous slices. 
 
 " He, he ! " Dick growled to himself, betwixt the mouthfuls,
 
 34 M/STKESS DOXOTHY MARVIN. 
 
 " best go seek for thyself, Old Wiggle, thy dirty claws shall 
 have none o ' this. I would that rebels must be seized -every 
 day o ' the year i ' Somerset ! " 
 
 Presently a body of them came along, Old Wiggle foremost 
 of any. A roystering ribald crew they were, fuddled for the 
 most part. One half of them rolled from side to side like ships 
 belated. Some waved their swords to the tune of a filthy 
 chorus, whilst others trailed them through the roadway'3 muck 
 and mire in sheer inanity. This licentious band formed a part 
 of the most drunken and ferocious regiment in the whole of the 
 British Army. Ye have heard tell, children, of " Kirke's Lambs " 
 or " Tangiers Devils " these being the names they went by 
 whose manifold wickednesses have been handed down to 
 succeeding generations. " Kirke's Lambs," indeed ! Shake- 
 speare may be dead, but the excellent art of irony hath not 
 died with him, for here we have the living proof that it still 
 doth rear its comely head among-st us. These devils in the 
 guise of men, tho' they ne'er scrupled in wholesale committal of 
 those twin monstrosities, murder and rapine, were actually let 
 loose on the defenceless country folk. It hath been asserted 
 that their ferocity was first occasioned during foreign service, 
 by their intercourse with the barbarians at Tangiers. This day, 
 however, their bellies were so overladen with the food they had 
 gorged, and their heads so heavy with the liquor they had guz- 
 zled, for their owners to be much worse than imbecile. 
 
 The unchristian crew promptly came around me, and with 
 them was the officer in command, who in bibulosity appeared 
 by no means inferior to any among his company. By him I 
 was freely plied with questions. As yet I had not learned to 
 tell a lie, hence my treason against the King was at once dis- 
 covered ; and upon the spot I was taken into custody. 
 
 Hereabouts mother chanced to come to see how her invalid 
 was getting on. She was seized with a trembling horror when 
 she learned what had occurred. 
 
 " Be not so afeared, good dame," implored Old Wiggle, grin- 
 ning unctiously. " I've heard say that my Lord Jeffreys is a- 
 coming from London. He will have him turned off decent, 
 mistress, so do not fret, I prithee." 
 
 Dick then chucked her under the chin with malignant im- 
 pudence, and a third insulted her most grossly. I, unhappy 
 wretch I must have been, tried twice to rise and defend her, 
 but was still too weak to do so. 
 
 Meantime, father was coming towards us, and he thus beheld 
 the ruffian's act. My breath went quick and gasping, and my
 
 THE DEA TH OF A SOUL. 35 
 
 eyes grew strained in terror, for my father stroaa towards the 
 group, his chest heaving, and such a look on his face I had 
 never before seen there. 'Twas white and drawn, his nostrils 
 wide distended, his lips set tight together ; and from his eyes 
 there darted fury. 
 
 He stepped among this vile assemblage, and without a word 
 turned on one therein. His fist shot out, and, ox-like, the rogue 
 was felled. It was the only time I ever saw my father strike a 
 man in anger. I had not recked that he, the mildest of men, 
 could be thus transformed. At his angry act, a dozen weapons 
 were uplifted. Howbeit, strangely enough, the officer spared 
 him. 
 
 " Hold, ye bull-headed lack-brains ! " he cried, raising his 
 hand to quell his officious followers. " I will have no blood- 
 shed. Daminy ! 'twas a shrewd knock, indeed. 'Twere better 
 on thy head, Jeremy, than on mine own. A curse on theeforan 
 ill-starred wight. As for you, old gray hairs, this springald 
 hath bided under your roof-tree, therefore you have wittingly 
 harbored a rebel ; thereby compassing a treason 'gainst the 
 State. Dost follow my reasoning ? Ton my life, 'tis worthy 
 of Westminster Hall. Proven, say I, so come ye along to 
 Taunton. I'm thinking my Lord Jeffreys, the hangman, and 
 the gallows God bless 'em .'will soon be pretty busy." 
 
 Thereupon the diabolic villain set up a brutish howl of laughter. 
 In mock respect, he flicked his queue in father's face, and 
 made a leg at the wife who stood by weeping. No other word 
 was spoken, but in sight of poor mother and her two remain- 
 ing children, we were dragged away to Taunton jail. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE DEATH OF A SOUL. 
 
 WE lay three weeks under lock and key. I mended rapidly 
 in body, yet as the days passed, my distress of mind grew 
 terrible. My father heartened me as best he could, for he and 
 I along with four others shared the same cell. Over a thou- 
 sand prisoners were confined in Taunton by the first week in 
 September. Awful rumors came to us day by day. My lord 
 Chief Justice Jeffreys was leaving a trail of blood in the West ; 
 at every rebel assize he held there was the same slaughter of 
 the guilty with the innocent, the same horrible tale of butchery.
 
 36 Af /STRESS DOROTHY MA K VI N. 
 
 I began to have fears for my father's neck, as we learned that 
 many, including the noble Lady Alice Lisle, had been executed 
 for the offence of succoring rebels. I informed him of these 
 fears, yet he was not distressed. 
 
 " If it be God's will," he said, " I am ready," and he pulled 
 a little Bible out of his vest and kissed it. 
 
 He prayed with me in a corner many a night, and many a 
 day did the same with our four rustic companions. The gaunt 
 vision of death seemed to hover about us; and I say to my 
 shame that the word of God appeared to me but cold comfort 
 and a meagre consolation. What hopes could I have for the 
 next world, when I had wrecked the peace of my own family, 
 and had plunged it in the depths of grief and desolation ? 
 
 On the second day of the assizes we were led forth to the 
 courthouse. Ten of us were placed in the dock together, on trial 
 for our lives. I cannot speak in cold blood of that chamber of 
 solicitude, or of the unnatural monster we found therein; that 
 godless arbiter of life and death, whose deeds and name to this 
 hour stink in the nostrils of the nation. 
 
 The judges sate at the far end of the Court, and towering 
 highest of the three was Jeffreys, resplendent in a flowing robe 
 of scarlet, and a long white powdered periwig. 
 
 Kinsmen, ye have heard of the " Bloody Assizes " of 1685. 
 Maybe you know every word of those awful traditions; how all 
 the West was alive with gibbets, and how it was besoddened 
 with the life-blood of her sons during those terrible weeks of 
 the early autumn of '85. 'Tis but an old man's fearsome story 
 now, raked out of the dying embers of the past ; but hearken, 
 children ! ye may go down on your knees, and thank your God 
 that 'tis but a time-worn tale. 
 
 To the right of the judges the members of the grand jury 
 were arrayed, devoid of pity. They were there to hang the 
 King's enemies. Close by were the Crown lawyers fawning 
 sycophants ! whilst behind them a body of his Majesty's troops 
 had clustered. These were bloodthirsty wretches for the most 
 part, who had come thither to be amused. Loudly did they 
 guffaw at the sorry wit of Jeffreys. Below us was a little knot 
 of friends a sad-faced,' anxious, trembling, weeping, congrega- 
 tion. Fathers, sons, husbands, brothers, must die that day. 
 
 The eyes of all rested on my lord Jeffreys. The other jus- 
 tices who sat one on either side of him were mere puppets, to 
 nod at his every wink and to laugh at his every jest. 
 
 My old heart swells as I remember how we half-score, with 
 firm lips and steady eyes, looked death in the face, and scorned
 
 THE DEA TH OF A SOUL. 37 
 
 the glance of the Lord Chief Justice. My father and I did not 
 think ourselves belittled, as our high birth and family might 
 have led us to do, at standing thus on a level with simple hus- 
 bandmen. Truer hearts ne'er beat under woollen jerkins than 
 did those of our eight companions. 
 
 We fixt our eyes on the vindictive monster before us, the 
 most inhuman judge that ever disgraced an English bench. My 
 God, he was a baleful object ! Would that I might blot his 
 vision for ever from my memory. But can I forget his malig- 
 nant eyes, or his massive, brutal jowl ? Can I forget his bestial 
 countenance, his cursings, his ravings, his bellowings, or his 
 sickening thirst for human blood ? Can I forget his face a 
 flaming sea of red atop of a maleficent underjaw, unbroken in 
 monotony save by close-drawn patches of black eyebrow, and 
 by countless furrows that criss-crossed it with deep and livid 
 lines ? That awful countenance was never in repose. 'Twas 
 ever alive with a smouldering and sometimes wholly kindled 
 violence. Affixed above this twitching, quivering, hellish mass, 
 was a huge white periwig, flaunting to and fro with the white 
 powder flying out of it, whilst now and then two savage fists 
 danced round it, and beat the cushions-of his desk in devilish 
 tattoos. 
 
 It is this unholy phantom of the past that I have had before 
 me of a night time, and that hath scared me in the face of the 
 morning sun. 
 
 For a minute or two ere the proceedings began the Lord 
 Chief Justice snuffed, and cracked jokes with his brethren on 
 the scarlet dais, then shot a glance at us prisoners, and, as he 
 did so, the laughter left his face. A hush fell on the assembly, 
 and the trial opened, or at least the outward form of it, for all 
 the world doth know the thing itself was but a mockery. 
 
 " Colonel Kirke," cried my lord in a great voice, " I pray you 
 let the guard be strong. Let all due precaution be taken, lest 
 harm befall our person. Did ever mortal set eyes on such a 
 mass of infamy ! Mark their faces ! See the Evil One stamped 
 upon them ! Avert your eyes, ye rogues. You, sirrah, with 
 your brazen face, have ye not the decency to be abashed in the 
 presence of justice ? And you, with your red head in the 
 corner. 'Tis not more fiery, I trow, than the place ye're bound 
 for." 
 
 That was his opening address. The monster had begun his 
 ravings ; his bellowing filled the court. The soldiery grinned 
 at his frenzy, and laughed outright at his wretched japes and 
 pleasantries.
 
 38 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 Grim and silent were the jury, and immovable, save for nod- 
 ding acquiescence at all he thought fit to say. The witnesses 
 stood up to give their evidence, only to be brow-beaten and 
 insulted. 
 
 " What sayest thou ? " he snorted ; " thou canst give good 
 reference as to character ? Character, indeed ! Thou liest most 
 foully. A cut-throat villain who compasses a treason, and takes 
 up arms against the King's Majesty with a character ! Sink me, 
 the conceit is sublime ! We shall hear of an actress with one 
 next. Stand down, you perjuring rascal ! How dare you foist 
 such a lie upon the court? By my soul, I'd commit you, were I 
 not the most lenient judge alive. Stand down, I say ; make 
 way for the little wench in the blue frock." 
 
 A meek-eyed young woman, with chalky cheeks and flutter- 
 ing bosom, stood forth. The wretch fixed her with his awful 
 look. The frightened creature opened her lips to speak, yet 
 scarce a word would come. She stammered a few confusedly, 
 but these were not understood. She was fascinated and 
 paralyzed by the being before her. 'Twas a case of the serpent 
 and the helpless bird. 
 
 " Rend my soul ! " roared the demon, " 'tis well, my jade, 
 that your mouth will not utter what your tongue would have it. 
 'Tis well you conscience, hath warmed you of your crime. 
 Pink me, another sublime conceit ! A ranting Presbytery hussy 
 with a conscience ! Ho, ho, ho ! 'Tis worthy of John Dryden. 
 Be discreet, my girl ; ye shall smart for a falsehood." 
 
 He leaned over in his justice seat, and shook his fat forefinger 
 at her. As he did so, I caught the glint of his eyes : there 
 was the devil in them. At that sight the fear-struck girl dropt 
 senseless. 
 
 Close by I felt a violent quivering. I withdrew my gaze 
 from Jeffreys and descried a sturdy lad beside my elbow. I 
 remarked his bloodless brown cheek, the trembling of his frame, 
 the clutching of his hands, the tight set of his teeth, and the 
 evil in his eye. The girl was his sweetheart, who had come to 
 plead for him. 
 
 " So her stomach be too nice for a court of justice," quoth 
 Jeffreys, as they carried her out through the door. "Blister 
 me ! justice shames one among these treasonous dogs, and the 
 gallows shall shame the rest , for I'll warrant their necks will 
 soon be longer than ever nature made 'em. Any more 
 witnesses? This shall be a fair trial. None may say that His 
 Gracious Majesty, in the bountifulness of his mercy, hath not 
 allowed a just and proper hearing, and a most humane and
 
 THE DEATH OF A SOUL. 39 
 
 righteous judge to conduct it. Any more witnesses, I ask?" 
 and he glared round with a wolfish smile. 
 
 " Ah ! you little fellow of the tub belly ? " 
 
 A small man with a red face and a squat figure came for- 
 ward and took his stand. He, at least, was not sufficiently 
 abashed. 
 
 " Mark you, my little turkey cock," growled my lord, who 
 was but ill-pleased that any more witnesses should come be- 
 twixt him and his dinner, "ye had best be very, very careful!" 
 
 Scarce had the fellow begun to speak, when the judge roared 
 out 
 
 " Stop, sirrah ! A lie I sniff it ! Waste not the time of the 
 court with a pack of wicked falsehoods. Get you hence ! " 
 
 " My lord " interposed the man. 
 
 " Begone, I say ! " cried the judge, shouting him down. 
 
 Here the witness showed his mettle. 
 
 " 'Tis no lie, my lord. 'Tis honest truth." 
 
 " Oh, oh ! Master Jackanapes, the honest truth, is it ? You 
 dare, sir, you dare to give the lie to the Lord Chief Justice 
 of England ! By the Lord, you most peccant villain, I will 
 commit you." 
 
 The devil had gotten into the man once more ; he shone in 
 his countenance more clearly than ever I wish to see him shine 
 in human face hereafter. 
 
 "Any more?" the judge demanded, as they led the late 
 witness away. "This most awful trial," he continued, "must 
 be conducted with all due form and ceremony. Not one of ye 
 that shall not have a hearing worthy of a peer of the realm." 
 
 Hereabouts his manner changed altogether. The fellow 
 could weep as easily as he could laugh, and sob as easily as he 
 could storm. Therefore the arch-hypocrite forgot his ravings 
 for the moment ; his voice was caught up in many sobs, and 
 tears hopped down his cheeks as he exclaimed 
 
 " Oh, most unrighteous children most erring, wayward 
 children to lacerate the heart of the King, your father ! It is, 
 indeed, a mercy the Lord above doth not send down His aveng- 
 ing angel and smite you where you stand." 
 
 The blasphemer cast his hands and eyes upwards to the roof, 
 as though to invoke the forgiveness of Heaven on our account. 
 Seeing that none dare face the wretch, one of the lawyers for 
 the Crown got up and informed the court that seven of the 
 prisoners pleaded guilty, and three not guilty. 
 
 The seven who avowed their crime were placed apart from 
 the remainder. I declared my fault, yet my father very rightly
 
 40 AflSTKESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 protested innocence; for surely 'twas a monstrous thing to pro- 
 nounce a man guilty of high treason, on the strength of a 
 simple act of humanity towards his own flesh and blood. 
 Jeffreys dealt with the guilty first, tho', for that matter, he drew 
 no distinction betwixt them and the innocent. 
 
 " So, ye monsters ! " he cried, vengefully gloating over us, 
 " you avow your guilt ? Have ye no sense of your wickedness ' 
 Have ye no thought for the rottenness of your hearts ?" 
 
 Having said this with grotesque solemnity, he took the hypo- 
 crite's cloak unto himself, and once more fella-weeping. Soon 
 he mopped the tears from his bleared eyes by the aid of a large 
 red kerchief ; also the sorrow at the time, for like a fiend he 
 turned on the other three, his face convulsed with anger. I 
 trembled for my father ; he cared naught for a man so base. 
 I knew a fierce conflict was approaching, for, at my lord's first 
 words, I saw my parent draw up his body rigid, and fix his 
 stern, tight-set visage on the judge in a look of bold disgust. 
 He was once more true to his tenets; he ever set right before 
 might, and was a-feared of no living being. Furiously the 
 justice turned upon him and his two companions. 
 
 " \Yhat ! not guilty ! not guilty, ye abject hounds ! How 
 dare you stand before me, and throw the lie in my teeth. 
 \Yould that the earth might open and swallow ye ! I, your 
 judge 
 
 'You a judge? A devil, more likely," broke in my father in 
 a hard, quiet, contained voice, that pronounced every word dis- 
 tinct above the other's uproar. 
 
 Soldiers, lawyers, townsfolk, prisoners : all were startled at 
 this daring, and strained their eyes upon the twain. My knees 
 knocked one against the other, for the judge looked truly 
 awful at being thus bearded. I saw him beat the dust once 
 more from his purple cushion, I saw him writhe and wriggle in 
 his justice seat, I saw his eyes jump nearly from his head, and 
 watched the foam assemble on his lips. I covered my face in 
 terror, yet, though I might blot out the sight, the words tingled 
 in mine ears. 
 
 " What sayest thou, accursed one ? " howled the wicked 
 creature in a transport. "Didst say a devil? A curse upon 
 your soul, you villain ! you ruffian ! you Presbyterian black- 
 guard ! Curse you and your conventicles! A devil, quotha? 
 Ho, ho ! you rascally Ranter, we shall see you at the end of 
 a piece of comely hemp ere long, dancing on space, to the 
 tune of your own cheerful piping. Who, then, will be the 
 devil, eh ? ''
 
 THE DEATH OF A SOUL. 41 
 
 In his satanic fury, he leant out of his seat so far that he 
 came nigh toppling head foremost from it into the well of the 
 court below. His ravings and maledictions filled the place most 
 fearfully. Naught interrupted them, for the soldiers hushed 
 their ribaldry, whilst the remainder of the audience were com- 
 pletely cowed and horrified. 
 
 My father paid no heed to the justice's ermine gown and 
 flaunting periwig ; he ne'er removed his cool, taunting gaze from 
 that face, but kept his eyes, as heretofore, bent steadily upon 
 it. Even in the midst of the paroxysm I saw disdain upon 
 the prisoner's countenance, and this calm disgust was fuel to 
 the judge's madness. 
 
 Now it so chanced that we criminals were unfettered, be- 
 cause so great was the number of rebels within the town, that 
 rope and iron had run short, and neither commands nor money 
 could procure them. Two soldiers, however, with shouldered 
 pikes, stood at both ends of the row of us ; and each of the 
 lubberly wights had mouths agape, with never a thought for 
 their charges. 'Twas as iron being driven into my soul to hear 
 my father thus reviled; he so grand and lofty, too, and I the 
 cause of his humiliation. I set my teeth with vice-like grip, 
 and clenched my hands till the nails sank in the palms. My 
 brain was a fiery furnace ; the blood swept through my body 
 in a scalding stream that boiled in every vein and artery. 
 A whirling dizziness gripped me ; yet despite it the vision 
 of the being I most adored in all the world menaced me 
 as he stood there in the felon's box. Oh, 'twas cruel, cruel ! 
 
 Next my reason must have fled, as, for a time, I became a 
 tearing madman. Verily the devil seized me, too, for of a 
 sudden, with a crazy howl, I vaulted the high rail in front, and 
 clattered down amidst the papers and the lawyers. I snatched 
 up an inkhorn and hurled it full at the wretch in the scarlet. 
 Then, like a flash, I turned about, and by a wild tigerish bound, 
 made a dash for the door. He who guarded it had not col- 
 lected his wits sufficiently to raise his weapon, ere I descended 
 bodily upon him, my two knees to his stomach. 
 
 We were borne thudding to the floor, myself atop, and in an 
 instant I was up, the breathless fellow's pike within my grasp. 
 So marvellously rapid had been the act, that those who wit- 
 nessed it were entirely petrified for the moment with stupefac- 
 tion. Thus, not a hand was raised to arrest me till I had 
 dashed through the door into the passage. Here, however, I 
 was beset by numberless impediments ; but I fought and 
 struggled like ten men, with an unreasoning, madman's strength.
 
 42 MfSTXESS DO ROTH Y MA K VI N. 
 
 How I rushed through that crowded corridor I never could 
 tell. Men surged about me on every side, and did their best 
 to stay my progress, yet the wondrous vigor that held my limbs 
 enabled me to shower blows thick as hail, and, in the end, to 
 shake off all opponents. 
 
 It was but a narrow place, and the aim of the assailants oft 
 went awry. Once I was conscious of a resounding knock, and 
 next minute my head was singing, and a warm stream dripped 
 down my shirt. Howbeit, I dealt many broken pates in ex- 
 change for mine own misfortune. Thence followed a vicious 
 crack from behind, which glanced from my ill-fated scalp, and 
 soon gave me knowledge of a fierce pain in the shoulder. Yet, 
 when a man hath desperation within him, he heeds such mis- 
 adventures as trivial casualties. 
 
 I struggled to the broad patch of light that betokened the 
 outlet from the loathsome place, and as I rushed into the outer 
 air, blood soaked my garments. No sooner did I feel the pure 
 atmosphere upon my brow, than a desire to leave the courthouse 
 far behind came into my crazy brain, and this at once gave birth 
 to instant action. Hitherto I had fought and struggled only to 
 give vent to my overmastering passion ; and with no better 
 reason. But as I sucked in the fresh air and saw the sun so 
 bright, and heard the twittering of the birds, I felt a wild long- 
 ing to live ; and the hopes, the joys, the sweets of life came 
 back. 'Twas a keen emotion that cut me in every fibre, one 
 that set my heart a-leaping ; whereby 'twill be seen methought 
 the world too good to be quit of so early. This sharp sensa- 
 tion revived my strength, stimulated my power of thought, 
 tempered my insanity, and succored failing limbs and jaded 
 lungs. Thus in despite of my predicament I set off at top 
 speed down the street. 
 
 I made a strenuous bid for life ; fleeing hatless, bleeding, 
 palpitating ; clothes half off my back, shirt and doublet tat- 
 tered, and the soldier's pike brandished for the behoof of any 
 meddler. Not many yards had my quick feet covered when 
 crack ! crack ! went the muskets behind, and the bullets came 
 pinging by. One whizzed past my cheek, others whistled 
 round my ears and head, but -never touched them. Nigh a 
 dozen sought the roadway just in front, beating sparks from 
 the cobble stones ; and not one was billeted at its rightful des- 
 tination. Cunningly I turned into the footpath among the 
 much-scared citizens, whereat rightly smart were they to 
 scurry in all directions to escape the next discharge. 'Twas 
 here my wits had stood me in good stead, for I knew full well
 
 THE DEATH OF A SOUL. 43 
 
 the soldiery dare not fire again lest they did others an injury. 
 Still, they gave full power to their tongues, while their feet pat- 
 tered heavily in my wake. I was not molested, except that one 
 valiant, half-tipsy servant of the King set himself determinedly 
 in my path. Without a second's hesitation, I tightened the 
 hold on my weapon and dealt him a wicked stroke, which 
 knocked him spinning and reeling to the ground. After this I 
 clenched my teeth in defiance of failing breath and faltering 
 limbs, and away I went, unheedful of my heaving chest, for the 
 sweat and blood I spent at every step ; or without a glance be- 
 hind. 
 
 Gradually the shouts grew feebler, the hedges and wheat 
 fields hove in sight, and the pursuit became more and more 
 remote. Soon the town was miles afar, and the hunters had 
 tailed away from eye-range. The danger past, I became un- 
 done altogether ; being barely able to totter over a stile ere 
 my high-strung senses slackened ; upon which I dropped my bat- 
 tered body in a field beside the road. I lay weary and weak 
 for hours; being nearly dead owing to loss of blood, over-strain 
 of energy, and tissue-consuming madness. 
 
 Very beautiful was this morning in' September, with the 
 second growth of grasses soft as velvet, and the noontide sun 
 gold in an azure sky. Through the dust-speckled hedgerows 
 peeped the gentle wheat, softly bowing to every breath of the 
 autumn day. 
 
 Alas, it was all uncut ! no reaper's hand had touched it. 
 The bones of those reapers lay bleaching on the West country- 
 side ; their blood had bedewed the Sedgemoor marshes with its 
 crimson flood ; and more there was to flow. The grim reaper, 
 Death, was in the West ; but the birds gave voice to their dul- 
 cet melody. Their bright-hued throats dotted every branch 
 and thicket, their music swelled through the meadows and re- 
 echoed in the woodlands. \Vhat did they care for the tragedy? 
 
 At eventide the sun softly kissed the western horizon. 
 Stealthily it dipped below the hills, over where the Mendips 
 rose up gaunt against the sky-line. It garbed all around a 
 radiant, glorious purple, till it was known to the earth no 
 longer. Thick on the grass the dew fell. In a clinging mist it 
 wrapped the silent landscape like some far-stretching spectre, 
 that hath no movement, and clothed with an eerie garment the 
 black blurred forms of the silent Quantocks. In the gathering 
 darkness of the night there came no sound save the lowing of
 
 44 MISTRESS DORO TH Y MA R VI N. 
 
 the cattle, the mournful wailing of the willow wren, or the noise 
 of the dull-toned bittern. 
 
 A heartsore wanderer, without shelter for his stricken body, 
 trampled the heather underfoot. Ye may have pity, my chil- 
 dren, for he was your sire the man who tells you this the chief 
 of the House of Armstrong. At that hour, he was a fugitive 
 from justice, with the fiend despair in his soul ; a broken creat- 
 ure, from whom, a cruel, shameful death had robbed one much 
 beloved. An hour before sunset that same afternoon my father 
 had been led forth to execution, along with his eight compan- 
 ions of the courthouse. He had been hanged like a common 
 felon. Even now his limbs were dangling from a gibbet, his 
 gray hairs bare to the night wind, his flesh the food of carrion. 
 I, his first born, had set his body in that awful thing , my head- 
 strong folly had blighted the home of my boyhood ; it had 
 carried death and desolation across its sacred threshold. The 
 sickening misery of such thoughts ! Why had I not died beside 
 him ; or on Sedgemoor plain ? I felt as though I had lived my 
 life, as though God had put forth His Hand ; and as though 
 that Hand had crushed me. There seemed no hope ; no future. 
 We have none among us who can portray that anguish of youth, 
 that hath only the past to look to, when to-morrow is a thing of 
 fear ; when the harvest is in the spring-time. 
 
 Passionately despairing, I flung myself face foremost on the 
 wet grass. The cold blades licked my fevered cheek, and ca- 
 ressed my burning forehead. How long I lay on that dewy 
 undergrowth I do not know, but when I rose the light was gone, 
 and the stars were in the firmament. Haunting wretchedness 
 upon me, I turned my back to the hills ; home was there no 
 longer. With slow limbs I crawled to a place of terror, where 
 four roads meet. A huge shadow loomed ahead, then the night 
 wind crept across the fields, and stirred the iron thing before 
 me. A dirge-like creaking came therefrom, when it swayed to 
 and fro in the ghostly breeze, and as I stayed beside it, a bird 
 came through its bars, and, with a ghoulish scream and a flap 
 of its vampire's wings, flew into the gloom and blackness. 
 
 Close under the shadow of the hellish cage I crept. Down I 
 sank on my knees and clasped my hands in agony. No sound 
 struck the stillness save the creaking of the gibbet. There had 
 been a time when those dangling knees over my head had sup- 
 ported me ; the tongue within that rigid cheek had expounded 
 chapter and verse of the Holy Writ, and those lifeless hands 
 had encircled mine of a Sabbath morn ; as to God's House we 
 had wended our way together. 
 
 I
 
 C HIL VERLE Y FA KM. 45 
 
 I thought of this even then, yet I cursed my God, and re- 
 nounced Him. And then, the devil took courage and raised 
 his head in my heart, for as I knelt there, I swore to hunt down 
 and pursue to the death my father's murderers. My soul 
 yearned for vengeance, my tongue cried for it, and there, 
 under that loathly cage, I made the vow. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 CHILVERLEY FARM. 
 
 EMPTY bellies make full jails. I beseech you, kinsmen, re- 
 member that. Hunger drove me to my first crime. I fought 
 temptation for a time, yet in the end was beaten by the gnaw- 
 ing of my stomach, so that one accursed day I became thief as 
 well as outlaw, by stopping a Tory squire on a lonely track and 
 robbing him. 
 
 From that time forward I flung virtue to the winds, and fell a 
 victim to the devil. Day after day, week-after week, I stripped 
 honest men of their worldly goods, till my name became a ter- 
 ror to the country side, and aroused the admiration of the 
 vulgar. Very shortly I procured money enough to buy a horse, 
 and as my reputation hourly grew, I began to take a pride in 
 it, and to perform ambitious deeds of daring. Despair made 
 me reckless of life and limb. I had no care for existence, 
 knowing well, as matters went, it was simply a work of time ere 
 I paid the penalty for my crimes. 
 
 My heart-wound never healed. Black thoughts of revenge 
 against my father's murderers were ever uppermost in my mind, 
 and these only spurred me on to further depredations. I have 
 since come to think that Satan only was responsible for my 
 existence hereabouts, for I certainly had no heed of God. The 
 tragedy of that September day had been sufficient to set me 
 against all the teaching and precept of my youth, and to fill my 
 soul with gall. I had no hope, no future. I felt nothing but a 
 dull sort of hatred against mankind ; yet in my old age I praise 
 Heaven that even in my darkest moments I ne'er did aught 
 more heinous than to steal my neighbors' goods. I always 
 spared human life, always left the poor alone, and also the 
 \Vhigs, if possible. 'Twas the staunch Tories who swore by 
 the King and Jeffreys, and had helped to hang my father, who 
 were the chief recipients of my vengeance. 
 
 4
 
 46 MJS TRESS DOKO THY MA R I 'IX. 
 
 Many things were in my favor. First was my utter reckless- 
 ness, that ne'er valued life at all. Furthermore, my body was 
 lithe and agile, my eye keen, whilst necessity sharpened my 
 wits to a wonderful extent. Also I became redoubtable with 
 sword and pistol by constant practice and great celerity of 
 movement. Besides this, I had several qualities that told 
 vastly to my advantage in the common mind, and ensured me 
 popularity. I had a natural grace of manner and person, a 
 pert tongue, and could be generous on occasion. Therefore, 
 within a twelvemonth, I was beloved and feared in equal pro- 
 portion by the common folk ; and so high ran my fame between 
 Exeter and Wiltshire, that it endures to this day. None guessed 
 my real identity, and I was known over the country-side by the 
 name " Black Ned." The prefix " Black " first arose through 
 the uncommon swarthiness of my skin, which partook more of 
 the Italian manner than the English. My greatest feat was 
 the robbing of the Earl of Feversham, the King's Commander ; 
 and so greatly did it run in men's minds at the time, that 
 ballads were writ concerning it, and these were sung in every 
 tavern in our shire. As for the countless times I outwitted the 
 sheriff and his posse, the feat became a veritable byword in 
 the West. 
 
 Kinsmen, again I have asserted the gruesome truth that I, 
 your sire, the head of your house, was Black Ned, the rogue, 
 the thief. My proud children, forget it not, and flout honest 
 men no longer. When these words first shall catch your eyes, 
 I have no doubt ye will pass your hands across your several 
 brows, and exercise your several minds as to whether you have 
 bibbed of late too freely. And when you find the tale is truly 
 writ in irreconcilable black and white, ye will call me madman 
 if ye dare; yet I defy you^with Dr. Proudfoot's testament. 
 
 Nigh on three years went by ere I set foot in the glen where- 
 in my home lay. For months I was like one distraught when'er 
 some stray thought chanced to recall what my folly had cost. 
 Time, however, is a great physician. A multitude of wounds 
 he hath healed which the sufferer hath abandoned for incur- 
 able. Throughout many bitter days I could not even think of 
 the blighted home without biting pangs of torment. Ilowbeii 
 the months slipped by and the bitterness grew less, thereupon 
 a desire gradually crept within me to look again on my mother 
 and the homestead. Then came thoughts of my manifold sins, 
 and once more my heart did fail. How could I return to her 
 a thief, a traitor from the cause of truth and right ? 
 
 Another point here arose. Having become accustomed to
 
 CHIL VERLE Y FA RM. 47 
 
 mine own misdeeds, I e'en began to twist facts to suit my case, 
 until I persuaded my sinful self that, when all was said, my 
 offences were by no means so enormous as I had at first con- 
 ceived them. A man must live, I argued, and what more fit- 
 ting than that he should take bread from those who had more 
 than sufficient for themselves? Thus I cozened my better 
 nature with specious logic, and for a while my scruples troubled 
 me but rarely. 
 
 Hence my desire bore fruit one evening in the spring. Me- 
 thought that, after all, no great harm could come of it ; for 
 never a word need I tell my mother of my occupation. 'Twas 
 early in the season, when the shrubs and hedgerows had scarce 
 begun to don their verdure. The shadows were lengthening 
 fast as I reached the path I had traversed so often in happier 
 days. Even though a misty dampness cloaked the hills, this 
 sad pilgrimage recalled many kindly memories. Objects 
 sweetly familiar beset my eyes each time I glanced around. 
 Here was the grassy mound skirting the path, where for days 
 together in the harvest-time I had rested at midday in the broil- 
 ing sun to demolish, with no uncertain appetite, my meal of 
 bread and cold boiled bacon. Afterwards, having dipped my 
 face in the brook, I would lie lazily back, knees and elbows 
 anyhow, watching the sunlight glint upon the hill-stream oppo- 
 site, as it came trickling down from the heights, a glistening, 
 glancing, dancing line of silver, which ceased not in its unend- 
 ing course, nor hushed its gladsome murmur. There, over the 
 meadow, was the willow copse, and hard by the foot of it, re- 
 clining peacefully, was a circle of weeds and water, which 
 grew or lessened as the seasons willed. Here the cows would 
 love to bide, with knee-joints scarce showing above the surface 
 of the pool. Often at sundown, in the old days, had I hied 
 me thither to call them home ere the darkness came, only to 
 find them passive. Large, listless eyes would be turned on me, 
 until they were coaxed out of the stagnant water either by fair, 
 caressing words, or, more likely still, by clods of earth 
 thrown at their haunches. Further afield than this was the 
 paddock close where the young colts kicked their heels at all the 
 world, yet more particularly at their lawful masters. Another 
 recollection came to me of this enclosure at the foot of the 
 sheer hillside (now half-wreathed in the gathering gloom), and 
 that was of one of the skittish animals, out of a mischievous 
 spirit, galloping a tilt at me with open mouth, whereupon I 
 was devoutly thankful to scramble through the hedge with 
 naught worse to chronicle than a sorry rent in my second-best
 
 48 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 hosen. These trifles are the landmarks of our lives, which a 
 failing memory will e'en cling to, though it hath no place for 
 the events of yesterday. 
 
 Those were the happy days before the relentless world had 
 begun its buffeting. Yet dost think they were accounted such ? 
 Man cannot recognize happiness until he hath lost it. He 
 would sigh for the moon sooner than be content with what he 
 has already in his keeping. 
 
 My way was taken in the dusk, with every stream and boulder 
 keeping alive my recollection. 
 
 Soon the track took a bend to the left, and Chilverley village 
 lay serene in the twilight. A little bridge of stone, with low 
 parapets, spans the stream, as it comes swirling down from high 
 up the valley and runs by the outskirts of the hamlet. 
 
 Thirty yards beyond it, on the village side, stands the black- 
 smith's forge, wherein Tobias Hancock had his workshop and 
 abode. 1 have already made some mention of this man ; yet I 
 would like to tell you something of his appearance as I saw it 
 in lusty manhood. 
 
 With him that evening the day's work was done, and his mind 
 was given up to meditation, which he dearly loved. As I rode 
 by he stood filling the doorway, his sleeves still rolled up just 
 above the elbow, and a pensive, lack-lustre in his eyes. 
 
 In stature he was the grandest I ever beheld. Ox-felling 
 thews and sinews were hidden in every limb. Two yards six 
 inches was his height, and not one of these inches was lost in his 
 carriage, as calves and thighs were massy, and brooked not the 
 slightest semblance of a stoop. A noble expanse of shoulder 
 he had too, the frame of Hercules and a mighty chest. He was 
 a hairy-featured fellow, whose black, tangled beard could scarce 
 conceal his firm set mouth and determined jaw. His cheek- 
 bones were high, and a scant covering of flesh upon them told 
 tales of many an earnest vigil. Gray eyes had Nature given 
 him, and strangely keen and bright they were, save when his 
 thoughts went a-wandering, which was often in his leisure, 
 though but seldom in his labor. Bristling thick, in a matted 
 patch, his eyebrows clustered, a plenitude of lines and furrows 
 was chiselled on his forehead, and surmounting it was a liberal 
 bunch of hair harshly shot with gray, which aided the entire cast 
 of countenance in its stern uninviting aspect. 
 
 At this time he was thirty-eight years of age, and his name 
 stood high, not alone in the village, but for some miles around, 
 for excellence of workmanship and for rigid honesty. He was 
 something of a zealot and a sectary, belonging to the denomina-
 
 CHIL VERLE y FA RM. 49 
 
 tion of Independents not that I know aught about them, except 
 that Noll Cromwell was once of their persuasion. The black- 
 smith was precise and blunt of speech ; and, furthermore, feared 
 not to speak his mind to any man, and bowed to none save 
 God. Born and bred of Puritanic stock, he ever upheld their 
 deep convictions. Mind, this hath no reference to those 
 impostors, who bring discredit upon every faith, and most of all 
 upon that of the Puritan, who, attired in sombre garb, are never 
 without Bible and Prayer-book, and are able to fire off whole 
 chapters of Holy Writ appropriate to any happening whatso- 
 ever, yet ever willing and just as capable to cheat their neigh- 
 bors. Neither was he of that class (well-meaning doubtless) 
 who don their piety of a Sabbath morn with their Sunday 
 garments, and throughout that day carry their noses in the air 
 with a smug godliness; yet, alas, for their Christianity! the 
 next day being Monday, they sin with the ease of the devil him- 
 self, but nevertheless are hurt in mind if accounted Pharisaical. 
 
 Tobias had not the taint of any such mongrel Christians, and 
 if you beheld the man you beheld his faith, since the two were 
 never separate. There was a martial tone about him too, for 
 his father had drawn the sword at Naseby and Marston Moor. 
 Indeed, he had much of that spirit that led men to hold a Bible 
 in one hand and a sword in the other, there being always some- 
 thing combative and militant combined with his religion. His 
 pride was large in his own sobriety, therefore the alehouse 
 throve little by his custom, though at eventide a black jack of 
 October had some charms for him. Though his worth was so 
 wondrous high, he was more feared than loved in the village. 
 No matter, he was a power for good, and most sought to stand 
 well in his estimation. However, there were those who had a 
 reverence and an admiration for the inner workings of that 
 steadfast soul, and I was among the number. He was con- 
 sidered slow by many; yet once let a notion get into his head, 
 then neither prayer nor cudgel could drive it out. 
 
 Such was Tobias Hancock, the best blacksmith in the Quan- 
 tocks, the man I had scarce hoped to see in the flesh again. 
 Yet here he stood, hard by his own doorpost, and my eyes 
 were gladdened by the sight. 
 
 I reined up my horse within two yards of the doorway. 
 
 " Zaikes alive!" Tobe exclaimed, his usual stolidity rudely 
 startled. "Be 'e man, or be 'e pixie? Whoy, 'tis Ned Arm- 
 strong, I dii declare ! " 
 
 " Ay, Tobe, 'tis I." 
 
 " Thou hast coom back then arter many days, even as Moses
 
 5 
 
 M/STRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 returned vroom oot o' tha land o' Midian, to Israel his birth- 
 place ? My eyemers, lad, I be raight glad tii zee 'e ! " 
 
 He tlirust forth his hand, and took mine, and so honest was 
 his grip that I grinned to avert an exclamation. 
 
 " \Vull, an' weer hast been a zetting thyzell thease girt 
 time ? " 
 
 " Nay, friend," I said, " I fain would make inquiry first. 
 How comes it that you are now before me as lively as a morris 
 dancer, when methought you stark on Sedgemoor plain?" 
 
 " Twas zo, Ned ; yet the Lord ordereth all things for tha 
 best. It zaved my neck did thickee cavalryman's zord, though 
 'er like tii ha' dued vor me althegither." 
 
 He pushed the hair back from his forehead, and thereby 
 revealed a long deep scar. 
 
 " A weary journey home it was, I can tellee, and hence I 
 should ne'er ha' coom ef gude friends had not succored me 
 in my need." 
 
 " We had been taken ere you got back, Tobe." 
 
 " Ay, an' tha next week arter thygwoing away, thickee Eras- 
 tian butcher, Kirke, himsell did coom. Tha zon o' Anti-christ 
 left poor Bill Marzon on yander zapling, an' Nat Biddle t'other 
 zide on it, wi' 'iz ole mother a zitting crazed at 'iz feet." 
 
 The blacksmith, as he spoke, pointed across to the field 
 opposite, where two slender trees were obscurely outlined 
 against the shadowy vapor of the _sky ; and though the light 
 was nearly spent, I could plainly see the man's eyes blazing 
 from a face of wrath. 
 
 After a moment, however, his voice lowered, and the harsh- 
 ness left it. His visage softened also when he said 
 
 " But tha Lord hath uz all in 'Iz keeping ; yea, we are 'Iz 
 chillern, and 'E mut needs chastise uz. Now, Ned, I ha' telled 
 'e on mine own adventures, zo et be toime thine weer heered.'' 
 
 If the choice had been entirely mine, a discreet silence would 
 have been preserved regarding them ; yet no backing out could 
 there be from the blacksmith's curiosity. Therefore I entered 
 into a full confession. My heart was not a good one for the 
 task, for I was fearful of offending his high integrity. 
 
 By this it had grown quite dark, thus I had no view of my 
 listener's face. Misgivings beset me at the outset, yet ere long 
 wrongs, to my mind, appeared to outweigh sins ; hence I 
 warmed to my task, and poured out everything for his behoof. 
 When my recital was at an end, stillness reigned betwixt us. 
 The only sound in the darkness was my restless horse pawing 
 the ground.
 
 CHIL VERLE Y FARM. 5 1 
 
 I awaited his answer, growing momently more uneasy at his 
 delay in giving it. It came at last. 
 
 " Ned Armstrong, begone vroom oot o' mi zite ! Thee art a 
 cur!" 
 
 He turned his back on me, and without so much as a single 
 glance behind he took himself inside. 
 
 I led my horse away towards the homestead with a strange 
 coldness at the heart. Every false erection the devil had built 
 to silence my conscience had been thrust down forever. My 
 sins and my guilty soul were bared to the light of truth. The 
 thunderous tones of the angry man loitered in mine ears, and 
 burnt themselves into my brain. 
 
 " Ned Armstrong, begone vroom oot o' mi zite ! Thee art 
 a cur ! " 
 
 This, from the man I loved best on earth, now that my father 
 was no more ; and he, too, had loved me dearly. 
 
 I came to the farm gate, but stood there a full ten minutes, 
 having no spirit left to enter. 
 
 By and by, I summoned courage to lift the gate latch, and to 
 lead my animal past where the pigs lay grunting, along the 
 straw-yard. I duly fixed him in a vacant stall within the stable. 
 Formerly Peggy had bided there ; but the faithful gray had 
 failed to bring back her bones from her first campaign. 
 
 The candles were alight in the kitchen window, and reflected 
 whitely through the blind. Mother, John, and Betty sat round 
 the fire for the nights were still chilly as I opened the door 
 and strode in amongst them. 
 
 All three gave a quick glance towards me. Then mother 
 jumped up, and ran forward with outstretched arms of welcome. 
 She threw them around my neck in a quick embrace, crying 
 out in joyous greeting 
 
 "Oh, Ned, Ned, mine own bright boy! God be praised! 
 Thou hast come back ! " 
 
 Such is the way of mothers. 
 
 My brother and sister came towards me very glad, with an 
 air half shy, half sprightly. 
 
 Some time went by ere these loving recognitions were com- 
 plete. No sooner were they ended than dear mother, just the 
 same as ever, set about with astonishing alacrity to prepare a 
 steaming meal. 
 
 The four of us partook of it together, and smiling faces were 
 freely borne. During these happy moments care was forgotten. 
 'Twas like the old days revivified the beauteous old days ere 
 the fell blow descended, the thrice happy old days that passed
 
 5 2 MISTKESS DORO THY MAR VIM 
 
 heedlessly by, with never a care for the morrow, with never a 
 thought for their fleeting delight ! To me, however, the joyous- 
 ness of the evening was marred by a void there was no filling. 
 The grave kindly face, which had always in my recollection 
 adorned the table-head, was no longer there, to invoke God's 
 blessing on the fare, or to smile benignantly at his children's 
 early wit. 
 
 Supper having gone the way most of its kind do follow, I was 
 snugly placed in the chimney corner-seat, wherein father oft- 
 times of an evening had sucked his pipe and drunk his beer. 
 In this honorable position I emulated my sire's example by aid 
 of the self-same pipe. 
 
 All three ministered to my comforts. John fetched a pair of 
 slippers from the shelf, that my feet might be rested, for horse- 
 'men's boots were heavy. Howbeit, his manner of doing this 
 was so monstrous stately, that mother and Betty had to gasp 
 for breath, such was the vigor of their laughter. Betty, on her 
 own part, gave a worthy exposition as to the proper mode of per- 
 forming these kindly offices. In the twitch of an eyelid my 
 churchwarden was charged from the tobacco-box over the 
 mantel-shelf, and a smoking bowl of luscious rum punch was 
 brewed ; and, as my lips shall surely testify, no other have I 
 tasted since to beat it. Mark you ! all this was daintily done 
 by a plump young maiden, who laughed the while, without any 
 show of hurrying. Thereupon, so smitten was I with such 
 amiable dexterity, that straightway I must needs jump up and 
 kiss her, not twice, nor thrice, but six times over. This re- 
 prehensible proceeding set rosiness in her cheek. 
 
 " Fie, fie, brother Ned ! " she remonstrated. " I will brook 
 no such unseemly levity." 
 
 " 1' faith, mistress," I returned, " methinks thou wilt ere long ; 
 for when pretty maidens learn to concoct rum punch, and to 
 charge a pipe so very deftly, I'll warrant there is a cavalier at 
 no great distance." 
 
 Alteration was apparent in them all. John had grown into a 
 fine tall fellow, far outstripping me in point of stature. A sober- 
 minded one, too, who jogged along at his own pace, paying no 
 heed to the world at large, but treading his own path in his own 
 good time. He was three years younger than I, and certainly 
 not ill-favored. A rare and comely lass Betty had become, she 
 being born a year later than John. My gaze was pleasured by 
 the sight of her ; and, I doubt not, so was many another's, see- 
 ing that she possessed a cheerful laugh and a healthful beauty. 
 As for mother, she was changed the least of all. Save that a
 
 CH1L VERLE Y FARM. 
 
 S3 
 
 few silver hairs had stolen where aforetime there were not any, 
 and, mayhap, that her spirits were not quite what they were of 
 yore, she was still the same. 
 
 This blessed night hath lingered always in my memory. In 
 a circle we were ranged around the fire ; I in blissful comfort, 
 with limbs at ease, and with downy cushions for my back. All 
 eagerness were they for information of my adventures, as naught 
 was known of them. Their impatience was soon manifest, see- 
 ing that Betty at once beset me with eager questions. Previ- 
 ously, I had determined that from no words of mine should they 
 obtain the knowledge of my inquities. That this resolution had 
 been too hastily made was quickly proven. At first I gave no 
 answer, but thrust my head backwards against the chair, puffing 
 gravely the while, and contemplating the rows of flitches over- 
 head, as if meditatively indifferent. 
 
 This was very well to begin with ; but soon their patience 
 became exhausted, and I was sorely pressed to make reply. 
 First one, and then another pestered me, tho' my intention was 
 far from revealing the dark phases in my history. Therefore I 
 sought refuge in evasion. Most concernedly did I inquire after 
 the health of Parson Pridgin, our village pastor, and of that of 
 the old ram, who once on a time had butted me with such 
 severity in the region of the doublet, that no breath had been 
 left behind it. However, my fencing mattered not, as ere long 
 I was plied on every side ; and at length my guard was fairly 
 beaten down, when mother said straight out 
 
 " What have you to conceal, Ned, that you thwart us so ? " 
 
 " Hey, hey, I'm fairly pinked, mother mine. If ye must 
 know, hast ever heard of Black Ned ? " 
 
 " Of course we have ! " exclaimed John with interest. 
 
 " 'Tis said he is a desperate fellow, who hath fear for none." 
 
 " 'Pon my word that's so," said John again. " Did he not 
 beset and rob the King's Commander in these parts last 
 year ? " 
 
 " And did he not dandle the sheriff all over the county after 
 him, and in the end did souse him in Shepton ditch ?" put in 
 Betty, for the deeds of this famous rogue filled the mouth of 
 nearly every man and maiden in the shire. 
 
 " Hast ever seen him ? " I queried. 
 
 "That I never have; would that I might; his name and 
 fame are bandied everywhere," quoth John. 
 
 " Come, come, sir, have some respect for the truth, as be- 
 hoves a member of our family."
 
 54 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 Twas plain this was one depth below his ability to fathom, 
 for he scratched his head with a comical air of mystery. 
 
 " What meanest thou ? " he asked. 
 
 "Tut, man ! " said I, "my meaning is plain. Unless I am 
 much mistaken, thou hast seen him often." 
 
 " Ned, I account this a weak jest," he answered, his temper 
 ruffling. 
 
 " Ocls niggers, boy ! I speak in good sooth. Did I not say 
 you had seen him often ? Furthermore, you have held speech 
 with him ; and, to be explicit, do so precisely at this moment. 
 I am Black Ned." 
 
 The three auditors stared hard at me in blank astonishment. 
 'Twas my business then to startle folks, yet assuredly never did 
 I see a trio more dumfounded. 
 
 " 'Tis a feeble jest," observed the unbelieving John. 
 
 " So you say, my master, but 'twixt ourselves 'twould be, me- 
 thinks, something of a costly one for thee, should I chance to 
 meet thee with a heavy purse some fine night a-coming from 
 Kingston market." 
 
 At that they laughed outright, and refused in the most ab- 
 solute manner to accept the truth. Here was the chance to 
 play the coward ; and Tebe Hancock's rebuff being still hot in 
 my memory, it undermined my new-found courage, and so 
 worthy inclination broke and fled before the wiles of insidious 
 temptation. Thus, between their scepticism and the black- 
 smith's blow, I drifted into subterfuge, deceit, and a strange, 
 new kind of trickery. Seeing that they could not on this occa- 
 sion discriminate betwixt truth and untruth, I gave them an 
 uncolored account of my exploits and mode of life, and hoped 
 all the time that they would disbelieve it. 
 
 And this is exactly what they did. I laughed with them and 
 joked with them, and kept my countenance (as best I might) 
 continuously cheerful. My conscience gave me a twinge now 
 and then, my honor, once or twice, a sharp reminder. Yet, 
 somehow, I played the paltry game, and floundered through it 
 with a craven's desperation. I was made to feel the sting of 
 (.very jest, the bite of every smirk, the hollowness that lurked 
 behind every gust of laughter. And to me their smiles were 
 such an added source of torment that I presently dared not 
 gaze upon their faces. Would bedtime never come ? I gave 
 a vigilant eye to the clock ; but every five minutes appeared 
 magnified to twenty. By and by I began to yawn, though I 
 ne'er felt more sleepless in my life, and at last put an end to 
 ihe bitter farce for the present time by rising, rubbing my eyes,
 
 CHIL VERLE Y FARM. 55 
 
 and calling for a candle. Not that I was allowed to say good- 
 night, until a hearty compliment had been paid to my powers 
 of romancing. 
 
 I lay that night in my old chamber. I found everything un- 
 changed therein, even to the pattern of the counterpane and 
 the color of the carpet. The window through which the sun 
 rays slanted over the hill-tops of a morning was just as wide 
 and just as high as heretofore. The old settle immediately 
 underneath it showed no more signs of wormwood and decay 
 than when I had last beheld it. All things were so unchanged, 
 so homelike, so swathed in precious, tender memories. The 
 very spirit of the old days seemed to haunt the place. For a 
 moment I breathed the air of childhood. Yet devilish mockery 
 lay behind this retrospection, for of a sudden I thought of the 
 bed the other side the wall, and of him who used to lie there. 
 I thought of a shimmering mass of metal that once reclined at 
 my bed-foot, and of a summer morning in the dread year '85. 
 Thereat fantastic images of Judge Jeffreys and the King leapt 
 before mine eyes, and that sight of them was as though 
 some fiend was trying to tear my heart out. Once I saw 
 the look of pride on my father's face, as he talked in 
 his quiet way of the antiquity of our house, and of the 
 unsullied honor of they who had borne its name. Then 
 my crimes came to me one by one ; they peeped round the 
 curtains of the bed; they perched on my uneasy pillow ; they 
 lived with my ears and eyes. I jumped out of -the sheets, relit 
 the candle, drew on my small hose, and sat on the bedside 
 shivering. But one solitary flickering flame cannot benumb 
 the power of morbid recollection. *Twas Tobe Hancock's 
 awful face and the hypocrisy practised scarce three hours agone 
 that now menaced me. 
 
 After a while I redressed myself in all particulars, and left 
 that place of torment. I crept downstairs with infinity of caution, 
 but, as if to flout my vigilance, the third stair from the bottom 
 creaked loudly underfoot. I groped in the darkness to the 
 kitchen, and found a chair beside the feeble embers of the fire. 
 I sat there with my head in my hands, and did not look up till 
 a secret sound of rustling roused me from my lethargy. For 
 the moment I was startled a white-robed, ghost-like figure was 
 coming stealthily towards me. 'Twas my mother. 
 
 Methought at first that this was some phantasy conjured up 
 by my disordered brain ; but 'twas no delusive apparition, for I 
 felt a light touch on my shoulder, and mother, clad in her night- 
 dress, stooped and kissed my face.
 
 56 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 " My poor boy," she whispered softly, " I heard you letve 
 your room." 
 
 Her voice told me that sobs were fighting with her words. I 
 made no reply, but felt a great dread of any questions. 
 
 " I, too, could not rest," she said again ; then added, appre- 
 hensively, " Mine own good lad, please tell me the truth : you 
 did but jest with us yestreen ? " 
 
 By this my strength was spent ; I could offer no resistance. 
 
 " Mother," I answered slowly, " I have told the truth already. 
 'Tis no jest ; would to God it were ! " 
 
 Coming at such a time, and in so cruel a manner, she had 
 only one course, and that was to believe me. 
 
 " But you jested so," she gasped, clinging to the final straw, 
 though hope was already dead. I could feel her bosom heaving 
 pitifully, it being gently pressed against my shoulder. 
 
 " I played the coward last night. I lacked the courage to 
 confess my hateful trade ! O God, that I should confess it 
 now ! " I broke forth wildly. 
 
 Thereupon a silence fell between us, which at last was broken 
 by poor mother's overmastering sorrow. 
 
 " Ned, my boy, my son," was her only reproach, her only ex- 
 clamation ; and three tears pattered on my hand. At each I 
 winced, and afterwards drooped my head again, under my fur- 
 ther weight of shame, of pain, of humiliation. 
 
 Mother left me as noiselessly as she had come. Silence held 
 throughout the night, except when broken by the wind that 
 wailed amid the chimney stacks, and screamed amid the half 
 bare branches of the trees in the valleys, hills, and orchards, a 
 mournful dirge-like note of desolation. Wretchedly I crouched 
 across the hearthstone, and watched every ember fade to a 
 residue of livid fluff and blackened charcoal. 
 
 When the east showed signs of growing lighter, I stretched 
 my cramped limbs, unbarred the outer door, and stepped into 
 the yard. I crossed it wearily and saddled Joe my faithful 
 friend and servant in the half-light of the dawn. The willing 
 creature took me hence, and for the rest I cared not whither the 
 path might lead.
 
 TREATS OF A WAYSIDE VENTURE, 57 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 TREATS OF A WAYSIDE VENTURE. 
 
 THE morning accorded exactly with my thoughts. It was dull, 
 damp, miserable. The lowering sky was an inky mass, that met 
 the earth at no great distance from the eye, and enveloped the 
 rocks, boulders, and wooded coombes of the hills in a shroud of 
 mist. Worse than this, however, the rain pelted down with 
 remorseless persistence, and drove hard at the dejected traveller. 
 In this malicious office it was well assisted by the scurrying wind, 
 which seemed to blow from every quarter. The light broadened 
 slowly, yet the dripping landscape was not enhanced thereby ; 
 neither did the wind and rain abate. Before long my hat and 
 cloak were sodden with the never-ending flow of water ; and 
 this added to my discomfort, for the dampness would creep into 
 every crevice between my skin and garments. Not that I heeded 
 the paltry matter of the elements on that unpropitious journey, 
 as methinks, of all God's creatures I was the most sorrowful, 
 forlorn, and desolate that morning. 
 
 Joe wandered where he listed, their being no guiding hand 
 to check his course. However, with the instinct of his species, 
 he pursued the road best known to him namely, that leading 
 to the King's Head Tavern, Bridgewater. I prayed that by 
 some fortuitous whim he might carry me to Eternity such was 
 my despair. That prayer was vain, for he traversed the peril- 
 ous byways among the hills without a falter, though often the 
 path wound in and out, and frequently had naught else but 
 name to boast of. At other times I must have dismounted and 
 led him carefully over the rugged precipitous track ; yet now, 
 death would have been so merciful, he took singular care of my 
 neck, unaided. 
 
 In the course of time, the Quantocks were left behind, Joe 
 bearing me in safety to the king's highway, without false step 
 or stumble. A heavy coat of mud lay on it pudding thick and 
 sticky; and every rut and they were plentiful, for road-making 
 was an art unknown in Stuart times was filled with dirty water ; 
 but in despite of this Master Joe picked his way with circum- 
 spection, and kept his pace distinctly sober and sedate.
 
 58 M/STKKSS DOKO THY MAR riN. 
 
 For myself I had heed of no material things, being utterly 
 bogged in the deadly muse that gripped me. As time went on 
 and the terrors of reflection increased to their fullest power, my 
 love of life, by an inverse ratio, waned and waned, and steadily 
 diminished. I had dealt a hard blow on my nearest and dear- 
 est relative ; had alienated the love of my fondest friend : had 
 sent my father to a shameful death; had deceived my kindred; 
 and had forfeited my honor, soul, and body to the devil. 
 What was there to live for ? I had not one care or tie of life 
 remaining. 
 
 I shudder for the natural end of this morbidity ; methinks 
 the upshot would have been perilously near a case of self- 
 destruction. However, I was soon startled clean out of this 
 melancholy state, and in a manner wholly singular. 
 
 I suddenly heard a sharp sound of hoofs behind me, and to 
 learn the cause turned quickly in my saddle. At that precise 
 moment a horse dashed by, betwixt my right hand and the 
 hedge. I caught one glimpse of an enormous foam-flecked 
 creature, with quivering nostrils, frothy mouth, and wild, dilated 
 eyes, racing along at the utmost speed it could command ; and 
 to this day I have not seen its velocity equalled. 
 
 Its awesome pace, and the way its head clipped towards the 
 earth, proclaimed it to be a runaway by no means the most 
 thrilling matter, for there was a rider on its back ; and the rider 
 was a girl. I saw at once that help was of the greatest urgence 
 and necessity ; a tonic this for scattered wits, since it braced 
 my blood for action. 
 
 " After 'em, my beauty ! " I growled in the ear of my dearest 
 Joe, smartly shook his bridle, and touched him lightly with the 
 spurs, whereat he darted after them, for I never begged his aid 
 in vain. However, the runaway was yards in front, and though 
 Joe was nothing of a wastrel, and of lighter build and make 
 than he, 'twas as much as his willing limbs could do to keep 
 the gap between us unincreased, without regard to its diminish- 
 ment. 
 
 I may here confess that the sight of a maid in a plight so 
 hapless afflicted me with fear, tho' ere long these qualms under- 
 went some mitigation, for the mode in which the girl maintained 
 a firm seat in the saddle, and fought the huge creature and en- 
 deavored to check its course by every means at her command, 
 made me considerably more hopeful. In fact the way she 
 brought every iota of skill and strength to bear on the bit, 
 was a noble sight, and one to inspire a man with admiration. 
 But in spite of the lady's coolness, courage, and dexterity, the
 
 TREATS OF A WAYSIDE VENTURE. 59 
 
 furious animal was her master. Meanwhile Joe was speeding 
 to her succor in his powerful deerlike stride, and flinging the 
 mud and stones of the miry road into an upstarting swirl be- 
 neath his hoofs. 
 
 I nerved my horse to put forth every inch of pace, yet nerve 
 him as I might, 'twas all in vain ; our quarry still maintained 
 its lead. That lolling-tongued Bucephalus, with every muscle 
 strained, and frothy lather flying from its mouth, ne'er halted 
 nor faltered in its mad career. At last I beheld its rider reel 
 back in the saddle, and terror fairly numbed me, for I knew 
 the reins had snapped and that her horse was entirely free. 
 Her final chance was gone, and methought naught less than a 
 kindly Providence could save her from death, or at least a 
 grievous injury. 'Twas a breathless time, kinsmen, the hedges 
 whirling by on either side, and the wind and rain beating into 
 eyes and teeth ; yet breast the elements as we might, we could 
 never get a foot nearer the insensate brute and its splendidly 
 courageous rider. 
 
 A minute later my heart bounced against my ribs, for of a 
 sudden, without the vestige of a warning, the maddened animal 
 stumbled, lurched, and crashed down on its side ; whilst it 
 thrilled me through with horror to see the brave, ill-starred 
 maiden pitched out of the saddle a full ten yards, like some 
 feather-headed shuttle-cock. Thereat I lost my nerve, groaned 
 aloud, and almost seemed to feel my heart go down. To me 
 the calamity was close akin to personal, for faith ! courage ap- 
 peals to me like naught else I know of. I admire it in all 
 forms and shapes ; in all things animate and vertebrate ; in 
 dogs and horses, men and women, and even fighting-cocks ! 
 
 Upon arriving on the scene of the disaster, I dismounted 
 swiftly, but found the attitude of horse and rider anything but 
 heartening. The thing that had occasioned all the mischief lay 
 on the track; dead beat, pumping breath out of its mouth and 
 nostrils, and its great ribs heaving and falling as though a 
 blacksmith's bellows was at work behind them. 
 
 My first care was for the lady. I found her stretched on a 
 fringe of grass beside the road, lying with body full ex- 
 tended, face down, and motionless. With her methought 'twas 
 a case of a broken neck, therefore was full of tremors when I 
 dropped on my knees beside her. At first I found no sign of 
 life ; and may I ne'er again set eyes on a woman in so dire a 
 plight. Her hat lay in the mire, her riding cloak was daubed 
 with dirt, and her left hand and wrist were dripping blood. 
 But 'twas a little simple thing that most of all did touch me ;
 
 60 MISTKESS DORO THY MAR I '/A'. 
 
 which was to see a very forest of rich brown hair, with a red 
 ribbon tied round it daintily. To me it seemed so pretty, so 
 insinuatingly coquettish, so emblematic of graceful girlish 
 vanity, that for it now to be in such a dismal strait moved me 
 strangely. 
 
 1 picked her up carefully, tenderly took her in my arms, and 
 placed her on a grass-grown mound of earth, then sought vainly 
 to learn the beating of her heart or other harbingers of life. 
 Filled with misgiving, again I knelt at her side. Supporting her 
 with one arm, I fumbled frantically in my pockets with the other 
 hand for a phial of eau-de-vie. This diligence was presently re- 
 warded, for the elusive bottle was haled from a snug recess in 
 my doublet. I parted her tight white lips with difficulty, and 
 thrust some of the restorative down her throat. Howbeit this 
 met with no success ; her eyes remained still closed, nor did 
 the color come ; and in the interval of waiting I took upon my- 
 self a liberty I plucked a handful of clotted mud from her 
 fine dark hair. 
 
 Now I am aware this proceeding was the reverse of necessary, 
 perchance to some it may even appear indelicate, nay, imper- 
 tinent ; yet so beauteous did that hair appear to my simple 
 gaze, and so ill did the clinging dirt accord with it, that like a 
 passionate sentimentalist, or (an you will?) an ill-conditioned 
 Vandal, I increased its loveliness, and thereby fostered honest 
 admiration. 
 
 After that I kept plying strong water, though at first the 
 effect was discouragingly scanty. At last, inspired with the 
 determination of despair, I assembled all my energies for one 
 great final effort. Meantime I had placed the eau-de-vie on the 
 grass beside me, one arm nipped the limp young creature's 
 waist, a sympathetic paw tenderly encased her damaged wrist, 
 anxious solicitude was writ large upon my countenance, and this 
 fair mistress quite unexpectedly opened her eyes ; and lo ! they 
 lit on me ! 
 
 Children, I am an old man now, but may God ne'er dim 
 their lustre to my memory ! No sooner did those drooping 
 lids reveal the splendor hid behind them, than my addle pate 
 became piteously disconcerted ; and, boor-like, in answer to 
 her look of wonderment, I opened my mouth, and disclosed 
 the beauty of my teeth. Now do not for one moment think 
 this was out of a spirit of rivalry or emulation with her eyes, 
 'twas just sheer inanition at the revelation of their glory. 
 Doubtless the lady, in her secret heart, thought the staring 
 dolt so close besetting her was neither more nor less than a
 
 TREATS OF A WAYSIDE VENTURE. 6 1 
 
 stupid country clown devoid of sense or manners ; so the wider 
 your worthy parent parted his lips, the more expansive did those 
 eyes become, till at length the tardy blood burst forth, and 
 mantled crimson in her cheeks and forehead. Her senses quickly 
 mustered, and mayhap she had gotten a full complement ere I 
 gathered enow of mine to withdraw my idiotic gaze. For my 
 life I could have found no words of speech at first, so much 
 had my situation daunted me. And when I did avert my eyes, 
 'twas in a hang-dog style, with a tingling in the ears, and much 
 hot blood near the brain. 
 
 Hereabouts I manifested some desire to beat an ignominious 
 retreat, by jumping over the hedge and running away. Who can 
 tell but what this might have developed into an actuality, had not 
 something seemed to tell me that to have let go my hold of the 
 lady in a fashion so precipitate, would have caused her, in her 
 weakly state, to topple backward into the ditch behind ? Having 
 overcome my clownish inclination for the sake of so sweet a 
 mistress, I made haste to wriggle out of a very compro- 
 mising posture. First I slipped my hand with the utmost 
 care off her injured wrist, then slipped, mark you, more care- 
 fully than ever, that arm from round her waist. These feats 
 judiciously accomplished, I breathed with a trifle more of 
 freedom. 
 
 The maid was timid, blushing, coy at first, after the manner 
 of her sex, when on strange ground, and in strange company. 
 'Tis wise procedure I trow, especially if this same company be 
 masculine, youthful, and warm-hearted. For 'twill blush, too, 
 and be very miserable, whereat the lady hath undue advantage, 
 as she will undoubtedly be composed the soonest ; for the sex 
 of womankind, as a general thing, is less easily abashed, and far 
 less lastingly than the other one. 
 
 Certes, 'twas very like this with me when the maiden opened 
 her eyes and beheld Ned Armstrong, in no very courteous posi- 
 tion, at her side. And this same Ned Armstrong, despite 
 grievous misfortune, being still youthful and warm-hearted, 
 and feeling wondrous guilty in his private mind, became a prey 
 to real scarlet-tinted confusion. Verily I was a bold rogue then, 
 with the scantiest reverence for mankind ; but let that other sex 
 come by, then I was an emblem of meekness and humility a 
 gallant trait that once tempted a married friend, a meek-eyed 
 Benedick, to say that I was fitted choicely well by nature for the 
 stormy sea of matters matrimonial. 
 
 Presently the maiden glanced upon her hurt, looked at the 
 phial of eau-de-vie, and at the exhausted horses on the roadway. 
 5
 
 62 MJSTKESS DORO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 Thereat she rose, and courtesying to me with a grace that we 
 don't grow in England, said 
 
 " Sir, how can I thank you ? " 
 
 From that moment I have ne'er seen a maid so beautiful. 
 Despite the havoc of the accident, there was no mistaking the 
 degree of this fearless brown-faced lady, whose noble air, 
 gracious, yet lofty, sweet, yet commanding, told Ned Armstrong 
 surer than the tongue that here was a gentlewoman. 
 
 Her breach of silence dispelled a goodly portion of my em- 
 barrassment. So I, seeing her so lovely and so finely bred, put 
 on company manners, and bowed with a long-drawn-out polite- 
 ness. 
 
 " I trust thou'rt not seriously hurt, mistress ? " I asked, 
 mighty solicitous. 
 
 ' Not in the least, sir," she replied, in a swift, decisive fashion. 
 
 ' But your wrist, mistress ? " 
 
 ' 'Tis nothing. A mere scratch ! " 
 
 ' But it bleeds profusely. Please, let me bind it up." 
 
 ' No, no, thank you, sir ! It may bide with comfort till I get 
 home. It hath only made acquaintance with a jagged stone." 
 
 However, I was obstinate, and pressed the point with dili- 
 gence and such a power of pleading, that by and by she yielded 
 laughingly to my importunity, and let me bandage it with her 
 handkerchief. I was astonished to find how deep the wound 
 was ; it went almost to the bone ; and while I handled it with 
 the utmost gentleness and care, I could not help but marvel at 
 the little thing she made of it, which appeared quite contrary to 
 the custom of the delicately nurtured. Yet, upon a close ob- 
 servance, I found she was not wholly stoical, for her face 
 blanched once more, and I could feel her little hand was trem- 
 bling. Observing that I had detected these portents, she said, 
 doubtless to palliate her weakness 
 
 " 'Tis a foolish thing, I know, sir ; but I hate the sight of 
 blood ! " And she turned her head away confusedly, as though 
 heartily ashamed. 
 
 Now this struck me as truly strange, but when I came to 
 reflect, it seemed of a piece with her other characteristics. A 
 young and beautiful lady who rode a war-charger, for without 
 doubt that was the nature of the runaway, unattended, early on 
 a rainy, windy morning, and who handled it with extraordinary 
 courage and dexterity, must needs differ in many particulars 
 from her sisters. In the course of my chirurgic duties, I took 
 occasion to snatch a glance at my companion's face, and found 
 it also very fine to look at. Still I was unable to drink in the
 
 TREA TS OF A WA YSIDE VENTURE. 63 
 
 fulness of its beauty all at once, because if at any period I 
 gazed upon it more than ten seconds at a time, such was the 
 vivacity of her eyes, that she was bound to catch me staring. 
 
 " Sir," she said, when my task was done, " I fain would learn 
 the name of my kindly succorer ; I could then thank him the 
 more explicitly." 
 
 " Prithee, mistress, do not set so high a value upon my serv- 
 ices. It hath only been with me a case of gallop, instead of a 
 doleful walk." 
 
 This was, of course, a subterfuge. Her question had startled 
 and frightened me, for I felt myself to be in a corner that was 
 uncomfortably tight. Throughout those years of outlawry it had 
 ever been my desire to conceal my real name, that our high family 
 need not be dragged down with me, and not have their honored 
 and ancient patronymic bandied from mouth to mouth by virtue 
 of a rogue so vulgar. Accordingly, the familiar appellation of 
 Black Ned had been of such real service in cloaking my true 
 identity, that none knew the highwayman was John Armstrong's 
 son, save mother and Tobe Hancock. Yet how could I give 
 my professional name to this young lady ? My blood chilled 
 at the thought. Howbeit she was not to be deterred by any 
 equivoque ; therefore, upon the repetition of her question, I 
 replied 
 
 " Edward Armstrong, your very good servant, mistress." 
 
 " Dost claim kinship with the Copeland Armstrong, might I 
 ask, sir ? " 
 
 " 1 am mine uncle Sir Peter's nearest kinsman. And by 
 what token shall I remember you, mistress ? " 
 
 " As the daughter of Sir Nicholas Marvin of Kelston Manor, 
 who will ne'er forget thy kindly services." 
 
 Even as I had pronounced my name I knew how deeply I 
 stood committed ; yet in justice to myself I must advance an 
 extenuating plea, as just then I seemed the victim of a crazy 
 fascination, that somehow lulled my senses. 
 
 Together we paid heed to the horses. Old Joe, the best be- 
 haved of his species, stood watching us with indifference. Not 
 so the other animal. It still lay where it had fallen, and its 
 condition appeared woe-begone and pitiable. Ere I could guess 
 what her motive was, its mistress seized the bridle and raised 
 it on to its legs ; and, as she did so, I felt mightily ashamed of 
 mine own backwardness, and also rare admiration for her skill 
 in the handling of horses. 
 
 " Master Armstrong," quoth she warmly, " if I only had a 
 man's arm, and a stout stick to assist it, I'd give this gentle-
 
 64 MISTRESS DORO THY MARVIN. 
 
 man the biggest hiding he's had for many a year. I'd either 
 knock sense into him, or knock the nonsense out." 
 
 At that I could not conceal a smile. 
 
 " Nay, sir," she flashed indignantly, " tis no laughing matter. 
 When Sir Nicholas sees him in this state there'll be an awful 
 noise. You see," she added, by way of explaining the cause of 
 so dire an effect, " the bit wouldn't hold the brute ; but I can 
 promise him, the next time I require his services, I'll have a 
 bit on him that I can break his jaw with, if I find such a meas- 
 ure needful." 
 
 Thereupon she turned on the delinquent fiercely, and gave 
 his mouth a vicious tug. 
 
 " Thou great fool ! " she exclaimed, hitting him across the 
 nose ; and proceeded to scold him with remarkable asperity. 
 However, at the height of this abuse, she chanced to turn her 
 head, and to see the woeful condition of one shoulder which 
 had received a deep gash from whence the blood streamed 
 freely. For a moment sorrow and anger seemed to contend for 
 mastery in her tone and countenance. But, in the end, the 
 softer emotion gained the day, for her fierce tones tailed off in 
 the most comical manner possible, and she discarded anger for 
 a sigh, and in a voice exquisitely sympathetic said, " Master 
 Armstrong, I'm a brute ! " stamped her foot to emphasize the 
 fact ; then caressingly slapped the late delinquent's neck. 
 
 Alas ! that unappreciative beast shook himself, disdainfully 
 accounting this cosseting no privilege. Whereupon she turned 
 to Joe, who had regarded the proceedings with a large-eyed 
 interest. Prettily pleased was he to receive her caresses, and 
 having a much nicer perception of feminine beauty, licked her 
 hand in response ; so, having this proof of his kindly heart, she 
 fondled his ears and kissed the white star on his forehead. Next, 
 she once more turned to her own steed, and leading him a few 
 yards forward, said 
 
 " I must give you good morning, Master Armstrong ; I am 
 keeping Sir Nicholas without his breakfast, and 'tis a very 
 temerarious thing to do, sir ; besides, poor Wallenstein must 
 have his grievous hurt dressed as soon as possible." 
 
 Again she thanked me a good deal more than my services 
 deserved, then turned her horse's head, and led him at a brisk 
 pace homeward. However, Master Armstrong, aetat twenty- 
 four, marched after her double-quick. 
 
 "One moment, mistress! It is more than a mile to the 
 manor, I wot, and your horse will sadly encumber you. Allow 
 Joe to carry you thither. I will bring poor Wallenstein."
 
 TREATS OF A WAYSIDE VENTURE. 65 
 
 " Thou'rt truly kind and good, Master Armstrong. But really, 
 sir, I'm sure thou hast something better worth the compassing 
 than aiding belated girls back to their homes again." 
 
 " May I never have a worse occupation, mistress." 
 
 At first she firmly refused my help ; but I, sorry for her mis- 
 fortunes, and subtly charmed, persisted. Ultimately, with many 
 thanks, and many more excuses, she assented to this proposal. 
 . Oft-times in after days I have tried to square my behavior 
 on this occasion with common-sense and reason. Why was it 
 that on one of the most awful mornings of my life, when the 
 gates of hell were open wide before me, that I should be so 
 dogged in so trivial a matter ? And yet 'twas by a chain of 
 similar insignificant events, and by pandering to a wayward 
 passion, that the greatest chapter in my life was writ ; so that 
 when all is said, the action of that spring morning may have 
 been in strict accordance with the laws of human destiny. 
 
 Ere we started on the journey, I changed the saddles of the 
 horses, though the lady would insist upon aiding me to do so ; 
 and then, to my chagrin, she sprang upon Joe's back without 
 tarrying for me to lend assistance. I said to myself, " Ned 
 Armstrong, what an ungallant churl thou art. Assuredly, my 
 friend, thou hast much to learn regarding conduct in the com- 
 pany of sweet ladies. Here you have been too forward once, 
 and too backward twice already." 
 
 Our cavalcade of four did not set forth till Mistress Marvin 
 had executed an office typically feminine. She took off her 
 hat, all in the streaming rain, then patted and coiled her way- 
 ward wavy curls and ill-disciplined tresses into some uncouth 
 semblance of order. 
 
 " There ! " she exclaimed, smiling satisfaction ; and then she 
 cocked her hat, a big, wide-brimmed one, adorned with a large 
 white feather, a little to one side at the back of her head, in a 
 jaunty and rakish manner. 
 
 We had a mile and a quarter to travel, yet for one of us 
 twain, at least, our destination hove in sight too soon. My 
 companion's spirit soared above her own misadventures, and 
 over the gloom of the morning. Though the skies were lower- 
 ing and severe, though her wrist was cut and painful, and her 
 garments were soaked with water, she had never a care for 
 such dreary mundane matters. The serious happenings of an 
 hour agone were things of the past to her, brimming with life 
 and fast-flowing generous blood. 
 
 Presently she thrust an ungloved hand from beneath her 
 cloak, and held it out to gauge the fall of rain.
 
 66 Mrs TRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 " 'Tis a splendid morning ! " she exclaimed, fervidly sniffing 
 the air. 
 
 " Indeed," said I. My tone was dubious, for I had yet to 
 discover its delights. 
 
 " Sir, I said a splendid morning. Now the rain hath come 
 the fields and verdure are green as can be. 'Tis three weeks 
 to-morrow since the last drops fell. How cool and fresh the 
 air doth seem. Methinks I would as lief be out this day, as 
 on the finest one of summer. Oh, 'tis a healthy morning. 
 'Pen my word, my appetite is outrageously keen ; and, I say, 
 Master Armstrong, 'twill be a grand time for fishing this after- 
 noon. And dost see the frogs, sir ? Just look at the yellow- 
 bellied monster yonder. Faith, the biggest I've seen this 
 season ! Friend, I'll have a closer view of you." 
 
 Kinsmen, she was off Joe's back in the batting of an eyelid, 
 and like a cat pounces on a bird, she pounced on that unsus- 
 pecting reptile. She whipped him into one hand, and bore 
 him captive to her saddle. I laughed to see the bewildered 
 fellow's green eyes glint as she stroked his head, and tickled 
 his scraggy throat. Having examined his limbs and general 
 dimensions with a critical eye, she appealed to me to confirm 
 her judgment. 
 
 " Isn't he a beauty, Master Armstrong ? " 
 
 " No doubt of that," said I. 
 
 "Then, my Illustrious, there's the manor pond for you, sir ! 
 Gently, big King of Kelston gently ! " 
 
 And despite his reptilian majesty's squirms and struggles, 
 she expertly slipped him into the pocket of her riding-coat. 
 
 " Mistress Marvin," I said, " I have a question to ask. I 
 am puzzled for the reason that brings you abroad so early on 
 such a dreary day, mounted on what appears to me to be a war- 
 charger. From what you have already said, methinks I can 
 divine the first cause, and, providing you do not think me im- 
 pertinent, I would like to learn the second." 
 
 'Twas her turn to laugh, and ye may be sure she did not let 
 the chance slip. 
 
 " Well, sir," she smilingly replied, "come hail, come shine, I 
 ne'er fail to take a gallop before breakfast. But I was in a 
 rare strait to-day, when Martin the groom declared my lovely 
 sorrel filly, Boadicea, had caught cold, and that she must not 
 on any account go out. That's nonsense, sir, preposterous 
 nonsense ! There was the mare fit as a fiddle ; ne'er saw her 
 looking better ; but of course that Martin chuckled and said, 
 'I've spoken, mistress take her by all means; but if you do,
 
 TREA TS Of A WA YSIDE VENTURE. 67 
 
 I'll tell your father.' The ugly old villain that's how I'm 
 always pinned ! You see, my old dad swears Martin's a man 
 of experience, and that I'm only a chit of a wench, and that if 
 I go against that experience, 'tis at my peril. Brutally hard 
 on me, sir, I can tell you, as if I have any vanity it's because^ 
 know a bit about horseflesh. Then, to make matters worse, 
 Tilly, the jennet, hath sprung a spavin. So what could I do, 
 but take this booby Wallenstein, who hath naught near the 
 pluck of his grandmother, who was shot dead under papa at 
 Maestricht, when he fought with Turenne in Holland ? Would 
 she have been frighted at a covey of partridges whirring out of 
 a hedge-bottom ? Would she have broken away, and have 
 done her best to break her rider's neck ? Martin will live on 
 this for a month, and papa will have just a word to say on the 
 subject. Sir Nicholas is grand at the lingo ; he swears brill- 
 iantly in six different languages; but methinks I can manage 
 my worshipful sire." 
 
 'Twas delicious to see the roguish merriment that glowed in 
 her eyes. Ah, kinsmen, such a sight would be all-sufficient to 
 send any young man's brawling through his veins. She flashed 
 the arch magnificence of those eyes on -me. Thereat I grew 
 confused, and felt my heart beat far quicker than the ordinary. 
 
 Be it understood I mean the heart of Master Edward Arm- 
 strong, aged twenty-four, nephew and next of kin to Sir Peter 
 Armstrong, Bart., of Copeland Hall, in the county of Somerset. 
 Regarding Black Ned, I cannot name the whereabouts of that 
 notorious rogue with any degree of certainty, during that rainy 
 morning in the spring. Perchance he might have been dis- 
 covered in a baleful setting, deep down in your sire's hopeless 
 soul ; covered for the nonce by a foolish rapture. Perhaps he 
 was lying dormant therein, assimilating fresh fuel of bitterness, 
 wherewith to burst forth into new malignance ; though, when 
 all is said, this is only mere conjecture. Howbeit, from all of 
 it we learn that even despair maketh not a young heart old ; 
 and, say I, let us be thankful that thus things are.
 
 68 M1STXESS DORO T21 Y MA R I 'AV. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 SIR NICHOLAS MARVIN. 
 
 \\K rode, the maid and I, side by side along the muddy high- 
 way, till presently we turned into a small by-path leading from 
 it, and five minutes later the abode of Sir Nicholas Marvin 
 stood before us. It is known as Kelston Manor, and is with- 
 in a couple of miles of Bridgwater. An avenue of tall trees 
 leads up to the gates, and does its best to blot out the light of 
 daj-, for its arched boughs meet overhead. The house itself 
 is shut from ihe sight of all outside the gates, save for a doubt- 
 ful glimpse of vane and chimney-stack, that peep above the 
 trees. A heavy, close-grown patch of woodland forms an im- 
 penetrable boundary to the manor lands, which, to the eye, doth 
 appear naught better than a wilderness of tangled copse and 
 flowering vine intermingled with a mass of roots and stems and 
 unsymmetric herbage. Yet in despite of woeful lack of order, 
 it looks quaintly picturesque, and when the birds hop from 
 twig to twig, and the squirrels from bough to bough, it becomes 
 a picture for the mind. Yet further afield than this disordered 
 growth of briar, trim parterres and velvet sward may be found, 
 set forth in exact manner as become habitations so pretentious. 
 Behind it a meandering brook flows through a region of cool 
 grottoes and shady branches, whilst higher up, nearer its source, 
 grassy meadows skirt the banks, and 'tis said numberless fish 
 lie in the depths of the stream, in a bed of yielding clay and 
 moss-grown boulders. 
 
 Did time allow, I would speak at length concerning this 
 favored spot, for 'tis one that hath recalled pleasant memories 
 amid dreary days. To return to that gloomy morning of the 
 spring, when I first beheld it, e'en though the sun never once 
 came through the clouds that day, it stands out beautiful in my 
 recollection. 
 
 Directly the manor gates (forbidding iron objects, with a 
 wide mouthed stone dragon set either side of them), came into 
 sight, I halted the injured Wallenstein, saying 
 
 " I will leave you now, mistress, as you are so near home." 
 
 " I trust you will do nothing of the kind, sir," she replied
 
 NICHOLAS MARVIN: 69 
 
 decisively. " You must share a meal with us. Besides you, 
 who have rendered his only child such splendid service, must 
 see Sir Nicholas, my father. He hath been a great soldier in 
 his time." 
 
 This last was used as a clinching argument, and had I been 
 unwilling to comply with the invitation (and I never could re- 
 member that I was), I doubt whether I should have found it in 
 my heart to have refused her anything in reason. 
 
 Without more ado she led me through the gates, along a 
 short broad path cut amongst the brushwood. The end of it 
 was divided into two paths instead of one, the first leading to the 
 front of the mansion, and the second to the back. Along the 
 latter an oldish man, attired as a groom, and in his shirt sleeves, 
 was approaching. 
 
 "Hi, Martin!" shouted his mistress, slipping off Joe's back 
 and beckoning the fellow towards her. 
 
 He came up, and with a crabbed and sulky air listened to 
 her full instructions anent the horses. When she pointed out 
 Wallenstein's condition, he half smiled to himself. She ended 
 by placing a piece of silver in his hand, saying 
 
 " Be a good fellow, Martin, and say nothing about this to 
 Sir Nicholas." 
 
 That caused him to smile again, but methought there was a 
 world of meaning behind his affability. Having nodded his 
 head, he chuckled, answered, " Very good, mum ! " took charge 
 of the horses, and led them briskly to the stables. 
 
 " Cantankerous old ass ! " exclaimed his mistress, gazing 
 after him. " I hope he'll have the sense to keep his mouth 
 shut. And, Master Armstrong, I trust you will bear these de- 
 sires of mine in mind, sir; for should papa hear of Wallenstein's 
 condition, there'll be some hard words flying about, and per- 
 haps some hard knocks too, for he hath promised them many a 
 time." 
 
 To this request I laughingly assented. She left me for a 
 moment to go and dispose of the frog, and upon her return we 
 took that path which curved to the right, whereby we shortly 
 arrived at the front of the house. 
 
 An old man was standing on the entrance steps, and he was 
 the most grotesquely forbidding gentleman it was ever my lot 
 to see. He was tall and spare of person, and had a harsh 
 ascetic countenance. In height he was quite six feet, and car- 
 ried every inch of it with ease and dignity, as a soldier should. 
 His age seemed seventy or thereabouts, though what seemed 
 to heighten it was the snowy whiteness of his hair. His face
 
 7 o MISTRESS DORO THY MARVIN. 
 
 was surpassingly ugly, bloated by undue attention to the wine- 
 pot, and adorned with one eye only. It was set deep in the 
 socket, and was peculiarly fierce and restless, whilst the other 
 was permanently closed. Two hideous scars intersected his 
 visage, one running diagonally from his left temple in a livid 
 seam across the bridge of his nose to his lower jaw, and the 
 other, less maleficent, lay parallel with his hairless upper lip. 
 For the rest, his mouth was large and thick-lipped, his chin 
 square and unpleasingly determined, and to sum up in a word 
 his whole demeanor, it gave one the idea of half-restrained 
 ferocity. His face was destitute of hair, except for a two-days' 
 down upon the jaw that sadly lacked a razor. His garb ac- 
 corded with the singularity of his countenance. One foot boast- 
 ed a handsome buckled shoe, yet the other had neither that, nor 
 boot, nor slipper ; 'twas simply encased very untidily in a cap- 
 acious cloth. White silk stockings adorned his legs, and 
 breeches of russet-brown plush, cut in the newest style, his 
 thighs. Surmounting these was a vest, a flowery mass of silk 
 brocade on a ground of purple ; whilst a lavender coat, edged 
 with silver, and with large bright buttons of the same to match, 
 added further splendor to his rich attire. Strange to relate, 
 his neck was innocent of any well-arranged adornment, his 
 throat being covered by an unfrilled cambric shirt, neither clean 
 nor prepossessing, which, in combination with his unshaved 
 chin, his unwigged head, his swathed foot, and resplendent 
 dress, gave him an appearance at once comic and remarkable. 
 
 I must have laughed aloud at an apparition so conspicuously 
 whimsical, had not good manners come to my assistance, for 
 this was Sir Nicholas Marvin. Accordingly, I suppressed my 
 mirth to nothing more than furtive smiling. 
 
 At the first sight of us twain, he hopped gingerly off the steps 
 and came towards us. 
 
 " How now, Dorothy ! " he exclaimed in a loud grating tone 
 to his daughter, and then continued in the language of our con- 
 tinental neighbors, which I at that time of day, being unlet- 
 tered, and ill-found in knowledge, was at a loss to set a mean- 
 ing to, " Oti as tu ete ce temps ? Le dcjetiner vous attends debuts 
 une heure ou plus." 
 
 " Peste ! " exclaimed my companion petulantly, " a murrain 
 on thy French jargon, father ! Do not remind me of that hate- 
 ful country, as dismal as a De Profundis, with its eternal aves, 
 paternosters, rosaries, and bead-countings. I am a-weary of 
 France and convent walls." 
 
 " Art so, my wench ? " he replied in his mother tongue, " then
 
 SIR NICHOLAS MARVIN. 71 
 
 'twere best thou conquered thy aversion, for convent walls alone 
 fit the likes o' thee. Henker ! thither shalt thou return." Here 
 he broke into a flight of tremendous language, English and 
 foreign, that fairly bubbled with sprightly malediction. 
 
 " But, papa ! " interposed the erring maid, " I am very, very 
 sorry." 
 
 "Sorry, thou graceless hussy! Pasques-Dieu ! thou hast 
 the very greatest need to be. Dost see the time ? " He pulled 
 out an elegant chronometer for her information. " One hour 
 and a quarter past the proper breakfast-hour, and I've had 
 never a morsel since nine o' the clock last night. And you 
 know full well, you limb of evil ! that to go so long without food 
 always gives me wind in the stomach. I have it at this mo- 
 ment." 
 
 Upon this his daughter coolly looked all round her at the 
 state of the elements, then said with a judicial air 
 
 " Yes, dear papa, it is a very windy morning. Really, sir, 
 you should not open your mouth so wide." 
 
 She counterfeited innocent simplicity to such admirable per- 
 fection, that at first I was quite deceived and failed to mark 
 the satire. But the knight did : to him the shaft went home. 
 
 "Little bitch ! " he growled, and fairly gobbled in his rage. 
 
 Thereupon I glanced at the maiden, and beheld sly mischief 
 in her eyes ; and saw that the corners of her mouth were twitch- 
 ing. And ever after that occasion, whene'er it befell that I 
 was uncertain how to take her speeches, I always looked for 
 those secret signs of mirth. 
 
 At this juncture Sir Nicholas chanced to notice me. So 
 keenly had his grievances rankled hitherto that he had heeded 
 naught but them. 
 
 " Carramba ! " he exclaimed ; " who is this young man, you 
 wayward imp of wickedness ? " 
 
 The wayward one was prompt of answer. 
 
 " This gentleman is Master Armstrong, papa, my very true 
 friend, who did me the greatest service an hour agone." 
 
 " Humph ! I trust he did not hinder you from breaking 
 your neck. If so, I'm thinking he hath performed a very 
 doubtful service to myself and the world in general." 
 
 Peradventure having some conception of good manners, the 
 wrathful knight modified his tone to one more befitting a gentle- 
 man in his intercourse with a guest and stranger. He proffered 
 me his hand, saying 
 
 "Glad to see you, sir ! infernally glad to see you! But I 
 hope you'll be so good as to excuse my unkempt appearance.
 
 7 2 MfSTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 'Tis all my daughter's fault; you'd best lay it to her account, 
 sir. Ah, my wench ! mark my word, there'll be such a reckon- 
 ing day yet you little wot of. Here have I been all these 
 hours waiting to be shaved and none to ply the razor; and my 
 clean shirt 1 cannot find it high nor low, neither is there any 
 who can dress my toe or arrange my neckerchief. Devil take 
 all froward daughters ! " He paused to thump his stout stick 
 on the gravel walk. 'Twas laughable in the extreme how anger 
 and politeness strove one against the other in his conversa- 
 tion. 
 
 "Howsoever," he continued, "I trust you will be so kind, 
 sir, as to share a meal with us, though the capon is surely 
 spoilt, and the pAte baked as hard as a musket-stock." 
 
 Hereupon he stopped and more closely observed the hapless 
 Dorothy. Something foreign hopped out monstrous quick, as 
 he inquired 
 
 " Why, my wench, what under heaven hath befell thee ? 
 Pink my soul ! thou'rt worse than any baggage from Lewkner 
 Lane. You look a real credit to your sex. Perhaps your lady- 
 ship will explain that smutty face, that confounded hair ; and 
 draggle-tailed attire ? And why dost keep one hand behind 
 thy back, most elegant damosel ? " 
 
 Before the maid could guess his motive, he grabbed her arm, 
 and jerked the bandage into view. " What is under that rag ? " 
 
 " Nothing, sir, but the smallest scratch," she replied, trying 
 to draw away from him. 
 
 " Then why advertise it to all the nation, and flaunt it in a 
 great cloth as though a pound o' flesh were missing ? However, 
 I'll have a look at it." 
 
 "It is nothing, sir; I assure you it is nothing," she said, 
 apprehensively, and trying to avoid his violent handling. 
 
 However, without more parley, he ripped off the bandage; 
 and a goodly sprinkling of blood was to be seen on the inside 
 thereof. Forthwith the hurt underwent close scrutiny. He 
 pulled apart the jagged edges of the wound, without the least 
 regard to gentleness or mercy, probed the depth with his fore- 
 finger, pushed it calmly here and there within it ; and all the 
 while his daughter bore it patient as a lamb. 
 
 " Hum ! a mere skin slit." 
 
 " That is all, sir," she answered faintly. By this I could see 
 her wincing under the brutal treatment. Once more her face 
 had blanched ; whilst the blood, disturbed by such unkind 
 usage, again flowed freely from her wrist. I never felt a more 
 earnest desire in all my life to insult a man as I did just then.
 
 S/A> NICHOLAS MARVIN. 73 
 
 " Sir," said I, as calmly as I could, " I am afraid you are giv- 
 ing the lady unnecessary pain." 
 
 " Master Armstrong," returned the victim, her promptitude 
 remarkable, " my father hath great skill in the treatment of 
 wounds. Sir, you forget that he hath lived among them from 
 his childhood." 
 
 There was no mistaking the rebuke implied ;' nor was I slow 
 to detect something significantly haughty in her tone and manner. 
 As for the callous old knight, he gazed at me with singular 
 deliberation, then asked 
 
 " What was that you were pleased to observe, sir ? " 
 
 Being nettled at the demeanor of both father and daughter, 
 I boldly repeated what I had said. 
 
 " Pshaw ! " said he, " not much of the soldier about thee, mon 
 ami. Merely a damned civilian, I see." 
 
 " Sir," said I hotly, " your language is not that of a gentle- 
 man." 
 
 At that Mistress Marvin blushed a lovely red, and looked 
 beautifully angry. 
 
 Meantime her father curled his ugly lip and retorted 
 
 " I repeat, sir, merely a damned civilian ! " 
 
 " And who may you be, sir knight ? " I sneered, for now 
 temper was mastering judgment' and discretion. 
 
 " Who am 1, my lad ? Wench, fetch my sword, and I'll teach 
 the callant who I am." 
 
 " Master Armstrong," said the lady, stepping forward, her eyes 
 magnificent, and every line of her imperious and queenlike, 
 " you ask who my father is. He is a great soldier, sir. I may 
 say he hath participated in eleven pitched battles, fourteen 
 sieges, fourteen ambuscades or bushments, five escalados, ten 
 intakings, eight camisados, twenty-three duellos, and divers 
 other engagements." 
 
 Methought it the finest sight in the world to see her so, 
 though 'twas plain I had unwittingly blundered into a hornet's 
 nest. Here were the oppressor and the sufferer both arrayed 
 against me ; for the one I sought to serve was taking up the 
 cudgels on the other side, and though I greatly admired her 
 staunchness to the knight, I was undoubtedly hurt at her in- 
 gratitude towards myself. 
 
 " Wench, do as ye're bidden, and fetch my sword," growled 
 the irate warrior. 
 
 " Dear father, " she replied, "you know I'm always willing 
 that you should fight when the occasion demands and calls for a 
 passado. But this gentleman is our guest, he hath most kindly
 
 7 4 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 succored me this day ; and 'twould be a cruelty to pit him, \vho 
 hath not been bred to the profession, against one of thy proven 
 calibre and experience." 
 
 " Madam," quoth I stiffly, for be it known by this I was 
 pretty deeply galled, " I am entirely at your father's service." 
 
 " There, girl ! hear ye that ? " cried the knight with glee, " art 
 going to fetch my sword ? " 
 
 "No, sir, I am not," she said with amazing boldness and 
 determination. 
 
 For the moment I feared her enraged sire would belabor her 
 with his stick. Apparently, however, he ultimately thought 
 better of the matter, for after delivering himself of many lusty 
 oaths, and presenting many ferocious grimaces to the pair of us, 
 he exclaimed 
 
 " By thunder, I'll fetch it myself ! " whereat he went hobbling 
 towards the house as fast as his decrepit limbs would carry him. 
 In an instant his daughter's manner changed. 
 
 " Oh, sir !" she implored in a tone of eager entreaty, "for 
 Heaven's sake forbear ; he would be a mere child beside one of 
 thy youth, strength, and vigor. He is a fine-spirited old 
 soldier, and hath a wondrous knowledge of swordsmanship, but 
 alack ! he is seventy-two next birthday ; and see, he is that 
 afflicted with the gout he can scarcely crawl. Master Arm- 
 strong, your readiness hath proved you a brave man, please 
 prove yourself braver still by declining to unsheath your sword 
 against him." 
 
 I was astounded at these changes of tactics. A minute agone 
 she was his second, his aider and abettor, but now the ex- 
 traordinary girl was endeavoring to avert the threatened conflict. 
 In a measure she guessed my thoughts, for she added 
 
 " I am begging you to withdraw, sir, because I know my 
 father too well to attempt to persuade him to do so. \Yhen he 
 feels himself affronted he is always willing to push the matter to 
 the point of bloodshed. And he will ne'er make a single con- 
 cession or recantation until his adversary hath made the first. 
 Master Armstrong, I conjure you to grant me this favor ! " 
 
 I was utterly incapable of resisting so fervent an appeal ; 
 besides, it would have been a paltry thing, no matter what the 
 provocation, for a fellow of my age to have crossed swords with 
 a man so old. Accordingly, accompanied by the lady, I has- 
 tened after him, and came up with him at the bottom of the 
 entrance steps. 
 
 " Sir," said I, " I am willing to let the matter rest." 
 
 " No doubt, my man, no doubt. But, for mine own part, I am
 
 SfK NICHOLAS MARVIN, 75 
 
 not so far advanced in my dotage as to sit down by such talk 
 from a mere civilian." And the fiery old war-dog commenced 
 ascending the steps. However, his daughter came forward, 
 and fearlessly seized the tail of his coat. 
 
 " Dorothy, ye she-devil, how dare you ! " 
 
 " Hold, father ! Dost not see this gentleman is very mag- 
 nanimous ? 'Twas you, sir, who began the quarrel." 
 
 " Mort-Dieu ! then I'll finish it." 
 
 In the meantime the devoted Dorothy was energetically 
 whispering to me 
 
 " Conciliate, sir conciliate ! See what a mettle old game- 
 cock it is ! Smooth its feathers ! Stroke its plumage ! Re- 
 tract, sir ! take back thy words, please do, sir ! " 
 
 I was instantly obedient to her, whom, I may remark, cooler 
 men than myself must have found irresistible. 
 
 " Dorothy, ye saucy slut," clamored the knight, " let go my 
 coat ! Unhand me this moment, or I'll " 
 
 " Sir Nicholas Marvin," I interposed, to stifle more of his 
 abuse, " in deference to your daughter, sir, I will withdraw all 
 I have said that you may deem obnoxious towards yourself." 
 
 "In deference to my daughter, hey? In deference to my 
 fiddlestick ! Strike me purple ! I like that ; 'tis a jest that 
 tickles my humor. In deference to your own precious skin, 
 sir, ye should have said. But what can one expect from a 
 puny commercial clown, from a thimble-rigging lawyer's clerk, 
 or from a chuckle-headed chapman's 'prentice? Sooth, now I 
 come to think, 'twould be daylight murder to draw on such as 
 thou ! I say again, y'are a mere mechanical peace-on-earth- 
 and-good-will-toward-men civilian. Just that ! " and this el- 
 derly Bobadil snapped his fingers in my face. 
 
 This was a terrible strain on a young man's pride and self- 
 control. My hands itched, my fingers trembled, and the blood 
 tingled in my veins. 
 
 " Sir ! " I began furiously, when Mistress Marvin lightly 
 touched my hand. 
 
 " Be merciful to me" she whispered ; and somehow, strength- 
 ened by this new appeal, I managed with a struggle to overcome 
 my very righteous anger. 
 
 " Dorothy, ye little beast, let go my coat ! " 
 
 " Father," quoth the maid, dauntless as ever, and with sub- 
 lime earnestness painted on her face, " you insult this gentle- 
 man." 
 
 " Silence, thou brazen chit." 
 
 " I say you insult him, sir! Dost know he is the kinsman
 
 76 Ml 'STRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 and next of kin to Sir Peter Armstrong of Copeland Hall ? 
 And you are aware that house is as famed for courage as our 
 own. I never heard of a white-livered Armstrong yet." 
 
 At that the knight looked me keenly over, and declared 
 
 " Why. to be sure, he is the image of his kinsman, mine old 
 ftiend, Sir Peter. I wondered where I had seen that face." 
 
 At this revelation of my lineage and high connections his 
 anger wonderfully evaporated. 
 
 " You will now understand, sir, that it is only at my express 
 request that Master Armstrong declines to draw his sword," 
 continued the indomitable Dorothy, who, like a skilful general, 
 made haste to follow up her first advantage. 
 
 " Let no more be said," quoth Sir Nicholas in a fit of colos- 
 sal generosity. " Since the lad hath avowed his fault, and eaten 
 his words, we'll take it for granted that he hath the fighting 
 spunk of the tough Armstrong stock. Yet, lad, hearken to an 
 old soldier's advice : let not thy tongue wag so fast hereafter 
 wi'out thou art minded to back it with sword as " 
 
 " Bosh ! " cried the maid, releasing his coat at last. 
 
 However, she at once showed she had by no means exhausted 
 her designs upon his person, for she seized his right hand and 
 placed it in mine. 
 
 At first we felt and looked very like a couple of snarling dogs, 
 till I chanced to peep at the charming creature who had so 
 cleverly patched up the truce between us, and I saw an expres- 
 sion of such lively gratitude on her face that I smiled at my 
 enemy, whereupon he smiled too, and so the peace was con- 
 summated. The knight drew his delighted and triumphant 
 daughter towards him. 
 
 " Master Armstrong," he declared, " a forward minx is 
 this, sir! I have given Martin orders to procure a curb for 
 her." 
 
 Afterwards the relentless barbarian betook himself to the 
 original cause of the contention, as he further examined the 
 bleeding wrist. 
 
 " Best go, my lass, and have some brine rubbed in, and then 
 a drop or two of balsam." 
 
 " Ugh ! " she exclaimed, even her bravery not proof against 
 this. " Not that horrid balsam, papa it hurts terribly, and 
 salt is very keen." 
 
 " Hurt, be hanged, thou great milksop! How would ye be 
 on the field o' battle, with half your face shorn away, as I have 
 been ? Ye might be permitted to speak a word then. But to 
 make a wry lip over a paltry skin-breaking bah ! I have no 
 patience ! "
 
 A BALM FOR THE CARK OF CARE. 77 
 
 " I am not a milksop, sir ! " she said quickly, but for all that 
 there was fear in her face. Yet without another word she 
 darted up the steps, and left the knight and me to follow at 
 our leisure. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A BALM FOR THE CARK OF CARE. 
 
 THE knight conducted me indoors to a bright and spacious 
 room at the end of the entrance hall. It appeared particularly 
 cheery and attractive by contrast with the gloomy weather, 
 as the table was spread for breakfast, and a lire was glowing in 
 the grate. 
 
 Sir Nicholas having recovered his equanimity, proffered me 
 a seat beside the hearth, whilst he assumed one opposite. 
 Only a few words of conversation passed ere the young lady 
 joined us, her scathe bound up more exactly in a clean 
 bandage. 
 
 " Ye don't find much amiss with it now, my lass ? " inquired 
 the knight, giving a sharp glance to the injured member. 
 
 " N-no, sir, n-not much," gasped the suffering maid, her 
 mouth compressed, and her eyes full of pain. 
 
 " Master Armstrong," she said, turning to me and trying 
 might and main to speak as though naught ailed her, " I must 
 beg you to excuse my father and myself for ten minutes, that 
 we may the more fittingly entertain you. This, sir, is Dr. 
 Samuel Butler's ' Hudibras ' to beguile the time ; or stay " 
 and something of a smile played on a face so lately wan 
 " perhaps Dr. Joseph Alleine, pious man ! more nearly befits 
 your taste? Here is his ' Alarm to the Unconverted.' I'm 
 proud to say 'tis bravely thumbed and dog's-eared reflects real 
 credit on me, you'll admit, sir." 
 
 Upon that they left the apartment. Still " Hudibras " re- 
 mained unopened that morning, for mine eyes were busied with 
 a careful contemplation of the room. 'Twas one truly beautiful ; 
 had a wide expanse of carpet, and was relieved of the faintest 
 tinge of sombreness by low broad windows that admitted day- 
 light in abundance. The most salient item was a big display 
 of warlike implements that occupied the whole of the right- 
 hand wall ; and as the firelight radiated on them, they quivered 
 brightly in their glittering profusion. I was examining them in 
 open admiration when the knight re-entered, 
 6
 
 78 MISTRESS DOROTHY MAR VI N. 
 
 " Ha, ha ! " he exclaimed, well satisfied. " Mon cher, I see 
 thou hast eyes for the right knick-knacks. What think you o' 
 that sword ? Stamped Perillo, and the trustiest blade Julian 
 del Rey ever banged hammer to. 'Tis of wrought Mondragoa 
 steel, and hath served our family for three generations. I have 
 it in my memory how, when we lay before Nimeguen, it hewed 
 a bull-necked Dutchman's head clean off his body - 
 
 " And how, at Naseby, it bit through the headpiece of a 
 captain in Ireton's musketeers," put in Mistress Dorothy, who 
 had slipped in unobserved behind us. 
 
 She had doffed her bespattered riding-dress in favor of a 
 more becoming garment, and had also disposed of the dirt that 
 so ill accorded with her skin. If she had previously animated 
 me with admiration of her beauty, she charmed me now. I 
 was completely bewitched by those melting mirthful eyes, 
 those mocking lips, and that mouth which was made for laughter. 
 Her form was tall and lissome as a willow ; and each line of 
 it was grace. Like her father, she bore every inch of height 
 very straight and easy, nor could she take ten steps but what 
 she must do so in a regal manner. She carried her head 
 in a dainty way ; there was archness in every feature of her 
 face; a furtive sauciness, a lingering tinge of flippancy; and 
 her general tone and bearing were a delicious mingling of 
 coquetry and pride. Yet underlying this was a something 
 high-bred, a something queenly, a something imperious and 
 commanding, that at once forbade all liberties ; whilst a black- 
 brown mass of wavy hair, and a jaunty cluster of precocious 
 curls, wayward as their owner, exalted the charms of her tan- 
 talizing countenance. 
 
 Razor and neckcloth had wrought material improvement in 
 the knight ; yet far surpassing their beneficence was a gorgeous 
 periwig, superbly curled, and strongly charged with fluffy powder. 
 Without further delay the meal was given our best attention. In 
 a short time the host was all good nature, and it occurs to me 
 that a man's temper differs according to the condition of his 
 stomach. 
 
 Sir Nicholas adorned the table-head, his daughter the table- 
 foot, whilst I was ensconced midway betwixt the two. 
 
 Unfortunately, peace was not allowed to long prevail. The 
 soldier stuck a knife into an ill-cooked pie ; then scowled, and 
 sought further refuge in his fine invective powers. 
 
 "This//i# hath far too much tint upon it. It comes stiff 
 to the knife instead of yielding gently. Faugh ! it sets my 
 teeth on edge. What has that jolterhead been about ? "
 
 A BALM FOR THE CAKK OF CARE. 79 
 
 The bell-rope received a vicious tug. A servant answered it. 
 
 " Send that dolt of a John hither ! " roared the angry master. 
 
 A meek-visaged, placid fellow shortly appeared. 
 
 " John, thou nincompoop, dost see this pate de Perigord ? Art 
 not sore ashamed ? Dost mark this uppercrust ? Thou hast 
 had an hour o' the wooden-horse in thy campaigning days with 
 a shot bag round each ankle for a much smaller offence. 
 Would that 1 had one in the courtyard now ! " He glared at 
 the mild cook, who answered not, but bowed his head in silent 
 humility. 
 
 " Thou art a graceless varlet, John. There, that is for thee, 
 John ! " And to my amazement the irascible gentleman seized 
 an empty drinking-glass, and hurled it at the erring servant's 
 head. That personage caught it deftly in one hand, and 
 silently replaced it upon the table. He bowed, and left the 
 room, whilst the knight resumed the business of eating with a 
 very threatful countenance. 
 
 Presently a more important and more discomfiting incident 
 occurred. There was a knock at the door, and Martin the 
 groom entered. Instantly I perceived that he had a silver 
 coin in one hand. Mistress Dorothy was quick to see it, too, 
 whereupon she gave a hasty glance towards me, then settled 
 herself more firmly in her chair, and as she did so the look on 
 her face almost seemed to say, " I'm in for it now ! " After 
 that she assumed an air of meekness by way of preparation for 
 the coming storm. 
 
 Martin stated his case concisely ; and during the course of 
 the charge it alarmed me to see the knight working himself into 
 another tantrum. Finally, the triumphant Martin, who at every 
 word betrayed enmity towards his mistress, informed his master 
 of the bribe, and deposited that incriminating piece of silver by 
 the side of the lady's plate with a look of malicious glee. 
 
 " Wench, is this true ? " 
 
 " Every word of it, sir," she said submissively, though me- 
 thinks I saw that in her eye which proved her not quite so 
 humble as her tone implied. 
 
 The knight demanded an explanation. This the lady gave. 
 Upon receipt of it he commenced a torrent of abuse and im- 
 precation, which the recipient promptly cut short by rising and 
 giving him (bold as you please) a stately curtsey. She then 
 darted a look at the gleeful Martin, that might have withered 
 him had he possessed nerves or feelings, and with the air of a 
 haughty lady, bade him follow her from the room. 
 
 The pair of them having departed for the stables, Sir Nicholas 
 said to me in an ugly tone
 
 8o MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 "What would you do, sir, with one so wilful ? From men I 
 have commanded obedience throughout my life, yet I find it 
 easier to exact it from a troop of horse than from this young 
 chit. She flouts me at every twist and turn ! She hath no 
 heed for chiding ; if I threaten to beat her she vows she'll ne'er 
 touch a razor more, or will not dress my gouty foot. If I 
 threaten her with a return to that French convent she once was 
 so well acquainted with, the saucy minx declares I should 
 languish, or pine away for lack of kind attention. 'Tis sad, 
 very sad, Master Armstrong, to be afflicted with a kindly and 
 forbearing heart like mine ; it makes one the butt of any 
 springald. But, by my soul, sir, ere I am a day older I'll have 
 an alteration ! I'll teach that impudent hussy that I am no 
 longer to be played with." 
 
 I smiled at the arbitrary sentiments he indulged against his 
 beautiful tormentress. Quickly she returned. By this her 
 lofty disdain had fled, for laughter lit her eyes. She ran 
 blithely across the carpet, and halted by her father's elbow. 
 
 " I have set poor Wallenstein aright, old dad ! I have ap- 
 plied a rare remedy to his scathe, and a warm feed lies at his 
 nose. He wants for nothing ; neither do I, sweetest, but a kiss 
 from thee ! " 
 
 Prettily she proffered her cheek for its reception, but her 
 angry sire vehemently denounced the wheedler, her delinquen- 
 cies, and her blandishments. Yet, mark you, kinsmen, never 
 for an instant did he allow his eye to stray whither the luring 
 bait awaited him. Much wisdom was to be found in this, for 
 I'll swear, had he once beheld it, 'twould have been farewell to 
 resolutions, for none save an anchorite could have been proof 
 against its loveliness. 
 
 Thwarted though she was, the maid concealed her defeat 
 under a smile, and as she resumed her seat, she favored me 
 with a glance of mischief. Our appetites being of the best 
 that morning she stacked our platters anew. These ministra- 
 tions briskly performed, she looked at her father, and with a 
 face of exceeding gravity, said 
 
 " Papa, touching our opinions of last week, I may say I still 
 maintain that naught can equal well-trained infantry on the 
 field of battle." 
 
 " Hey, what ? " quoth the old soldier, bristling with atten- 
 tion. Even now I smile at the effect of her words. The old 
 gentleman forgot his wrongs in a moment, and was soon plunged 
 in a deep and, to my mind, incomprehensible argument. And 
 all the time I ne'er failed to observe his artful antagonist had
 
 A BALM FOR THE CARK OF CARE. 8l 
 
 the same light in her eyes, and the same twitching at the cor- 
 ners of her mouth I have already mentioned. 
 
 " What sayest thou, Dorothy ? I defy thee prove thy 
 words ! " 
 
 " Without any manner of doubt I can prove them, sir, and 
 that right easily ! The valiant and learned Montecuccoli lays 
 it down to the effect that, ' Infanterie est comme la base et le 
 soutien de Farmee, soit pour les batailles soit pour les sieges, et 
 c'est avec elle que les Remains et les Suisse ont fait dcs choses si 
 admirables. L? infanterie doit done la principale force, et la grande 
 fartie de Farmee? There, sir ! can you gainsay that ? '' 
 
 " Bah ! ma petite, 'tis all nonsense ! What doth that beg- 
 garly Italian know about the matter?" 
 
 " You do him a wrong, sir. I will not hear him miscalled. 
 There is no man of this generation better versed in the theory 
 of war. He was also named as a fine captain in the Thirty 
 Years' War, and again bear in mind, sir, the gieat things he 
 did against the Turks in Transylvania." 
 
 " Pish ! a mere pack of heathen Mohammedans." 
 
 " Yet remember Treves, remember Treves, sir ! " 
 
 " Donnerwetter ! lass, shall I ever forget it ? I was there 
 myself that day, and saw the greatest captain of the age 
 perish." 
 
 " And this same Montecuccoli ? He drove the whole army 
 across the Rhine like chaff before the wind," exclaimed this 
 warlike mistress with a ring of triumph in her voice. 
 
 " So be it, wench ; ye score one there. Yet out of mine own 
 experience, what of Edgehill, Marston Moor, and Naseby ? 
 Didn't Rupert (God bless him !) sweep the Roundheads' left 
 clean off the field ? My girl, those were the times. We had 
 the grandest cavalry in Europe, and, on my soul, the grandest 
 commander too ! 'Twas knee to knee then, and saddle-bows 
 all of a row. 'Twas the sight of a lifetime to see us sweep 
 over the field, a-laughing at Essex or old Noll Cromwell, and 
 to see those psalm-singing Puritans chuck down their tucks 
 and run. Don't talk to me of infantry ! Did ever footmen do 
 such deeds ? " 
 
 I can ne'er forget the old warrior at that moment. Mayhap 
 he felt himself bestride his charger again. Verily the breath 
 of lusty manhood had returned to his time-worn frame. His 
 voice was pitched to its utmost, his eye ablaze with a glow- 
 ing fire, and the rapid movements of his body, and his wild 
 gesticulations, one and all bespoke his intense excitement, and 
 proclaimed the vividness of his recollection.
 
 82 M/STKESS DOKO THY MA R VI N. 
 
 However, his daughter staunchly maintained her ground, in 
 no wise daunted by this enthusiasm, though I must admit, 
 under cover of it she took occasion to forward to me another 
 eloquent glance of roguery. 
 
 "The famous Sir John Froissart," she continued, "avers 
 that the footmen " 
 
 " Confound Sir John Froissart ! " interrupted the knight 
 testily. " I will listen to none o' your musty chroniclers. I 
 prefer the book of memory." 
 
 As it afterwards befell, it seemed the contest had scarce 
 begun. P'or every episode the knight could recount demon- 
 strating the superiority of cavalry, the lady had two at least to 
 prove that infantry were better. The whole room rang with 
 alarming talk of light horse, heavy horse, dragoons, musketeers, 
 pikemen, escalades, camisados, onfalls, beleaguered garrisons, 
 pallisados, estacados, mines, counter-mines, and a very Babel 
 of amazing military jargon. 
 
 Of course I was a perfect ignoramus on such an abstruse 
 subject. Swift as a falcon the girl divined this ; and though 
 her father was too wholly absorbed in the present topic to heed 
 any alien matter, his quick-witted daughter mischievously 
 appealed to me on a nice point, and to her own delight, and 
 my discomfiture, I was compelled to exhibit ignorance. 
 
 For a considerable time the vantage fell to neither side, till 
 at length Sir Nicholas mentioned some strange-sounding con- 
 tinental battle. Upon this his daughter pensively stroked her 
 chin, and said with a fine show of reluctance 
 
 " I am afraid this is a defeat, sir. 'Twill have to be a case 
 of capitulation." 
 
 The knight, without a trace of his recent umbrage, rubbed 
 his hands with gusto. 
 
 " But one moment, sir, I beg," cunningly said the lady, put- 
 ting up one finger pertly. " This is to be a conditional surren- 
 der. You must allow the vanquished full honors of war." 
 
 " Quite right, ma cherie ; quite right." 
 
 Thereupon the vanquished rose and came to the victor's 
 chair, and presented her cheek once more. 
 
 " The honors of war, papa," she said archly ; and they were 
 allowed forthwith. 
 
 Henceforward the elated warrior forgot recent resolutions, 
 and displayed considerable good humor, which enhanced my 
 amusement and his diplomatic daughter's satisfaction. 
 
 Breakfast disposed of, the knight would not hear of me tak- 
 ing my departure, until I had joined him in a game of piquet.
 
 A BALM FOR THE CARK OF CARE. 83 
 
 I, nothing loth, assented without demur, and soon the mysteries 
 of sword and musket were discarded for those, to my mind, 
 more alluring ones of piqueing, repiqueing, and capotting. 
 
 'Twas easy to see that my opponent had a keen love of gam- 
 bling, and I being as crafty a rogue as God ever endowed with 
 breath, it must not surprise you to learn that Master Armstrong 
 was a loser that morning. Not a heavy one, certainly ; but his 
 losses were of sufficient amount for the knight to taste the sweets 
 of gain. At the conclusion of the game the blind fool said to me 
 
 " Young man, we have very little company here, yet I shall 
 be willing to have as much of thine as thou'rt willing to bestow 
 upon us. Come as often as you like, and the more you come 
 the better I'll be pleased ; for I have already a liking for you, 
 and I have had a liking for piquet this fifty years." 
 
 And when this invitation was zestfully seconded by his 
 daughter, ye may judge my approbation. 'Twas plain I had 
 made a most favorable, impression, and in my folly I vowed 
 that I would neglect no chance for its maintenance. The de- 
 light of that morning ! I, who had been in the depth of that 
 abyss, despair, had now my youthful passions kindled. I al- 
 ready felt myself a slave to that exquisite emotion I of all men 
 had least right to pander to. For was not the man who sat by 
 that enchanting maid, who marked her every bewitching move- 
 ment, Black Ned, the thief, the proscribed, the outlaw ? He 
 was drunk with rapture. Drink ! drink ! weak wretch, drink 
 and be merry ! Away carking care ! give place to this ravish- 
 ment ! Let there be no thought for the morrow, no counting 
 of the cost ! 
 
 Before I took my departure, Mistress Marvin importuned me 
 into going with her to a corner of the courtyard where her pets 
 were housed. Among this curious collection were to be found 
 a fox, a weasel, a couple of stoats, a couple of ferrets, and half 
 a dozen dogs, in which motley company she took considerable 
 pride, and, what is more, handled several of its vicious members 
 with exemplary skill. Upon leaving these animals she accom- 
 panied me to the stables, where Martin was discovered sulky 
 of aspect, and impotently grumbling under his breath. Joe 
 looked very handsome now the mire was brushed from his glossy 
 coat, and Mistress Dorothy's eyes glowed at sight of him. 
 
 " Master Armstrong," she said enthusiastically, " what a 
 splendid fellow he is ! How smart he looks ! and whoever saw 
 such fine legs and such a depth of chest? And I say, sir, he 
 is the very shape of a jumper. Wouldst be so kind as to allow 
 me to put him at that fence ? "
 
 84 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 I looked at the fence in question, and it was of such height 
 that I should have been chary myself of asking him to leap it. 
 Yet how could I say her nay ? How could I resist the eager 
 anticipation painted on her face ? 
 
 " You are at liberty tp try him at it, mistress/' said I ; " but 
 I must admit I have some trepidation for your safety." 
 
 "Thank you, sir," she answered, delightedly commencing to 
 adjust her saddle on him. " You need not have the slightest 
 fear for either of us. I am quite sure he will clear it like a bird, 
 though I have not yet got any of ours over it, and Tilly nearly 
 broke my neck the other week. But I'm certain old Joe's the 
 man for the job aren't you, my splendid fellow ? " 
 
 This may have been very reassuring, yet I had my doubts 
 upon the point. 
 
 The rain had now ceased falling, and in a trice the daring 
 girl was in the saddle. She cantered him gently to the far end 
 of the yard to give him a good sweep for the spring. I felt 
 more nervous than I'd like to own, and wished the matter safely 
 finished. Just then Sir Nicholas joined me, and though an 
 interested spectator he by no means shared my tremors. 
 
 Presently horse and rider came thudding by with a mighty 
 clatter. Mistress Marvin rode as .1 had ne'er seen a woman 
 ride before. She sate with extraordinary grace and ease, and 
 never gave at all to the horse's motion, but remained firm as a 
 rock in the saddle very like a cavalryman. However, the twain 
 rose nobly at the critical moment, and the fence was cleared. 
 
 " Bravo ! " 1 cried, much relieved in mind. 
 
 Directly afterward they sailed over from the other side, and 
 clattered down and joined us. 
 
 " 'Pon my soul, I call that uncommonly well done ! " ex- 
 claimed the knight. 
 
 Mistress Dorothy reined Joe up sharp, slipped off his back 
 wilh great agility, warmly caressed him, sent Martin to the 
 house for sugar, then turned to us with a face of triumph. 
 
 " You have got to improve yet, ma petite," said her critical 
 sire. "You inclined that left shoulder somewhat, and swerved 
 a little as you took the spring. How many more times must 
 you be told ? Still, 'twas done very well ; you may embrace 
 me." 
 
 The maid, though flushed and breathless with exertion, was 
 wonderous quick to seize this opportunity, and kissed him ; 
 and, what is more, unquestionably thought the act a luxury. 
 
 Host and hostess pressed me to stay to dinner, which invita- 
 tion I declined. Yet so deeply had our game of piquet entered
 
 THE SOCIETY OF EDWARD ARMSTRONG. 85 
 
 into the knight's mind, that he earnestly hoped I would pay 
 another visit that same evening, which I readily promised 
 to do. 
 
 'Twas within a few minutes of noon that I started for the 
 King's Head, Bridgwater. 
 
 My spirit, lately so jaded, rose again, the herbage seemed 
 greener, the air purer ; and all nature more lovely to my gaze 
 than it had appeared for many a month. And as I betook my- 
 self towards that goodly hostel, a neighboring squire passed 
 me, and I knew his purse was heavy because it was market 
 day. He was unarmed and unattended, yet he went his way 
 unchallenged. Why was this ? Surely, kinsmen, ye need no 
 telling. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 IN WHICH WE CONTINUE TO ENJOY THE SOCIETY OF EDWARD 
 ARMSTRONG, GENTLEMAN. 
 
 THERE is a cheerful hostelry at Bridgwater, a house of genial 
 entertainment, which hath the sign of the King's Head swing- 
 ing above the doorpost. To this day it is a place where a man 
 may be boarded and bedded with the best, but it can in nowise 
 compare with its own beneficence in a bygone time, when Master 
 Peter Whipple was host and landlord. During the period of 
 my outlawry this hostelry was generally my abode, whence I 
 would return each night, upon the transaction of the infamous 
 business of the day. 
 
 In '88, which is the time I speak of, by sheer force of my 
 genius for evil, my trade had become a flourishing concern ; 
 whilst I myself, to take a merely mercantile view of things, had 
 become prosperous, opulent, and easy. I had attained the top- 
 most pinnacle of my fame. It stretched the length and breadth 
 of Somerset, whilst in a fair portion of Devon and Wiltshire my 
 name and deeds blanched stout men's cheeks, and were the 
 marvel of every household. Reputation standing thus so very 
 high, folks dared not deny Black Ned, but surrendered their 
 purses to him at the first demand. To be sure, the grace of the 
 compliance was not always of the best ; but argument was rarely 
 used, whilst violence was ne'er so much as thought of. There- 
 fore pistols (the delight of plebeian villains) were seldom 
 exhibited. 
 
 Now I can only account for this docility in my shorn lambs
 
 86 MfSTKESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 on the assumption that they one and all possessed an obliging 
 disposition ; also because (as it seems to me) that, as mankind 
 hath it upon high authority that " discretion is the best part of 
 valor," my conscientious victims felt it their bounden duty to 
 act according to the text. 
 
 As for sheriff's men, so often had they been dodged, tricked, 
 bamboozled, or led into an awkward pickle, that they became a 
 laughing-stock for half the West, and thus were rightly glad, 
 after a lapse of time, to relinquish a fruitless quest. 'Twill 
 thus be seen I went unmolested, save when some exploit more 
 impudent than the common run came to the ears of justice. 
 Then half the magistrates in the shire would meet the sheriff at 
 dinner, and suggest what should be done in the matter. Fine 
 words would be uttered, good wine would be drunk, and the sheriff 
 would issue a proclamation. And 'twixt the plenishing of the 
 cups they'd all agree that Black Ned was a base, bad rogue, who 
 must have his wings clipped, and that it was somebody's duty 
 to set about and clip them. And they'd further agree that it 
 was perfectly plain to the civilized world that they should have 
 been clipped before, and that somebody was to blame (who they 
 couldn't precisely say, but certainly nobody present), because 
 the job was still undone. They would then wind up by drink- 
 ing His Majesty's health God bless him ! by going home 
 tipsy, and by debiting His Majesty's Government ten guineas 
 for justiciary expenses. For a brief while afterwards a brave 
 effort would be made to arrest the rogue aforesaid, though in a 
 fortnight, at farthest, this lukewarm energy would become quite 
 cool, and Master Ned, utterly oblivious of the law's long arm, 
 would continue to walk any way he listed. Accordingly, I 
 might sit under a weatherproof thatch of an evening, and enjoy 
 a supper, a black jack, and a pipe as comfortably as the 
 smuggest go-to-meeting burgher. But at best it was a hap- 
 hazard life ; when all good instincts were rudely stifled ; when 
 life was accounted a little thing; when the devil was blindly 
 served ; and when the vague hereafter lacked any consideration 
 whatsoever. 
 
 Mid-day had passed an hour, when Joe carried me into the 
 inn yard of the King's Head. The faithful animal was quickly 
 fixed in the stall which was always kept at his disposal, and 
 then I betook myself to the snuggest little parlor ever conjured 
 by the fancy of a weary man. I found a solitary individual 
 within, ensconced in an armchair, busy upon the reckoning of 
 a customer. 
 
 A queer fellow was this, not much above a yard in height,
 
 THE SOCIETY OF EDWARD ARMSTRONG. 87 
 
 with a couple of slits for eye-holes, through which peeped a pair 
 of bead-like orbs. A stubbly chin and a fat person most folks 
 would notice, yet more particularly the latter feature ; for if you 
 took the girth and then the length of him, the difference would 
 be scarce perceptible. 
 
 This was Peter Whipple, who had a larger brain than any 
 three men of my acquaintance. Mine host peered upwards 
 from the bill. Quoth he 
 
 " Ods bodkins ! 'tis mine old friend, Ned, and with an empty 
 belly, I ween." He puckered his ratty eyes till scarce aught 
 was left of them, and indulged an ugly grin by way of kindly 
 greeting. " What would accord with thy appetite, lad ? " he asked. 
 
 " Methinks I sniffed a hot venison pasty nigh at hand," said 
 I ; "that and a jug of malt liquor would fit my palate nicely." 
 
 " Thou hast but to name the dish, and it shall be set before 
 thee," was his cheerful answer. " Brains before brawn, say I ; 
 so, Ned, lad, those heavy-limbed bumpkins i' the other room 
 may wait awhile." 
 
 And wait they had to do; nor was their meal relished the less 
 by me because my stomach was comforted thereby instead of 
 their own capacious paunches. 
 
 Master Whipple had flow of speech sufficient for a dozen 
 men or half a dozen women. Thus I was extensively regaled 
 with conversation, whilst I dined excellently well, yet only 
 three-fourihs of my meal had reached its rightful destination, 
 when a raw-boned farmer strode into the room, and one look 
 showed his brow was black and his dudgeon high. 
 
 " How now, landlord ! How much longer have friend Job- 
 son and I to wait for our dinners ? If this is the way you treat 
 your guests, methinks it is a crying shame, sir ; and I, for one, 
 will not brook it ! " 
 
 He was evidently a well-to-do fellow, with a liberal idea of 
 his own importance, to judge by his tone and demeanor. Mas- 
 ter Whipple let few things escape him, and once having learned 
 a fact, he seldom failed to turn it to the best advantage. 
 
 " Just one moment, your worship, I beg," replied Pete, in a 
 voice of obsequious humility. " Well knowing your honor's 
 quality, I gave my rascally cook fully to understand that you 
 would not abide ill-cooked victuals, and that it most certainly 
 behoved him to give his very best attention lo the venison 
 pasty. But, sink me ! the careless jackanapes must needs let 
 it burn, doubtless because he was told to be so careful. 'Pon 
 my word, your worship, I'd sooner go to perdition than set such 
 scurvy fare before one of your station. I' faith, one corner's
 
 88 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 nigh burnt to a cinder. However, the varlet is cooking an- 
 other, and I do hope, good sir, you will this time forgive him. 
 And if your honor be so pleasantly minded, ye shall not lack 
 for compensation neither. Now, I am aware your cellar is of 
 the best, yet I'll wager it hath no such wine betwixt its walls as 
 I can put before you. Blister me, there is none to hold a candle 
 to it throughout the county ! 'Deed, I can truthfully say it 
 stands unsurpassed over the length and breadth of England, 
 save and except for that small, that very small, quantity His 
 Gracious Majesty hath in his cellars at Whitehall. When the 
 Bishop of Wells, t'other week, clapped his lips to the least drop 
 of my glorious Tokay, so much was he smitten with its luscious, 
 generous qualities, that he ordered a butt of it, forthwith, vow- 
 ing that never since he was born had he tasted such heavenly 
 grape-juice. 
 
 "Now, I am a godfearing man, as the world doth full well 
 know, and the saints forefend that I should cast disparagement 
 upon so pious a prelate ; yet, if the truth must be told, I laughed 
 out loud, your worship yea, I laughed out loud, when his rev- 
 erence gave that order. Such is the beauty of this rarest of 
 vi.nts that, were the Pope of Rome to drop down on his knees 
 for one bottle only, he'd go wanting. Yet, your honor having 
 been so sadly neglected, I will e'en undertake that you and 
 your friend shall each have a taste of it ; nor shall the charge 
 be excessive. Your delicate palates will ne'er forget the smack 
 of it, I'll warrant." 
 
 Master Peter was the glibbest liar I ever heard. Besides, his 
 untruths were so highly colored and so deftly clothed with veri- 
 similitude, that it mostly needed a very keen discrimination to 
 sort the fact from the figment. Now Pete's elaborate lie was 
 palmed upon the unwary yeoman with such an attitude of studied 
 deference, with such a deep politeness (acquired by long resi- 
 dence in London), and with such a circumstantial wealth of detail, 
 that the honest man was quite staggered, and straightway for- 
 got his wrongs, and even began to make excuses for his own 
 uncivil behavior. 
 
 And all the time that self-same pasty stuck in my throat ; 
 and so immensely tickled was I at mine host's methods, that I 
 nearly choked myself in trying to suppress my laughter. 
 Touching another circumstance, whoever caused Master Whipple 
 to modify his tone, as of late he had to do, would surely have 
 to pay a pretty price for the same when it came to the settling 
 of the bill. Humility had to be bought from him like more 
 toothsome commodities.
 
 THE SOCIETY OF EDWARD ARMSTRONG. 89 
 
 " I hope you will not forget that wine, landlord," said the 
 farmer, as he left us to rejoin his friend at the board. 
 
 " To be sure, the landlord will not forget," quoth Pete, as 
 the door closed behind him. 
 
 " To charge it in the score," I added, laughing. 
 
 " To the devil with all country bumpkins," said he, flicking 
 his thumb to his nose, as I have heard is the most approved 
 mode of expressing contempt in Town. " They are as loose- 
 tongued as dukes if aught goes amiss ; yet do but flatter their 
 dignity, and so blown out are they in their own conceit that 
 they e'en forget on which side the grievance lies." 
 
 " Doubtless they will wax fat on that famous Tokay of 
 thine ? " said I mischievously ; and I must observe, by way of 
 explanation, that to me Master Whipple's methods were by no 
 means new. 
 
 The innkeeper shook his head in a way that reminded me of 
 that sagacious bird, the owl, and sighed the most comical sigh 
 I ever listened to. 
 
 "My friend," said he, in his driest manner, " It will be duly 
 paid for in the bill. The pleasures of this life are in anticipa- 
 tion, and not in realization. The fee for this noble wine will 
 be fetched from out their fobs, and having been paid for, who 
 shall say they have not had it ? D'ye see, it matters not to 
 their great gullets (neither can they mark the difference) be- 
 twixt the truest Hainault vintage, and the washiest stuff that 
 ever came from over the water. Enough of such senseless 
 wights. Let us return to Long Bob Bickers. He was a man, 
 if ever one walked on this earth. Such days will ne'er be seen 
 again, as when he did these roads." And then, as his custom 
 was when he dwelt upon this immortal though melancholy 
 topic, his feelings overcame him, and tears sped quickly down 
 his cheek. 
 
 " I recollect one shrewd trick of his," he resumed, striving 
 like a man against this weakness. " He'd come in here of a 
 market day, such as this is, and bold as you please would walk 
 into the parlor. He'd find the squires and farmers there, a 
 chatting about the price of bullocks, the prospect of the crops, 
 and such like. And as they sate a-puffing at their pipes, and 
 a pulling at their liquor, he'd make 'ern his very best bow, whip 
 out his barkers, and with his noted economy of words would 
 say, 'Gentlemen, your purses. 5 Then they, stuck as their own 
 porkers, would shut their mouths, open their fobs, and just 
 cough up the bullion ! ' Come, landlord,' he'd say, ' I show 
 no favor.' So out would come mine as well. Yet, mark you
 
 9 
 
 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 this most carefully, mine old dogskin would find its way back 
 to my breeches pocket the very next day, with five more 
 guineas therein than ever it went away with. Here's peace to 
 thy soul, Bob Bickers, may thy heart rest easy ! " 
 
 Thereupon mine host raised his cup, pledged Long Bob's 
 health, and drowned his woe in a draught of cider. Having 
 swallowed his melancholy with his own toast, quoth he again, 
 with a queer look 
 
 " Ned, the front parlor is full of pursy yeomen. Now I 
 hope thou hast not already forgotten what I have just told 
 thee." 
 
 Seeing I had no mind to imitate the example of the illustrious 
 Long Bob, Master Whipple looked grave, and forthwith im- 
 parted one of his favorite pieces of information ; to wit, that 
 Squire Pocock of Athelney had started on the homeward jour- 
 ney scarce an hour agone, with a goodly number of gold pieces 
 upon his person. Neither did this rouse me to action, where- 
 upon Master Peter made inquiry as to the cause of such inac- 
 tivity. 
 
 "Young man," said he, "it appears to me thou art surely 
 neglecting business. Why is this ?" 
 
 *' Can't I take a holiday, then, without asking your permis- 
 sion ?" I answered in an injured tone, that he might quit: the 
 subject. To tell the truth (as in honor bound 1 must), the 
 precise reason was, that for that day at least I had no 
 stomach for my calling. Now you are to plainly understand, 
 Black Ned was still an absentee. It was Master Edward 
 Armstrong, the man who had met that self-same morning a 
 young maiden, fair to the eye, and delicious to the recollection, 
 bearing the name of Mistress Dorothy Marvin, who had just 
 eaten his midday meal at the King's Head, and who thus con- 
 fronted Peter Whipple. How could this gentleman of lineage 
 think of any such rascally proceeding as highway robbery, es- 
 pecially as the events of that self-same day were still piping 
 hot in his brain? Moreover, this worthy fellow did not by any 
 means forget that evening, about the hour of sunset, to don his 
 choicest suit and his silver-buckled shoon. Also, by the aid 
 of fair words and a guinea, he borrowed, for one night only, 
 Master Whipple's church-going tie-wig ; though he had greatly- 
 preferred a periwig. But a decent one was not to be gotten at 
 so short a notice, except of a very uncouth, provincial style; 
 while his host (though a London man) declared in all his life 
 he had ne'er paid a penny for such a pretentious article, be- 
 cause, as he said in his meekest manner, "he was too modest,
 
 THE SOCIETY OF EDWARD ARMSTRONG. 91 
 
 and too deeply sensible of his own unworthiness to ever think 
 of strutting to church in a peruke." 
 
 With the coming of darkness I stepped forth on foot to the 
 manor, for I thought it unlikely that any one would recognize 
 the highwayman in the darkness ; neither was it probable that 
 he would have been molested, had such a contingency arisen. 
 The night was as sloppy as ever the day had been, and miser- 
 ably cold withal. Yet naught was heeded in the elements, for 
 being well and warmly cloaked, I set my best leg foremost, 
 careless of wind and water. 
 
 The kindest of welcomes awaited me. Maybe it was over- 
 pride of my smart habiliments, yet I most positively assured 
 myself that father and daughter regarded me with pleased sur- 
 prise. And, without boast, I appeared a very comely young 
 man. The old knight and I zestfully played piquet (at least 
 he did, and I made great show of interest) ; and Mistress 
 Dorothy, instead of being busy with her needle, as I believe 
 young girls should be in their leisure, worked hard and perse- 
 veringly at a fishing-net. 
 
 " Great sport this afternoon, Master Armstrong ! " she cried, 
 with the glow of the enthusiast. " I landed three eels, half a 
 dozen perch and bream, also a pike, and that pike was nine 
 pounds six, sir ! " 
 
 " No lies," the knight inserted. " 'Twas not an ounce be- 
 yond six pounds." 
 
 " Sir Nicholas Marvin," fired back his daughter, "you are no 
 fisherman. Stick to the sword, sir you can fight, but you 
 can't fish." 
 
 Well, we played piquet, did the knight and I, and he was 
 very happy during the course of it. He won, you must under- 
 stand, and if a winning game gives no pleasure, then indeed it 
 must be a singularly poor one. And was I also happy? To 
 be sure I was ; but mind, in a game of a wholly different nature. 
 Part of my game consisted in glancing often (that is, as many 
 times as delicacy would permit) towards nimble fingers, on a 
 beauteous hand, on a lovely arm, on a delightful form ! 
 
 By and by Sir Nicholas fell a-nodding, and no wonder, for 
 the punch bowl demanded his attention many times. Had 
 Master Edward Armstrong, aged twenty-four, been as well con- 
 ducted as you and I had thought him, he must, without a shade 
 of doubt, at once have bidden host and hostess a prompt good- 
 night; for, as we are all of us aware, he had been invited to 
 play piquet, and for nought else whatsoever. 
 
 And why did he not act thus ? Wei!, the rain beat hard on
 
 92 MISTRESS DORO THY MA R VI N. 
 
 the window panes, the wind howled dismally, no moon was 
 visible midst the wrack of rain-cloud, and verily the night was 
 black as pitch. And the fire emitted a welcome glow, all was 
 cheerfulness and comfort within those four walls, and, further- 
 more, even the knight's slumbering resonance was in harmony. 
 1 warrant this is some excuse, if not quite sufficing for your 
 prudishness. 
 
 Now, with his opponent asleep, what kinder occupation could 
 this young man find than to talk sociably to the even younger 
 maiden close beside him ? Come ! high-principled people (for, 
 children, you have long since grown tall enough to talk of 
 "principle," "example," etcetera), your niceness cannot surely 
 suggest anything very wrong in what I am now unfolding. 
 Therefore Mistress Marvin and I held converse with one 
 another friendly, amiable converse ; and the maid was young 
 and very beautiful ; and I ! ah, what was I ! a fugitive, an out- 
 la.w, and a thief ! 
 
 I learned many things that night, some of which lend a per- 
 tinent bearing towards this history. The knight was a soldier 
 to the backbone, one who had lustily struck for the ill-fated 
 monarch Charles the First, and afterwards for his son, the 
 second Charles. But after paralyzing his patrimony for their 
 behoof, he was compelled to flee to foreign lands, where the 
 fear of high-crowned hats and plaguy hymnals ceased to haunt 
 him. 
 
 With good courage and a lean purse, what more likely than 
 this unfortunate scion of noble family should look to the sword 
 as a source of livelihood ? Therefore he took service under the 
 French king, Louis XIV., and participated in many actions on 
 his behalf, and his valor and stainless honor won him advance- 
 ment in the army of France. 
 
 Somewhat late in life he wedded a French lady of high birth, 
 and a disciple of the Roman Church. Their married life was 
 not of long duration, for within a year she died in child-bed, 
 and thus Dorothy ne'er knew a mother's love. 
 
 Until Sir Nicholas returned to his native land, with coffers 
 well replenished (for his wife had left him goodly means), his 
 only child passed some years in a convent. The knight had 
 now been four years at the manor, the home of his childhood, 
 and his daughter had crossed the water with him. This much I 
 gleaned from Mistress Marvin's lips that night, and it amused 
 me, when she came to tell me about the convent, to see her give 
 a shudder of disgust. 
 
 The hour was late ere I crossed the outer threshold into the
 
 7 HE SOCIETY OF EDWARD ARMSTRONG. 93 
 
 uninviting night. However, before I had wrapped my cloak 
 around me, previous to departing, the sleepy knight awoke him- 
 self, thanks to an overplus of snoring, and bid me come the 
 next evening to play him again, and to this invitation I made 
 no demur, but accepted it readily. 
 
 It was an evening unfit for a dog to be abroad in, yet the 
 journey to the King's Head seemed of the shortest, though at 
 ordinary times it is a lengthy step. Once, by misadventure, I 
 walked into a ditch beside the roadway, but swore not at this 
 mishap, e'en though I felt the muddy water penetrate my stock- 
 ings. The reason of this forbearance was not far to seek ; it 
 simply went unheeded, inasmuch that dancing before me in the 
 gloom was the phantasy of a maid with wondrous eyes. 
 
 It was a wakeful time, was my sojourn in bed that night. 
 Still it was a pleasing insomnolence. Nought could drive an 
 entrancing vision from mine head. 
 
 According to promise, I paid another visit to Kelston Manor 
 the following night, and the reception accorded me was equally 
 as hearty as those I had at other times received. 'Twas evident 
 I by no means abused my welcome, for Sir Nicholas proposed 
 that I should come and play with him every week-day evening 
 when it was possible for me to do so. And I in my folly had no 
 more sense or foresight than to accede to this request. One 
 night, during the first week, an incident befell that unsteadied 
 my nerves, and for the instant seemed both dangerous and irk- 
 some. In the course of our usual game, Sir Nicholas gave me 
 a shrewd look and said 
 
 " Mon ami, if I did not know you to be an Armstrong, I 
 should take you to be own brother to Black Ned the highway- 
 man." 
 
 At that moment, by a singular mischance, a coin fell and 
 rolled under the table, and without waiting to reply I dived be- 
 low in quest of it. A very stubborn coin it was, and it took some 
 little time to find. And where do you think it was discovered, 
 kinsmen ? Under Master Armstrong's foot ! 
 
 Upon returning to my seat, a laugh greeted me from Mistress 
 Dorothy. 
 
 " On my word ! " she said gayly, " art not very proud, sir ? 
 Sir Nicholas doth flatter you by his comparison. My compli- 
 ments to Master Armstrong on the achievement of his early 
 fame. Black Ned shall be his name in future." 
 
 Fortunately I had the sense to laugh at her sally, and the 
 matter passed away without assuming a more formidable shape 
 than one of banter.
 
 94 
 
 MJSTKESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 A week passed quickly. Every evening at sundown I failed 
 not to appear at the manor to gamble with the knight, and 
 afterwards to talk with that delightful maid, his daughter. 
 These conversations commenced when the knight dropped off 
 to sleep, and as a general rule he surrendered to seductive 
 Morpheus somewhere about the eighth serving of brandy 
 punch ; and I may also add, to accommodate the curious, that 
 my losses at the card-table, during those first six days, amounted 
 to the sum of thirty guineas. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 HIGH TREASON. 
 
 I NOW come to such a startling phase in my narrative, that it 
 behoves me to set it forth with due particularity, because, as 
 you are to learn, it made an abiding impression upon my mind, 
 and at the same time swayed my fortunes in a highly remark- 
 able manner. 
 
 However, it will previously be necessary to indicate the pre- 
 cise relations existing at the time betwixt Sir Nicholas Marvin, 
 his daughter, and myself. 
 
 Another week quickly sped, and, faithful to my word, I visited 
 the manor each evening, Sunday excepted, for the knight's 
 edification and mine own. Nay, I even exceeded this arrange- 
 ment, as on several occasions I found myself there in the 
 middle of the day. The cause of this should be all too obvious, 
 for just as I was always happy when within sight of Mistress 
 Marvin, I was rarely contented when I lacked the solace of her 
 company. Fortune aided me in many ways. Sir Nicholas 
 ne'er mixed in society of any kind, and seldom received a visit 
 from anybody, for he maintained a most uncompromising atti- 
 tude towards the neighboring county families, and they, I sus- 
 pect largely on account of his uncouth habits, were at daggers 
 drawn with him. As for Dorothy, she had no friends or kins- 
 folk this side the water, and as her father's quarrel was always 
 her quarrel also, this staunch daughter, as she herself once told 
 me, would rather have forfeited her tongue than she would have 
 made the least concession toward the county folk. This all re- 
 acted to my advantage. For one thing the knight and the 
 maid ne'er had any one to enlighten them as to whom I really
 
 HIGH TREASON. 
 
 95 
 
 was ; and again, the friendless Dorothy, to my inexpressible 
 delight, from the outset evinced considerable pleasure in my 
 company, which pleasure she showed in a thousand little ways. 
 Her nature was as frank, free, and simple as her speech. She 
 suspected nothing ; on the contrary, she made no secret that 
 she found me a companion much after her own heart, and in 
 her open way treated me as such. In fact, so little was her 
 warm, eager, affectionate nature smothered and degraded by 
 the polite imbecilities that nowadays constitute half the outfit 
 of aristocratic misses, that she looked on me as a sort of boon 
 companion, and in confidential moments allowed me to share 
 many secrets of her heart and mind. 
 
 Her father, the most terrible of tyrants in any matter touch- 
 ing personal comfort, like the rest of the brethren of the selfish 
 tribe, had no such compunction for other people. Yet he was 
 certainly not unaware of my constant companionship with his 
 young daughter. But he placed no restriction on either of us. 
 To him I was simply a country gentleman, well born, well 
 mannered, and of abundant leisure; and he summed up his 
 own sentiments on the subject far more pointedly than I can 
 hope to do when he said, " My lad, y'are'an Armstrong ; that is 
 enough for me ! " And so he ne'er gave the matter another 
 thought, but just sat in his chair gambling, swearing, and bib- 
 bing unlimited brandy punch. 
 
 Day by day the young lady proved a fuller source of delight 
 to me. Methought her a fearless, high-spirited, passionate girl, 
 tingling with life and laughter. Some might have said she was 
 a trifle rompish and coquettish, perhaps she was, tho' I'll ne'er 
 be made to say so. And once for all I counsel you, do not take 
 my judgment as infallible, the bare remembrance of Mistress 
 Marvin in the flesh hath much corrupted it, and 'twill be no 
 surprise to me, should I, ere I've done, write her down divinity, 
 What I will say is, she adored her unlovely father ; and was 
 always invested with the wild charm of being never in repose. 
 One moment she was perhaps sad, then coy, then romantic, then 
 playful, then gay, then satirical, then genuinely affectionate ; 
 yet, whichever mood she might be in, she ne'er retained it two 
 whole minutes. And if ever I was tempted to think her in- 
 capable of depth of thought or feeling, I had only to notice the 
 unwearied attentions, and the boundless respect and reverence 
 she never ceased to pay her ungrateful parent, to give me the 
 lie direct. 'Twas here the divining-rod of observation struck 
 the first inexplicable problem in her character; and if this was 
 not in itself enough to puzzle me, I had only to observe her
 
 g6 M/STXESS DOKOTHY MARVIN. 
 
 firm mouth, and the subtle prominence of her chin, to feel that 
 great unknown qualities lurked behind her blithe-hearted every- 
 day demeanor. 
 
 With these preliminaries, I will now relate those passages 
 between this lady and myself that revealed some of these hidden 
 qualities, and which caused me to temper admiration with 
 respect, and at the same time gave me much disquietude, and 
 many sleepless nights. I have carefully searched my memo- 
 randa for the day I first heard of the singular business that 
 preyed on my mind for weeks and months and finally altered 
 the whole tenor of my life. Still, despite my efforts, they have 
 been in vain. I cannot fix the exact date with any degree of 
 accuracy, though to the best of my recollection 'twas towards 
 the latter end of March or the beginning of April, the year of 
 grace 1688. 
 
 The sitting-room clock had just chimed the half-hour after 
 ten one evening at the manor, and Sir Nicholas according to 
 established custom had once more exchanged the wiles of liquor 
 for the wiles of sleep, when his daughter said in that tone half- 
 serious, half raillery she could so readily assume 
 
 " I believe, Master Ned, you are an admirer of nature ? " 
 
 " You surprise me, mistress," said I ; " I was not aware of 
 that. Though I will never deny," I added, with a significant 
 look toward my fair companion, " I have great admiration for 
 certain specimens of human nature." 
 
 "Tush! I cannot pretend to understand you, sir. But 'tis 
 a full moon to-night, and the stream and woodland look just 
 lovely. You must come with me and see it ; " and without 
 waiting for my reply she rose immediately, donned her cloak and 
 hat, and half-playfully, half-commandingly, bade me follow her. 
 Though certainly not reluctant in my obedience, I was surprised 
 at this, because it was contrary to our habitude, and I had not 
 credited her with poetic instinct strong enough to entice her 
 from a cosy room into the keen night air at this time of the 
 evening. 
 
 The manor grounds were indeed a noble sight. The moon 
 was gliding through a mass of cloud, casting a spectral light on 
 fern and bracken, and on the winding snakelike waters of the 
 stream. The tree-tops in the spinney were gilded with a shift- 
 ing tinge of silver, whilst now and then out of the dark recesses 
 of the copse, a plaintive note issued from some wary night bird's 
 throat; and the quick play of the ghastly moonbeams on glade 
 and thicket in varying tints of light and shade, gave to the whole 
 scene an eerie aspect of mingled ghostliness and grandeur.
 
 HIGH TREASON. 
 
 97 
 
 We took a path at right angles from the house. This led us 
 across the grass by the borders of the woodland, and onwards 
 to the stream. All the way I cogitated on this strange excur- 
 sion, and turned the unwonted circumstance over pretty care- 
 fully in my mind. At first my mental animation was altogether 
 foiled ; I could sniff no vestige of a clue to the lady's singular 
 procedure, or to the motives underlying it. 
 
 " Mistress," said I, my scepticism still unshaken, " you are 
 strangely silent anent the beauties of the landscape, and I will 
 make so bold to add, strangely unobservant." 
 
 " Hush, Master Armstrong, hush ! " she exclaimed, one finger 
 on her lips. " The air breathes the very spirit of romance. I'm 
 thinking of Charlemagne, and good King Rene of Provence ; 
 of ladies' bowers and tournaments ; of belted knights and 
 troubadours." Here she sighed softly to herself, and broke off 
 suddenly, as so often was her way, into a new strain of thought 
 and sentiment. However on this occasion it may have owed 
 something of its origin to her little rhapsody. 
 
 " The Copeland Armstrongs are a fine race," she said ; and 
 then seeing me perhaps a trifle self-complacent, continued swift 
 as lightning, a saucy inflection in her tone and gesture, " Ah, 
 Lud ! I'm in error there; I've stumbled in the matter of the 
 tenses. Why didn't I use the past instead of the present ? The 
 Copeland Armstrongs were a fine race would methinks have 
 been more accurate ; so, dear sir, forget thy bows and smirks, 
 and thy vain prideful fribbling." 
 
 " I am grieved for this emendation, mistress," said I with 
 mock gravity. 
 
 " E'en so ! yet men were wont to call your family ' The Fight- 
 ing Armstrongs ' ; though I cannot hear that the name runs now 
 on the countryside." 
 
 " True, mistress, I fear me that the title is somewhat blown 
 upon of late years. Mine uncle, Sir Peter, prefers the pursuit 
 of gold to that of glory, and I well, I am a mere civilian." 
 
 " Very soothful too, sir, though, nevertheless, I thank you for 
 your forbearance towards my father the other morning," and 
 she laughed at the reminiscence. 
 
 Next minute the red was in her cheeks, the fire was in her 
 eyes. 
 
 " But why donjt you preserve the tradition of your race, sir ? " 
 she cried. " Have your ancestors bequeathed you no spark of 
 their martial nature ? " 
 
 The words fell from her lips with a deep and clear vibration. 
 The wild, romantical girl was upbraiding me ; she did not know
 
 98 MISTRESS DOKOTHY MARl'lX. 
 
 that I had paid bitter penalties, and was paying them still be- 
 cause I had cherished the spirit of my fathers. 
 
 What follows may have been a vagary of chance, or as I had 
 come to apprehend some subtle motive in the conduct of the 
 maid, it may have been a bold design pushed to a skilful issue. 
 Be this as it may, her voice and bearing acted like a spark 
 dropped into the powder mine that nestled in my soul. Every 
 word thrilled me, the fiery qualities of my fathers leapt up from 
 slumber, and made reply ere prudence, sense, or rationality, 
 could impose a check upon them. 
 
 " Have no fear, mistress ; have no fear! " said I airily. " I 
 am not so degenerate an Armstrong as you seem to think. If 
 I do not fling away my scabbard and wear my weapon naked 
 for the behoof of all men, do not set too harsh a name to my 
 inactivity. I have an end in view I am husbanding my 
 strength. My matchlock is oiled, and my sword blade bright 
 and speckless. I am waiting, mistress ! " 
 
 " Waiting for what, sir ? " 
 
 " For the chance of a heart-thrust at the accursed Stuart ! " 
 
 There and then I knew my folly. My companion gave a 
 smothered exclamation, and placed one hand upon my arm, yet 
 instantly removed it, and drew herself some yards apart from 
 me. 
 
 By this we had come to the rustic wooden bridge that spans 
 the stream. We stood together on the fragile planks, and sus- 
 pended as we were midway, first gazed at one another in irk- 
 some silence, then at the flowing waters. 'Twas a strange mo- 
 ment as I leant on the rail and watched the rivulet crisp and 
 sparkle under the rays of moonlight ; and saw the quick flow 
 of the current illumined by numberless shafts of light, that leapt 
 and quivered on the surface of the stream as it glided 'twixt 
 the vapor-shrouded banks and wound its way down towards 
 the sea. 
 
 " Sir," quoth the maiden in a voice that startled me, after a 
 pause as long as it was embarrassing, " you have been impru- 
 dent." 
 
 Imprudent ! Was that the name to set to my indiscretion ? 
 Here had I confessed treasonous and revolutionary sentiments 
 to one born and bred a Roman Catholic, and whose father, her 
 mentor and her darling, had spent his fortune and his blood in 
 the service of the Stuarts. 
 
 " Imprudent," I answered, overwhelmed with shame and 
 dread of the consequences. "I have spoken like a fool." 
 
 "That depends upon your hearers," she said, and then to my
 
 A PERILOUS MISSION. 
 
 99 
 
 bewilderment this extraordinary creature seized my hand and 
 gripped it. I stole a glance at her face, and ne'er can I forget 
 its animation or her eyes as the light played on them, and set 
 them sparkling like lustrous gems. 
 
 " I do not understand you, mistress," quoth I astounded ; 
 " is not your father an old Stuart cavalier, and are you not a 
 Roman Catholic ? " 
 
 " J, sir ? I am a Whig a tremendous Whig ! " 
 
 I could have cried aloud with glee, her ringing tones and 
 high enthusiasm were so infectious. 
 
 " Master Ned," she said excitedly, " if one word, one single 
 word could save the House of Stuart, and 'twas left to me to 
 speak that word, dost know it should never come from lips of 
 mine ? And if a blow could crush them, as please God it some 
 day shall, I would ask nought better than that my arm should 
 be the one to strike it ! " 
 
 " Mistress, those are heartsome words. They come kinder 
 to mine ears than any since my father died." 
 
 " He is dead, then ? " 
 
 " Yes ; murdered by James Stuart and his servant Jeffreys." 
 
 " Tell me the story." 
 
 " No, no ; that I cannot do. There are certain passages in 
 my life's history that may never be told." Thereat I shuddered 
 to think on what terrible ground our conversation had nearly 
 led me. 
 
 " Methinks," said I, attempting to divert our talk from the 
 dangerous channel it was like to run in, " these words of ours 
 might sound to a listener uncommonly like high treason." 
 
 " Just so," returned my companion, " though if King James 
 doth not hear something much more to his cost, and very much 
 more treasonous ere long, I'm mistaken." 
 
 " You are a politician, Mistress Dorothy." 
 
 " Politician rather ! In fact, sir, to quote the words of my 
 illustrious papa, ' I'm the very devil for politics ! ' ' 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 A PERILOUS MISSION. 
 
 KINSMEN, you may be sure no word of Mistress Marvin's fell 
 upon deaf ears ; my mind was already worked upon to a pitch
 
 100 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 of disquieting curiosity. Her hints, her innuendoes, her affecta- 
 tion of secret knowledge, the enthusiasm of her voice, and the 
 singularity of her whole demeanor convinced me that she had 
 either some startling information at her command, else that 
 she was a facile and highly schooled dissembler. Howbeit, 
 not for a moment did I do her the injustice of allowing my 
 mind to dwell upon this alternative. 
 
 " My friend," continued the lady gravely, " since thou'rt so 
 reticent in the matter of thine own grievances, I will tell thee 
 why Sir Nicholas, my father, is a Stuart man no longer. In the 
 first Charles's time he spent his fortune and much good blood 
 in that monarch's cause, and when the end of the miserable 
 business came he went into exile with scarce a rag to his back, 
 or a groat in his hosen. By and by the second Charles was 
 crowned, and the Stuarts were once more affluent. Straightway 
 Sir Nicholas hied back to his native land, counting upon a 
 handsome recompense for the many sufferings endured in his 
 and his father's cause. Bitter was his fate ! Charles Stuart, 
 the King, forgot the rich promises of Charles Stuart, the Exile. 
 Many faithful friends of the days of his adversity were sent 
 penniless and heart-broken from Whitehall gates. The King 
 had no longer any use for them, and no longer any care. Ne'er 
 a silver shilling did they receive from him, i' faith hardly bare 
 civility ; yet every day he lavished such sums upon certain 
 of his female friends as would have satisfied the most expectant 
 of the Cavaliers. My father was one of these unfortunate men. 
 He cursed the false monarch in the bottom of his heart, 
 and set off back across the water. There he need beg no 
 man's bounty, but could earn a decent pittance with the sword. 
 From that day to this he hath not forgiven the House of 
 Stuart : my father never forgives an injury. For years he hath 
 fed the fire of his animosity, and that cold bigot James hath 
 added fuel to it. Monmouth s rebellion crushed any respect 
 Sir Nicholas might have borne him on the score of his father's 
 memory. He is, as you know, a staunch son of the West, and 
 the wholesale butchery of his fellows was more than he could 
 abide ; so now he and many of the greatest men in the realm 
 are engaged on an enterprise that hath for its object the down- 
 fall of the Stuarts." 
 
 I uttered a half-audible cry. Instantly there shot into my 
 mind the results of its success, and what they meant to me. I 
 beheld a vista of cherished hopes : freedom, the chance to earn 
 an honest livelihood, the revocation of my outlawry, the aveng-
 
 A PERILOUS MISSION. 1O i 
 
 ing of my father's death ! Sure the lady looked so intent at me 
 that she must have read every phase of my emotion. 
 
 " Suppose," quoth she insinuatingly, " a share was proffered 
 Master Armstrong in this conspiracy ? " 
 
 " For Heaven's sake, madam, don't play with my suscepti- 
 bilities ! Dost know I have sworn to avenge my father's 
 murder ? " 
 
 "Aha! there spoke a Copeland Armstrong." And she 
 smiled a smile there was no interpreting. 
 
 Then an uneasy silence came between us. For myself I 
 was digging my nails into my palms and endeavoring by every 
 means extant to suppress the visible signs of my excitement. 
 And I believe my most remarkable companion was trying to 
 gauge the depths of my sincerity, and how far she would be 
 justified in communicating great secrets to my bare word of 
 honor. At least it struck me that this was her employ. Now 
 this hesitancy and this prudence made me feel the least bit in 
 the world like an injured person ; and such was the perversity 
 of my pride, that e'en though my inside was burning to hear 
 the whole gist of these weighty matters, I would sooner have 
 jumped into the stream than have spoken one word for her en- 
 couragement. 
 
 " Am I right in saying an Armstrong is always loyal to his 
 word ? " she asked at last, her face a picture of admirable 
 gravity. 
 
 " Perfectly," I replied stiffly and concisely. 
 
 She guessed that my pride was touched ; but next minute her 
 woman's wit rescued her from a delicate situation. 
 
 " Begone, unworthy doubt ; begone, unkind caution ! " she 
 cried archly ; yet no sooner had her tone served its purpose 
 (the usage being to stroke and soothe Master Armstrong's del- 
 icate sensibility) than she relapsed into her former state of 
 excessive staidness. 
 
 " Sir," she went on, " 'tis in my power to give you a com- 
 mission in this enterprise. But I must tell you at once that 
 the danger attending it is enough to strike fear to the boldest 
 heart. Should you accept my offer, you will carry your life in 
 your hand till the scheme hath seen fruition. One word in the 
 King's ear would be your death warrant. Yet I must also tell 
 you that success will be the biggest nail yet hammered into 
 the Stuart coffin." 
 
 " Give me entire particulars, I prithee, mistress ? " 
 
 " Master Armstrong, I dare not until the formalities have 
 been observed. Peers of the realm have had to submit to them."
 
 1 02 MSSTA'ESS DORO THY MAR I' IN. 
 
 This beautiful conspirator produced a small pocket Bible 
 from the folds of her cloak, and in the face of the blue moon- 
 light I swore the oath of secrecy. And to such a remarkable 
 degree did this young girl enter into the solemnity of the thing 
 that her hand trembled when I returned the book. 
 
 " Master Ned," she said, emboldened by this assurance, " a 
 letter for the hand of my lord Churchill must be carried to 
 London at the earliest possible moment." 
 
 ' That should not be a very perilous matter," said I stoutly. 
 
 " Nevertheless," she replied, " 'tis a bold man's task. You 
 are not to think my lord belongs to our side. He is high in 
 the service of the King. And the missive contains treasonous 
 proposals to tempt him to adopt our cause and to renounce his 
 master's. Therefore, should he be minded to take a hostile 
 view of the matter, a nod from Jiim will suffice to clap you in 
 Newgate or the Tower. I may frankly say my lord's attitude 
 hangs in the balance, and such is the jeopardy of the under- 
 taking, that when the matter was mooted at the last meeting of 
 our friends, one and all were so personally reluctant to forward 
 the letter, that lots had to be drawn to decide who must do so. 
 Fate decreed that my father should deliver it, but the gout hath 
 since decreed that he shall do nothing of the kind. Of course, 
 Fate is very dignified, but the gout is a stubborn, unreasonable, 
 arbitrary creature, who hath gained his way as usual. There- 
 fore, dear papa is confined to his chair, unable to move a yard, 
 much less a matter of a hundred and fifty miles. For the last 
 three days he hath been pulling his wig and abusing his luck 
 by turns, and wondering what the Council will say at the next 
 meeting, which is due very shortly. He says I shall earn his 
 gratitude if I can get him out of the dilemma. I proposed that 
 he should consult some of the other conspirators, but as they 
 live in London, very little -would be gained by that, for time 
 presses. Next I proposed the servants. Them he dare not 
 trust in such a secret and momentous affair, so I proposed my- 
 self. He brightened up at that, yet, in the end, declined my 
 assistance, as he said the council had a pig-headed preju- 
 dice against women taking an active part in such a matter." 
 
 "One moment, I beg, mistress," I interrupted. "Were you 
 quite serious in that proposal ? Dare you have encountered the 
 dangers of the road, and run the risk of the gallows ? " 
 
 "And why not, sir? My father, old and enfeebled as he is, 
 doth not shrink from the task. Why should I ? I have four 
 limbs quite sound, and if as yet I cannot wield a sword with any 
 degree of skill, I can put a bullet through a rogue at forty yards."
 
 A PERILOUS MISSION. 
 
 103 
 
 " Hast no fear?" I inquired, aghast at these most unfemi- 
 nine sentiments. 
 
 " Don't you dare to catechise me, sir," she replied, shaking 
 her jaunty curls, whilst a laugh lingered about her eyes and 
 mouth. " Didst say fear ? Well, yes, I'm afraid of mice 
 and ghosts and stupid questions and well, I think that's 
 about all, sir. I am ne'er affrighted at human beings, not even 
 at Master Edward Armstrong." 
 
 " Methinks you are a very strange young lady." 
 
 ' Sir," she said, with feigned severity, " if you seek to keep 
 in my good graces, you had better pluck the term 'young lady' 
 from your vocabulary. I abhor it. I'm always thinking of 
 those water-blooded creatures who hem tuckers, and stitch 
 night-caps, and who weep tears of joy at births and marriages, 
 and tears of sorrow at deaths and funerals ! " 
 
 The wayward wilful girl fairly bubbled with laughter, and 
 added saucily, " Master Armstrong is a good deal shocked, 
 I'm thinking." 
 
 " I am, mistress," I felt constrained to admit ; though 'twixt 
 ourselves, kinsmen, I may confess he. was much more be- 
 witched and delighted. Hereupon the clock of a neighboring 
 village chimed the hour of midnight. That was the signal for 
 us to retrace our steps towards the house. After pledging my 
 willingness to enlist in the mission, she promised to lay the 
 matter before her sire, though she caused me to understand 
 that he would thankfully accept my services. 
 
 By this we had come to the entrance steps. Accordingly, I 
 said good-night, and set forth briskly for Bridgwater. From that 
 hour till my next appearance at the manor, I had thought for 
 nothing but the great conspiracy against the King. I weighed 
 the chances of success, but, seeing the slender information I 
 possessed, this was merely folly. I marvelled at the slice of luck 
 that had enabled me to strike a blow at my enemies, yet never 
 calculated at all the manifold dangers of my embassy. I was 
 too excited, and too thoroughly regaled with the celestial hopes 
 inspired by this new project, and too reckless of life, to have many 
 fears for a matter so paltry as personal danger. Therefore, I 
 passed the time till six of the clock the following evening in 
 building air-castles, as youth alone can build them. 
 
 At that hour I once more passed the stone dragons on the 
 manor gates. The first object I beheld in the swiftly fading 
 light was Mistress Marvin coming at a clipping pace to meet 
 me. One glance at her face was enough to learn that success 
 had crowned her planning and intricacies.
 
 104 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 " Hoik, Master Armstrong,'' she cried exuberantly, " I have 
 cheerful news. I whispered a word in papa's ear this morning. 
 4 Suppose, sir,' says I, 'a young gentleman, whose grandfather 
 bled for the Roundheads at Roundway Down, should consent 
 to convey this missive to London, would that receive your ap- 
 probation ?' 'Wench,' says he, fierce as a buck rat, 'don't 
 talk to me about grandfathers, and uncles, and cousins, and 
 aunts, and the whole genealogical tree. They are no Tecom- 
 mendation whatsoever.' 'But suppose, sir,' says I, 'he hap- 
 pens to bear the name of the Copeland Armstrongs ? ' Master 
 Ned, that was too much for him. ' Dorothy, ye sly minx,' says 
 he, 'get him to take the oath, d'ye hear? get him to take the 
 oath ! We shall then be right as ninepence. They're the 
 sworn enemies of the Stuarts, and I'd quite as lief trust a 
 member of that family as one of mine own flesh and blood ! ' 
 ' Oh, father,' says I, ' 'tis a providential thing thou hast one of 
 thine own flesh and blood to transact thy business.' ' Less o' 
 your lip, you saucebox ! ' says he. ' Oh, well, papa, I was just 
 going to tell you of an arrangement I came to with Master Ann- 
 strong last night.' 'Go on!' he cries, mighty anxious. 'But 
 I was to have less of my lip,' says I. Well, anyway, Master 
 Ned, I had three kisses out of the man before I said another 
 word. Then I told him how you and I took a walk, yestreen, 
 to observe the beauties of a moonlit landscape, and what the 
 nature of the compact was you entered into. My word, sir ! 
 after that I had a royal time. I have had more kisses from 
 him this morning than ever I remember. He even called me ' a 
 Damned clever girl,' and declared that if I would pay more atten- 
 tion to his precept and tuition, I might live to be a credit to 
 him yet." 
 
 Her high spirits were unbounded. All this time she had 
 been conducting me triumphantly to her father. I discovered 
 him in his chair, exhibiting quite a cheerful countenance. At 
 my request he immediately apprised me farther concerning the 
 conspiracy. 
 
 " In the first place," he began with immense consequence 
 and emphasis, after moistening his lips" by a pull at the brandy 
 punch, " ever since James came to the throne he hath carried 
 matters with far too high a hand. He is trying by every means 
 in his power to foist Popery upon the nation. 'Twill not do. 
 Neither rich nor poor will brook it. This is a Protestant land, 
 and not all the monarchs in Christendom can make it aught 
 else. It hath broken with the Romish Church full many a year ; 
 yet the blind fool cannot see that unless he desists he will get
 
 A PERIL O US MISSION. 1 05 
 
 such a bite from the old British bull-dog as will make him wish 
 he had ne'er put his ugly foot on its paws. 
 
 " Secondly, the King has mortally offended many of his 
 staunchest and strongest peers by his lack of honesty, justice, 
 and fair dealing. He hath no more honor than that cat yonder, 
 and those about him know it well. Young man, I have seen 
 something of the world, having grown gray in it, and speaking 
 to you as a friend, I set more store by honor than any gaudy 
 accomplishment. And, mark you, so doth any other man of 
 the sword. Corbleu ! James hath not an atom of it anywhere 
 within his body. He will swear his very name away to win his 
 own lick-penny ends ; hence his most powerful subjects are his 
 bitterest opponents. 
 
 " Thirdly, the kingdom is well aware that he is the cowardliest 
 tyrant breathing. His heart is as hard and pitiless as marble. 
 This land hath not forgiven the foul doings of his servant 
 Jeffreys in our own county of Somerset; and remember he was 
 but the tool. James Stuart employed it. The knave, the 
 brute, and the poltroon have peeped out many times in His 
 Majesty since he took the crown, and now he hath neither the 
 respect, the kind wishes, nor the confidence of the nation. 
 
 " Accordingly, there is a goodly number of us banded together 
 to wrest the throne from one so unworthy, and wrest it we will. 
 Day by day we multiply in strength and number. Men with 
 names that would make you stare have we gotten on our side 
 already. The leaders of the scheme meet one day in each 
 month, at some house in the country, to further our designs. 
 We dare not muster in Town, for this plot is the gravest of 
 secrets, and 'twould court publicity to assemble there. And if 
 by misadventure the King did get ear of the matter there'd be 
 another harvest for Jeffreys. 
 
 " I am reckoned amongst the leaders, and at our last meet- 
 ing, at my lord Danby's place in Yorkshire, great news was 
 forthcoming. Nothing less than that my lord Sunderland, 
 Prime Minister of England, had espoused our cause. I can 
 tell thee, lad, it fired the pack of us, and that same day the 
 council decided to fly at game quite as high. It was resolved 
 to approach my lord Churchill, the best soldier His Majesty 
 doth possess, and to try to lure him over toour side. As you may 
 imagine, this is truly no light task, and one fraught with an 
 infinity of peril ; for we are utterly ignorant of my lord's senti- 
 ments upon the subject. A paper was drawn up instanter 
 addressed to him, duly setting forth our scheme, together with 
 several notable inducements for him to lend us his assistance.
 
 1 06 MJSTKESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 As every one seemed unwilling to take the responsibility of so 
 grave a matter, we employed the arbitrament of chance to come 
 to a decision. As luck ordained, it fell to my lot, and I may 
 say it is signed by me alone on behalf of the rest, so that should 
 any adversity befall it, I alone shall suffer. The cause will be 
 unaffected, and there will still be plenty left to carry the great 
 work forward." 
 
 Now, there was at least one person present who by no means 
 shared the knight's unconcern. Suddenly a sigh stole forth 
 from somewhere, and as Mistress Marvin and the Persian cat 
 were the only other animate creatures in the room, I must 
 certainly lay it to the account of the lady. Sure, a breath so 
 plaintive and so heartfelt was never known to issue from the 
 throat of the fluffiest cat that ever curled a tail. Besides, the 
 girl was white as the window curtains. 
 
 I was unspeakably impressed by the icy nonchalance of the 
 man as he made this statement ; by the implacable resolution of 
 his tone, the superb self-reliance it bespoke, and his never-swerv- 
 ing steadfastness to Cause. At first I held my peace, out of pure 
 reverence, as it was a time when the child of a new generation 
 himself beheld something of the grandeur, which hitherto he had 
 only known as a tradition of an old one. This was a strong 
 man ; now decayed. But the seed was there ; I recognized it, 
 and was awed with admiring wonder. 
 
 Piquet was sadly neglected that night. My mission com- 
 pletely engrossed our tongues and thoughts. Ere long the 
 letter was extracted from its receptacle a large cabinet beside 
 the fireplace and handed into my custody. Upon that Sir 
 Nicholas fully primed me with instructions and advice, dwelt 
 with extreme particularity on the gravity of my errand, and 
 recapitulated the paramount importance of secrecy and haste. 
 Indeed, urgence was most necessary, for the next meeting \\as 
 due a fortnight hence. 
 
 " My lad," quoth the knight, " I hope vou will be back in ten 
 days." 
 
 " Never fear, sir," said I, trying to imitate his strength ; 
 " without accidents I shall be back in less. I dine at Bruton 
 at noon to-morrow." 
 
 " Had you not better take a couple of my servants to guard 
 you against the dangers of the road? "he asked. It seemed 
 even he could be thoughtful for others upon occasion. 
 
 " Pooh, not likely ! " was my confident reply. " If a man 
 cannot take care of the skin nature gave him, 'tis a pitiful thing 
 indeed," a speech suited to the man's own heart.
 
 SAINTS AND SINNERS ARE NEAR AKIN. 107 
 
 "Monfreref" he exclaimed, an unwonted lustre in his one 
 gray eye. "If Churchill joins us, I'll warrant that sweet west- 
 ern blood so wantonly spilled shall be soon avenged." 
 
 " Bravely promised, sir knight," I said. " I am thine, heart 
 and soul, in this enterprise ; thou hast only to command me." 
 
 With that he bade me a propitious journey, and pressed a 
 bag of money upon me to defray the expenses of my travels, 
 which, after some demur, I accepted. 
 
 Mistress Dorothy accompanied me to the threshold of the 
 outer door. 
 
 " Sir," she said, and 'twas music to hear her voice ; 'twas so 
 solemn and so fervent, "do not think me a female Machiavel, 
 nor one who hath no care for brave men, other than how they 
 execute mine own designs. Master Armstrong, I thank thee 
 for my father, and I thank thee for myself. Please forgive this 
 further reminder of thy responsibilities ; but oh, sir ! remember 
 my father's life and honor are bound up in that packet ! " 
 
 I could see her face was very white ; I could see her hands 
 were trembling. As for her voice, it had now subsided into a 
 throbbing undertone of passionate vibration. 
 
 " God speed, dear friend ! brave friend ! " she said, scarce 
 above a whisper, and timidly turned her right hand out towards 
 me. I touched her fingers with my lips, and thrilling with joy, 
 went hence, like princes in the fairy tales, with my hopes upon 
 ethereal heights, to the King's Head, Bridgwater, prior to start- 
 ing on my journey. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 TENDS TO PROVE THAT SAINTS AND SINNERS ARE NEAR AKIN. 
 
 MASTER WHIPPLE had passed many years of his life in Lon- 
 don. Therefore, when I mentioned to him that night my 
 approaching visit thither, he assumed superior airs, and proffered 
 me words of admonition. 
 
 " Lucky dog ! " he cried, " would that I might ride thence 
 beside you. 'Tis a lively spot, my lad I've had brave times 
 'neath the shadow of Holy Paul. If ye get Covent Garden 
 way, step into the Piazza and keep your eye up for the sign of 
 the Bullfinch. 'Tis the comeliest tavern in Town. I'd be 
 driving my coach and six had I but stayed there till now." 
 
 " Then why did you desert so goodly a spot ? " 
 
 " My delicate health," he replied with a chuckle, and tapped
 
 io8 MISTA'ESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 his chest with unction. " Ye see it became a matter o' necessity 
 that I should seek a change of air ; the London atmosphere 
 threatened my constitution. 'Twas a most unfortunate thing, 
 for I made a snug little income there. I served strong liquors 
 all day, and kept the dice-box a clicking all night. The best 
 men in Town would consort at my little shop, and lost or won 
 many a guinea. But one day there cropped up a scandal, then 
 there came a lawsuit and a lawyer; after that a snuff-snouted 
 Bow Street runner, with a warrant in his dirty paw for the 
 apprehension of one Peter Whipple of the Bullfinch, Covent 
 Garden. Not that he got his filthy fingers on Peter Whipple's 
 sacred person no, sir ! " and mine host smacked his fist upon 
 the board in his grandest histrionic manner. " You ask where 
 was Peter Whipple ? He'd bolted, sir, to the beautiful country, 
 for the benefit of his health. Old birds don't wait for a salted 
 tail, old thieves don't wait for a stiff cravat, nor men of intellect 
 for Newgate." 
 
 Mine host prattled on in his usual windy way ; though it 
 does not become me to set down all, or even half of his garrulity ; 
 'twould but weary you. 
 
 'Twas never my lot to know a man with such a perpetual flow 
 of speech as was possessed by Peter Whipple. His tongue was 
 seldom silent, and even then was only so on sufferance. Once 
 let him become embarked on any subject, then no one else 
 might introduce a word ; they had perforce to just sit still and 
 listen. 
 
 The main outcome of his verbosity on this occasion was that 
 I heard of a hostelry, where I might stay during my impending 
 sojourn in the city. This was the house of one Jabez Fletcher, 
 brother-in-law to Pete, and landlord and proprietor of the Three 
 Crowns tavern in the Strand. 
 
 Just as Master Whipple was the greatest man I ever knew 
 in the matter of the brain, in many other ways he excelled his 
 fellows. His urbane and polite demeanor was a thing to talk 
 about. He was a sleek and smiling animal, good-natured to the 
 last degree, and full of worldly wise sagacity. He never so far 
 forgot his rule of life as to let his serenity be ruffled by any of 
 the disturbing minor incidents that are a bane to an ordinary 
 man's existence. He never so far descended to the level of 
 common mortals as to show anger at anything. If aught should 
 call for it, he assumed instead an air of mild and sweet forgive- 
 ness. He had no rough edge to his tongue ; 'twas ever as smooth 
 as his pomaded hair. Did a customer abuse him, Pete simply 
 replied with an overpowering humility, yet experience taught
 
 SAINTS AND SINNERS ARE NEAR AKIN. 
 
 109 
 
 me that this same humility made a portly figure in the score. 
 The word " business " was the guiding star of his career, just 
 as the three words " Long Bob Bickers " was that of his 
 recollection. 
 
 Ere I retired for the night, he bade me heed another land- 
 mark of the past. Said he 
 
 " Friend Ned, perhaps you'll find yourself in the vicinity of 
 Clerkenwell. There is a little green painted conventicle in 
 Black Lion Place with ' Rest for weary saints ' in neat black 
 letters stuck over the door. My lad, I was pastor of that psalm- 
 singing flock five years." 
 
 " You ! " I exclaimed. " Why did you not say you kept a 
 gaming-house in Covent Garden?" 
 
 " To be sure, my pretty innocent," he answered, his little 
 eyes foxily eloquent, " to be sure I did. But, ye see, it is just 
 as easy to be a saint as to be a sinner, and very near as profit- 
 able. From six unto eight of the clock on week-day nights, 
 and thrice on Sundays, I would hold discourse to my Puritan 
 brethren, that my words might fructify within them. My con- 
 gregation were a flourishing sect, with purse-strings long, hearts 
 soft, heads softer, and brains a little this 'side fatuity. My text 
 was ever ' // is more blessed to give than to receive! I would 
 dwell on the fact that a man who had no charity, dispensed 
 with it to the detriment of his soul. A hard heart, I would 
 tell 'em, hath the devil for a foster-parent. And presently I'd 
 tap the brine as I enlarged upon the miseries of their poorer 
 brethren, so that when the trencher was passed round for the 
 relief of the wants of the needy, it was always piled with gold 
 and silver pieces, and I, being the most zealous of the chosen, 
 took upon myself to dispense their bounty." 
 
 " Whew ! " I whistled. 
 
 " Of course I did. And this select and large-hearted sect 
 never interfered with business in the Piazza, as the ' bloods ' 
 did not assemble till Mrs. Polly Wilders could bewitch 'em no 
 longer. Ah, lad, those were the times ! They and Bob Bick- 
 ers will never return." 
 
 " Pete," I asked, much struck with the methods of this man, 
 which so far excelled mine own, " did no mishap ever mar the 
 execution of your scheme ? " 
 
 " Pish ! not likely. Brains provide for mishaps and such- 
 like, and oft turn 'em into disguised blessings. And now, 
 young friend, I'll trouble you to hearken to the voice o' wisdom. 
 In this wicked world, my boy, strict attention to business alone 
 doth pay. You and I, were we ever so righteous, could not
 
 1 1 o MIS TRESS DORO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 reclaim it, and would probably die in a ditch for our pains. 
 We all have our methods. I use my headpiece, you use your 
 pistols, the parson his mouth, and the cut-purse his ten fingers. 
 The mercer round the corner sells his wares at three times 
 their proper value. The Westminster lawyers draw fees they 
 never earn from crack-brained litigants who have no better 
 sense than to squander their substance thus. By the way, be- 
 ware of women and lawyers. They are the devil's creation. 
 Again, the parson dons the cassock to fill his belly, and gives 
 nought but words for good gold and silver. Every man to his 
 trade, say I. You go your way, I go 'mine. We shall at least 
 have a roof above our heads till the coffin or the gallows claims 
 us. If then we don't get to heaven, methinks we shall find 
 ourselves among friends at the other place." 
 
 I, having patiently heeded whilst he enunciated this out- 
 landish dogma, bade him sweet dreams, seized a candle, and 
 sensibly betook myself to bed. I rose early in the morning, 
 and pushed on swiftly towards my destination. Indeed, only 
 once did I slacken rein till I came to Brutpn. Here I stayed 
 three hours to dine, and to give Joe a rest. And then my peace 
 of mind was hurt by a serious adventure. It occurred after I 
 had ate my meal, just as I was on the point of re-departure. 
 
 I had sought the saddle, and was walking Joe out of the 
 yard of the hostelry, when a man came towards me in a secret 
 fashion, as if afraid of notice. Also, his dress accorded with 
 his stealthy manner. A sad-colored cloak, long and capacious, 
 covered him from head to heels, leaving only his spurred rid- 
 ing boots exposed, whilst a low-crowned, broad-brimmed hat, 
 pulled low down over the eyes, and a face much muffled, did 
 their best to baffle the public gaze. To my surprise this 
 fellow approached my saddle, and laid a gloved hand on the 
 bridle. 
 
 " Tarry a moment, good sir," he said, in an unnatural voice 
 scarcely higher than a whisper ; " wouldst like to earn a few 
 guineas ? " 
 
 " Certainly," said I, nowise averse. Forthwith a bag of 
 tempting bulk was brought from underneath the strange man's 
 cloak, and held up for my inspection. 
 
 " All these shall be thine," he said, still in his covert tone, 
 " if you will hand me the letter you have upon you for my Lord 
 John Churchill. Here is one hundred times its weight in gold, 
 and the cunning villain shook the guineas. 
 
 The gold was held beneath my nose more temptingly than 
 ever. That aroused Black Ned from his dormant state, for he
 
 SAINTS AND SINNERS ARE NEAR AKIN. in 
 
 it was who sniffed it. Without a word I shot out my hand, 
 seized the bag, and grabbed it from its owner's grasp before 
 he could apprehend my motive. Next I plucked a pistol from 
 the holster, and thrust it in the coistril's face, at which he 
 shrank back cowed. 
 
 " Peradventure this may teach you," I cried, " not to insult 
 honest folk, you hangdog villain ! Well may you hide your 
 face from the light of day. Get you gone, or I'll break your 
 bones, and for the future seek not to corrupt your fellows." 
 
 I might have struck the wretch with the butt end of my 
 weapon, had he not been so much affrighted. As it was I con- 
 tented myself with plenteous revilings, and in the end the 
 coward sidled stealthily away. However, I may tell you much of 
 my anger was merely simulation. It is a way with rogues to 
 make parade of rectitude in their dealings with their equally 
 dirty-minded brethren. Therefore this member of the tribe, 
 being in my power, it pleased me to trade upon my surface 
 virtue, which, as you know, was no nicer than his, though maybe 
 not so grovelling and paltry. 
 
 This affair gave me grave concern, for it was patent that my 
 mission was known, and it was more than likely other measures, 
 not so gentle, might be used to obtain possession of the letter. 
 I hugged the paper to my bosom, and swore Kelston Manor 
 should ne'er see me again if any misfortune happened it. All 
 my future was bound up in it. All my hopes were centred in 
 it. Love and vengeance, the holiest and unholiest of pas- 
 sions, were, according to the bearer, encased betwixt its wrap- 
 pers. 
 
 I rode briskly forward, seldom swerving from the direct road 
 to London. The missive was jealously guarded, and for better 
 precaution I stitched it into the lining of my doublet that night 
 at my halting-place, and slept with it on my back, and thereby 
 sacrificed physical comfort for ease of mind. 
 
 1 may tell you a journey to Town in those days was not the 
 pleasurable affair it is now, when comfortable and speedy stage- 
 wagons traverse good roads thither. Also it was a serious 
 matter then to travel unattended, for highwaymen and footpads 
 abounded, though I had no fear of them until I passed the Wilt- 
 shire borders, as up to that point I was too well known to be 
 molested. However, I pushed on without mishap, for I never 
 travelled after sunset, and in the daytime my pistols always 
 reclined, duly charged, close at hand in the holsters. 
 
 My head, by no means staid and sapient, as youthful ones are 
 not supposed to be, was topsy-turvy with the events of the past
 
 1 1 2 MJSTKESS DOKO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 two weeks. Briefly, Edward Armstrong, thief and outlaw, had 
 been buoyed from the bog of black despair, unto an altitude of 
 hope. Two circumstances had combined to produce this change. 
 Foremost, the plainest and most visible, was Mistress Marvin's 
 narrative. Here, indeed, was a wide vista of relentless longings 
 and angry passions, that embraced all my prospects for the 
 future. My father's death could be visited on his murderers, 
 my sentence of outlawry removed, and my livelihood earned by 
 honest means, if only these designs should be compassed. I 
 turned the matter over in my mind, examined carefully the pros 
 and cons, and pondered on the chances, only to decide that no 
 man could say what would be the fruits of the conspiracy, but 
 that they must be portioned out just as God determined. 
 
 Then another influence was at work, a stealthy, subtle influ- 
 ence, which was perhaps \he frimum mobile. To this I was loth 
 and slow, in equal parts, to affix the proper name. Throughout 
 my tedious journey, I could not eject the vision of a sprightly 
 maid with laughing eyes out of my maggoty pate. I tried more 
 than once to do so, doubtless believing the effort was one to be 
 commended. Still it was a thoroughly vain endeavor. " \Yhat 
 business," I asked myself a dozen times, "has this lovely ap- 
 parition in my head?" The question was unanswerable. To 
 speak plainly, it was God's business. Man cannot say how his 
 heart, if he has one, may leave him, or to what address his affec- 
 tions maybe consigned. 
 
 Now I was well aware that I had no logical right to love 
 Mistress Dorothy Marvin. I, the base creature who had sunk 
 so low ; but I could not help it. I was well aware it was mor- 
 ally, ethically, casuistically wrong; but, again, I could not help 
 it. I might fight with facts, I might grapple with common sense, 
 I might struggle with myself, but the fiat had gone forth, and 
 from that time onwards Ned Armstrong, highwayman, was a 
 slave to the pertinacious passion. 
 
 I suppose the chief deed of life is to fall in love, or else fall 
 out of it, though, of course, some there are who spend their days 
 without such high seasoning to their anaemic, cut and dried exist- 
 ences. Then, I've heard talk of folks who go into this affair 
 of love in a careful, calculating manner ; and contrive through- 
 out the course of the palpitating business to keep their brains 
 alert, their faculties alive, and their eyes uncommonly wide open. 
 In fact, they're said to pay due regard to time and circumstance, 
 and to walk path-keepingly upon the intoxicating pilgrimage. 
 Now this is what I can't abide ! No doubt these cautious 
 wooers, at the mercurial time of declaration, will eat a full meal
 
 SAINTS AND SINNERS ARE NEAR AKIN. 113 
 
 ere they make it, and at the fateful moment, instead of parad- 
 ing warmth and divers kinds of soulful eloquence, will not go 
 down upon their knees lest they crack their Sunday pumps, and 
 so will actually perform the thing upon their feet with a disgust- 
 ing phlegm that is a defiance to the Muses. Kinsmen, 'pon 
 my soul ! were I the ladylove of such a swam, I'd pack him off 
 about his business. These unromantic methods seem to me 
 nought less than insult to throbbing Dulcinea ; a sacrilege to 
 Psyche ! Anyway, I do hope these milk-fed creatures, who, 
 because they know no raptures, lose the amplitude of love's 
 delicious flavor, will be "completely bit," as the cant phrase 
 goes, when they enter the courts of Hymen. For to take it as 
 sedate as you would take your dinner, and with not so good a 
 relish, is downright wickedness. 
 
 So I, a young man without discretion in matters of the heart, 
 had suddenly made a profound discovery. I learned that the 
 magician Cupid had waved his wand over Master Edward Arm- 
 strong, or Black Ned, or the pair of them, if it please you, 
 whereat their collective wits had gone moon-raking, and they 
 reduced to that direful state ycleped the high nonsensical. 
 Children, be ye peers or peasants, honest men or felons, 
 beware of maids with wondrous eyes ! 
 
 Now when the full and clear result of my heaven-directed 
 penetration was borne upon the remnant of my wits that was 
 hid within the understanding, the same remnant said to the wit- 
 less major portion, " Be no utter fool, Ned Armstrong." But 
 sure Ned Armstrong was a fool, I make bold to say, the biggest 
 fool alive when he let his mind run on the witcheries of Mistress 
 Marvin. Thus what with one thing, then another, my head- 
 piece fairly reeled under the burthen of so many things to think 
 about. Certes, 'twas never made for so large a cargo. 
 
 Master Whipple had laid it down that all men were knaves 
 and rogues to a high extent, though they varied in degree. He 
 said their culpability was equal, and that they only differed in 
 skill and method. I recollected one of his dicta (oft delivered), 
 to wit, " that we might possibly be no worse than our neigh- 
 bors, but then were certainly no better." "We lived," he 
 said, " to best one another, and one mould fashioned the lot of 
 us." "Though, "said he again, " the wisest and the deepest of 
 our brethren went through life in silk and broadcloth, and thereby 
 did sometimes cheat the gallows." I thought on this till my 
 brain refused its office. I- ascribed it a queer yet pleasant sub- 
 ject. But what had Peter Whipple's dicta to do with love, my 
 father's death, Mistress Dorothy Marvin, or my perilous, mis-
 
 1 14 Ml 'STRESS DOROTHY MAR VJN. 
 
 sion ? Here is the solution to the riddle in a little compass 
 Black Ned was a wicked rogue, cursed with a conscience, and 
 lie sought to bolster it. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 IN WHICH MY LORD CHURCHILL KNITS HIS BROW. 
 
 AT noon, .on the third day of my journey, I found myself for 
 the first time in the city of London. I was amazed at it, as 
 every countryman must be. It was larger than Exeter, Taun- 
 ton, and Bridgwater put together, tho' I considered it by 
 no means so kindly a place as any one of them. The shops 
 displayed much magnificence, with wares both rare and costly ; 
 the buildings filled the eye with wonderment; houses abounded 
 on every side, jumbled close by one another, shutting out pure 
 air and the blissful sunshine ; whilst the atmosphere was stuffy, 
 and reeked with foul matters, that are not bred down in 
 the West. Yet the citizens make big pretence of attending to 
 the weather ; and, the day being bright, several declared to me 
 how welcome the sunshine was to them. 
 
 " Sunshine ! " said I. " I see no sunshirue in this murky 
 place all walls and chimney stacks ! I account it a most mis- 
 erable day ! " 
 
 They would shake their heads solemnly at this, and ask, 
 " Young man, what shall you account a rainy one ? " 
 
 I fervently hoped I might not be there to see it. 
 
 Also the people were neither so kind nor courteous as they 
 are in our parts. I found them perpetually on the hurry- 
 scurry, never tarrying to use politeness and civility. They 
 pushed and hustled kindred wayfarers, using knees and elbows 
 freely for all the world as though the devil was treading 
 on their heels. The first time I went abroad on foot I marked 
 this lack of manners most particularly. The way they shoved 
 and thrust me from side to side, tripped me, kicked my heels, ran 
 me down and generally beset me, was truly shameful. And 
 Gothlikewas their mode of doing this. They cursed me lustily 
 the while, and declared I incommoded the path, till, with body 
 and spirit very sore, I boldly bearded one rude fellow, who 
 cocked a bony knee into my poor ribs. 
 
 " Methinks you had best mend your manners, Master Jack- 
 anapes ! " angrily quoth I. 
 
 " Kennel puppy ! " was his insolent retort, as he sprawled a
 
 MY LORD CHURCHILL KNITS HIS BROW. 115 
 
 leg behind my back, evidently desirous of tippling me into the 
 filthy ditch which ran in the open street. 
 
 Few were cleverer than I in deft use of limb, or in alertness 
 of body, as my pride was plenteously bestowed thereon. There- 
 fore I was too quick for his lumbering clumsiness, so brought 
 two heels smartly down on his outstretched foot, and butted 
 him atilt with my head to his stomach. This doubled him up 
 howling, thereupon I trickily kicked his heels from under him, 
 and straightway the blusterer splashed on his back into the 
 muddy water; and as I rejoiced to think the fellow was near a 
 head my superior in stature, this adventure served as a salve 
 to my injured feelings. 
 
 Master Fletcher had a royal welcome for me at his hostel in 
 the Strand when I mentioned the name of his kinsman, Peter 
 Whipple. Still, the first meal I partook of under his roof occa- 
 sioned much coaxing towards the stomach. The sense of the 
 delicate mission I had to accomplish afflicted my appetite and 
 weighted my spirits, for now the crisis was so nigh, a fitting 
 sense of its dangerous nature was too apparent to be agreeable. 
 And every minute I lingered I more fully developed this white- 
 ness of the liver. However, I am not- one of those persons, 
 who, having a jorum of nauseous physic to take, begin by smell- 
 ing it, remarking the color, and afterwards vainly wondering 
 whether it is so queasy as reputation and the nose aver. No ; 
 this is not my way at all. I would toss it down without pro- 
 crastination, glad to get it off the mind. Thus, it was, having 
 ate so poor a meal, that Master Fletcher at once wished to 
 board me at the rate of meals supplied, without heed to quan- 
 tity partook of, I brushed my garments thoroughly, and removed 
 all stains of travel, though even then, by contrast with the 
 Londoners, I looked a trifle ungenteel. Those folks dressed 
 in the strict mode, if purse permitted, and if not, they would 
 rather sacrifice the texture of the cloth than have clothes of 
 homely cut. 
 
 By the knight's previous advice I set out for Whitehall straight 
 away. Methought 'twould be the surest means to learn my 
 lord's whereabouts if I inquired at the King's palace, because 
 he was often with His Majesty on business of the State. I 
 must confess that in all my life I ne'er felt more full of fear, 
 since the Commander had only to oppose the plan, then Newgate 
 and a stretched neck would undoubtedly be my lot. Yet I 
 gulped down these qualms and strode out bravely, though I was 
 compelled to make more than one inquiry as to the direct way 
 thither.
 
 1 1 6 M/S'fKESS DOROTHY MAR VJN. 
 
 I came ere long to a large building, not near so handsome as 
 others I saw in this city. A cavalier in gay attire was in con- 
 versation with the sergeant of the guard, beside the gateway. 
 Resplendent he looked in purple coat of the brightest plush, 
 and the great array of silk and silver lace strewn about his 
 person ; whilst a smart ostrich feather stuck in his cap enhanced 
 the other finery. He gave me a curious look when 1 asked for 
 my lord Churchill, as if he were not sure in his mind what 
 so rustic a person could want with him ; yet, when 1 spoke of 
 the urgency of the errand, he stopped chewing his toothpick, 
 and deigned to answer. 
 
 " If ye want my lard," he said in a curious mincing way, 
 which I have heard since was much affected by the fops and 
 courtiers of that time, though without improvement to their 
 utterance, " he hath been closeted with the King for an hour or 
 more, and is still with him. What is it to-day, Binkie, thinkest 
 thou ? Be it the quartering of troops among the Dissenters, or 
 the advisability of active measures against the Dutch ? " 
 
 "No idea," said the indifferent Binkie, taking a huge pinch 
 of snuff from an elegant box, and conveying the same to his 
 nostrils in a very artistic manner. 
 
 However, by dint of perseverance I was able to impress the 
 courtier with the import of my message, which I declared was 
 for his lordship's private ear. Accordingly, he had the con 1 
 sideration to put me in a position to obtain an audience. With 
 this in view he led me across the courtyard, and up a broad 
 flight of stone steps, into the palace itself. I followed him 
 thence along a corridor, up another set of stairs, and therefrom, 
 after several twists and turnings, into a small ante-chamber, 
 surrounded by the richest Gobelin tapestry, and with a thick, 
 warm-colored carpet for the floor. 
 
 I was destined to pass an anxious time, pending the arrival 
 of his lordship ; as this interval kept my hopes and fears upon 
 the rack, and my mind upon the tenter-hooks of expectation. 
 At last steps were heard outside the door ; then pit-a-pat went 
 my craven heart, and at once I wished the matter done with. 
 
 A tall man entered. His countenance was comely, his car- 
 riage beautifully erect, his attire scrupulous for elegance and 
 grace, and his gait soldierlike and easy. He was certainly a 
 person to look at twice, if only because he was my Lord John 
 Churchill. He bowed to me with that high-bred air that comes 
 to men by nature. Yet his courtesy had just that dash of 
 condescension in it that I doubt not was intended to let me 
 know that I spoke to a superior. Twenty years hence this
 
 LORD CHURCHILL KNITS HIS BROW. 117 
 
 same John Churchill was to be famous the wide world over as 
 the victor of Blenheim, Ramillies, and Malplaquet, and as the 
 bane of the whole French nation. Yet how was I to know this? 
 Therefore do not blame me for not taking better stock of him 
 on this occasion. I grant you that 'tis an excellent thing to use 
 your eyes for the observation of your fellow-men, but through- 
 out this awe inspiring audience my heart was troublesome and 
 my head was nervous, so that, 'twixt the two, I was far too 
 anxious for the welfare of my neck to notice aught but his most 
 salient characteristics. So, kinsmen, at the risk of affording 
 you a disappointment, I'm sure I cannot say how his peruke 
 was curled, or what was the color of his snuff-box. Howbeit, I 
 somehow chanced to note, certainly without a pre-arranged 
 intention, that he had a row of silver buttons on his vest, had 
 a purple pimple on either cheek, another on his chin, and that 
 he blew his nose just like a common mortal. I can also refute 
 the scientific theory, that he owed his military success to being- 
 cross-eyed, and could therefore see further than the French, 
 because he squinted.* 
 
 At first methought his lordship full to the brim with affability. 
 Yet I soon discovered this suave exterior was merely a gesture 
 garb, simply a superficial trick to hide the skilful politician. 
 The man was cautious. Every moment he peered slyly through 
 his eyelashes, and to vary this procedure, gave me keen, hawk- 
 like glances when he thought I was not looking. By this means, 
 ere we came to business, without the semblance of a stare, or 
 aught uncivil or unbecoming in a gentleman, he had secretly 
 fortified his mind with every outward fact appertaining to Mas- 
 ter Edward Armstrong. 
 
 I handed him the missive. He examined it closely. It took 
 him some time to read it ; indeed, I've heard say he was far apter 
 with the sword than with the quill. After possessing himself 
 
 * Kinsmen, I will maintain what is set down above, even though it runs 
 contrary to the received opinion. Of late many theories had been rife to 
 explain the triumphs of the Duke of Marlborough. I presume this is to 
 soothe the feelings of nonentities. 'Tis a favorite device of little men never 
 to admit that a kindred son of Mother Eve, begat , of flesh and blood, can 
 do better than themselves. Therefore, when a neighbor does a brilliant 
 deed, and hath his praises sung, and doth achieve the crown of worldly 
 glory, rather than admit that he hath what is called a special genius, they 
 must set it down to a supernatural agent, or else call in " luck " the fee- 
 blest word God ever put in the mouth of man to help them. Yet, it seems 
 to me, the best way to deal with fools is to feed 'em on madhouse facts, 
 and let 'em batten on blunder muddle ; so that, by and by, having gorged 
 overmuch of sophistry, they will sicken of the imbecile, and thus be sur- 
 feited with folly.
 
 1 1 8 MISTRESS DOKO Til Y MA A' VI N. 
 
 of the contents he stroked his chin, and knitted his brow, whilst 
 I noted his demeanor with wholesome trepidation. Yes, my 
 lord stroked his chin, and the wrinkles on his brow corrugated 
 into ugly puckers. Presently he laid the letter down, stared at 
 me with all his might, and finally drummed his fingers on the 
 table. 
 
 As for me, I have always tried to pass as a man of courage, 
 yet, frankly, beads of sweat sprang out upon my forehead. I 
 sought to read the verdict in his eyes, but my gaze only quailed 
 and dropped before his steadfast look, without having learned 
 a hint of what was in his mind. Meantime his lordship's per- 
 turbation thickened. He set his lips as tight as wax, and shifted 
 his eyes from me to a corner of the ceiling. Still in doubt, he 
 seized the letter again, and carefully re-perused it. The up- 
 shot was for him to clench his fist, and to walk to the door and 
 lock it. Methought I was surely lost, for he was a bigger man 
 than I, and had a rapier at his side. Soon the room was filled 
 for me with cold visions of Newgate and the gallows. Then 
 Churchill fixed me with a lynx-eyed look, and asked 
 
 " Young man, do you know what Sir Nicholas Marvin, your 
 master, hath put into this missive ? " 
 
 Here was a nice thing to ask! It was indeed an unkind" 
 question. Now, perhaps, I should never have scrupled to lie 
 upon a meaner matter, yet by what I confess to be a peculiar 
 mode of reasoning, I really felt that this was a pretty point of 
 honor. And thus, though a falsehood would have so happily 
 availed, not for a moment did I entertain the idea of any such 
 proceeding. Therefore I was silent, being uncertain which 
 course to pursue to creep out of the dilemma. 
 
 " No need to answer, my fine fellow," quoth my lord, still 
 shrewdly gazing. " I can too well see thou hast knowledge of 
 its contents. 'Tis the darkest treason." 
 
 The King's Minister laughed. That laugh jarred upon me. 
 It sounded positively unchristian to my ears. 
 
 "Tush, friend ! " said he again, observing my uneasy aspect, 
 " ye needn't take on so." Thereat he sank his voice scarce 
 above a whisper. " Palace walls have ears ! " he added, his 
 face still blank and meaningless. Shortly afterwards he con- 
 tinued in a brisker tone, "Now, sir, listen with every care to 
 what I tell you. Inform Sir Nicholas Marvin that I accept the 
 proposals here laid down. And you may tell him that, if I com- 
 mit nought to paper, I am none the less prepared to fully sup- 
 port the enterprise. Yes, tell him, I'll embrace the cause heart
 
 MY LORD CHURCHILL KNITS HIS BROW. 
 
 119 
 
 and soul, and will most certainly be present at the meeting 
 to-morrow week." 
 
 Then he scratched his wig, paused, maybe ten seconds, and 
 burst out sharply in a far higher key than heretofore 
 
 " Ay, ay, Jack Churchill, J. S. is nought to you ! Beshrew 
 the black old crow, and his bevy of sour, unlovely, wry-phiz'd 
 strumpets ! " * Here he pulled himself up very short, and 
 blushed in unmistakable confusion. 
 
 " Rat me ! " he exclaimed, half laughing, "I'm babbling like 
 a simpleton ; but, young man, I hope you yourself are more 
 discreet." 
 
 " I should not be entrusted with this affair an I were not," 
 was my retort, which was very well for one country bred, 
 because it implied reproof under the cover of assurance. 
 
 Now Churchill's words were sweetest music to my ears, and 
 by a phenomenon in physiological laws, they had the effect of 
 letting me breathe in comfort for the first time for half an hour. 
 
 After my lord unlocked the door (it had been so secured to 
 prevent intrusion), I followed on his heels along the passage, 
 until he disappeared through a curtained portal. Just as he 
 did so another personage, whose air arid aspect seemed redo- 
 lent of latent thunder, issued at the same time out of it. 
 
 One gay-robed courtier whispered to a friend hard by, as 
 this gentleman passed them and went his way, " My lord of 
 Sunderland is not very amiable to-day." 
 
 So this was the great prime minister. 
 
 When I had safely left the outer gates of Whitehall, I may 
 tell you the putrid city air smote my inner organs less oppres- 
 sively, the people seemed less insolent, the rumbling vehicles 
 less noisy, the streets less filthy, and the whole place more fit 
 for Christians to abide in. 
 
 I gave half a crown to a needy man of letters, half a guinea 
 to a poor widow encumbered with nine children, to make no 
 mention of divers groats dispensed to beggars of the halt and 
 
 * It has often since occurred to me that this remark was wrung from 
 Churchill by years of irritation. All men about the court (being charitably 
 inclined, I'll not include their wives and daughters) felt it no inconsider- 
 able grievance that James II. should prefer uncomely mistresses. A man 
 can forgive a woman all things except her ugliness. Therefore people 
 came to look upon it as a standing abuse that the King, when he exercised 
 his royal prerogative of having a liberal share of females, should choose them 
 old and beautiless. Indeed, so much did this national nuisance rankle, that 
 folks, when they used a similitude for inelegance, instead of saying, " ugly 
 as sin," or " ugly as a toad," as was their wont, would change the formula 
 to " ugly as a concubine."
 
 120 MISTRESS DOKOTHY MARVIN. 
 
 lame and blind persuasion. I also bethought me of the home 
 folks at Chilverley. Whereupon I bought a shell of pearl for 
 mother's hair, a necklet of virgin pearl for Betty, a gold watch 
 for John emblazoned with the hall-mark, to add to the owner's 
 pride thereof, and to beget the admiration of all who chanced 
 to see it. Furthermore, I invested money in a book of the 
 classic poems of the good and great John Milton, knowing how 
 the eyes of Tobe Hancock would brighten when he beheld 
 them. It was superbly bound in calfskin, and done exactly 
 into print by Richard Cooke at the sign of the Crown and 
 Anchor in Abchurch Lane. 
 
 Upon this I returned to the Three Crowns, and disposed of 
 such a meal that mine host rubbed his eyes in wonderment, 
 and cursed his luck for boarding rne upon the terms he had 
 done. And I chucked the serving-maids, which was not my 
 usual custom, and swilled beer into the ostler, the stable 
 boys, the drawers, and indeed all who would take my bounty. 
 Such was my joy at the success of the enterprise ; God grant 
 that it might end as it had begun ! 
 
 I decided to pass the night at Master Fletcher's, for in regard 
 to time, I was well inside the limit. Besides, this strange 
 London was far too wonderful a place to flee away from with- 
 out gathering some further knowledge of its marvels and its 
 magnitude. 
 
 Accordingly I informed the landlord that I was about to visit a 
 playhouse in the evening ; from thence would hie to supper at 
 a coffee-house, and should then propose to put fortune to the 
 test at a gaming-house, as often enough I had heard Peter 
 Whipple say was the way young gentlemen of means spent 
 their nights in Town. Now Master Fletcher agreed with me 
 that this plan was very fine, but to this opinion he added an 
 important reservation. In fact, to my disgust, he shook his 
 head in superior wisdom, and even went far enough to hint that 
 I was young and foolish. 
 
 "Art mad?" he asked. "Verily you know not the ways of 
 this London, you who have never been abroad in it before to- 
 day. Why, man alive, it is a very Hades to those who don't 
 know aught about it. Come, come, young sir, reflect, else I : m 
 thinking you'll repent." 
 
 However, in spite of this, I adhered to my determination, 
 whereat the only resource left mine host was to give his head 
 a portentous shake, and to prophesy the swift and sure 
 approach of evil. 
 
 Notwithstanding his prognostication, I went to the theatre in
 
 THE SWORDSMAN IN HOMESPUN. 1 2 I 
 
 Drury Lane. It was a famous one, too, wherein Mistress 
 Gwynne, whose intercourse with the late King had long been 
 common property, was wont to gain her histrionic triumphs. 
 On this night the piece was a lively one of Sir John Suckling's. 
 And though Mrs. Bracegirdle jauntily sustained the foremost 
 female character in it, I culled but scant enjoyment from the 
 play, for the noise was as a Babel, no heed being given to the 
 performance or the actors. The fops were incessantly busy 
 with their quizzing-glasses. They ogled the women, chiefly 
 court toasts and such-like painted hussies, who, I was surprised 
 to see, had no covering at all for arms, neck, and shoulders. 
 Sorry creatures I considered them. Their faces were painted, 
 powdered, and patched, and their bodies tricked out in gauds 
 and finery. Why the beaux should choose to pay them such 
 flattering attentions was a point beyond my comprehension. 
 Unless 'twas because these gallants knew full well that if they 
 peeped beneath the paint of the simpering dames "and damsels, 
 they might find a weakness or, as I am engaged upon so polite 
 a topic if you please I should have said a foible, that goes by 
 another name than virtue. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE SWORDSMAN IN HOMESPUN. 
 
 IT is a popular weakness of youth to set greater store by its 
 own opinion than by that of persons with a wider and more 
 matured sagacity. Therefore, being flushed with success, if not 
 with wine, and unheedful of any man, much less of well-meant 
 counsel, I betook myself from the playhouse (which disappointed 
 me) to a coffee-house to partake of supper, instead of hieing 
 homewards as all peaceable and sensible citizens were wont to 
 do ; for the streets of London were dangerous at this time of 
 the evening a fact I was about to discover. 
 
 Thus it was I went abroad without a care for the perils of 
 the darkness, and with heart enough to fight all the town if 
 necessary. Supper disposed of, I set forth for Groom Porter's, 
 the most famous gaming-house in the city (vide Peter Whipple), 
 determined to test my fortune. 
 
 A choice company I found assembled, and very strange was 
 the place to my ears and eyes. The continuous rattle of coins 
 and the dice-box ; the ceaseless clatter of tongues ; the opulent
 
 1 2 2 MISTRESS DORO THY MA R VI N. 
 
 and varied stream of oaths ; the glitter of jewels, and the rich 
 ness of the gamblers' attire, all tended to make the scene be- 
 wildering to a new beholder. Numberless small round-topped 
 marble tables were scattered here and there on nearly every 
 yard of flooring ; and the gamesters were ranged around them 
 in various nondescript postures. Some had eager, twitching vis- 
 ages breathlessly bent over the cards and cubes, others showed 
 all their sensibility in their restless gaze or in their chalky faces, 
 whilst now and then the player would lounge back in his seat 
 with a fine assumption of nonchalance, and would yawn when 
 he won, and laugh when he lost, and speak no word except 
 what was vital to the game ; and even though it was a matter of 
 a country house or the very last guinea of his patrimony, this 
 demeanor altered not, but he'd stake all his chattels and his 
 worldly wealth, until Uame Fortune coldly shook her head at 
 him for the last time, and so left him desolate and penniless. 
 Then the bankrupt would smile and curse her fora fickle jade, 
 and seek to forget her heartlessness in the mirthful pleasures 
 of the bowl. Yet the next morning this same audacious roy- 
 sterer would spit himself on his sword, and thus die as he had 
 lived a bad example. Of course, his friends would proclaim 
 abroad the virtues of him departed, and attend the funeral 
 weeping. Not that the moral went home to them. No, that 
 was left for discreet men's children ; but their eyes were wet 
 because it was correct to have them so at funerals. 
 
 \Yell, I mingled with this careless, laughing, swearing, boozing, 
 brilliant company, and every man Jack of it had had more gold 
 than brains at some time of his existence. And I, unused to 
 such a profuse array of gorgeous clothes, marvelled at these fine 
 habiliments, and was minded to run away, being greatly discon- 
 certed at the plainness of mine own. I vainly wished that I 
 had come to Town in my choicest suit, though, to be sure, 'twas 
 nought to brag upon, when compared with this magnificence. 
 However, nature conquered diffidence ; for, plainly speaking, 
 she had endowed me with a certain easy confidence of self that 
 rose to the demands of any company. 
 
 I threaded my way among the tables with fifty guineas clink- 
 ing in my pocket and with my heart beating uncomfortably fast 
 behind my doublet. My progress gave me some prominence, 
 for my coat being long and the spaces narrow, it swept off one 
 table a mass of cards and coins, to the detriment of their 
 owners' play, yet not to that of their tongues, however. In 
 fact, such a volley of robust abuse beset me that all in the room 
 gave a look towards my direction, and straightway saw my
 
 THE SWORDSMAN IN HOMESPUN. 123 
 
 coarse appearance. Nor was their surprise concealed by any 
 of their own pains, for each asked the other what I did there. 
 Accordingly I informed the room, in the calmest manner possi- 
 ble, " that being a gentleman myself, I sought to engage in play 
 with gentlemen." This set them all a-tittering, which me- 
 thought said little for their manners, their kindness, or their 
 courtesy. However, by and by, one young man having so far 
 condescended as to play with me, and I having grown more 
 familiar to their gaze, I was forgotten in the moment of their 
 own affairs. 
 
 My opponent was an overdressed coxcomb, both impudent 
 and swaggering. His face had many tokens of a misspent 
 youth muddy complexion, furrowed forehead, fishy eyes, and 
 a bloated skin. He was dressed in the height of fashion, and 
 wore an ostentatious periwig, full bottomed, and carefully 
 curled to agree with the current mode. A plum-colored velvet 
 coat, a green vest of the same material, a frilled open-fronted 
 cambric shirt, a silver-hilted rapier fantastically chased, shoes 
 beribboned and silver buckled, and three glorious rings gemmed 
 with precious stones flashing on his fingers, all combined to 
 beautify his person, and to make him as pretty a clothes-pole 
 as you'd wish to encounter. 
 
 Luck had certainly been against this dressy gallant, for un- 
 der his supercilious guise there couched an angry petulance 
 which clearly said he was not a graceful loser. The vicious 
 way he threw the dice, and the harsh glitter of his eyes, put 
 me at once upon my guard. Now, fortunately for myself, I 
 was not quite the tyro I had been evidently suspected. The 
 truth is, Master Whipple knew more of these midnight pas- 
 times than the majority of those assembled. Therefore he had 
 imparted to me a liberal allowance of his widespread knowl- 
 edge. Nay, in confidential moments, he had actually whispered 
 some naughty usages for thumb and finger, that rogues alone 
 did practice. "Because," as he said, in that dry way of his, 
 " to pass through a world so wicked, you cannot be too care- 
 fully equipped to combat the designs of your fellow-creatures." 
 
 Thus, at the beginning, my opponent reckoned without his 
 host, for experienced as he doubtless was, I was.aware of his 
 every trick, and versed in his each manoeuvre. Besides, my 
 breadth of information, as I soon discovered for myself, em- 
 braced a far wider sphere than his, or, in other words, to employ 
 a pasteboard metaphor, " 'twas like a court card up my sleeve." 
 
 Before long I had to call my fine gentleman's attention to 
 sundry breaches of the rules, which he innocently enough (sic)
 
 124 MISTRESS DORO THY MARVIN. 
 
 committed. Methinks this correction gave him umbrage, see- 
 ing that he received it with a scowl, but was sufficiently a man 
 to gruffly beg my pardon. I won steadily ; and, be it known, 
 honorably, whilst my ill-tempered companion, quite to his credit, 
 after these two or three trifling lapses, adhered strictly to the 
 regulations. His breath became baited with oaths, as perse- 
 veringly enough I kept transferring golden guineas from his 
 pocket to mine own, deeming this a congenial occupation. Sure 
 the gallant was entirely destitute of fortune, wherefore ere long 
 his stock of cash became exhausted. So he staked one of his 
 rings, and I won it. 
 
 " Deuce take the luck ! " he muttered. " There goes a bauble 
 that would fetch forty guineas from Dolman in Paul's Yard any 
 morning." 
 
 At this added stroke of victory, I had the sense to be con- 
 tent with my winnings. Therefore, instead of playing for an- 
 other of the jewels, as I was pressed to do, like a prudent man, 
 I quietly gathered up my large quantity of gold and thrust it 
 deep into my breeches pocket, and also slipped the lately gotten 
 ring on to my middle finger. At this my opponent swore, and 
 his wrath burst out with meagre ceremony. 
 
 " How now, you bumpkin ! " he shouted, getting swiftly from 
 his seat. " Don't you know 'tis the custom here for the loser 
 to cry enough ? " 
 
 " Is that so, good sir ? " I inquired with sweetest courtesy ; I 
 assure you kinsmen it seemed then quite a natural thing to be 
 so polite. 
 
 He of the bloated countenance bubbled with indignation, and 
 consigned myself and luck to a place with a sultry climate. 
 
 " None o' your infernal innocence," quoth he. " Play on, I 
 say." 
 
 " Hum ! " I murmured, sarcastically. His words had aroused 
 my spleen. 
 
 " Dost hear, chawbacon ? " he loudly cried, wine and mis- 
 fortune mastering him. 
 
 " Hum ! " I grunted. 
 
 " Play on, I say," he screamed, nearly bereft at my cool de- 
 meanor. 
 
 This disturbance was not lost on the others, and they came 
 crowding round with apprehensive faces. Indeed, they ap- 
 peared much more disturbed, methought, than the occasion 
 warranted. 
 
 Meantime my excited friend continued to rave at the top of 
 his bent, and I watched, with amused indifference, his face
 
 THE SWORDSMAN IN HOMESPUN. 125 
 
 turn a bluish purple. Verily hard drinking and hard luck had 
 maddened him. He was a big clean-built fellow, and the mode 
 he banged his fists about was not a pleasant sight. 
 
 "Art going to finish it?" he howled. " If not, by the Lord, 
 I'll finish thee ! " 
 
 " Hum ! " I reiterated, still feeding his exasperation. 
 
 All this while those around had gradually dropped their ban- 
 ter, and now strained their eyes towards the pair of us. I 
 began to wonder at their earnestness. Suddenly one of the 
 number, a man somewhat older and staider than the rest, 
 leaned over the back of my chair, and whispered quickly 
 
 " Forbear, young man, for the love of heaven ! You do not 
 know this gentleman. 'Tis Perry Wilmot." 
 
 " Hum ! " I grunted, though 'twixt ourselves my manner 
 then was but idle braggadocio. 
 
 So this was the notorious Perry Wilmot, the most famous 
 and bloody of brawlers, and, rightly or wrongly, said to be the 
 best swordsman in England. His name had reached even as 
 far as our county. For the moment I was taken aback. But 
 'twas not a time for leisurely procedure. The fire-brained 
 gallant was so angered at his flouting, that no sooner had I dis- 
 covered his identity, than he hit me across the jaw with the flat 
 of his hand. 
 
 " Perhaps ye'll fight, if ye will not play ? Sink me, ye shall 
 do one or t'other, or I'll pin you as you sit ! " 
 
 Instantly he threw off his velvet vest and doublet. Out- 
 wardly bold, I rose from my seat, determined now to play the 
 part I had already taken, e'en though it cost me my life. I may 
 say such was the height of my reputation in the West, that my 
 name was known there far and wide as a brilliant swordsman. 
 This I always strove to maintain ; yet, as that matter goes, I 
 was not deserving of such celebrity, being, when all was said, 
 no master. Still I'll make bold to claim three high qualities. 
 Without boasting, which I do aver is a trait to be condemned 
 in any man, tho' it took me many years to appreciate that 
 sentiment, none possessed more agility of movement, keener 
 and nicer sight, or stauncher courage than myself. And 
 if I lacked any scientific schooling in the art, methinks these 
 characteristics stood me in better stead than a mere surface 
 show of fancy precept. 
 
 At this time I had yet to know my first defeat, therefore the 
 sudden flush of surprise allayed, my usual pluck and confidence 
 returned. Wilmot being so crapulous with wine, 'twas evident 
 he would be placed at a disadvantage. Thus I had no fear as
 
 1 26 MZSTKESS DORO TH Y MA R VIN. 
 
 to the ultimate result, providing I was but sufficiently alert to 
 avoid his early thrusts. Now, each and every onlooker was 
 quite certain in his mind that it was not possible, such was the 
 dire fame of my antagonist, for me to come out of the encounter 
 scatheless. Accordingly the great man had a large and boister- 
 ous following. Having made up their minds that my time was 
 nigh, the spectators, after breathing many hints of coming 
 death, set about to expedite my leavetaking. The first step to- 
 wards the grand finale was performed by piling up the chairs 
 and tables, so as to make a decent fighting space in the middle 
 of the room. Without a doubt I had to die, and derision beset 
 me on every side, touching the climax of the contest. 
 
 One bold blasphemer went down on his knees, clasped 
 his hands in the fervent piety of heartfelt prayer, and passion- 
 ately pleaded for the better reception of my soul. 
 
 Alas for rny chances in the next world ! He had scarce 
 poured forth a dozen words, when a ruthless neighbor, with no 
 such kindly intention, dealt him a lusty kick on his nether part, 
 whereupon a bout of fisticuffs ensued, which delayed my passing 
 hence a full five minutes. 
 
 They crowded round the hero, the Honorable Peregrine 
 Wilmot, and wrestled among themselves for the honor of 
 holding his worship's doublet. 
 
 " Be not too hard on the oaf, Perry," said one. " I'll warrant 
 he knows not the hilt from the point." 
 
 Thereat another took compassion on my hopeless plight and 
 ran towards me, exclaiming 
 
 " Oh, my poor young clodhopper, run back to thy mammy 
 while there yet be time. This wicked man will slit that country 
 skin o' thine as thou wouldst slit that of one of thine own lamb- 
 kins. Why, my cherubim, he fairly pinked my Lord Graham 
 and young Charlie Cook, the only son of Sir John his father, 
 each within an hour of t'other in Lincoln Fields, last week ! " 
 
 " One moment, gentlemen, I beg," I interposed, as my enemy 
 was rolling up his sleeves, the cruelest glow in his eyes. " I 
 would like to lay a wager. Will any gentleman among you lay 
 odds at three to one that I do not beat my good friend Perry 
 Wilmot by fair sword play, and without spilling a drop of his 
 precious blood ? " 
 
 " What ! " clamored the bystanders with one accord ; " thou 
 art surely mad ! " 
 
 Yet it was no big matter to show otherwise. Thereon many 
 of them still possessed of a white groat piece eagerly beset me 
 to stake the money. Thus it was I wagered with odds allowed
 
 THE SWORDSMAN IN HOMESPUN. 127 
 
 at three to one that I beat the Hon. Peregrine Wilmot, the 
 most capable swordsman in England, by the pure art of fence, 
 without spilling a drop of his precious blood. I staked every 
 silver shilling I had won, and a portion of mine own money 
 besides ; and 'twas only an afterthought of caution that pre- 
 vented me risking the beauteous jewel that tickled my middle 
 ringer. And I made this wager because 1 knew my own head 
 was, all things considered, tolerably clear, and that my adver- 
 sary's was thick as a morning dew on Exmoor. 
 
 Neither did I doff my thick brown jacket to win it. Why 
 was this ? Maybe I was fastidious and over confident, but in 
 sober verity, I was aware that my underlinen had known a 
 fortnight's wear without heed to soap and water, and further- 
 more, that an unpatched rent was visible in the shoulder of my 
 shirt. 
 
 Clash came our swords together, and the gay-dressed gallants 
 fell back where the chairs and tables were piled, that our arms 
 might swing with all due freedom. 
 
 Clash ! clash ! and my opponent's bewildering sword-steel 
 was turned from my heart by a flash of the wrist and a twirl of 
 the hilt. The song of metal filled the 'room with a deafening 
 ring. Lunge upon lunge gave the far-famed Wilmot, furious, 
 wicked lunges, that must have laid me stark upon the spot had 
 one slipped my guard. I had nearly fallen into one of the most 
 grievous errors-a swordsman can, to wit, making too light of an 
 adversary. His terrible onset may I never forget, and not since 
 have I known it equalled. He sprang upon me with a fiendish 
 fury. I felt his hot breath in my face, and was for the moment 
 dazzled by the light that quivered on his thirsty blade. Inch 
 by inch the fellow drove me back, and thrice his point came 
 within an inch of my skin ere I could interpose a parry. Every 
 nerve I strained to avert his steel, but soon the impetuosity of 
 his onset lessened, tho' none too soon for Edward Armstrong. 
 
 Before long, I knew I was his master, for the wildness of his 
 efforts told all too surely on his wine-clogged head ; and the 
 fire of his attack diminished as my defence became more cer- 
 tain. Then I fairly met each darting stroke without ever giving 
 a riposte in return, because 'twas my game to let him vainly 
 spend his strength until I had him completely at my mercy. 
 Great was the chagrin of Mr. Wilmot's admirers, as they be- 
 held their champion wax himself into perspiration and bad 
 language, for never a whit did he get the nearer of ending the 
 combat on his own account. For mine own part I had it in my 
 power to finish it forthwith, had I been so minded, for my reck-
 
 128 Af/STRESS DOROTHY .MARVIN. 
 
 less opponent soon threw prudence to the winds, and attacked 
 me so fruitlessly and so rashly, that more than one chance had I 
 of pinking him. But I forbore, because of the wager. 
 
 Despite the force of his friends' appeals, the great swords- 
 man failed altogether in beating down my guard and slipping 
 past it. By and by the sweat steamed off him. The panting 
 fellow ne'er sent home a thrust, and at length, in a frenzy of 
 drunken desperation, he flung himself almost bodily upon me. 
 I could have had his life then ; yet, instead of a swift return, 
 I stepped lightly to one side; flashed my blade beneath his 
 own, and wrenched it from his grasp. It hurtled thence across 
 the room, and met with the excellent good fortune of striking 
 one of his loudest supporters on the nost. 
 
 The Hon. Peregrine Wilmot stood sheepish and wet with 
 sweat in the middle of the floor, whilst the company gave vent 
 to a hum of astonishment. Thereat I bowed, and began to 
 stuff my pockets with the winnings, for one and all paid will- 
 ingly. 
 
 " Gentlemen," said I, gravely saluting them with my uncov- 
 ered weapon ere I departed, " I have two pieces of advice to 
 offer. Never support the greatest swordsman in England when 
 he be the worse for wine. Also take not every man who wears 
 homespun for a country bumpkin." 
 
 Thus I paid them sweetly for their insolence. 
 
 Faith ! they looked a foolish crew as I left them, my person 
 heavily weighted with their guineas ; yet a hubbub of loose- 
 tongued wonderment arose as I passed out into the street. 
 
 I have since been told that "The Swordsman in Homespun " 
 was discussed with bated breath, and together with his prowess 
 (so cheaply revealed) formed a topic for many a clay thereafter. 
 
 With great reputation left behind, I stepped homewards to 
 the Three Crowns as jauntily as my pockets would permit. 
 The chill night air bathed my hot temples refreshingly, whilst 
 the moon had risen, and shed a soft light on the road. Before 
 every tenth door a flickering oil-light was suspended, which I 
 bethought an excellent practice. This was due to one of the 
 very few wise decrees of the late king's reign. The folk abroad 
 were nought seemingly but roystering swash-bucklers, who 
 rolled, lurched, and staggered from side to side, and roared out 
 many a scrap of ribald song in drunken merriment. 
 
 Midnight had passed an hour since, and I sought the shelter 
 of the tavern with feet of the quickest. I went along as best I 
 might through the vast labyrinth of ways and byways. With 
 head aloft at my late success, I had no thought for the count-
 
 THE SV/ORDSMAN IN HOMESPUN. 
 
 129 
 
 less dangers of the place at this hour of the morning. My mind 
 lay on the ring I had so lately become possessed of, when, with- 
 out any warning, I bumped down all of a heap on the cobble 
 stones, and had directly a couple of villains on my body. Also 
 I felt unrighteous knees pressed hard into my stomach, whilst 
 strong fingers came nigh choking the life out of me, such was 
 the fierce grip on my windpipe. Ere I could utter a cry, the 
 grasp was deftly loosed, and a rag thrust three parts down my 
 throat. And all there was left to do that I might save my money 
 was to vainly kick at the air whilst these parlous rogues rifled 
 my pockets, and jammed their knees the harder on to my luck- 
 less body. But, to my relief, this wicked game was interrupted, 
 for in a moment, a hoarse cry of " Bonaventors to the rescue ! " 
 was loudly raised but a few yards distant, and the clatter of 
 many feet accompanied it. Forthwith my assailants loosed their 
 hold, and made off mighty quick. Other hands were laid on 
 me ere I could regain my feet, and I was dragged on to them 
 limp and gasping. 
 
 Verily my deliverers formed an uncouth crew. All of them 
 were young gentlemen, maybe two score in all, the worse for 
 wine, with naked blades and cudgels freely brandished. I was 
 soon informed that this was a band of the justly dreaded 
 " scourers," the bane of all peaceable Londoners after nightfall. 
 'Twas they who beset honest men and rogues without discrimina- 
 tion. Also, when there was a lack of either, sooner than be 
 idle, their time was employed to strip houses of their shutter- 
 hooks, and knockers, and ofttimes, when two separate bands 
 of them came in contact, fierce fights ensued, till the city watch 
 dispersed the combatants. My rude treatment had driven any 
 knowledge I possessed of them clean out of my head. There- 
 fore, with notable lack of courtesy, I gasped still breathless 
 
 " Who the devil may you be, gentlemen ? " 
 
 This query was ill-advised, and immediately a chorus of loud 
 voices dispelled mine ignorance. 
 
 " Know ye not, then, most insolent and ungrateful knave, we 
 are of the Worshipful Company of Bonaventors? " said a tall 
 fellow, the foremost of them all, grinning and waving his sword 
 about. Hereat the whole pack of them clamored among 
 themselves to bring my lamentable lack of knowledge to boot 
 forthwith. 
 
 " To the kennel with the scurvy fellow, that he may not 
 forget us for the future ! " called out another. 
 
 " Ay, to the kennel with him ! " they acquiesced in chorus. 
 
 The " kennel," or filthy black ditch, lay stagnant with oozing
 
 130 M/S7WXSS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 mud across the roadway. The prospect was not pleasant, and 
 already I began to shiver at the thought of my sousing. Rough 
 hands were laid upon me, and they began dragging me towards 
 it, my kicks and struggles notwithstanding. 
 
 I was hard by the brink, when once again my affairs, of late 
 so intricate, underwent another alteration. Just then more lusty 
 cries and ring of steel were borne upon the air, which further 
 saturnalian babel heralded the approach of a second company. 
 
 My persecutors halted, and the first speaker, whom I took to 
 be the leader, exclaimed excitedly, "Zounds, lads! 'tis Dicky 
 Bardswell and his boys. Holy mother! we'll serve 'em as we 
 did in Fleet Street last Monday but one." 
 
 The others came running up, mouthing all manner of warlike 
 sentiment. " Hooray for Dicky Bardswell, a bloody nose, and 
 a broken pate ! " was their cry, and in one solid body they rushed 
 upon us. 
 
 Straightway I was released, yet there was no escape from the 
 impending battle. It was but a narrow pathway, and I found 
 myself in the front rank of the Bonaventors. The drunken 
 revellers met together with desperate valor, and the street was 
 alive with cries and blows. Lusty knocks were exchanged by 
 many a sword and cudgel. Scarce time had I to draw my 
 rapier, ere the foremost of the enemy were in our midst. 
 
 The Bonaventors were driven back before the mad onset of 
 the others. In a moment we recovered and set ourselves firm, 
 and a hand-to-hand struggle ensued, blows falling thick around, 
 thicker even than the curses. 
 
 At the first assault my light rapier was snapped by a stave 
 two inches below the hilt, and I, deeming the occasion war- 
 ranted bold measures, flung the shattered weapon full at a little 
 fellow with a cudgel and bounded after it among the press, 
 whereat I, the little fellow, and the cudgel, came hurtling heavily 
 down atop of a recumbent combatant, where we writhed and 
 wrestled under the heels of the fighters. I got that cudgel, and 
 jumping to my feet, struck hard whither the fight was thickest. 
 The blood flowed freely, I may tell you, and soon the cobbles 
 were strewn with many forms, bleeding, half or wholly drunk, 
 but very valorous. 
 
 Our party was driven steadily backward, outnumbered by the 
 enemy, who indeed performed wondrous feats of daring. They 
 rallied round a bandy-legged, bull-necked fellow, the redoubted 
 Dicky Bardswell. This brawny Cyclops mowed down our 
 men one by one, and though, to say the least, his method was 
 truculent and terrific, 'twas not the less impartial. None could
 
 THE SWORDSMAN IN HOMESPUN. 131 
 
 withstand this foeman or the sweep of his mighty arm. Before 
 long mine head fell a singing suddenly, and the blood came 
 pattering down my neck. Our men were surely losing. The 
 leader was felled by the arm of Dick, and a hoarse cheer went 
 up from his victorious warriors. Yet the struggle ne'er abated. 
 With the thinning of numbers we clustered up the closer, and 
 broken pates were dealt with more precision. And that bold 
 irresistible Dicky Bardswell pressed forever forward, and at 
 every stride our brave Bonaventors were knocked down like 
 bullocks before his strength of smiting. 
 
 Said I, under my breath, though a mist of blood swam in 
 front of me, " Here goes for that bull neck o' thine, Dicky 
 Bardswell ! " and go I did right smartly for it. 
 
 Master Dick, mighty clever, dodged a skull-testing smack 
 from another quarter, then swirled his cudgel overhead, and 
 brought it down for my behoof. Yet quick as thought was I to 
 slip in under it, and, locking my arms fast round his neck, 
 gripped a heel betwixt his own. We swerved, though locked 
 so tight, and with a tremendous splash the puissant Dick and I 
 went toppling into the " kennel." And I, alas, was under- 
 neath ! 
 
 The combat ended suddenly, for when scarce a dozen were 
 left with legs to support 'em, the night watch came purring and 
 panting in the conscientious execution of their duty. They at 
 once took the wounded into custody, whilst the rest took to 
 their heels instead, being too far spent to give the men of law a 
 thrashing. 
 
 "Lie close," whispered the dauntless Dick, bobbing his head 
 below the bank, and at the same time jamming me deeper into 
 the slimy filth at the bottom of the ditch by lying full length 
 upon my saturated person. 
 
 " In the King's name," quoth the posse, as one by one the 
 prisoners were conveyed on shutters to the round-house. 
 
 " They only once came too early," whispered Dick again, 
 who was wondrous sociable; "that was many a year agone, in 
 the Brodribb days, when they were flung into the kennel every 
 man Jack of 'em, and after that we began again and finished 
 the discussion of our little differences." 
 
 The watch went at last, whereat Master Bardswell clambered 
 from the slough of muck, and very kindly gave a hand and 
 hauled me out of the caky plaster at the bottom. Just then, I 
 have no doubt at all, I was the filthiest and dismallest animal 
 in creation. The blood and mud clung upon me horribly, and 
 my skin was drenched with water. We shook hands without
 
 132 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 ill-will and went our several ways, did Master Dick and I, 
 though, to be sure, time and circumstances would permit no 
 superfluity of politeness. But ere we did so, my genial com- 
 panion, brimming with sociality, clapped his hand upon my 
 bloodied scalp, and having fingered with an inquiring touch the 
 damaged part, said with notable frankness and good fellow- 
 ship 
 
 "Old man, that crack didn't come from me. I hold it a 
 point of honor ne'er to hit a man upon the brain-box but what 
 I smash his skull." 
 
 I reached the Three Crowns by and by, yet how I did so 
 cannot be chronicled with exactitude. Still I got there, more 
 dead than alive, I trow. My head was like a lump of clay, 
 save for now and then a horrid throbbing to remind me that I 
 had it still upon my shoulders, whilst my teeth chattered, my 
 knees knocked, and I was too miserable altogether to do aught 
 else but groan. 
 
 Master Fletcher left his warm bed, grumbling, to admit me. 
 Presently he re-lit the candles, unbarred the door, stared at me, 
 rubbed his eyes, stared again, and next minute lay back in a 
 chair laughing till the tears rolled from his eyes, and he came 
 nigh having a fit by virtue of his unseasonable merriment. 
 Indeed, such was his plight, that naught availed against these 
 symptoms, save and except a prodigious dose of the strongest 
 brandy. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE MAN IN THE CLOAK. 
 
 MASTER FLETCHER recovered after a while, and in no time he 
 rose considerably in my estimation. Indeed, the expert manner 
 he tended my hurts, and the vigorous way he swilled the coat 
 of mud from my person inspired much gratitude within me. A 
 warm liquor revived my flagging spirits, and ere I retired to 
 rest I had vowed eternal friendship for mine host since his 
 handling was so deft, and felt myself to be the soul of amia- 
 bility. To be sure, half the gold I had had in my pockets had 
 been left in the hands of rogues, else in the black ditch, yet 
 this was accounted the lightest of misfortunes, for money was 
 gotten easily in those days, and was valued in accordance. 
 
 Towards noon that same morning I set out on the homeward
 
 THE MAN IN THE CLOAK. 
 
 '33 
 
 journey. My heart was light, for success had warmed it, whilst 
 a few hours' rest had wrought appreciable improvement in the 
 condition of my injured head. 
 
 Having stowed away in my saddle-bags the presents and the 
 money I had won, I bid adieu to mine host with kindliness. He, 
 good man, setting store by future custom, bid me God speed, 
 and furthermore begged that I would commend him to the love 
 and prayers of his kinsman at Bridgwater. 
 
 To follow the king's highway 'tis a hundred and forty odd 
 miles to London from that town. This is at all times a conse- 
 quential journey, yet I returned thither without misadventure, 
 a whole day inside the limit, Good news maketh men good 
 couriers, therefore I did not tarry without sufficient reason, and 
 on the evening of the seventh day following my departure, with 
 steaming horse and mud-stained coat, I rode into the yard of 
 the King's Head. 
 
 Ten minutes later Master Peter had a substantial supper set 
 before me in the cosy parlor, and was listening eagerly to my 
 adventures, and making such comment thereon as he thought 
 befitted the occasion. Mine host strained his ears as I recounted 
 my deeds in the gaming-house, and slapped my back to record 
 his appreciation ; tho' this was certainly ill-advised, seeing at 
 that instant I was conveying a huge forkful of beef to my mouth ; 
 wherefore the consequences were painful. 
 
 " Ods bud, lad," exclaimed delighted Peter, "'pon my soul 
 'tis worthy of Bob Bickers ! He, he ! so ye fairly beat Perry 
 Wilmot, and won nigh three hundred guineas? Well done, 
 young un, say I, choicely well done, I swear. But, lad, I must 
 take care on't for you, as ye will surely lose so large a pile if ye 
 carry it about. Tell me who was there. Didst mark a little 
 chap with a squint an' a pot belly ? That's my lord of Tun- 
 bridge ; the biggest rake unhung. One night at my little place 
 he lost twelve thousand at Lansquenet, and 'pon honor he 
 wagered his wife's jewels next night and lost 'em. Night fol- 
 lowing, when his town and country houses were gone, he staked 
 his wife and lost her too. For a whole week she belonged to 
 young Tommy Lunn, and then my lord borrowed money from 
 me and won her back. And I fair bibbed, I tell thee, when 
 my lady came back into his arms again, 'twas that affecting, ay, 
 and so did the whole room full. After that his luck was won- 
 derful, and he won back all his belongings, and a cheerful sum 
 besides. ' God bless you for an honest man,' said he to me 
 that night as he repaid me tenfold. 
 
 " Then did ye perceive a gent wi' a wry neck, in a blue coat
 
 134 M7S TRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 and drab breeches ? He ne'er affects aught else. That's my 
 lord Buthbungle, who doth possess many a fine cock. May I 
 never clap eyes on better. I recall how one day he boasted 
 that one of 'em was the best bird of its size in England. I' 
 faith 'twas a lively pile game bantam, yet a quiet stranger 
 chanced to be by and overhear his bragging. ' Pooh, pooh! ' 
 quo' he, ' call ye that the best bird in England. Tell thee what 
 I'll do. I will e'en wager a hundred pounds I bring two to beat 
 it in ten minutes.' ' Done ! ' gleefully cried my lord. Gad- 
 zooks ! that stranger went and fetched a couple of birds of a 
 similar size, then set 'em on my lord's. ' Here, I say, take one 
 off, can't you, there's two against it,' called out my lord in the 
 twinkling of a bedpost. ' Not likely,' answered t'other, ' I prom- 
 ised to bring two to beat it, and here I've brought 'em, and 
 methinks my hundred ain't tar off.' 'Twasn't neither, for the 
 company adjudged the stranger had fairly won ; and that stran- 
 ger, let me tell you, was Long Bob Bickers, the greatest man 
 that ever trod this earth." 
 
 Enough of Master Whipple. Howbeit he set forth his 
 eternal reminiscences in so picturesque a manner that he scarce 
 ever failed to raise a laugh for his reward. Should aught arise 
 out of the common course of daily happenings, my very good 
 friend was always able to patter forth examples by the score; 
 and one and all had an immediate bearing on the case. 
 
 Eager to relate my success, I set out for the manor directly 
 the meal was despatched. I had not seen Mistress Dorothy 
 in the flesh for the whole week, though often enough in imag- 
 ination. Therefore it would have been hard to find a more 
 joyous fellow that night than Master Edward Armstrong, as he 
 stepped out briskly through the darkness, flushed with pleasure 
 at having done what he had done. He remembered quite well 
 how the maid had bid him go and accomplish the great task. 
 And now it was accomplished his heart beat high ; he had his 
 reward in mind. Albeit this cherished guerdon was but an- 
 other glance from those peerless eyes. 
 
 To talk of love, and then to laugh at it ; to think of love, and 
 then to scoff at it, is grave lack of worldly wisdom, and far 
 greater lack of understanding. 'Tis the very salt of life and 
 the surest thing to flavor it ! Maybe I oughtn't to speak thus 
 to you children, but with far more decency might play the part 
 of sedate preceptor, and shake my hoary head with gravity at 
 your youthful amours, without heed to the days when the world 
 and I were younger. 
 
 Kinsmen, in common honesty I cannot play it. So I prithee
 
 THE MAN IN THE CLOAK. 135 
 
 do not curl your lips at one who is old enough to know, or hold 
 him guilty of mock heroics. Poets may lisp rapturous odes to 
 the goddess of beauty, and malicious philosophers may gibe 
 and remark that that self-same goddess had corns on her feet ; 
 yet, woe is me, nature hath given me the midsummer temper- 
 ament of the poet, though my hair is gray. My heart no, to 
 be correct, the heart of Master Armstrong (for you must know 
 it was a joint affair, and belonged in part to Master Armstrong, 
 gentleman, and in part to Black Ned, thief) was a chaos of 
 extravagant delight. It overcame the lowering shadows of the 
 night by virtue of its blissfulness, and caused the dark heavens 
 to seem a cheerful sight. 
 
 I dashed up the front steps of the manor three at a time, 
 and Mistress Dorothy came forward to meet me, and her eyes 
 were those of welcome. 
 
 " Here is Black Ned back again, papa," she called out gayly 
 to the knight. 
 
 Then I, the happiest man alive, stumbled backward as though 
 a man had struck me in the face. I recoiled, a chill of fear 
 upon my heart, from her eager hands of greeting. But she 
 laughed, as she alone could laugh, no 'sooner than the word 
 was spoke, and I heard the old man give a cry of satisfaction. 
 Fortunately I had the luck and the strength of mind to over- 
 come my pangs. Thus I entered the sitting-room smiling. I 
 found the knight close by the fire, a bold array of bottles and 
 liquor bowls beside his elbow. 
 
 " Hola, mon ami ! " he cried, his solitary orb very large and 
 bright. "Back again already; .and, if I be not deceived, thou 
 hast good news." 
 
 " You've said a soothful thing, sir knight," said I. " My lord 
 is pleased to accept the terms laid down, and hath promised to 
 attend the council." 
 
 " Good lad," exclaimed Sir Nicholas, rising awkwardly to his 
 feet and hobbling towards me ; " I must have thy fist for that. 
 The work thou hast wrought for the cause will be undoubtedly 
 remembered. Mon Dieu ! we are hourly sapping the strength 
 of the King. He is all a soldier, is my lord ; I've been beside 
 him in Holland when he's led the storming party. He took the 
 eye of Turenne many a time, and is certainly the best of Eng- 
 lish captains." 
 
 " Sir," said his daughter, acquiescently nodding her pretty 
 head ; " there is no one else worthy to tie his shoe strings. 
 My lord Feversham is a mere baby by comparison, and as for 
 Kirke and Trelawney, bah ! "
 
 136 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 Her demeanor was so assured, and her voice so utterly con- 
 temptuous, that without doubt she felt deeply upon the subject. 
 " Ned, my lad," I soliloquized, "of a surety you must study 
 every book, of war your brains will let you. This young lady 
 can tell more of such matters in one five minutes than you have 
 ever heard of." 
 
 " There is ample time for a game of piquet, lad," said the 
 knight, " and you can give all particulars whilst we play." 
 
 As a preliminary, he drank my health solemnly three times 
 out of the smoking bowl, and bid his daughter do the same, 
 avowing she had much to thank me for. 
 
 'Twas a sight to see her purse her dainty lips and just let the 
 liquor touch them. Yet she made many grimaces as she did so. 
 
 " Ugh, poison ! " she exclaimed. And, with a naughty eye on 
 me, she allowed herself a little shiver, and hastily clapped down 
 the crock. 
 
 " Poison, quotha ! Dost know, impudence, that Prince Condd 
 swore by this concoction ? An' if he may bib it, 'tis not for 
 the likes o' you to abuse it. Poison, indeed! " 
 
 The soldier, to prove the profundity of this, gulped down 
 another bowlful, then settled to the game. 
 
 Two minutes later I had begun a faithful account of my 
 adventures. One circumstance had puzzled and alarmed me 
 sore. That was the appearance of the man at the inn-yard, 
 Bruton. No sooner did I inform Sir Nicholas of the fellow's 
 bribe, than his anxiety and mystification were deeper even than 
 mine own. 
 
 " I do not like the sound o' that, mon frere," he remarked 
 uneasily. " Sure the conspiracy is known ; and there's rough 
 times ahead, if that's the case. Ton my soul, the matter wears 
 an ugly look." 
 
 The knight was much distressed anent it. He scratched his 
 powdered wig till his coat became like a miller's; though more 
 he pondered on the matter the more disturbed he grew in mind. 
 Still, the nut was one beyond his strength of cracking. 
 
 "This is a serious affair, and must be laid before the council. 
 Our chances are gravely imperilled. What was the fellow like? 
 Cudgel thy recollection, friend. Was he tall or short ; young or 
 old? The thing must be bottomed," he cried excitedly. 
 
 I told all I could remember about the man. However, the 
 sum total of my recollection was extremely meagre, for, wrapped 
 up as he had been, I had obtained no glimpse of the fellow's 
 features, and the tight envelopment of the cloak had much aided 
 this concealment.
 
 THE MAN IN THE CLOAK. 
 
 137 
 
 Now, I was setting forth every little point that could throw 
 light upon it, when the room door opened noiselessly, and there 
 walked stealthily, silently in, a man clad in a dark cloak. And 
 his face was muffled and hid. At that sight I felt a curious 
 tightness in the region of the chest. My heart began to beat 
 much quicker than it had a right to do, for without doubt this 
 was the covert fellow who had accosted me at Bruton. And here 
 he was before us without a word of warning, in the identical 
 hang-dog fashion, too. My eyes were rooted to this spectre 
 (what else could it be ? ), and though the fire and candles emitted 
 a clear, broad light, my knees knocked and trembled, such was 
 the all-powerful effect of this man's apparition. The knight 
 looked round, and saw it for the first time. " What the 
 
 devil ! " he exclaimed, yet, being so taken aback, he could 
 
 get no further. 
 
 The pair of us, quite dumfounded, sat alternately regarding 
 each other, then the spectre. By this it had stopped midway 
 behind the table some yards distant. It halted silently, and 
 turned towards us two. But never a feature of its face was 
 visible. The knight and I had begun to doubt the veracity of 
 our eyes and senses, when, with a desperate effort, I released 
 my tongue from my roof mouth, whither it had cleft in the 
 paralysis of profound astonishment, and gasped out some- 
 how 
 
 "'Tis he, 'tis he ! Zounds, 'tis the man of Bruton ! " 
 
 " Is it, by G d ! Then woe to his flesh ! " And upon the 
 spot the old gentleman, being vouchsafed new powers of speech 
 and action, jumped from his chair, and sent card-table and 
 contents rattling in the grate. His eye a blaze of wrath, he 
 hopped gingerly yet wondrous rapid to the Perillo blade grandly 
 gleaming on the wall hard by. But as he did so, a trill of 
 laughter came from the dusky folds of the spectre's garb, and 
 next moment the archest head and the sauciest eyes that ever 
 man did see were thrust therefrom. 
 
 " What the devil ! " exclaimed the knight again ; and the 
 sacred sword fell from his grasp and dropped a thud on the 
 carpet. 
 
 Now, 'twixt ourselves, had not a wholesome conception of 
 good manners still abided with me, I should not have let appeals 
 to one devil suffice, but must have enjoined ten thousand. I 
 felt a fool at that moment, and doubtless the knight shared this 
 emotion. And the lady said never a word, but just stood quiv- 
 ering with mirth ; whilst her row of white teeth flashed through 
 her rippling lips, as they sent forth peal upon peal of laughter.
 
 138 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 Once more her father sought the intervention of the Evil One, 
 yet directly afterwards he shouted out 
 
 " Good lack, Ned, do you come and see the hussy ! She hath 
 gotten on my riding-boots. Egad, she hath most certainly ! " 
 
 I, being a reprehensible and equally impertinent young man, 
 must needs come forward pretty prompt to get a view of a maid 
 in riding-boots. This impudence of mine thoroughly discon- 
 certed her. Forthwith her merriment was doffed for blushes 
 and all manner of signals of modesty distressed. Thereupon, 
 in an earnest endeavor to so coil the cloak about her person 
 that our prying might be balked, she by misadventure let slip 
 one corner of it, and, alack, plump before the unabashed and 
 rudely staring eyes of man, a pair of long boots were revealed. 
 And atop of them (if I dare tell it) there certainly was seen a 
 pair of horseman's breeches ! 
 
 Sir Nicholas and I clapped our hands and made the rafters 
 ring with our guffaws, tho' presently the knight held surcease 
 by virtue of a violent choking, whilst I forbore, out of a spirit 
 of pure kindliness towards the lady. 
 
 Faith, by this time the tortured maid was ready to weep with 
 shame. Yet run away she dared not, because such was her 
 plight that, had she ventured to stir a step, the whole garment 
 must have fallen from her altogether. 'Twas evident she had 
 not expected us to peer behind her cloak. 
 
 Her father presently overcame his malady ; then merciless 
 was his persecution. The maid, scarlet-cheeked and tingling 
 with shame, was obliged to stand passive and endure it. 
 
 " Ods wounds, lad, dost see her coat and collar ? Heigh, 
 ke.igh, pink me if ever I cocked eyes on aught so funny ! Why, 
 ma petite demoiselle, thy neck and shoulders doth not a quarter 
 fill 'em ! " 
 
 Hereupon the maid having, in the jealous hiding of nether 
 limbs, by inadvertence left upper portions open to the public 
 view, sought to cover her slender neck and sloping shoulders. 
 But the hapless one by so doing exposed those tell-tale boots 
 again, and straightway the relentless old curmudgeon beset 
 her in a style that cut her far more keenly. 
 
 " Donnerwetter, what massy build, young man ! What 
 muscularity ! What spread of chest and what firm strength of 
 ankle ! What a grand cavaliero it is ! With such superb phy- 
 sique, thou art the model of a very horse guard. None o' 
 your raw-boned pikemen. And oh, Dorothy, what thews thou 
 hast, and what sinews ! What arms, to be sure ! Dost re- 
 mark 'em, Master Armstrong? Great, ain't they? Ventre
 
 THE MAN" IN THE CLOAK. 139 
 
 Saint Gris, they'd give stauncher sword-sweeps than Abide-in- 
 Me Jenkins himself ! By my faith, lass, ye might cleave the 
 skulls of all enemies of the State ! Certes, we'll make you a 
 soldier after this revelation. Bid the whole continent of Eu- 
 rope beware ! Verily, here is a man at arms mightier than 
 threescore rolled into one." 
 
 The young lady dared not look at either the one or the other 
 of us, so she kept her gaze averted ; and before the end arrived 
 the most defiant of daughters was so far humbled as to plead 
 
 " Don't, father; please don't." 
 
 Still the knight was pitiless, and as a climax, he went close 
 to her and proffered his snuff-box. 
 
 " Here thou art, good master. Take one dip, and no more." 
 
 She refused this doubtful offering, but next moment the 
 crafty knight cunningly and neatly grabbed the cloak com- 
 pletely from her form. But then, like lightning, the maiden, 
 unencumbered, dodged under his arm, and bounded through 
 the open door. 
 
 Ten minutes later she returned in the garb of respectability. 
 Her sire greeted her with a sermon, and the text was " De- 
 cency." The beginning she suffered with- lamblike meekness ; 
 but the knight, trading on her non-resistance, hammered his 
 theme with such indelicate zest that I was stung to compunc- 
 tion for my own unkind behavior. So said I, to exonerate my- 
 self, and to divert the discourse of this purist 
 
 " Mistress, I beg your pardon." 
 
 Despite my interruption the knight still pursued his homily, 
 till at last his volubility received an unexpected check. Sud- 
 denly the erring one tossed up her head. 
 
 " Sir," she said, turning on her sermonizing sire, very fierce 
 and haughty, " I'll come back when you're gone to sleep ; " and 
 the quick-spirited creature sprang from her chair, threw her 
 astounded parent a sarcastic curtsey, and sailed from the room. 
 
 Now Sir Nicholas was far too pachydermatous to feel the 
 full significance of this. He was not of a sufficiently fine 
 mental fibre to be hurt by the tongue alone; a retort only ap- 
 pealed to him when driven homeward by the fist. But what 
 he did feel was, that his authority was waning. This disturbed 
 his peace of mind, for said he, after ladling a cargo of snuff to 
 his nostrils 
 
 " By God ! she gets a nice young Jezebel ! You saw her, 
 Ned, my lad you saw her ! Fine thing this, at my time of 
 life. But, by all the imps in Hades, sooner than I'll be served 
 so by a chit of a girl, I'll pound her to a jelly ! "
 
 1 40 MIS TRESS D OR O TH Y MA R VIN. 
 
 Then his worship took refuge in the useful word that bears 
 the name of "damn," and in a hundred others of a kindred 
 nature. 
 
 Fortunately the old knight's ire soon spent itself, whereupon 
 we resumed the game. Nevertheless he continued to imbibe 
 with freedom, and after winning ten guineas the leather-livered 
 warrior fell fast asleep doubtless to accommodate his daugh- 
 ter. Strange to say, ere he had discharged his second snore, 
 the door was softly opened, and Mistress Dorothy crept in 
 silent as a mouse. Her face wore a look of comical humility. 
 
 " Master Armstrong," she whispered to me contritely, "what 
 a fiery-headed fool I am. One minute I insult my betters, and 
 the next I'm in sackcloth and ashes for my impudence. But 
 oh, sir, I've got such a temper ! I expect my much-tried 
 father, patient man, will be half killing me one of these fine 
 mornings." 
 
 At that she stole up to her ugly parent's chair, and, laugh- 
 ingly, but as a matter of necessity, very lightly kissed the 
 slumberer. This daring feat successfully accomplished, she 
 came and sat beside me. 
 
 " Dost know, sir," she said gayly, " that these great men are 
 very difficult to live with ? But I suppose it behoves common 
 mortals to put up with their eccentricities without complaint. 
 My old dad hath been so hard on me sometimes, that I've felt 
 a longing to drop a snail in his punch, or a black beetle down 
 his back. Sooth ! I once did pin a worm in his wig, but, 
 Master Ned, I have ne'er been tempted to do so since/' 
 
 Afterwards this madcap said nothing for a time, and did 
 nothing either, except to look provokingly pretty. But 'twas 
 plain she had something serious to say, because she began to 
 display anxiety, and several times glanced nervously at me. 
 
 " Master Armstrong," at last she said timidly, yet giving me 
 the reward from her eyes I had counted on, " I am filled \\ith 
 gratitude for what thou hast done. I know not how to thank 
 thee, thou art so kind, and so very brave." 
 
 This little speech was softly given, and with a delicious em- 
 barrassment. It set me more at ease, and my tongue became 
 busy in protesting my unworthiness. After that I gathered 
 pluck enough to ask what I had so long desired, which was 
 
 " Wouldst tell me, mistress, how thou wert so able- to deceive 
 me by thy masquerading ? " 
 
 She dropped her head, and spoke no word for a minute or 
 two, then answered doubtfully 
 
 " Perhaps I ought to tell you, sir, or perhaps I ought not. I
 
 THE MAN IN THE CLOAK, IAI 
 
 shall show myself an ingrate if I tell all, yet if I don't, you and 
 papa will be much exercised in mind. What shall I do ? " 
 
 She remained undecided till I besought her once more, 
 whereupon she replied 
 
 " I am bound, sir, to prove myself oblivious of benefits, and 
 very suspicious of your honor ; yet, if you must learn, listen. 
 The night I persuaded Sir Nicholas to let you ride to London 
 in his stead, and gave the letter into your keeping, within an 
 hour of your going hence he became woefully uneasy in his 
 mind. He began to think he had done wrong in confiding the 
 letter out of his own charge, and declared his honor was griev- 
 ously imperilled. And every minute he grew more scared, and 
 imagined all manner of fearsome adventures befalling it, and 
 thee. And, oh ! forgive him, sir, and me for the recounting of 
 it ; he declared he had no proof you were a true man, and 
 that you might betray your trust. He got cruelly excited, and 
 worked himself into a fever of anxiety, and all the time became 
 more convinced that he had compassed a wicked thing. He 
 continued speculating as to whether you would stand by your 
 word, till at last he declared he should ride after you on the 
 morrow, and deliver it himself, otherwise he could not rest in 
 peace. 
 
 " But, just then, Master Armstrong, his vexation of spirit 
 brought on one of his worst attacks. He roared with pain, 
 cursed everything, and reviled me for my share in the business. 
 He hath ne'er sworn at me like he did that night; he said I'd 
 ruined him, for now this attack had come, 'twas impossible for 
 him to pursue you ; and in his wildness he accounted this as 
 one of the devil's machinations to thwart him in the prevention 
 of his ruin. His pain increased, and as it did so he drank 
 deeper, vainly hoping that liquor would relieve his agony. His 
 ravings were cruel ; I shudder for the words he hurled at me. 
 And methought I had acted for the best. He went nearly mad, 
 and the more he drank, the worse became his state, till at last 
 I tugged the liquor from him, though twice he struck me with 
 his fists." 
 
 Hereat methinks her eyes grew wet ; yet she swiftly turned 
 away her head, so that, even if they did, she hid her weakness. 
 
 " Next the foam came on his lips," she said. " But still he 
 screamed that I alone had caused his downfall. Then I got 
 frightened, and called the servants, and they carried him to 
 bed, tho' all night long he lay moaning and coughing and 
 swearing, and crying out he was undone. He would not have 
 me approach his side, but thrust me away every time I neared 
 10
 
 I 4 2 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 him. I never left him, though, till morning, and did my best, 
 poor man, to soothe his pain of mind and body. Yet, when I 
 applied cool bandages to his head, I had to slip behind the 
 curtain for fear he'd see me. He ne'er ceased to rave through- 
 out the night, and I first did pray that God might spare him, 
 then tried remedies. Oh, I shall ne'er forget that awful time ! " 
 
 Her face went livid at the recollection. 
 
 " About the hour of dawn," she continued, " I had a sicken- 
 ing fear. Master Armstrong, I began to wonder what would 
 ensue should you play the traitor. Please forgive those 
 speculations ! " 
 
 She quickly turned towards me, and I saw in her eyes a 
 profound appeal, and that even her neck was crimson. I 
 made haste to grant this prayer, whereat she went on. 
 
 " Had you been one, I knew 'twould surely kill him ; and 
 'twas I alone who had caused you to take the missive. This 
 horrid dread grew hourly greater. I could not get out of my 
 head that, after all, you might not be a true man, and I would 
 have given aught then to have recalled my evening's action. 
 Soon I felt a puissant desire to do something to save my father, 
 by averting any threatened staining of his honor ; and I e'en 
 made up my mind to do it ay, but what? There was nought 
 I could do. Sir Nicholas was far too ill to be left for any length 
 of time with only the servants to attend him. Besides, you 
 were fast speeding from my reach, whilst I had no notion of 
 your whereabouts. Verily the case was almost hopeless ; but, 
 bad as it was, I did not give way to despair, which dear father 
 says is a word specially made for cowards. So I thought and 
 thought till I nigh split mine head with thinking. Never before 
 have I cudgelled my brains so sorely, because I decided, come 
 what might, to satisfy my terrors. I would learn for myself 
 whether you were an honorable man. 
 
 " I had but one fact to assist me. This arose through hear- 
 ing you say you would not tarry to dine till you had arrived at 
 Bruton. Bit by bit my plan was pieced together. No time was 
 wasted neither, for 'twas very patent I must take prompt action. 
 I had not a minute to fritter; not even time for breakfast. 
 First, I rummaged out the smallest suit of clothes I could lay 
 my hands on. It was a very old one, which papa had worn 
 when a lad. Next, I took a dark riding-cloak of his also (miles 
 too big), which was quite easy to gather about my person so 
 as to nearly hide it altogether. Having thus attired myself, I 
 donned his riding-boots. These I had to stuff with wool to 
 keep them on my feet. Perhaps, Master Ned, you will now
 
 THE MAN IN THE CLOAK. 143 
 
 understand I had disguise enough to deceive folks. Without 
 leaving a word behind, I saddled Wallenstein, as none of the 
 others were fit for service, and ne'er drew rein till I had 
 discovered you at Bruton, whence I arrived twenty minutes ere 
 you went forward on your way. I waited till you were ready to 
 start, and then tempted you (as you know) with a bag of gold 
 I had brought for the purpose. I found you not wanting, but 
 true as steel, thank God ! And, oh, sir, forgive me, I beseech 
 thee ! " 
 
 When I heard these words, I felt for all the world like a man 
 must feel when he sits, candle in hand, upon an uncovered 
 keg of gunpowder. One stray spark, and his life is lost ; one 
 stray word, and so is my reputation. What had I done the 
 afternoon she had accosted me ? I had used savage threats, 
 and worse, a thousand times, I had shown my true colors, arid 
 Jiad half revealed to her my real vocation. Now it was my 
 turn to do something, else I must for ever appear to her a 
 rogue and trickster. 
 
 in supreme moments some of us may now and then display 
 acute intelligence. Luckily, I kept cool. I knew promptitude 
 was imperative, and therefore without delay I put my hand in 
 my pocket. Oh, joy ! there reposed the bag unopened and un- 
 touched. Instantly I whipped it out and laid it on the table, 
 exclaiming airily 
 
 " Mistress, you adjudged me a dirty rogue to steal your gold. 
 But, 'pon my life, methought I was surely drawing the teeth 
 of a wicked viper who went about tempting honest men. So, 
 thinks I, you shall no longer have the means, you knave, to 
 seduce, with such a tool, others from the path of virtue. Thus 
 it came about that I snatched it from you, and have ever since 
 desired to give it to the first deserving poor man I might chance 
 to meet." 
 
 This was the biggest lie to which I ever lent my tongue. God 
 forgive it! Upon uttering this atrocious falsehood, I went hot 
 and cold (and well I might) at intervals. Still, next moment I 
 was conscious of a throb of joy, for the maid no more perceived 
 the depth of this duplicity, or the still greater depth of the man 
 before her, than she divined my jocular laugh was the hollowest 
 she had ever heard. And the knight still slept. Happily for me 
 the danger was safely passed, whereupon I inquired how she 
 came back again. 
 
 " Why, sir, as soon as you went your way, I went mine, know- 
 ing well that I need not fear. Yet, mind you, sir, I was devoutly 
 thankful to flee from you, as I was much frightened at your
 
 1 44 MIS TRESS DORO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 anger. I reached home an hour after dark. I found dear 
 father mending somewhat; and tho' I strongly pooh-poohed his 
 fears, I concealed from him my errand." 
 
 " What ! " said I. " You mean to say you touched no food 
 all day, and also rode along these lonesome lanes after night- 
 fall, though so many robbers, highwaymen, and footpads are 
 abroad ; and sat in the saddle during a fifty miles' journey, and 
 only once left it for half an hour ? " 
 
 " That is so, Master Armstrong ; and I could hardly move 
 for three days after, I was so stiff and sore. Also, I may tell 
 you, sir, I sometimes trembled at the rustling leaves ; but my 
 heart was blither than a summer's day, because I knew that 
 father's fears and mine were groundless." 
 
 " Yet, why could you not stay the night, and get some food 
 and rest ere you made the homeward journey ? " I asked, still 
 marvelling at her splendid courage and endurance. 
 
 " Poor father was so very ill," she answered simply. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 TOBE HANCOCK SPEAKS HIS MIND. 
 
 THE knight still slumbered with noisy resolution, therefore 
 we two conversed for a lengthy time. 
 
 " Master Armstrong," eagerly besought the great-hearted 
 maid, " please tell me of your adventures on the way, and how 
 my lord received the missive. I lost your narrative by slip- 
 ping out of the room to play the part of the ' Man of Bruton.' " 
 
 In duty bound I was compelled to do so. 'Twas exhilarating 
 to see her ardor as I recalled the story of my strange adventures, 
 and to watch the rapture in her eyes as I told of my victory over 
 the redoubted Perry Wilmot, and recounted the lawless doings 
 of the Bonaventors. 
 
 " Master Ned," said she again, her face truly splendid in its 
 animation, " I wish I were a man, and as brave as thee." 
 
 And to see it so was a greater recompense than I had dared 
 to hope for. 
 
 It was within five minutes of midnight ere I walked into the 
 little parlor at the King's Head, and found my friend Pete, with 
 his pipe and black jack consoling him for the labor of the day. 
 He coolly eyed me as I entered, and half smiled to himself when
 
 TOBE HANCOCK SPEAKS HIS MIND. 145 
 
 he heard ^my elastic step, and saw my cheeks flushed, my visage 
 radiant, and my head cocked up in the air. 
 
 " Ods boots, young man," quoth he, " it runs in my mind that 
 matters are coming to a woeful pass wi' you. Of late I have 
 put two and two together upon the subject. What means this 
 flying out o' nights, this sprightly demeanor, this sad neglect 
 of business, this regular donning of Sunday garments? Shall 
 I tell you ? This noddle o' mine hath fathomed deeper mys- 
 teries. There is a woman at the bottom on't. You'll get no 
 good by them take my word for that. Oft have I told you 
 they are the devil's creation. The very best woman I ever 
 knew was a Charing vintner's daughter, and, man alive ! she 
 eventually came to be hanged as a common cutpurse." 
 
 Hereupon mine host removed his pipe-stem from between his 
 teeth, waved it in my direction, and solemnly said, " Damn the 
 women ! " 
 
 With the delivery of this pious ejaculation he blinked in his 
 owlish fashion, and proceeded to prove the fittingness of the 
 malediction. He summoned scores of incidents out of his ex- 
 perience ; but none the less I was disgusted, and debated the 
 point staunchly. However, in despite 'of this, he still abided 
 by his warning that I must entirely shun the sex. 
 
 Next morning I betook myself to Chilverley, to dispose of the 
 presents ; tho' I was beset by much misgiving, for my previous 
 reception had not faded from my memory. At the busiest of 
 times the village is sleepy, the villagers taking life serenely, and 
 scarce ever moving faster than a jog-trot through it. The in- 
 habitants numbered very few, and I trusted to them not recog- 
 nizing me. Perhaps I was ill-advised to venture there in day- 
 light ; but, straightforwardly speaking, I was determined not to 
 disappoint the knight of his piquet, as I must have done had I 
 come at eventide. 
 
 As I arrived within sight and earshot of the blacksmith's 
 forge, a series of howls and wailings disturbed the wonted still- 
 ness of the hamlet. The cause of this was not far to seek, for 
 before the door I beheld Master Hancock, one hand holding 
 the neckband of his youthful 'prentice, whilst the other was 
 administering a cudgelling. Thus zealously occupied, he 
 heeded not my presence, but continued to instil some belated 
 Christian principle into the froward youth. 
 
 In time he ceased to ply the staff, yet, jerkin still in hand, 
 he went on, without a trace of anger in his voice, to expound to 
 the whimpering penitent the error of his courses. This admon- 
 ishment bristled with Bible precept, intended for future conduct
 
 14.6 MISTRESS DORO THY. MAR VIN. 
 
 and wellbeing ; and bore more particularly upon the convey- 
 ance of false witness and the disregard of truth. The lad's 
 blubbering was not subdued till Tobe let go his hold, where- 
 upon he was glad to run inside and resume the blowing of the 
 bellows. Then the blacksmith turned and noticed me. 
 
 "Thickee there bwoy's nuff tii drive me mazed! " said he. 
 " 'E hath more thort, I rackon, vor a cudgel than pious exhor- 
 tation ; 'et tha well baying ov iz zoul shan't zuffer vor tha 
 laikes o' thickee matter. Du ee bide a minit, lad, an' I'll tellee 
 zummat." 
 
 These last words he spoke as though possessed of sudden 
 recollection. Ere I could reply, he disappeared through the 
 inlet, and returned with a bulky bag in his hand long before I 
 had ceased to wonder at his actions. 
 
 " Mebbee, Ned," he said earnestly, " I wor rayther hasty 
 loike t'other nite.- I've thort 'bout 'ee mor'n wance. I knaw 
 'e nobbut nor a gert thief, 'et, lad, whoy cudden yii tarn honest 
 man agwaine ? Now thease yer monies will 'elp 'ee tii goa tii 
 furren pairts an' start vresh. An' yii neddent rob volks theer, 
 lad. I've heerd zay ov biitivul lands acrass tha zee, wheer tha 
 zuggar and tha backy grow'th, an' tez zunny arl tha days ov 
 tha yeer. Bide not r Zummerzet 'nother week. Twidden be 
 raight vor tii dii't. Tack et wi yii, an' goa an' get honest." 
 
 The well-meaning fellow pressed the gold eagerly upon me. 
 By the rapidity of his gestures, I guessed how much I had been 
 in his mind of late. My heart grew cold as my fingers closed 
 upon the bag, for then I felt the full import of this counsel. 
 How could I leave Somerset, even to become honest, with Mis- 
 tress Dorothy Marvin still in it, and hopes of vengeance ex- 
 panding in my breast ? A month ago I might have done so, 
 yet now I was no longer mine own master. I was like the fly 
 in the spider's web ; only my fetters were formed by a web of 
 strange events. Therefore, at this gracious offer, I sighed and 
 shook my head. 
 
 " I cannot leave the county of my birth, Tobe," I said, un- 
 comfortably tremorous. 
 
 " Whoy ? " he asked sharply, his eyes fixed on my face. 
 
 " Circumstances have arisen which ere long will change the 
 affairs of the whole nation, and already I am deeply embroiled. 
 No, good friend, I must not take ship for foreign parts. My 
 duty lies in England you forget my father's death." 
 
 Alack ! 1 knew this was only half the truth, and for that 
 reason I could not have looked at the blacksmith squarely. 
 He never took his gaze from me, and the guilty and confused
 
 TO BE HANCOCK SPEAKS HIS MIND. 147 
 
 way I answered him was enough for him to mistrust my utter- 
 ance. His countenance was one of sorrow, as he replied with 
 lowered voice 
 
 " Now, dawnt 'ee zay zo. Thy veace tell'th me yii dezave a 
 vrend. Tez vor tha welfare ov thy mother an' thyzel. She 
 hath tiike on cruel awver thy knavery, I can tell 'ee. Thy vather 
 wuz aveared ov God, an' zet gert store by righteousness. 
 Yii midden stay, Ned, in the midst o' thy zin." 
 
 As in the days when war and its devilry had not come among 
 us, so Tobe talked long and patiently, trying hard very hard, 
 by force of dissertation, to turn my mind towards virtue. The 
 length and the breadth of the matter was, that I was truly 
 ashamed of my livelihood, and would have gladly renounced it, 
 Jiad better prospects appeared. But it was impossible to live 
 honestly now in my native shire. No Christian calling was 
 open to an outlaw ; and a man must live. Nor was Tobe's 
 reasoning lost upon me. I sincerely wished to carry out his 
 desires, yet how vain those wishes were, for there were pictures 
 of a laughing maid with wondrous eyes, and the grim gibbet of 
 the crossways in my brain. Thus the only thing left to do was 
 to growl at Fate, like all weak creatures, who e'en spend more 
 time and energy bewailing fortune than would serve to set their 
 affairs to rights. Master Hancock persevered till he saw how 
 fruitless his endeavors were like to be ; then steadily his anger 
 rose. And as it came to the surface his tongue loosened, and 
 burst forth in vituperation. 
 
 " Ah, Tobe," said I bitterly, " 'tis very pretty to prate about 
 honesty and righteousness, you that have ever had a sound roof 
 and a full cupboard ! Do but come to be hunted like a fox, 
 with no place of refuge to run to for your life, and then see 
 how you'll abide by the doctrines of prosperity." 
 
 'Twas an unkind and discreditable speech ; but, somehow, 
 his words had stung, and I, being hurt in spirit, was, for the 
 moment, unmindful for the feelings of the blacksmith. At my 
 retort the smouldering anger of the man blazed out in sudden 
 fury. 'Twas the fanatic peeping thro' his sober self, and I 
 trembled at it.' His visage went all thundery, his gray eyes 
 stormy and foreboding as the tempest ; and a chill crept in my 
 limbs as I saw this strong man's wrath. 
 
 " Zo, Ned," he snarled, his lips drawn stern and tight, " I 
 zay thee'rt a cur, even as I zed avoretime." 
 
 I had dismounted, and now stood before him silent, with no 
 words left to speak in self-defence, to stay the torrent of his 
 anger.
 
 1 48 MISTRESS DORO THY MARVIN. 
 
 " Ye are Jan Armstrong's zon," he continued ; "oh, tha pity 
 ov et ! Weer be thy manliness an' courage ? Yii zhame thy 
 vather." 
 
 He thrust his big brown fist hard by my cheek, and I drew 
 away from it affrighted. The passion of his features kept 
 mounting higher. Quite suddenly, however, this harsh de- 
 meanor was forgotten, as a shrill scream of terror sounded close 
 at hand. 
 
 The cause of it was soon apparent, for, as we turned our eyes 
 to the bridge, we saw a small girl standing thereon, wringing 
 her hands, and gazing horror-stricken into the rushing water. 
 We ran straightway thither, and there beheld a child, being 
 tossed on the surface of the stream. Ere 1 could move, Tobias 
 had flung aside his leathern apron, and had plunged into the 
 swirling current. He soon had the mute babe safe. 'Twas 
 the third time it came to the top that the blacksmith seized it 
 with one hand, and held it above the crest of the stream that 
 air might find way to its puny half dead body. With the other 
 he struck for the steep bank, and scrambled out of the brawling 
 water, yet bore the child with tenderness. The wet running 
 from him, and the little creature hugged to his breast, he set 
 off at a trot down the road, the sister, with sobs now instead of 
 screams, pattering after him. 
 
 I stood stock-still for a full minute after the three of them 
 turned the corner. Thereupon I took Joe's bridle and led him 
 to the farm. I had not the heart to tarry for Tobe's return, 
 though the poems of John Milton were in my pocket. Again, 
 as I neared the outer gate of the homestead, I halted, uncertain 
 whether to go farther, for just then I felt baser and more sinful 
 than ever I had done before. Albeit this backwardness was 
 sufficiently overcome to let me cross the field and rickyard and 
 put my horse up in the stable. The farm hands stared at me 
 perplexed, and wondered much at the boldness of this stranger, 
 who came with such assurance ; although they recognized me 
 not, neither did they ask questions, but merely scratched their 
 country polls and ceased to puzzle them. 
 
 The family were seated at the midday meal as I entered. At 
 sight of me, mother's face went strangely white. The first thing 
 I did was to go and kiss her, and also at the time I bent over 
 her took the chance to whisper, " Do they know all ? " 
 
 She shook her head. Therefore I embraced my brother and 
 sister less uneasily, now that I knew they were ignorant of my 
 shame. I shared the meal with them, but John and Betty, 
 though they received no aid from mother, questioned me again,
 
 TOBE HANCOCK SPEAKS HIS MIND. 149 
 
 as was only natural, concerning the nature of my calling. So 
 it befell that they were first to learn my crimes from my own 
 lips ; because in face of what mother knew, I dared not try to 
 evade them in her presence. 
 
 " Have I not already told you I am Black Ned the highway- 
 man ? " I answered, this time without any signs of mirth soever. 
 And, in the absence of it, they turned to mother, and saw tears 
 trickling down her face. At that they turned back their eyes to 
 me, and saw mine glum and miserable. By this they were aware 
 'twas no jest, but unutterable truth. No more words passed 
 between us. Both of them looked each towards the other, seem- 
 ingly devoid of purpose, unless 'twas to divine the effect of this 
 revelation. Shortly afterwards they stole glances at mother, 
 who still wept in silence, and remarking this, Betty whose light- 
 heartedness was fled, also began to cry noiselessly, and John, 
 who was his father's son, had a look in his eyes more terrible 
 than Tobe Hancock's. Not one of them gave a glance to me, 
 but watched each other in an aimless way. 
 
 I was sitting in my dead father's chair, in his place at the 
 table-head ; and God would not let m.e rest there. I jumped 
 up out of it, took my hat off the peg, and crossed the threshold 
 of my father's door in dull agony of spirit. I reeled sot-like 
 across the yard to the stables and fetched Joe for further serv- 
 ice. Through the open door of the house I caught a sight of 
 John and Betty bending over mother. 
 
 Joe took me from the farm to the King's Head as fast as he 
 could carry me. Arrived there I sought the chamber placed at 
 my service by the landlord, locked myself inside, kindled a light 
 with flint and steel, and set John Milton's book of poems blaz- 
 ing. Next, I unstrung the necklet of crystal pearls, threw up 
 the sash, and cast them out, one by one, in all directions ; and, 
 lastly, stamped my foot on the shell, and John's costly hall- 
 marked watch, smashed them beyond recognition, and flung 
 the fragments out of window. This accomplished, I dipped 
 my forehead into a bowl of water to allay the ferment in my 
 temples. But to what purpose ? I threw my body across the 
 bed in desperation, only to toss and moan upon it without allev- 
 iation of my misery. And every time I shut mine eyes I saw 
 my dear father in the courthouse, and the horrid demon reviling 
 him, or the shimmering mass of metal and the moonlight still 
 upon it. Yet even such phantasies as these, though they made 
 me shudder and tremble as if I had got the ague ; even these, 
 in course of time, gradually dwindled to that of a maid young 
 and beautiful, with eyes big with gratitude. Here my moaning
 
 150 AffS TRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 ceased, and I got off my couch less wearily, and went down- 
 stairs into the private parlor. 
 
 " Why, Ned," said Master Whipple, " what hast been a-clo- 
 ing ? 'Oons, lad, I never set eyes on such a tozzled head of 
 hair. Hast been drawn thro' a thick-set hedge back'ards ?" 
 
 T said no word to Pete, but started immediately for Kelston 
 Manor. That night I played and lost ten more guineas, whilst 
 Mistress Marvin concocted the punch and praised my courage, 
 and even the knight admitted it. I was also informed that Ixe 
 set off for Wiltshire in the morning, hence there would be no 
 play for the next four days. 
 
 On coming back to Bridgwater, I lost no time in seeking 
 bed ; whereupon my brain grew hot again, and things got 
 muddled, and churned one amongst another in my head. Be- 
 fore sleep came, mother's tearful face was near me. And look- 
 ing over her shoulder, methought I saw Mistress Dorothy 
 Marvin. The last thing I was conscious of that night was that 
 the pair of them seemed struggling in a contest to be foremost 
 near me. But in the midst of it, they, too, mingled with the 
 other phantoms : notably John's cruel eyes, Tobe Hancock's 
 forbidding aspect, my dead father, and Judge Jeffreys the 
 devil ! Next morning I awoke, cheeks hectic and lips parched, 
 in a state of fever. 
 
 Peter Whipple shook his head with gravity, and being a 
 handy man and a shrewd one, bled me forthwith, avowing that 
 no physician must be sent for, else the sheriff's men would 
 soon have news of things, and would then come and arrest me 
 without hindrance. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE DEATH'S HEAD AT THE FEAST. 
 
 IN a week I was hale again. This circumstance was lucky 
 for me and unlucky for friend Peter. 
 
 One day during convalescence, mine host came to me in a 
 seemingly diffident manner, and delivered himself as follows 
 
 " Young man, I'm uncommon glad to see thee on thy pins 
 again, but business is business." 
 
 Hereupon the worthy gentleman broke off short, drew his 
 brows together, twirled his thumbs with edifying solemnity; 
 pulled a very odd face, and coughed thrice in an apologetic 
 manner.
 
 THE DEATH'S HEAD AT THE FEAST. 151 
 
 "Yes, friend, business is business, I'll remark again. Um, 
 ah ! have a drop o' cider, lad, it's good to keep the head cool." 
 
 He poured me out a full tankard, did likewise for himself, 
 pledged my health, and fell to twirling his thumbs a second time. 
 
 " What I was about to say," said he once more, " is that 
 business is business." 
 
 " Why, confound you, Pete ! " said I, very well knowing the 
 drift of affairs by this, " you've made that brilliant observation 
 nigh a score times already. What d'ye mean ? " 
 
 "What do I mean?" Master Whipple refilled his tankard. 
 " I mean business is business, an' friendship is friendship, an' 
 a fee's a fee, and some folk are damned stupid, others damned 
 blind, an', 'twixt you and me, there's none so blind as those 
 that won't see." 
 
 " Very true," I answered, not daring to look at him, else I 
 must have laughed. You see, I knew mine host of old. 
 
 " Ay, blind as bats in a belfry, ain't they ? But, lad, business 
 is the most beautiful thing extant, and friendship comes close 
 after it. Combine 'em, and they are all-powerful. Now, 
 hearkee, brother ! I, your dearest friend, nursed you, and 
 tended you, and bled you, and kept vigil wi' you, and plied 
 cool cloths, and a thousand and one medicaments. Also, I 
 kept mine own counsel all the while, mark you that ! Therefore 
 here ye are, sound in limb and body, thanks to pure friendship. 
 Faith. I would have done the like for no other man that ever 
 drew breath ! And just think of the cost o' this attendance. 
 There's the price o' the physics, the skilful treatment, the 
 sleepless nights, and the dead losses in private business by in- 
 attention." 
 
 " Ah, yes ; quite so ! " said I, counting out ten guineas on the 
 table, and pushing them towards him. 
 
 " What's that ? " he asked, mighty solemn. 
 
 " That's the fee. Why in the world didn't you say what was 
 required at first ? I misunderstood you, friend, altogether. Of 
 course, I perceive the force of your remarks now. I beg your 
 pardon." 
 
 " No offence, no offence ! " The gold dropped briskly, coin 
 by coin, into his vest pocket. Then he commenced to cry. 
 
 " Forgive me, good friend ! " he sobbed. " I am too ashamed 
 to speak. I am your friend, and ye are mine, and I've done my 
 duty by you, even as ye would do by me. God knows I would 
 not touch a single groat as recompense, were it not for that 
 cursed business. If I did not accept, I must perforce show a 
 dead loss in the accounts, and that would never do for sure ; 
 just think of my poor family."
 
 152 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 " Of course," and I nodded acquiescence. 
 
 From careful inquiry, both subsequent and previous, I was 
 never able to gather aught concerning this reputed " family." 
 He had none, for certain, in Bridgwater. The utmost of my 
 gleaning was, in a moment of confidence, from Master Whipple 
 himself that is, when his breath was growing odoriferous. 
 Then he hinted that this " family " was part of his business 
 equipment and stock-in-trade. 
 
 Henceforth the days went briskly by. The springtime, the 
 heartsome springtime, was gradually unfolded in its beauty. 
 With it came longer days, mellow air, and cheerful sunshine. 
 The tree boughs and the never-ending length of hedgerows 
 donned their summer garment, the buds expanded, and all nature 
 became verdant and inviting. I suppose 'twas by one of the 
 perversities of human nature that at this time, when in all 
 fittingness I should have been in black depths of despair, I was 
 so very conscious of delight. 
 
 For a week after the proper power of thinking had been re- 
 stored to me, I pondered much upon the prospect unfolded by 
 Tobe Hancock. My duty to friends and self was very plain, 
 but what avail is duty unless supported by the heart ? To be 
 precise hereon, my heart was no longer obedient to my will ; in 
 fact, I could not now command it, seeing that it had deserted 
 me and was in another's keeping. 
 
 And so the struggle was soon decided. Therefore I continued 
 to lose money every night, and in the mean time endeavored 
 might and main to win a heart in exchange for the one won 
 from me. 
 
 April came and went all too quick, likewise May, yet early in 
 June I learned a thing, which if it caused not the days to go the 
 slower, certainly made me attend them more, because an event 
 was pending which was fraught with import, both towards 
 myself and towards the country. 
 
 I was at the manor one night as usual, and had just made the 
 first replenishment of the coins upon the table, when the knight 
 laid down his bowl, and stared fiercely in my face with that one 
 eye of his which to me was far more impressive than a pair of 
 other people's. 
 
 " Mon fils," he said, " I have news for thee ; you have right 
 to know, as ye're one of us. A council is convened here at the 
 manor on the eighth of July, when our course of action is to be 
 carefully discussed. All the men of leading we can muster will 
 come hither, and methinks 'twill have resolutions of rarest 
 import for its outcome."
 
 THE DEATH'S HEAD AT THE FEAST, 153 
 
 " That so ! " I exclaimed, taken aback at these momentous 
 tidings. 
 
 " 'Tis so, Ned," quoth Mistress Dorothy, who was by. " And 
 you may bless your natal saint 'tis no house of yours these folk 
 are coming to. Oh dear, what a place 'twill be ! For sure 
 everywhere will be turned topsy-turvy all because of these dukes, 
 and bishops, and knights, and peers. Every room in the house 
 will have to be put in fitness, mountains of bed linen to be aired, 
 apartments to be furbished, overhauled, and hung with tapestry ; 
 and Bibles placed in the bishops' bedrooms. Also huge stores 
 of provisions must be laid in, I can tell thee, for I've heard 
 tell that e'en the Lord Privy Seal hath to eat and drink like a 
 commoner. And I say, Ned ! I am to be dislodged from my 
 pretty chamber, which overlooks the copse and the stream, and 
 receives the sun in the early morn. But you know, daddy, I 
 will not yield it up to any man amongst them, save my lord 
 Churchill. He must sleep there. He will be a great captain yet 
 (old Turenne said that), and I wish I had a score chambers for 
 great captains to be bedded in ! So mind you, sir ! I will not 
 be turned out for any beggarly speechifying Parliament man." 
 
 " Pax, pert one ! are you the master a' this place, or am I ? " 
 
 " You are, sir ; but I'm the mistress. And, being the 
 mistress, all domestic details must be left to me. You'd no 
 more be able to attend to them than you are to curl your wig." 
 
 The saucy set of her, and the bold roguishness of her de- 
 meanor, was a sight to warm the heart. The knight was 
 angered at this flippancy, and so allowed his six languages 
 their exercise. Though he swore so hard at her, she mixed 
 his liquor meekly, and played the injured innocent naughtily 
 yet prettily. Still the irritated warrior would have none of her 
 conciliating graces, but stormed much and lustily. Not that 
 this disconcerted her a whit, for she whispered slyly to me 
 
 " Now I will play my master-card." She did play it. 
 
 " Papa, you held dissertation this morning on the glorious 
 victory of Edgehill. I aver and am free to maintain that you 
 are quite wrong. 'Twas a drawn battle, sir ; in fact, I am not 
 so sure that the Roundheads, under Essex, did not beat you." 
 
 " Eh ? what ? Dost know what you say, wench ? " 
 
 " Know what I say, sir ? Of course I do. Didn't Sir Wil- 
 liam Balfour make a flank movement and drive your centre 
 before him ? Come, sir, I'm perfectly sure 'twas a drawn 
 battle." And she wagged her naughty head with an air of 
 absolute conviction. 
 
 " It's a lie, it's a lie 1 " shouted her excited sire, truculently
 
 1 5 4 Mrs TRESS DOROTHY MA R VIN. 
 
 thumping the table, but falling into the trap as usual. " Are 
 you unaware that Rupert swept the Puritan left clean off the 
 field ? I ought to know, I was one of the men that helped him." 
 
 What useful purpose shall I serve in detailing this passado ? 
 'Twas merely a repetition of many a one I listened to betwixt 
 the twain ; and to a man of peace their language might have 
 been high Dutch instead of military jargon. On this occasion 
 the disputants went to such a length that a plan of battle was 
 mapped out between them. And, strange as it may seem, the 
 lady was continually besting her father in the argument. All 
 the while he grew more excited and loud-voiced. Methought 
 the swinging of his arms was ominous, as he admitted first one 
 false fact, then another. But at the conclusion he performed no 
 more violent deed than the scratching of his bewildered head. 
 
 At this mistress Dorothy effervesced with laughter, made 
 merry at the perplexed old gentleman's expense, and soundly 
 rallied him on the score of his agitation. 
 
 " Mordioux! " cried Sir Nicholas, his high tones having de- 
 clined to something perilously near dejection, " I'll be shot if 
 ever I thought it so ; but, strike me stiff ! I'm damned if it 
 don't seem right. Yet 'tis a queer thing that a bit of a girl, 
 who can ne'er be a man-at-arms, should overcome a seasoned 
 captain. Mon Dieu ! I must summon my recollection." 
 
 To watch him twist his countenance into a mass of thought- 
 ful wrinkles was better than a play. I'm sure his daughter 
 thought it so. She soon showed that on occasion she could be 
 every whit as merciless as her parent. First she clapped her 
 hands, very victorious, but very impudent; then mocked his 
 cogitating aspect, wickedly scratched her head, contorted her 
 face, and corrugated her forehead. This done she flippantly 
 cocked her thumb over her shoulder, according to the vulgar 
 custom, then sang out loud enough to make her victim scowl, 
 " Oh, Ned, do look at the seasoned captain ! " 
 
 However, the next moment, her opponent, in all modesty, 
 made an apparently unimportant observation. But it proved 
 that this stray remark more than served his purpose. Instantly 
 the maid discarded her triumphant demeanor in favor of a very 
 puzzled one. Yet she gave me the tail of her eye ; and I saw 
 that in it which made me turn my head away to laugh. 
 
 " Dear papa," she said sedately, " I do believe I'm beaten. 
 I cannot override that last contention. 'Tis a case of hauling 
 down the colors." 
 
 She made the surrender very neatly ; cunningly counterfeited 
 perturbation, bit her lip, looked much annoyed, became elabo-
 
 THE DEATHS HEAD AT THE FEAST. 155 
 
 rately contrite, began " to wish she had not had so much to 
 say," declared " 'twas all very fine to talk, but she knew when 
 she was mastered," and so on, and so forth, till the old gentle- 
 man really persuaded himself that he had gained the day ; 
 therefore he plucked up courage, took patronizing airs, and 
 reassumed bravado. I never saw a man more beautifully 
 fooled, and certainly never one more self-complacent. He was 
 in the highest of good humors for the remainder of the even- 
 ing, and, victory being assured, he bade the sly vanquished go 
 thither and be embraced. 
 
 There was no more play that night. Our minds were too full 
 of the forthcoming great event to be occupied with trivial 
 affairs. Sir Nicholas recapitulated the names of many of the 
 guests expected, and a brave array they made. 
 
 " There is but one among them I do not hold in high re- 
 spect," he said, "and that is my lord of Sunderlancl." 
 
 " Indeed," said I surprisedly, " why, sir, he is the King's 
 prime minister. I recollect seeing him at Whitehall." 
 
 " Then you saw a scurvy rogue and villain, lad. Mayhap it 
 is ungracious in me to so decry one of the greatest of men, and 
 he of our side, too ; but he hath no spark of honor. James 
 hath been the very architect of his fortunes, yet now he is be- 
 traying and casting calumny on his master. The King hath 
 made him his richest subject ; but 'tis all money with this fellow. 
 He will sell his soul and break his word ten times over for the gain 
 of a silver shilling. Bah ! Devil take such a paltry hound ! " 
 
 The knight was wondrous hopeful that evening, being flushed 
 with wine and his Edgehill victory. 
 
 "We are gaining strength every day, mon cher, and the 
 King is getting weaker. This council we are about to hold 
 will be the pivot on which the future of the State must turn. 
 Mark me, lad, bold action will be the result of it." 
 
 This topic proved all-absorbing to the three of us during the 
 days which elapsed between then and the chosen date. Never- 
 theless, other events befell in the interim that are set down at 
 length in history. On the second or third day of July, I was 
 coming from the manor at dark hour, when I saw the western 
 sky illumined by a lurid glare. As I trudged towards Bridg- 
 water it deepened as though fanned by the breeze of the night, 
 whilst more strange than this omen in the sky, in the town it- 
 self, usually so quiet at this untimely hour, the townsfolk were 
 astir discussing great news which had arrived from London. 
 
 These tidings were, that the Seven Bishops had been acquitted. 
 Had ye lived in those days this would not seem" so empty
 
 156 MISTKESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 sounding. From one end of the kingdom to the other the trial 
 of the Seven Bishops was a nine days' wonder. 'Twas felt to 
 be a test of strength betwixt the King and his subjects. That 
 you may the better understand this matter, here is the gist of it. 
 
 King James had made up his mind to force Popery upon his 
 people, whether they liked it well or ill. And, to make his pur- 
 pose more fully known, he issued what he was pleased to call a 
 " Declaration of Indulgence," whereby his subjects were re- 
 minded of his determined character, and of the grievous mis- 
 chances which had befallen many a public officer who had 
 dared to oppose his will. Yet one and all were staunch 
 enough in their abhorrence of the Pope. Understand that, 
 children, or you will be surprised at many things I have to 
 tell. This land of ours, and the brave folk in it, detested the 
 Pope, his cardinals, and all his upholders. But, alas for the 
 English nation ! it was in the hands of an unscrupulous bigot, 
 who sooner than be thwarted in his aspirations, would shed 
 rivers of his people's blood, and would see his kingdom damned. 
 I do declare most solemnly James Stuart, king of Great Britain 
 and Ireland, to have been a bowelless wretch, whose aims were 
 self, and whose heart was stone. To oppose the tyrant, or his 
 red-handed ministers, was to hold life and property in direst 
 jeopardy, for the King and his servants had no scruples, as 
 the " Bloody Assizes " can amply testify. 
 
 Now this declaration was ordered to be read in every pulpit 
 in London on two successive Sundays, namely, those falling 
 on the 2oth and 2yth of May; while the same was to be done 
 in the country on the 3d and loth of June. 
 
 This placed the English Church in an hurtful plight. It was 
 apparent to all, that should its bishops and clergy comply with 
 this order, they would assist at their own undoing. To read it 
 out meant driving terror into the hearts of the people, whereby 
 the King's designs would be forwarded. Should they refuse, 
 they were at once the King's enemies, and should they consent, 
 they were his tools to help pull down their own edifice, and 
 his minions to countenance his creed. To the everlasting 
 credit of the Protestant Church, its pillars showed themselves 
 brave men in the face of this dilemma. 
 
 Straightway the heads of it convened a meeting. The result 
 was to draw up a resolution, signed by seven of the highest 
 prelates in the land, "refusing to obey the King's commands. 
 When His Majesty heard of this he lost his temper. He 
 promptly haled these men of courage before him ; and stormed, 
 and fumed, and threatened ; but to no purpose. The Seven
 
 THE DEATH'S HEAD AT THE FEAST. 157 
 
 budged not an inch, and stuck tighter than wax to their reso- 
 lution. . So the King, in his might, had them clapped into the 
 Tower, and determined to bring them to trial. 
 
 James Stuart was as blind as a noontide owl, and had no 
 head for wisdom. He, stubborn fool, lacked the intuition to 
 see that the country was entirely with the bishops, and that it 
 hated the Roman faith from the bottom of its heart : neither 
 had he the sense to know he was doing a thing every whit as 
 perilous as the one which cost his father his head and his 
 throne. No ; this man had the Seven arraigned before the 
 Court of King's Bench on a charge of "seditious libel " (what- 
 ever that may mean), and tried all he knew to "pack" a jury 
 for the hearing of the case. This "packing" process, as far 
 as I understand it, means he selected men who were knomi to 
 favor his cause to form the jury. Also my lord Jeffreys, the 
 best hated and the worst-principled man in the State, who by 
 this had risen uncommonly high in the council, exerted his 
 devilish powers to corrupt the judges who were to preside at 
 the trial. Thus, at the outset, it was obvious the bishops had 
 little chance of an acquittal. Yet, in spite of everything, and 
 to the joy of the nation, they were pronounced "Not Guilty." 
 
 England was delighted at this noble result. Bonfires were 
 lighted, church bells set a-ringing, and effigies of the Pope and 
 King were burnt in any number. Indeed, 'tis said one was set 
 up and destroyed before the very gates of Whitehall itself. 
 The glare I had seen in the sky was Dunkery Beacon blazing 
 to proclaim the good news to the Cornishmen. And in Bridg- 
 water, ere the light came in the morning, the bells rang out 
 from every steeple. Also the alehouses, in a fervent spirit of 
 religion, kept open all night, that pious souls might pronounce 
 the healths of the prelates till their money was lost, and their 
 wits had met with a like misfortune. 
 
 I discovered Master Whipple in the public room, dispensing 
 liquor and retailing much information not known to the world 
 at large. Remember, Pete was a London man, and if he could 
 not enlighten the bucolic mind, who was to do, concerning 
 things appertaining to the King, the Court, the State, and the 
 Constitution ? Mine host was a Churchman for that night, at 
 least ; and, to the admiration of his customers, he descanted 
 with particularity about " Duty to the Nation," and rattled off 
 the name, age, pedigree, manners, habits, and appearance of 
 each member among the Seven ; whilst to hear him talk they 
 must have been his bosom friends for certain. But when he 
 came to relate how the Archbishop of Canterbury never preached
 
 158 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 a sermon in Town without he, Pete, chose the text for him, I 
 had no more manners than to laugh aloud. Not so his auditors. 
 They took every word he uttered as unimpeachable truth, and 
 set my behavior down to ignorance ! After the dispersal of 
 the company, 1 tasked Master Whipple. 
 
 "Ye are a monstrous liar, Pete." 
 
 " Glad am I to hear it ; hearken to the voice o' Wisdom, friend ; 
 never do a thing half-hearted. Also go wi' the wind, it's so 
 much easier to travel in that direction. Besides, it's more prof- 
 itable to go that way than to set your teeth against it. If the 
 wind blows for the Church, then be a Churchman, or if it blows 
 for the King ye had better be the loyalest subject breathing. 
 Yet, mark you this, do nothing half-hearted. Churchman or 
 King's man, Tantivy or Ranter, Papist or Anabaptist, no matter 
 what your title for the nonce, be ever more zealous than your 
 neighbors. If ye pray, pray twice as long as your fellow 
 Christians, or if ye lie, lie twice as large as your brethren in in- 
 iquity. Half a lie is worse than no lie at all. Do everything 
 wi' all your might. That is the first principle of business ; at 
 least, Bob Bickers said so. If he pinked a man, he pinked him 
 through the heart ; or if he robbed a man, he left him nothing 
 but his hosen. He even stripped him of his sword and silver 
 buckles ; and ne'er left him sense sufficient to tell the tale." 
 
 And now I will speak on a matter that deserves some men- 
 tion. 'Twas a luscious thing to keep imbibing love day by day ; 
 to get drunk with its geniality, and in the throes of its intoxica- 
 tion disregard the inward voice. Now this inward voice, which 
 tormented me after heavy bouts, was the death's head at the 
 feast. 'Tis truly fine I trow to drink and be merry, and tilt 
 the measure till the bottoms are gulped, and to laugh and for- 
 get cold care. But drown it quite I never could. No matter 
 how little I heeded alien matters, this skeleton ne'er failed to 
 appal me with its apparition. 
 
 'Twas delicious to play piquet with the knight, and lose other 
 people's money ; to see white hands concoct the punch ; to 
 watch red lips trill a rollicking lilt, and hear them whistle it. 
 Or better still, to lie beside an eager form as its owner fished 
 under the boughs when the days were hot, for reluctant creat- 
 ures in the stream ; or when they were wet to sit in a dripping 
 cloak beside this self-same form, because the fish bit better 
 then. And to gaze at the maiden undisturbed as she put a 
 finger up for silence when the line was tugged, and to behold 
 the marble neck inclining and the face so keen, was reward for 
 the best of men. Sometimes we would discuss the art of quarte
 
 THE SWORD OF A TITAN. 
 
 159 
 
 and tierce, and even practise it ; when I'd thwart attacks from 
 maiden arms, and compliment my adversary on her strength of 
 thrusting. 
 
 At other times the two of us would seek to best each other 
 in the firing of pistols at a mark in fact, I found the warlike 
 "maid had greater knowledge of such weapons, and quite as firm 
 a hand and as steady an eye in their employ as ever I possessed. 
 Yet outstripping this in point of pleasurableness was a gallop 
 side by side with her, over hedge and ditch, hill and dale, along 
 the road or across the grass, ere the sun was fully risen in the 
 morning, and then have a mad race home to breakfast. The 
 delight of that ! And, better still, to hear a soft voice call 
 " Ned ; " and in return for this lack of title, to be enjoined to 
 call your companion by her simple name alone, without the 
 prefix " mistress." 
 
 Here, kinsmen, was the inebriating cup of happiness, that 
 was daily drained. And all the time your sire spent the money 
 of. honest men, and averred to his inner self to kill biting pangs, 
 that this love was pure and sweet and holy. I could not muster 
 the courage to venture by the Farm, after what had befallen on 
 that last visit. Yet those heart-bursting incidents served to fan 
 stealthily into a flame the fire which so soon was destined to 
 consume my soul. Already, when I had the time to meditate, 
 I felt the portents of its agony. You have seen how I battened 
 on rapture ; but in this stolen sweetness there was ever an after- 
 taste of gall. I might be eating of the lotus, but could not 
 abandon myself to its entire enjoyment, because I always had 
 a secret fear that it might turn to poison in my stomach. To 
 put this unharmonious sense in the smallest compass, being 
 naturally a creature prone to look ahead in times of solitude, I 
 was continually asking myself what would be the end of my 
 monstrous passion ? What, indeed ? Methinks this inner 
 questioning heralded the first struggle betwixt Black Ned and 
 Master Edward Armstrong. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE SWORD OF A TITAN. 
 
 KINSMEN, I see your scowls ; I hear you cast contumely on 
 your father's name as I reveal the depths of my duplicity. I 
 can imagine you laying down for the behoof of one another, when
 
 1 60 AfJSTRESS DORO THY MA R VIN. 
 
 ye sip your wine and chew your walnuts, the path I should 
 have trodden. Yes, 'tis easy to preach warlike doctrine in 
 time of peace. 'Tis easier still to fight the devil when the 
 devil sleeps. We can all preach charity when we sit in silk and 
 broadcloth, and fling groats to our poorer brethren without 
 hurt to our yearly incomes. Many's the time I have toasted my 
 shins by the fire in after years, and have marvelled at my 
 previous baseness. For, you are to understand, I was not 
 wholly blind to honor throughout that time. I was not wholly 
 lost in soul. I might be joyous for a day, but when reflection 
 came in the silence of the night, a pang would convulse me, and 
 I would remember who I was, what I was, and what I sought 
 to do. I would recollect how my presence brought brightness 
 to the maiden's eye, and how sometimes the knight looked at me 
 in a way that was not unkindly. Yet I continued to play my 
 cruel game, but rarely dared to speculate on its result. 'Twas 
 like balancing one's self on the extreme edge of a precipice. 
 The least breath of wind, the vaguest whisper of suspicion, and 
 I should irrevocably be lost, even as a loose boulder or a loose 
 word would send one hurtling to the gulf. I foresaw this as 
 clearly as I write it now ; so one day made a powerful resolve. 
 
 A week after hearing of the forthcoming council at the 
 manor, I determined, come what might, to tell father and 
 daughter all the terrible passages in my history, and risk the 
 consequences. I knew I had some hold upon their affection 
 and esteem. My successful visit to Churchill had smoothed 
 my path, and had taken me nearer to their hearts. Again, I 
 was a fellow-conspirator, and had not only shared their opinions, 
 but had suffered for their sentiments. Then my family had to be 
 considered, then my trickery, my deception, and my thieving. 
 And no matter how I compared each virtue and defect, 'twas 
 palpable that in the eyes of honest men my sins eclipsed my 
 nicer characteristics. I wrestled three days with cowardice. 
 During that bitter struggle I ne'er set foot on the manor lands, 
 though many times, to my eternal shame, I coveted my 
 mistress. 
 
 On the fourth evening of this flesh-reducing conflict betwixt 
 right and wrong, I sat opposite my friend and host in his little 
 parlor. We smoked and drank together ; yet whereas Pete 
 was cheerful, I was gloomy, downcast, and perverse. He 
 scanned me narrowly, then, in his dry way, raised one eyebrow. 
 
 " Young friend," he said, " thou hast gotten a dangerous and 
 infectious malady. Thou hast caught it in its worst form, and 
 I'm disturbed at the symptoms."
 
 THE SWORD OF A TITAN. 161 
 
 He drew down the corners of his mouth in a grim, unctuous 
 fashion, with his pipe-stem described half a circle in the air, 
 and continued 
 
 " Some take the complaint with raving and divers kinds of 
 madness. That is the mild form. They manage, as a general 
 thing, to recover in a day or two ; but when they catch it as 
 you have caught it, and sit wi' words for none, and a face as 
 jolly as the day o' judgment, I invariably notice they finish wi' 
 an ounce o' lead ; or maybe they do the thing in style inscribe 
 a last farewell to her, and are found at the top of a stream nine 
 days- hence with a glassy eye and a bursted gall." 
 
 " What d'ye mean ? " 
 
 " What do I mean ! Hark at that now ! Most excellent 
 youth, hast never made the acquaintance of the best of her 
 sex ? Hast never set eyes on the fairest flower on God's earth ? 
 Hast never cast thoughts on one whose shoe-strings thou'rt un- 
 fit to tie, and for whom thou'rt willing to expend the last drop 
 o' blood within thy body ? '.' 
 
 " Enough of this, Pete ! Go to ! " said I, annoyed at his 
 sarcasm. 
 
 " Pshaw ! you vapid fool, you witless loon ! How many 
 times have I warned you 'gainst the women ? Have I not 
 prayed you, besought you, begged you to let 'em alone ? And 
 here y' are, in sooth, a noble object. Two months agone you 
 bid fair to approach Long Bob Bickers, but now ye bid fair 
 to come by a bad and violent ending. Oh, man, I weep for you ! " 
 
 This caused me to swear fiercely at the innkeeper ; whereat 
 he clapped his hands, exclaiming 
 
 " Bravo, Ned, my lad ! That's perceptibly better. Work it 
 off like that ! Curse, swear, rave, declaim do something, or, 
 heavens, 'twill be another case of an ounce o' lead or a few 
 fathoms o' water ! 'Tis more than flesh and blood can bear, 
 for one afflicted with this love-sickness, to sit a-moping, a-griz- 
 zling, and a-thinking in a corner." 
 
 Truly Master Whipple was cold comfort. Still I could not 
 help judging him correct in his observations; I felt the strain 
 upon my mind beyond endurance. Methought the brain must 
 collapse unless I got the matter settled. 
 
 Accordingly, towards dark hour on that fourth night, I put 
 on my cloak, and went forward to the manor ; but by the time 
 the gates hove in sight, I felt my courage oozing, as the saying 
 is, out at my finger ends. 'Twas like sweating blood to think 
 of making a confession. Yet where was an alternative? 
 Certes, I might have kept aloof from my mistress altogether ;
 
 1 6 2 MIS TRESS D OR O Til Y MA R VIN. 
 
 but instinct warned me that passion was stronger than con- 
 science. 1 had not the power of will to abandon her without 
 a blow. I preferred to risk life itself sooner than tamely lose 
 her, so clutched this final chance as a drowning man clutches a 
 straw. 
 
 Upon my arrival at the knight's abode, I found the candles 
 lit, and Mistress Marvin in the sitting-room alone. Her occu- 
 pation was truly a strange one for a gentlewoman. She was 
 polishing her father's sword by means of a rag and a bottle of 
 oil. 
 
 I had the rarest of receptions ; her eyes sparkled when they 
 saw me. Meantime I perceived her face was wan, and her 
 eyelids heavy, whilst the expression of her beautiful counte- 
 nance told me plainer than words that she was not by any 
 means her usual laughing self, but was bereft of her frolic 
 vivacity. 
 
 "Where is your father, mistress?" I inquired. He was sel- 
 dom absent from that room. 
 
 " Alas, poor father ! " she sighed, " he hath been very, very 
 ill, Ned ; in fact, nigh unto death's door. Two learned phy- 
 sicians despaired of his life two days ago ; yet now they tell 
 me he is mending fast, and is out of danger." 
 
 I gave a cry of surprise. 
 
 "And they tell me this noble news is entirely due to my 
 diligence of nursing. One of them said that when he fell sick 
 he'd send for me to nurse him you can trust a man for im- 
 pudence. I've just left poor old daddy's side for the first time 
 for fifty hours ; but when I've finished this, I'm going to sleep 
 the clock round." She spoke in an easy tone, as though 'twere 
 quite an everyday occurrence. 
 
 " What a steadfast thing you've done ! " cried I, moved to 
 honest admiration. 
 
 She was silent for a moment, being genuinely surprised at 
 this, then answered, with a thoughtful air 
 
 " Well yes perhaps it was ; but " and she drew herself 
 up very straight " I come of a steadfast stock, sir." 
 
 Perhaps she was very tired (no doubt she was) ; but for all 
 that a glow of color flew to her face, and a splendid light 
 flashed in her eyes. 
 
 "There! I'm boasting again." She laughed, then added, 
 with all the reverence due to such a sacred name " but you 
 see, Ned, I'm so proud of my old father." 
 
 As if looks were not enough to prove that my visit had once 
 more made her alert and smiling, she continued briskly
 
 THE SWORD OF A TITAN. 163 
 
 " I'm delighted to see you, lad. Now you've come, I don't 
 feel tired any more. I'm afraid you have spoilt me, sir. Be- 
 fore I knew you, I could only talk on sufferance ; to use my 
 tongue was something of a luxury, and could only say what I 
 had to say when Sir Nicholas allowed me. But I always say 
 just as much as I like to you, sir ; so talking, with me, hath now 
 become an absolute necessity. It hath been truly hateful 
 this last three days to have nought else to speak to but a bed- 
 post. Upon my word, Ned " and she looked as though she 
 were saying something with a wicked flavor " I do believe 
 they must be all deaf mutes in purgatory. Anyhow, that's my 
 idea of torment." 
 
 Then she fell a-talking in her delightful way ; sometimes jest- 
 ingly, sometimes earnestly ; occasionally witty, and always 
 frank and honest and outspoken. How she fascinated me with 
 the melody of her voice, and the music of her frisky, saucy, 
 skilful tongue ! I say again, she may have been much wearied ; 
 but sure, upon my coming, her limp spirit was revivified. How 
 she held me by her subtle witchery ! No matter when I thought 
 of her, or talked with her, I seemed to feel a rarer atmosphere 
 around the heart. 
 
 " Dorothy," I asked her presently, " how comes it that you, 
 who have not taken any rest all this long time, are doing a serv- 
 ant's work ? " 
 
 She looked up swiftly, and gazed at me in unconcealed amaze. 
 
 " A servant's work ! " Her voice was a comical mingling of 
 horror and reverence. " This is my father's sword, sir ! " 
 
 " Indeed ! " And that word of mine had no room for any 
 reverence whatsoever. 
 
 She was quick to note this disrespect. A wave of enthusiasm 
 fired her and rebuked Ned Armstrong. Her face became sud- 
 denly brilliant, her eyes sparkled, and a warm flow of words 
 echoed from a heart o'erflowing with pride and admiration. 
 
 "Look at it, sir! It hath done grand service to a great 
 fighter. And it shall do more yet, if I can but get the gout out 
 of its owner. See how beautifully the steel is wrought and the 
 hilt is chased ! Oh, 'tis a noble thing, a brave thing ! 'Tis of 
 proof, thrice-welded, Mondragon steel. Yet, after all, as father 
 says, "Tis not the weapon that makes the warrior ' " 
 
 " Scanderbeg's sword requires Scanderbeg's arm." 
 
 " Very true, and Sir Nicholas is'one whom it makes my heart 
 swell to call 'father.' 'Tis his boast -that his name is known 
 throughout Europe as a man of valor and of spotless honor. 
 Dost see this dent on the edge of the steel ? That was done at
 
 1 64 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 Stamford Heath, when it shore through the headpiece of Sir 
 Jasper Chaloner. It hath gained its owner renown on the coun- 
 terscarp at Dunquerque, and on many a field in Germany and 
 the Lowlands. Ay, and it caused the French King Louis to 
 pin the Iron Cross on father's breast with his very own hand 
 at his palace of Fontainebleau the same year that witnessed the 
 birth of the good-for-nought Dorothy Marvin. 'Tis glorious to 
 be a man like papa. See how high he holds his head in his old 
 age, and has fear for nothing " 
 
 " I kit the gout ? " 
 
 " Do you know, Ned," she went on, after giving me a look of 
 severe reproval, " that he hugs a grievance against nature for 
 making me a girl instead of a boy ? " 
 
 "Nay!" 
 
 " He certainly does, sir; and he reminds me of that same 
 every day in the year. He says that Heaven hath sent him a 
 baby-faced, kitten-hearted wench for his sins, instead of a fine 
 lad to carry his name down to posterity. Alack, would I were 
 a man ! " 
 
 Her sigh was tremendous, and I have reason to believe it as 
 heartfelt as it sounded. Anyway, I saw a strange wildness in 
 her eyes, as she stroked the blade and pressed her dainty lips 
 thereto and kissed it. Possibly I might have laughed loud at 
 this proceeding, had not the maid been so intensely earnest. 
 
 " VVouldst like to be a soldier, Dorothy ? " And I cleverly 
 smothered a smile. 
 
 " If I were a man, I would worthily bear my name, and keep 
 my father's fame lustrous. But you see, Ned, I am not built 
 for fighting. Father says I'm not. He declares I'm only an or- 
 nament ; a plaything, unfit for service. Methinks it is too true ; 
 for even you, that are not a fighting man, can disarm me when- 
 e'er you list. Again, did you remark that morning you suc- 
 cored me, that I was afeared of the salt and the balsam. And 
 I am frightened of blood, though it grieves me to say it. Sir 
 Nicholas detests these weaknesses. I know I shame my breed ; 
 yet, alas, I cannot overcome them ! 'Tis hard ; very hard ! Ah, 
 we miserable, puny, tucker-stitching women ! Why was I made 
 a woman ? " 
 
 She propounded this question fiercely, and stamped her foot 
 viciously at me with the fire I loved to see in her, as though I 
 were personally to blame for that calamity. 
 
 " Ned, thou'rt a wondrous lucky mortal. Be thankful you 
 aren't a woman. Oh, 'tis noble to be a man ! They are so 
 very, very different."
 
 THE SWORD OF A TITAN. \b$ 
 
 Her eyes sparkled as she said so. Yet I disagreed with her 
 on at least one point, but had the sense to stifle my opinions. 
 Now you must know that my vanity had been tickled by this 
 enthusiasm. Besides, I had come hither for a purpose. There- 
 fore, beset by acute misgivings, I seized my opportunity. 
 
 " Mistress, how d'ye know I am not a fighting man ? " 
 
 " I crave your pardon, Ned, 'twas you who beat the redoubt- 
 able Wilmot. I had forgotten that. I meant you were not a 
 soldier." 
 
 " I fought for Monmouth at Sedgemoor, and for that reason 
 am an outlaw at this moment." 
 
 At that she gave a cry, and repeated softly to herself the 
 burden of my statement. As for me, I dared not look at her, 
 for the word outlaw seemed to come out of my mouth so ugly. 
 Besides, I tried desperately hard to finish the confession, yet 
 failed to do so. 
 
 Meanwhile, the maid seized my hand, and her fingers trem- 
 bled in their fervor, because (so inflexible are the laws of 
 fate) my outlawry appeared a positive merit according to her 
 way of thinking, for she declared her father would have fought 
 in that same cause but for the gout seizing him at the time ; 
 therefore I rose enormously in her esteem. She begged for a 
 faithful account of the battle ; so I told everything I could 
 remember concerning it. The heart-rending story was carefully 
 recounted ; how we came upon Bussex Rhine in the foggy 
 morning; how we stood by helpless, and heard the orders 
 shouted in the King's camp, and how we were butchered amid 
 the marsh reeds by the hundred. Yes, all this was told, yet, try 
 as I might, I failed when I came to the confession of my char- 
 acter. Heaven knows I tried my best, yet there stands the 
 fact the stern, cruel, biting fact I failed abjectly. 
 
 My courage went at the critical moment. I glanced at my 
 beautiful companion, who was absorbed in the tale of death. I 
 knew she honored and admired me more than ever she had 
 done hitherto. Even my outlawry seemed to glorify me in her 
 eyes. But a thief ! How could I sit there and tell her that ? 
 Ned Armstrong was a coward ; and of all beings a coward is 
 most to be pitied and despised. 
 
 " 'Tis a story to make the blood dance and the pulses glow ! " 
 she cried, when. the tale was told; and when I saw her face 
 methought she was defining her own emotions. 
 
 " Mistress," said I, when her excitation permitted me to in- 
 troduce a word, " I have to beg that you will speak of my con- 
 dition to no other person save your father. Him I shall inform
 
 166 MISTRESS DORO THY MARVIN. 
 
 of it as early as may be convenient, providing he passes his 
 word beforehand that my secret will be safely kept. I should 
 tell you the name the world knows me by is a false one, so that 
 none guess my identity. I have revealed my true state to you 
 now because, having become so intimate with Sir Nicholas and 
 yourself, methought it my duty to do so." 
 
 As I said this, I almost felt myself a liar, it seemed so lame 
 and paltry. I had meant to say so much, and here had said 
 so little. Yet now, having said what I had, it was essential to 
 the interests of our family (which throughout my life I have 
 been jealous of) not to let others know that I was Edward 
 Armstrong. Verily, my position in the world was singular. 
 The knight and his daughter knew me as Ned Armstrong, with- 
 out guessing me to be Black Ned, whilst with other folks my 
 titles were reversed. 
 
 The maid promptly granted my request, and knowing that I 
 was anxious to speak with the knight, conducted me to his bed- 
 chamber. We discovered him sitting in an armchair swathed 
 in rugs, hard by the fire. On a small table to his right hand 
 was a heap of bottles containing liquids and medicaments. 
 He looked both fierce and maleficent ; whilst his cadaverous 
 cheeks, slim frame, and vacillating fingers caused me to insti- 
 tute a comparison, in my mind, betwixt his present figure and 
 the one pictured by his daughter in her recent eulogy. 
 
 " So, daddy, you are awake again," remarked the maid at 
 sight of him. 
 
 "Awake? Of course I am," he answered, sharply queru- 
 lous. " Where hast been, my wench, this time back ? Tis 
 very plain I can go to the devil for you. What d'ye mean by 
 it ? You dare not neglect me thus when I hold good health, 
 and by my soul ! you shan't now, or I'll know the reason." 
 
 Now, if ever father was loved by daughter, assuredly the fort- 
 unate man, as I hope I have made plain, was Sir Nicholas 
 Marvin, yet he had the brutality to swear at her. Methought 
 him an abominable ingrate, and so angered was I at his churl- 
 ishness, that I had more than half a mind to convey to him the 
 information. Still, strange as it may seem, it was obvious 
 Dorothy considered his complaint was proper, for she had pnid 
 him the most solicitous attentions. She smoothed his pillow, 
 mixed his punch, arranged his rugs, asked his forgiveness 
 many times, and finally whisked a kiss from his ugly visage. 
 Her coaxing ways having reduced him to a plausible imitation 
 of a Christian temper, I told him as much of my story as I had 
 told his daughter, and no more.
 
 THE COUNCIL AT KELSTON MANOR. 167 
 
 Again my cowardice was my master. Fortunately or un- 
 fortunately, I know not which, Sir Nicholas heard the tidings 
 in a propitious light, and readily passed his word not to divulge 
 my name. Unhappily he asked for the one I went by that 
 was, Black Ned, highwayman. Thereupon I told him a pre- 
 meditated lie. Said I, " Sir knight, they call me Master 
 William Jackson." 
 
 Thus the only thing I accomplished that night was to forge 
 another bond between the three of us. Their sympathies were 
 entirely mine, and I was complimented many times upon having 
 dared to strike against the monarch's tyranny. 
 
 It was near midnight before I left the manor ; and as Mistress 
 Dorothy bid me good-night, she said 
 
 " Ned, if it ever befalls that you are hard pressed by the law, 
 and are in need of succor, come to us, and we will do the very 
 best we can on your behalf." 
 
 I thanked her, kissed her hand, and went forth into the eerie 
 moonlight. If I could but have unfolded all, and still have had 
 that kindly promise extended towards me, what would I not 
 have paid ? Oh, if I had kept honest ! If I had only spurned 
 the devil ! The possibilities were so delightful, and the loss of 
 them smote me so severely, that I might have cried out in pain 
 of mind had I not sworn instead (owing to pain of body), for, 
 being so engrossed in cerebratiori that I heeded not material 
 things, I walked plump into the gates and bruised my head ; so 
 trudged back to Bridgwater, with a great failure, a great base- 
 ness, and a damaged head, as the fruit of hours of internal dis- 
 cipline. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE COUNCIL AT KELSTON MANOR. 
 
 SANCROFT, Archbishop of Canterbury ; Lloyd, Bishop of St. 
 Asaph ; Turner, of Ely ; Lake, of Chichester; White, of Peter- 
 borough ; Trelawney, of Bristol, and our own good bishop Ken, 
 were the brave seven who had struck a bold blow into the 
 rotten hulks of Popery. From one end of the kingdom to the 
 other their bravery was heralded, and their praises sung in 
 many a ballad and yard of verse. 
 
 Sir Nicholas heard of this victory over the King with every 
 sign of glee, and i' faith, it was a thing well calculated to raise 
 the spirits of us conspirators.
 
 1 68 MISTRESS DORO THY MARVIN. 
 
 Master Whipple still adhered by his admiration for the 
 
 bishops, in accordance with the sentiment of the country, though 
 
 he said " It mattered not a blind fiddler's wallet to him what 
 
 was done by King or Nation, so long as his accounts showed a 
 
 -reasonable margin on the right side, of cent per centum." 
 
 It was due to me that this " reasonable margin" was increased 
 in an unlooked-for fashion. 
 
 The manor was barely large enough to accommodate all the 
 gentlemen who assembled there, and to allow them lodging and 
 entertainment, to say nothing of the numerous servants who 
 came with them ; for persons of quality never travelled then 
 without several outriders for protection against the dangers of 
 the road. Thus it was I, knowing Sir Nicholas had the billet- 
 ing of this large company, mentioned with every mark of appre- 
 ciation Master Whipple's name. Therefore, upon this certifi- 
 cate, mine host had his house crammed full of them, and I, 
 casually remarking to him that these fellows were all retainers 
 of persons of quality, he at once charged double in the bill. 
 But, as he said to me, " 'twas only the deep sense of his duty 
 towards his family that called for this precaution." 
 
 'Twas a matter of emphatic import that the councillors 
 under the knight's roof-tree should preserve secrecy as to their 
 identities and the purpose for which they were assembled. And 
 this care was in itself successful, as very few had an inkling as 
 to whom they really were. These great men stayed only two 
 nights at the manor, for many of them being prominent in 
 Parliament, any prolonged absence was sure to be remarked. 
 
 At o^her times I had not failed to notice Sir Nicholas was 
 dependent on his daughter for every minor office. She it was 
 who ordered the whole household, and did his smallest bidding, 
 despite her frequent threats and her wayward, teasing out- 
 bursts. Whether it chanced to be a matter of the arranging of 
 his wig, the tying of his neckerchief, the tending of his foot, or 
 the shaving of his chin, it ever befell that Mistress Dorothy was 
 the one to do the needful. But, as I afterwards learned from 
 her, no sooner did the guests arrive than her father was another 
 man. Having quite recovered from his recent illness, he was 
 up betimes of a morning, and so far forgot his habitudes as to 
 completely dress himself ; took interest in all manner of house- 
 hold business, and managed, as his daughter said, " to play the 
 part of master very well for a beginner." Of course, as so many 
 great folks were about, the manor knew me not for those two 
 days. 
 
 On the second morning of their stay it happened that I was
 
 THE COUNCIL A T KELSTON MANOR. 1 69 
 
 abroad within easy distance of the knight's abode. 'Twas still 
 early, being only an hour or so after sunrise. I was musing 
 hard, quite lost for the time in the weight of mine own affairs, 
 when a gentleman with a couple of servants behind him, turned 
 the corner of the manor lane, and rode on just in front of me. 
 Somehow my mind lingered on his appearance. Methought I 
 had certainly seen him ere now, and loth indeed as I am to re- 
 late it, by dint of thinking, I carried my recollection back to 
 my London visit. Thereupon I remembered my doings at 
 Whitehall, and whom I saw there, not forgetting the man who 
 had come out of the King's antechamber. Sure this was the 
 self-same person my lord Sunderland. 
 
 'Tis with shame that I tell what follows. Forsooth, I should 
 not have touched upon this matter, had it not had afterwards a 
 pregnant bearing on my fortunes ; and aware as I am that this 
 miserable episode does the story little good, and me less credit, 
 I must perforce recount it. 
 
 Now, being certain this man was the prime minister of Eng- 
 land, an idea was born to my knavish brain. Of late I had 
 been spending freely, and neglecting- business ; and when a 
 man acts thus his resources are bound to suffer. If I troubled 
 to attend to the pursuit of purses, money, with me, was plenti- 
 ful ; yet, being improvident, perhaps owing to the nature of 
 my calling, I rarely had much laid by with which to take a 
 holiday. Therefore, having none to augment it, the money I 
 had brought from Town had by this dwindled into nothing. 
 This discovery had been made that morning, and, to tell the 
 truth, 'twas not the beauty or serenity of the country-side that 
 had tempted me out so early. No, roused by my new-born 
 knowledge, I sought to replenish the treasury. 
 
 Thus I was on the prowl for purses. In despite of all the 
 tortures of the last few days I was willing to commit another 
 crime. Recklessness had again dethroned repentance. Me- 
 thought one theft the more or one theft the less would make 
 no difference ; besides, stealing was the only source of liveli- 
 hood for me in my native shire ; so the insipid argument once 
 more came to the rescue of Black Ned of " a man must live." 
 'Twas with this specious platitude that he tried to salve his 
 conscience ; yet only half succeeded. Thought I, my lord is a 
 mean-spirited fellow. So says Sir Nicholas. If he be on our 
 side, what matter that? 'Tis surely no excuse for stinginess. 
 Why not combine business with morals, and visit his sins upon 
 him; pointing out at the same time the error of his courses? 
 This facetious bit of self-communing came from long contact
 
 1 70 MISTXESS DORO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 with Master Whipple. I turned this notion over in my mind, 
 and approving of it awaited my lord's reappearance, as I knew 
 quite well this was the only road he might take to return to 
 the manor. 
 
 In half an hour, the man came back unsuspecting. I moved 
 to the corner of the lane, and as he drew near whipped a pistol 
 from the holster. His lordship pulled up in a hurry, when I 
 presented the uncharitable muzzle at his head. Had he been 
 one of our county folk, 'twould 'have been unnecessary to have 
 made this to do ; but you must understand my reputation had 
 not reached so far as London. 
 
 " My lord of Sunderland," said I concisely, as my gentleman 
 drew rein, " I require your purse." 
 
 " Good lack ! you insolent rogue ! " he gasped, with an un- 
 easy eye for the staring firearm. Then, recovering some- 
 what his scattered wits, called out to his servants, " Dick and 
 Roger, come you forward and collar this foul scoundrel." 
 
 It happened that his pair of worthies had been jogging peace- 
 ably along half a score paces behind, until the occurrence of 
 this stoppage. Now, when my lord halted, like the well-trained 
 servitors they doubtless were, they halted too. And as Sunder- 
 land called to them, I coolly plucked another pistol, and gave 
 them a goodly view of it. 
 
 It may never be known whether these fellows were stone 
 deaf or otherwise, yet this much is put on record : they heeded 
 not my lord's command, but- remained stock still and silent. 
 Yet I knew they were not blind ; else why should they each 
 have had a fearful eye for the firearms ? Their master cried 
 three lusty calls to them, and was half through a fourth, when 
 I clapped the barrel to his head, which had the dire effect of 
 nipping his voice off in his throat. 
 
 " Enough of this, my friend ; you need a little gentle per- 
 suasion. Your purse or your brains, supposing you wear such 
 luxurious articles." 
 
 I am aware that this was impolite. Yet surely he that holds 
 the pistols cannot be compelled to hold the tongue as well. 
 My lord drew out two purses mighty quick, yet I have no doubt 
 the secret of this precipitation lay in the fact that the unsym- 
 pathetic iron touched his forehead. These received, I bade 
 his followers approach under penalty of lead in their several 
 hides. In mortal terror they came up, and were at once pre- 
 sented with Black Ned's admonition. 
 
 " Honest men, I am touched exceedingly by the courage and 
 fidelity ye have displayed in your master's service. Therefore,
 
 THE COUNCIL A T KELSTON MANOR. 1 7 1 
 
 gentlemen, as a token of appreciation, I will e'en make no dif- 
 ference 'twixt yourselves and your betters. I will have your 
 money along with his lordship's, to show I favor not the great 
 alone. I love honesty and valor. And further, may it please 
 you to learn, Colman's Specific hath wonderful curative prop- 
 erties, and that five drops on cotton wool, administered with 
 regularity to the ears, is a certain cure for deafness." 
 
 To see their faces was truly droll. A dismal trio servants 
 and master made as they rode away mouthing maledictions. 
 I, being a boastful fool, and wishing to advertise my fame still 
 more, cried out as they left me 
 
 " Your gratitude is due, gentlemen, to Black Ned, the best 
 man who hath ever worked these roads." 
 
 As you shall learn later, this piece of folly was to cost me 
 dear. The evening of the next day, my lords and gentlemen 
 having ridden hence to their own abodes, I, sprightly as you 
 please, presented myself at the manor, having done little else 
 but brood on love for two whole days. I had crushed my 
 pangs for the time ; cowardice had again made me reckless 
 of honor. In face of my late defeat I tried to choke my con- 
 science by pandering to felicity. My mistress received me 
 radiant, and overflowed with news, as the women are but too 
 glad to do. Her father also had his share to tell. 
 
 " The saints be praised ! These great men have gone ! " 
 cried the impetuous girl. " Ned, it hath been a truly dismal 
 place. Papa made me appear in my Sunday gown every day, 
 sit at the table foot, be as mum as a mouse, and act like a fine 
 lady. My orders were to hear all and say nothing, unless 
 called upon to answer questions. I was to be neither pert nor 
 flippant, and under pain of frightening the bishops was to wear 
 a becoming soberness and modesty. In the morning time I 
 showed the gentlemen round the gardens and the grottoes. 
 And I say, Ned, when we came to the pavilion beside the 
 runnel, one very fine lord begged for a kiss, and he was my 
 lord Churchill. I said he might have one if he would tell me 
 how he led the storming party before Nimeguen. And he told 
 me all about it." 
 
 The look that lighted her face just then, e'en though to this 
 hour it haunts my mind, defies me to interpret it on paper. 
 But for myself, had I tried, I could not have concealed my 
 anger and alarm. I had heard more than one waif word re- 
 garding the reputation of his lordship. Her father, too, seemed 
 in a similar case. I believe his fingers itched to strike her. 
 As 'twas, he used a speech I dare not set down, lest it should 
 offend your sight, and looked unutterable things.
 
 1 7 2 MfSTKESS DORO THY MAR VLV. 
 
 The girl said nothing. First she gazed at me, then at her 
 sire ; but next instant the blood flew to her face, and in cold 
 politeness she curtsied nearly to the ground. 
 
 "Gentlemen," she said, "you do me too much honor. I am 
 entirely overcome by the loftiness of your opinion of me." 
 
 The biting sarcasm of her tone cut me keener than a sword- 
 thrust. This speech delivered, she deliberately turned her 
 back on us, and walked to the door exceeding stately, her head 
 erect, and her chin poised towards the ceiling. But suddenly 
 she stopped, and, to my amazement, once more turned about 
 and faced us. Lo ! her countenance was fiercely red, and 
 'twas evident her anger had not in the least abated. 
 
 "Gentlemen," the tempestuous maid continued cruelly, " I 
 had merely meant to jest with you, to astonish you. and to 
 laugh at you ; though had 1 for a moment guessed that the 
 price of this diversion involved an insult to myself, I should 
 have kept clear of so dangerous a topic. But since you have 
 so high a conception of my conduct, I will tell you the sequel 
 to my story. When my lord claimed his reward, I proffered 
 him my hand. ' Nay, nay, my pretty ! ' those were his own 
 words, gentlemen, ' I must have something even lovelier than 
 this. Sweet Daphne, I must have thy lips,' says he. ' My 
 lord Churchill,' says I, ' I do but proffer you that which my 
 lady Churchill would proffer you were she at your back just 
 now. Only, I'm thinking you might find her hand much 
 heavier than mine, and it might even leave 'a sting behind it.' 
 There, gentlemen, that was my reply, and ere he could retort 
 I left him, and ne'er spoke one other word to him so long as 
 'he remained under my father's roof. Now look foolish sooth 
 you do so to the very life ! " 
 
 Who would have dared to stand up thus, and have said all 
 this to her father and her lover ? None, I think, but one of 
 sublime courage ; none, but one inspired by intensity of in- 
 nocence. Kinsmen, I do believe that if only a woman be 
 spurred sufficient, she can compass deeds that the boldest man 
 would shrink from. To his eternal credit, the knight forgot 
 his punishment in mighty admiration of his daughter. Yet the 
 man had no idea of delicacy. 
 
 " Par Dieu ! mon ami," said he to me, though Dorothy still 
 had her scornful eyes on us, " there's a streak o' the right stuff 
 in that young wench. You can't buy breed, and you can't 
 disguise it. That's a bit o' the Marvin pride. She gets it from 
 her dad. It's not to be sneezed at neither. You Armstrongs 
 have a pretty conceit of yours, but it can't compare with ours."
 
 THE COUNCIL AT KELSTON MANOR. 173 
 
 This panegyric completely killed the maiden's wrath. Beyond 
 all beings I ever met, she had the fine trait of speaking her 
 mind whenever her mind was hurt, and then of suddenly casting 
 off her anger. She never sulked or nursed a petty grievance. 
 J verily believe (kinsmen, I hope you appreciate my surprising 
 honesty) that when she was fully roused she could say crueller 
 things than any of her sex, but when she had said her say, the 
 matter with her was dead. Of course this doth not apply to 
 deep and lasting wrongs that might be inflicted on her, but 
 merely to small vexations, because, being her father's daughter, 
 she ne'er forgot abiding injuries. But on this occasion, the 
 injury being on the surface only, she readily forgave. However, 
 so deeply had her finest sensibilities been pricked, that for a 
 full hour afterwards she very rightly treated us pair of arrant 
 dunderpates and dullards with a tinge of condescension. 
 
 Presently another cloud dimmed the horizon. It came out in 
 course of conversation that the maid had been obliged to suffer 
 another hardship. During the stay of the visitors at the manor, 
 every inch of sleeping-space being occupied, at the instigation 
 of Sir Nicholas, who deemed his daughter the least important 
 person then enjoying his hospitality, sh'e had been compelled 
 to make her bed on a bundle of straw in the hay-loft. 
 
 " And ye need not decry it," put in the knight with asperity ; 
 " you kitten-hearted creatures don't know when ye're well off. 
 Ton my soul, many's the time I would have paid gold guineas 
 to have had the loft wi'out the straw. When you come to have 
 a limb or two broken, and are lying helpless on a battle-field, 
 with nought but the sky to cover you, and a score degrees of 
 frost creeping to your bones through the holes in your body, 
 then's the time to pull a lip, and bethink yourself hard done to. 
 Bah, wench, I'm ashamed o' thee ! " 
 
 I invariably noticed that when the callous old wretch was 
 called upon to defend his conduct, he scarce ever failed to do 
 so at the expense of this young lady, whom I certainly con- 
 sidered the most hapless and long-suffering of her sex. Verily, 
 the knight was no more fit to have a daughter for his sole 
 companion, than a lion is to have a lamb. 1 laugh now as I 
 recall my youthful indignation at this new brutality thrust upon 
 the maiden. Yet so much was the harsh warrior wrapped up 
 in himself, and to such an extent had the reprehensible habit 
 grown upon him of looking at all things from a personal aspect, 
 that I am confident he did not scrutinize the matter in a rational 
 light ; and am not sure either that the victim herself did not 
 take her own squeamishness to task for being so nice upon the 
 
 12
 
 1 74 MtSTRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 matter ; anyway, she usually embraced her parent's sentiments 
 on all subjects, because, copying his method she consistently 
 rated herself a good deal below her proper value. 
 
 " Much hath been done at this meeting," said the knight. 
 " 'Tis real business with us now. An invitation hath been 
 drawn up to be forwarded to the Prince of Orange, for him to 
 come over and take the throne. It hath been duly signed by 
 several of the most influential men in the realm, including 
 
 " That good bishop who fuddled himself with Madeira. Mea 
 culpa ! what a woefully wicked suggestion." This was inserted 
 by Mistress Dorothy, who broke off short, and, with an im- 
 pudent merriment, crossed herself devoutly. 
 
 " Including," her father continued, setting aside the interrup- 
 tion with an angry glare, " my lords of Shrewsbury, Devonshire, 
 Danby, and Lumley. Russell, Lord Admiral of England, Bishop 
 Compton, and Master Henry Sidney, poor Algernon's brother. 
 Yes, mon frere, the fat is fairly on the fire now, and we shall 
 be all anxiety for the Prince's answer. Furthermore, we have 
 discussed, at length, the best coast for him to land on, should 
 he undertake this venture." 
 
 " And which have ye chosen?" I asked, full of interest. 
 
 " My lord Danby hath very urgently advocated the coast of 
 Yorkshire. He hath great influence in that county, and could 
 soon effect a rising there. He assures us the gentry in that 
 part are favorably affected to the cause, and the roads are 
 wondrous good to within fifty miles of London. We have 
 debated this proposal, and seeing that in these parts folk seem 
 quite overawed by what took place when Monmouth came, we 
 feel justified in setting the West aside, and choosing Yorkshire. 
 Again, my lord Shrewsbury declared that the Londoners loathe 
 the Stuart, and that when the news of the bishops' acquittal 
 was noised abroad, the troops on Hounslow Heath broke out 
 cheering, even in the hearing of the King." 
 
 As the knight fittingly observed, there could be no drawing 
 back now. The kingdom was moving on towards great events. 
 For mine own part I cared not for the question of religion, nor 
 even for that of the nation's welfare. A hideous wrong had 
 been done one well-beloved ; a crime had been committed on 
 his defenceless body under the cloak of Justice, and with my 
 dying breath I would have cursed his murderers, Judge Jeffreys 
 and the King. I had sworn to execute vengeance upon them, 
 and, cost what it might, was determined to bring my oath to 
 fruition. Regarding my personal misfortunes, perhaps, accord- 
 ing to law, they were deserved, as I had been guilty of high
 
 THE INCONVENIENCE OF A CONSCIENCE. 175 
 
 treason, so that on that score I had no grievance. Yet the 
 horrid deed inflicted on my father festered enough to occasion 
 insane delight when I heard of the bold, determined mien of the 
 plotters. As affairs were going, all things seemed to prosper 
 the enterprise, for it was widely averred that none, save papists 
 and beggarly Irish, had any love for James. 
 
 That night love and vengeance held an orgy in my head. 
 Vengeance is a dark unholy passion which I pray, my children, 
 may ne'er be harbored in your hearts. 'Tis a gnawing beast- 
 like passion which hath no bounds to girdle it. A man with that 
 within him is a being whom I would bid you shun. To crave 
 after it and live for it, to build high hopes and relentless de- 
 lights upon it, and to cherish it more dearly than life itself, as 
 I take shame to say your father did, is godless, vile, and horri- 
 ble. And love ! To set one beside the other, and to ponder 
 on the two of them, is to heed the greatest powers of earth. I 
 cannot tell you, kinsmen, what it is when they run side by side 
 in one man's brain. Although, as the world goes on to-day, 
 it went on yesterday, so ye must perforce, in your pilgrimage 
 through life, encounter torn creatures. with both these pas- 
 sions intermingled. Let such have your pity, for they need it 
 sorely. Beside vengeance, there were other hopes ; by driv- 
 ing the King away, and setting up another government, I 
 should cease to be a proscribed outlaw. And, when I was that 
 no longer, I had ideas for the future. Some of you may wish 
 to hear the substance of these ideas ; sure you are not gifted 
 with abundance of penetration. 
 
 Perchance, having poor memories, you have already forgot- 
 ten Kelston Manor, the bower beside the stream, my lord 
 Churchill, and the boon he sought there ? Not that you and I 
 are at all concerned about him. But the token he had tried to 
 win from Mistress Dorothy, I might win ere long more easily. 
 All this, and one short day agone I had stained myself with 
 another crime. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE INCONVENIENCE OF A CONSCIENCE. 
 
 THE circumstance I now narrate occurred about a week after 
 the meeting at the manor had dispersed. Peradventure, had 
 it not been for this insignificant affair, I should ne'er have 
 summoned the temerity to write one word of this history.
 
 176 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 As I recollect, it was a glorious day of midsummer, when the 
 air was soft and fragrant, the sun warm and generous in the 
 heavens, the bees droning lazily, and all nature sleepy, except 
 the busy flies atop of the shimmering stream. Dorothy and I 
 sate side by side on the brink of the glistening water, under 
 overhanging branches, which were adequate shelter from the 
 fierce rays of sunlight that streamed from a cloudless sky. 
 She smiled at me with an insinuating playfulness. 
 
 " Tell me, Ned," she asked, methought a trifle saucily, " how 
 it is you come here so very often now ? " 
 
 " Fie, mistress, that is a needless question ! " said I, smiling 
 too. " You know the reason far better than I can tell you." 
 
 " Aha, my master, 1 sniff an evasion there ! I tell thee 
 frankly 'twill not serve, sir. How should I know what brings 
 thee hither ? " 
 
 All the same, kinsmen, she did know. Her half-veiled look 
 of laughter told me that. However, in her present mood, she 
 would not avow the knowledge, so in the course of time I was 
 driven to admit what called for my frequent presence. 
 
 " Dorothy, 'tis for thee I come." 
 
 " Indeed, Master Ned, and that's a beautiful compliment. I 
 had no idea of that now." 
 
 I can never quite forget that sight of her the sway of her 
 crisp brown curls as she shook her head at me, her eyes brim- 
 ming half with fun, half with impudence ; the sweet ripple of 
 her brows in coquettish simulation of surpiise, and her joyous 
 ring of laughter. 
 
 " Mistress, thou hast wrung a confession out of me, so 'tis 
 fitting thou shouldst pay for it ! " With a sudden movement I 
 had her unawares, seized her hand, breathed my lips upon it, 
 and thus straightway snatched the payment. 
 
 At this she jumped up quick as any squirrel, saying 
 
 " Ned Armstrong, how easily you forget yourself ! That, sir, 
 is a liberty I will not brook." 
 
 But, kinsmen, truth to tell, her voice belied her words. 
 
 Her face 1 did not see, neither did I dare to glance at it ; for 
 as I made that sudden movement, my hand brushed against a 
 hard substance in the pocket of my doublet, and in an instant 
 the tuuth flew in my mind the hard substance was the rim of my 
 lord Sunder land's purse. 
 
 The laughter was struck out of my voice ; I felt my limbs 
 grow palsied, and my brain grow cold and numb. In very 
 shame I turned my face from my companion. How could I 
 how dare I jest and talk with her on terms approaching a sus-
 
 THE INCONVENIENCE OF A CONSCIENCE. 177 
 
 picion of equality ? Was I not a thief, a dishonorable man, a 
 low trickster, a deceitful villain ? 
 
 The girl had already noted my change of countenance. 
 
 " What ails thee, Ned ? " Her query was soft and anxious. 
 
 I tried to laugh and scout my illness as a little thing, but 
 must chronicle a failure. Thus, in face of it, I answered 
 feebly 
 
 " I believe the sun hath caught me, Dorothy." From which 
 will be seen I was still able to use my tongue sufficiently to lie 
 with. 
 
 She ne'er doubted that what I averred was true, though, had 
 she paused, she might have done ; for it was indeed scant sun- 
 shine that was able to penetrate the thick tree boughs which 
 clustered in a green canopy above us. But it did not enter her 
 head to question the source of this sudden malady. So away 
 she ran to a place where the bank sloped downwards to the 
 river's brim, and caught as much water as her hat and mine 
 would carry. She plied this to my forehead with exquisite ten- 
 derness, and ne'er ceased her anxieties or her careful task of 
 restoration till I was on my legs again, and till she had satisfied 
 herself that my recovery was effected. 
 
 Soon I left the manor and returned to the King's Head mis- 
 erable, heart-torn, and quite tired of life. For days and weeks 
 events had been slowly drifting towards one supreme crisis. It 
 had now arrived ; this instinct told me more thoroughly than tome 
 upon tome of clergy. A very little thing had sufficed to set my 
 conscience and my sins one against the other in open warfare ; 
 and they had now to fight the matter out between them. Thus 
 I went back to Bridgwater with my mind already on the rack. 
 
 During that short journey it had a bitter foretaste of impend- 
 ing tortures. 'Twas evident that until some resolution was 
 arrived at I could not pay another visit to the manor, and 
 though I often pined for a sight of my darling, I kept four miles 
 between her and myself till I had determined on my course of 
 action. 
 
 You are to plainly understand, ere I go further, that I had 
 been fashion'd weak in the moral nature. Perhaps ye are al- 
 ready aware of this ; and whether this is or is not the case, in 
 the interests of the narrative I must impress the fact. 
 
 Upon arriving at the King's Head, I betook myself straight 
 to my chamber, locked the door, sat down on the edge of the 
 bed and tried to think. On that day, at least, the result was 
 melancholy, for I ended by abusing fate. My brain seemed 
 fire ; my head a whirlpool of torment. An absurdly simple
 
 178 AflSTKESS DOROTHY MAR VIN. 
 
 circumstance had washed down the barrier of self-deceit, and 
 the long-pent stream of remorse and fear came rushing through 
 the bursted flood-gates. Methought I saw the Hand of God in 
 the horrid business. Hence arose my terror, for to the guilty 
 it is an awful sight. 
 
 You have observed how a short time agone my better parts 
 had triumphed sufficiently over infamy to let me make an honest 
 resolve. Also you have seen how cowardice overcame me at 
 the last moment, and how the knowledge of that cowardice 
 caused me to become more reckless and desperate than ever. 
 Now the fruits of it had struck a crushing blow. My duty was 
 plain, too plain ! Honor, conscience, and self-respect bade me 
 go at once and reveal my secret. In my weakness, I was unable 
 to muster a sufficiency of courage. Even had I the desire, I 
 knew I ne'er could play the same cold-blooded game again. 
 The stroke had been too sudden and too severe for its lesson 
 to pass unheeded. I must either make a confession of my call- 
 ing, and so run appalling risks, else relinquish all hope of my 
 mistress without seeking her forgiveness. Either alternative 
 required strength and fortitude. In the first case the danger 
 was fearful, whilst the second was almost a torment to think of. 
 How could I, Ned Armstrong, forego forever the sight of 
 Dorothy's eyes, the sound of her voice, the thoughts of her love, 
 and the delights of her society ? No, no ; I must make one 
 effort, one wild attempt ! 
 
 Day after day fled, still my heart never rose higher than my 
 boots. Heaven knows, I grappled hard with cowardice, and 
 also fought the devil. Often enough he whispered, " Why this 
 to do ? Keep to the old game till William comes ; you will not 
 be an outlaw then." I thank God I paid no heed to this atro- 
 cious counsel of Black Ned, for verily it was his, and not Ned 
 Armstrong's advocacy. Hereabouts I knew not peace at any 
 time ; but lay awake with throbbing head through the madden- 
 ing watches of the night, all kinds of fretful phantasies besetting 
 him who longed for a tentative peep of dawn in the morning. 
 Not that daylight was any benefit when it came, only 'twas less 
 dreadful than the ghostly night. 
 
 One evening I sate listless and limp in the small parlor, 
 when mine host Whipple was sucking his pipe and sipping his 
 black jack of October, as per long-established custom at this 
 hour of the day. Now, this gentleman, ever since that dire 
 afternoon, had marvelled much in his secret way at what strange 
 power had held me ; but being a discreet fellow, and won- 
 drous sagacious withal, had ne'er pressed for an answer to the
 
 THE INCONVENIENCE OF A CONSCIENCE. 179 
 
 riddle. Howbeit, this particular night, my friend, in a seem- 
 ingly casual fashion, sought enlightenment on the subject. I 
 was musing deep and pensive, thus when the question was pro- 
 pounded, I groaned, unthinkingly 
 
 " Conscience ! " 
 
 " Conscience, quotha ! " cried he, upon the instant. "Didst 
 say conscience ? Faith, lad, thy case is indeed a sorry one." 
 
 This interest of his aroused me somewhat. 
 
 " I feel for thee indeed, brother," Pete went on. " Of a 
 surety, thou wilt ne'er rise in thy profession. Alack ! I too am 
 cursed with one. I am a kindred spirit o' thine, d'ye see ? A 
 conscience is the most damnable encumbrance that belongs to 
 man. Long Bob Bickers had the rare good fortune to be with- 
 out one ; an' for downright greatness o' mind, that man I will 
 commend to anybody. Often enough he would say to me, 
 ' Friend Whipple, thou'rt a mighty piece too conscientious. 
 'Tis a grievous error correct it ! Dig a hole in your back 
 garden, and bury it deep, then that will be the most truly 
 blessed day thou hast ever known.' Now, if ye seek to rise in 
 the profession, follow that true advice, and go straightway and 
 hide it somewhere, whither it may ne'er again exhibit its ugly 
 mug to trouble thee." 
 
 " Then how comes it, Pete, that you have failed to follow 
 this shrewd counsel ?" 
 
 " Alas ! there's the rub. Methinks old Dame Nature built 
 me for the Church ; for 'oons, man, my conscience is like an 
 evil spirit. 'Twill not bide in its grave. Many a time have I 
 put it under the sod, but, zounds ! the accursed thing will 
 always rise again to haunt me. Maybe it hath been snugly 
 planted 'neath the ground for a week, and I may fittingly be 
 rubbing mine hands over a sweet cargo of the rarest liquors 
 which hath just been safely thralled in the cellar, when, burn 
 me ! a pathetic voice will whisper into mine ear, ' Good friend, 
 art aware this cargo hath not burthened His Majesty's Rev- 
 enue one farthing ? ' Beastly uncomfortable, I can tell you, to 
 be thus reminded, for, 'twixt ourselves, I would fain have for- 
 gotten the fact. Ah me ! if it be a case of conscience, thy 
 plight is evil, and I feel for thee. Bury it, lad ; bury it deep 
 from the light o' day." 
 
 " Pete," said I, laughing, in spite of myself, and this was the 
 first laugh I had known for a week, " I'm afeared I'm like you, 
 and that Dame Nature meant me for the Church as well. This 
 beast o' mine ne'er fails to rise from the dead. It, too, will not 
 rest in its grave."
 
 l8o MISTRESS DOKOTHY MARVIN. 
 
 Peter Whipple sighed lamentably at this avowal, declaring 
 my case to be extremely pitiful. And after that, being com- 
 panions in misfortune, we drank each other's health in the Oc- 
 tober, though all the while mine host, with scarce a pause, went 
 on to relate the manifold advantages the illustrious Long Bob 
 Bickers did enjoy by being mercifully released from the toils of 
 conscience. For the behoof of the ignorant, I here set it down 
 that Long Bob Bickers was hanged before Taunton jail in the 
 year 1684, and was afterwards drawn and quartered. 
 
 The struggle that was tearing me asunder lasted ten days, 
 and I believe there did not exist a more distracted creature in 
 any shire of the kingdom. As time went by, this consuming 
 indecision steadily began to make its presence felt upon body 
 as well as mind. Once or twice I grimly smiled as I looked in 
 the mirror and saw the transformation taking place in my 
 countenance. Instead of a healthy, keen-faced fellow meeting 
 my gaze, I beheld a leaden wretch, hollow-eyed and white. 
 However, on the afternoon of the tenth day of torture, I over- 
 heard a piece of news, and though it had no precise bearing 
 upon my case, it served to accomplish what weary hours of self- 
 reviling and self-communion had failed in. It befell that I was 
 in the little parlor, and was unconsciously listening to Peter 
 regaling his customers with the latest gossip in the common 
 room. The door was open, therefore every word was audible. 
 
 " Death hath been truly busy among us," I heard the landlord 
 say. "Joe Barton the baker hath lost his old woman. She 
 gave up the ghost yestere'en. And Moll Wardell fell down- 
 stairs and broke her neck this morning ; tho' they do say she 
 was the worse for liquor, else 'twould ne'er have happened." 
 
 "Ay, gossips; but the man wi' the scythe calls away the 
 mighty as well as the lowly," quoth a listener, his sentiment 
 cheap, but his delivery uncommonly consequential. " Tom 
 Carson the chandler hath just told me that Sir Peter Armstrong, 
 of Copeland Hall, was found stiff in his bed this morning." 
 
 " Oh, indeed ! " exclaimed three or four ; for my uncle's 
 name stood high in the county. 
 
 " I would I were his heir," said another. 
 
 But when the rightful heir of the deceased Sir Peter heard 
 this recounted, he did not think it entirely a blessing. Not 
 because he was bowed with grief for the loss of his miserly 
 kinsman, but because it added another pang to his position ; 
 for, being an outlaw, he would be unable to touch a groat from 
 his fat coffers.
 
 ALAS! 181 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 A.LAS ! 
 
 BY the time I had fully grasped this news, an indisputable 
 truth was clearly presented to my mind. By the death of my 
 uncle, it was highly probable that inquiries would be set on foot 
 regarding the heir, and it was equally as probable that his 
 connection with Black Ned the highwayman would be revealed. 
 Should events so happen, the truth would indubitably be learned 
 by Sir Nicholas and his daughter from other lips than mine. 
 And should this occur, my name and memory would in their 
 sight be branded with tenfold blacker infamy. Therefore 
 immediate action became imperative. 
 
 This was the truth I had gathered. The knowledge served 
 as a spur to my courage. Methought I must be unworthy of 
 the name of man to forfeit my one hope "by dallying longer. A 
 week's delay, and my confession might come to them as a 
 necessary, instead of a voluntary^ act. So plain was this con- 
 tingency to my understanding that in ten minutes I had managed, 
 incited thereby, to screw up my courage to its highest level, and 
 to form the long-needed resolution. One final spasm of doubt, 
 one final struggle between right and wrong, and honor triumphed 
 for the moment in my soul I made up my mind, come what 
 might, to set out for Kelston Manor forthwith, and acknowledge 
 my cruelty and deceit. 
 
 I spoke to none, but straightway betook myself to my bed- 
 room and dressed myself in my choicest suit. If I must be 
 hanged, methought I would grace the scaffold in my Sunday 
 garments. Never did criminal attire himself on his execution 
 morning with more pain and suspense than I did then. As I 
 donned my plush breeches and cambric shirt, I remembered the 
 precision with which so many times I had put them on to enjoy 
 the maid's society. As I adjusted and powdered my wig, I 
 remembered how I had studied the mode of displaying it to the 
 best advantage ; the object had been the same. And now I 
 was going to pay the score. I had tossed off my draughts of 
 .happiness ; had drunk so deep of it that Nemesis had laid a 
 commanding hand upon my shoulder, and had sternly called on 
 me to pay the reckoning. And I was going to pay it ! O God !
 
 182 AffSTRESS DORO THY MARVIN. 
 
 I was going to pay it ! Well might my strength ooze from my 
 limbs as I walked Joe out of the inn yard, and my heart turn 
 cold with terror. 
 
 Suspense is a double-edged sword that cuts two ways ; it at- 
 tacks both mind and body. Thus, as I rode to the manor that 
 summer evening, my brain seemed paralyzed midway between 
 hope and fear, my spirit withered and sapless, and my body, 
 now fevered, now frozen, by reason of the same emotions. I 
 knew I had made my mistress love me ; but was her love hot 
 enough and sufficiently magnanimous to forgive my baseness? 
 
 By the time I had traversed half the distance, the devil once 
 more whispered, " Why jeopardize your chances thus ? 'Tis 
 not necessary. You have played the game so long, that one 
 day more or one day less can make no difference." 1 tightened 
 Joe's rein, halted, and considered its plausibility. Yes; why 
 scruple now ? Could present conscientiousness avail for the 
 past, or assure forgiveness for the future ? Why not play the 
 game to the finish ? Was not atonement coming too late ? 
 What did it matter if the confession was made now or a month 
 hence, would there not be still the same blot on my honor, the 
 same irremediable stain on my name, which no repentance 
 could purge away ? An instant's hesitation, and the wiles of 
 Satan were overcome. Instinctively I felt the rim of Sunder- 
 land's purse touch my finger tips, and there was no disregard- 
 ing that cold reminder, for as 1 have already said, I saw in it 
 the Hand of God. 
 
 Now and then a hare darted across the path a few yards 
 ahead, or a covey of partridges flew up with a startled whirr 
 from a clump of grass or a wayside thicket. I could see the 
 mist rising far across the fields, and swathing the extremities 
 of the landscape in a floating whiteness. Yet I had no thoughts 
 for such sights and sounds as these. Could Sir Nicholas for- 
 give me ? Could Dorothy forgive me ? At every step those 
 questions sang in my ears till they turned to a delirious dirge. 
 If I were not a thief, not a liar, not a cheat, not a trickster ! I 
 would cheerfully have given my right hand or ten years of my 
 life to have wiped those titles from my name. My heart sank 
 as I approached my journey's end. Was I once more to play 
 the craven ? I braced myself for the ordeal, because when the 
 manor gates hove in sight, 'twas like steel to my vitals ; how- 
 ever, I sent Joe forward, whilst the man who rode him fought 
 his unseen foe. 
 
 At this moment a blackbird piped out cheerily from among 
 the brushwood. It seemed to mock me with its jubilation.
 
 ALAS! 183 
 
 Nature seemed to mock me too in the sweetness of her quie- 
 tude ; the dew on the grass and the hedgerows' bloom menaced 
 my sight with their beauty and repose. Defeating Satan for 
 the second time, I dismissed my qualms, and for good or evil 
 shook Joe's bridle, whereat he moved smartly to the entrance. 
 To the end of life I shall ever associate this task with going 
 forth to have a stout grinder drawn from my head. Yet I doubt 
 not, had I been allowed to choose between having all the teeth 
 pulled out of my mouth and the pursuance of this business, I 
 should have chosen to forfeit the teeth. 
 
 As we went through the manor gates the sun was dipping 
 below the horizon, leaving a patch of purple in its track ; the 
 summer air was cooling after the heat of the day ; the cattle 
 lowed in the meadows and sucked in the cool sweetness of the 
 evening; and over hill and dale all was peace and exceeding 
 calm. More qualms came to the coward when the vane and 
 chimney-stacks grew visible among the trees. 
 
 I dismounted and tethered Joe in front of the house, not 
 taking the trouble to put him in the stable, as I felt I should 
 not remain inside for long. I went up the steps, and walked 
 through the front door without the ceremony of a knock, this 
 being my wont, so much at home was I at that house. I dis- 
 covered the knight and his daughter in the large apartment we 
 had passed so many cheerful hours in. The knight was in his 
 usual posture beside the grate, his concoctions hard by his 
 elbow, whilst opposite him Dorothy was seated, a ponderous 
 volume on her knee, bearing the inscription on the outer cover, 
 "An honest and faithful account of His most Christian Majes- 
 ty's late Campaign against the Dutch, for the Publick weal." 
 
 She no sooner lifted her eyes her glorious eyes ! and be- 
 held me in the arch of the doorway, than she slapped the book 
 with a thud on to the carpet, and her face was lit with glee, as 
 she said 
 
 " Father, here is the deserter ! " 
 
 This welcome hit me hard. 
 
 Sir Nicholas also was well pleased to see me, his solitary eye 
 yielding as much beneficence as it could. 
 
 " Oh, Ned," asked the girl, and her tone was wistful, " what 
 have we done to you that you should shun us so ? 'Tis ten 
 days since last I saw you." 
 
 At first I did not give an answer, not being able to find a 
 word. In the midst of this pause she gave a keener look at 
 me, and saw my tell-tale looks. 
 
 " Ah, poor lad ! I see thou hast indeed been ailing. Me-
 
 1 84 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 thought that day 'twas but a passing malady, but methinks 
 thou must have suffered by thy face. Art better now, Ned ? " 
 
 She spoke these last four words so tenderly, and with such an 
 accent of womanly pity, that 'twas as much as 1 could bear to 
 hear her. 
 
 " I am better now, Dorothy," I mumbled, for to distinctly 
 frame and utter words was a sheer impossibility. 
 
 " I greatly fear thou art still unwell," she said again, her 
 tone being still impregnated with anxiety. 
 
 'Twas in sooth a terrible malady that held me in its claws ; 
 the dark fiend, self-reproach, froze my blood, and turned my 
 heart to ice. My errand was never absent from my mind. It 
 would not leave it for an instant. When I replied to her eager 
 queries it was only by exercise of fortitude that any words 
 would come. Perceiving this difficulty of speech, as well as 
 the other matters, she withheld questions for a while, and 
 superintended the drawing of the curtains and the shutters and 
 the lighting of the candles. 
 
 The knight, caring nought for the ailments of any save him- 
 self, bid me as heretofore, play him at piquet. I did so, hop- 
 ing thereby to compose myself for the coming ordeal. This 
 proceeding was most unkind towards Joe, who was still tethered 
 in the open. Such was my woeful state of mind, that I dared 
 scarcely look at Dorothy, although the maid looked much at 
 me, and was greatly distressed on my account. She brought 
 cushions for my back, and sought to enliven me by brewing 
 some mysterious French concoction, which she set much store 
 by ; and whatever it might be it was choicely good. 
 
 These ministrations had but the scantiest effect. In spite of 
 myself my spirits were still gloomy and my demeanor down- 
 cast ; though I tried hard enough to banish the devouring 
 demon that embraced me, if only to please my darling. But 
 the brave maid was nowise daunted by this ill-assortment of 
 my humor. Never had I known her preserve gravity for very 
 long, and thus, this fatal night, seeing that sedateness was un- 
 availing, she assumed sprightliness once more, and this made 
 me somewhat easier, though foreboding still sate like a pall 
 upon my heart. Despite the chill within, I had perforce to 
 laugh at various whimsical incidents which had occurred at the 
 manor during the great conclave. Yet the last of these I did 
 not even smile at. 
 
 "Ned, you ought to have been here, sir, on the last morning 
 of their stay," she gayly said, then paused to laugh at the recol- 
 lection. " My lord Sunderland went forth on the road, a couple
 
 ALAS! 185 
 
 of servitors behind him, to procure an appetite for breakfast. 
 I heard him tell daddy the night before that nought was so 
 agreeable to his taste as a quiet rural ride ere he broke his fast 
 of a morning. However, in about an hour after he set out, my 
 lord came back in a dreadful fume, vowing vengeance on that 
 wicked namesake o' thine, Black Ned, the highwayman. Faith 
 he is a bold rogue ! He actually robbed my lord and his serv- 
 ants of every stiver they had upon them a goodly sum, I'm 
 thinking, for my lord swore that the knave had taken every 
 groat he had brought from London, and that he had no money 
 with which to return to Town. Sure methought the fellow 
 would ne'er cease to prate about his losses. I'm sure he's a 
 lickpenny; and, also, I'm equally as certain that a bad time 
 is in store for his two attendants. Very loud he was in reviling 
 their cowardly conduct. Furthermore, he hath sworn to inter- 
 est the King in the matter, and seeks to have the villain arrested 
 at any cost." 
 
 No, I never smiled at this ; nor even looked at the narrator. 
 I continued to play piquet, a hot stream of blood in my head, 
 and my breath coming short and painful. All things seemed 
 to conduce towards the rememoration of my guilt ; here was 
 one more reminder. I now' felt that the crisis was at hand, yet 
 still I sat and played. How to say what I had got to say, how 
 to make some amends by word of mouth, how to preserve my 
 calm and so do justice to my case were matters beyond my 
 comprehension. 
 
 The knight was playing with his usual vivacity, and Mistress 
 Marvin was laughing at me one minute and pitying me the 
 next, when I began again to calculate the prospect. Could 
 they forget? Could they forgive ? At this renewal of suspense 
 I commenced the sorry business. 
 
 'Twas during a pause in the game. Sir Nicholas was seated 
 opposite at the card-table, whilst Dorothy was behind me, so I 
 was midway between the two. 
 
 " Sir Knight, some weeks agone you swore an oath not to 
 reveal my true name to any one because of my outlawry." I 
 had hoped to speak quite clearly, yet as the first words issued 
 from my lips, something jumped in my throat, and made my 
 utterance harsh and indistinct. 
 
 " That's so," he said. 
 
 " Now, sir, I would like you to swear to me again that same, 
 for, in face of what I am about to say, you may be tempted to 
 forget it." 
 
 "I have ne'er forgotten one yet," he said sharply, nay, angrily.
 
 l86 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 I had offended him at the outset. Methought it an evil 
 beginning. Dorothy, usually so quick of wit, failed to discover 
 any omen of what was pending, for she laughed outright at my 
 request and my unwonted tone of seriousness. Her father, how- 
 ever, exhibited a face of perplexity. 
 
 " I have something to divulge," said I, my voice getting 
 huskier at every word. " I am Black Ned, the highwayman." 
 
 The knight said nothing, but raised his head slowly from the 
 table and peered straight into my eyes. A trill of laughter came 
 from behind me. I turned my face to Dorothy, and in an instant 
 she grasped its import. The laugh died on her lips, and terror 
 superseded mirth. 
 
 " Ned, why d'ye look at me like that ? " she gasped, horrified 
 and tremulous. 
 
 Meantime her father had planted his elbows on the table, 
 and was still gazing at my visage, as though to read my very 
 soul. 
 
 " What d'ye mean ? '' he asked. " Art not John Armstrong's 
 son ? " 
 
 "Yes," I said simply; "'tis on that account I gave you a 
 reminder of your oath. 'Twould do the family much injury, 
 should the truth leak out concerning me. Terrible misfortune 
 hath dogged me since Monmouth's rebellion. It hath brought 
 me to this." 
 
 The speech fell cold and barren from the lips like words from 
 a dead man's throat. I heard half a sob and half a sigh against 
 my shoulder. At that my heart sank down, down, down ! forti- 
 tude deserted me, and despair enslaved my very soul. I covered 
 my face with my hands. Next moment I looked at Sir Nicholas 
 again, and found him staring still. 
 
 By this an icy smile had come on his lips, and his eye stupefied 
 me with its silent cruelty. 
 
 " So thou art Black Ned, the dirtiest rogue unhung." 
 
 His voice was horrible. 'Twas not stormy nor passionate. 
 Twas measured, relentless, cold-blooded ; it made me shud- 
 der. 
 
 I said nothing. 
 
 " The dirtiest rogue unhung," he repeated, his one eye des- 
 titute of pity. " And so, Black Ned, I have been winning stolen 
 monies day by day from you. And why have ye let me win 
 them ? Dost think I am blind ? Dost think I cannot see with 
 one eye only ? Dost think I am too old to watch you and my 
 poor lass very often ? You have come hither, week in and week 
 out, with a smile on your lips and a lie on your tongue, ynu
 
 ALAS! 187 
 
 smooth villain ! You plausible villain ! You have duped that 
 girl, have you ? I've only one eye, have I ? I'm easily blinded, 
 hey ? But I've two hands, Sir Thief ; ye shall have early proof 
 o' that." 
 
 That was the end of his awful calm. 
 
 " Oh, oh ! my God ! " he screeched, and jammed his hands 
 upon his wig as if to save his head from bursting. He looked 
 at his daughter then, his face inhuman in its eagerness. 'Twas 
 as though his life depended on what he saw. At once I guessed 
 his meaning, and there came a confirmation presently. 
 
 For a full score seconds he glared at her with such an unearthly 
 gaze that methinks, had it alone held the truth, he would have 
 torn her heart out to obtain it. 
 
 " Praise God ! " he cried at last, and crossed himself for the 
 only time in all my dealings with him. Afterwards he fell a- 
 babbling to himself, in a tone that was scarcely audible. " No, 
 no ; she's my child her mother's child ! The viper's balked ! 
 God be praised ! " 
 
 I heard him. 'Twas a bitter stab ; bitter enough to drive a 
 man to desperation. Dorothy also heard him. The words 
 wrung a moan from her proud pure lips. 
 
 I had had one secret pride, perhaps a frail one. It was that 
 I had cherished a spotless passion. Kinsmen, do not dare to 
 doubt me ! But the knight did more ; he condemned me. 'Twas 
 the last straw ; from that minute I cared for nought. 
 
 His face distorted with rage, the knight sprang up from the 
 table. I rose, too, whilst Dorothy, who had been on her feet 
 some time, stood beside me white and terrified. 
 
 " Girl," the man said brutally, pushing her towards the door, 
 "get you gone, leave this cur to me." Thereat he ran to the 
 wall and grabbed the Perillo blade. 
 
 Ofttimes, in after years, we can hot account for our actions at 
 such crises ; and now I come to think of mine in this extremity, 
 I cannot give an explanation. I can only say that as the man 
 turned round I whipped out my sword, snapped it across my 
 knee, and flung the broken steel clinking on the hearth among 
 the fire-irons. 
 
 Sir Nicholas ran forward; yet I was pr spared to die without 
 a blow. I felt utterly incapable of striking one against this 
 man the man I had so deeply wronged. My arms fell numbed 
 and useless. Inert and apathetic, I hung them limply by my 
 sides, without a thought for life, for my undefended breast, or 
 the thirsty steel. The man crashed aside the card-table, and 
 it, the cards and money, went rattling on the hearthrug. How-
 
 1 88 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 ever, as he came towards me, his daughter slipped between us. 
 She clung by both hands to his neck and shoulders, and tried 
 with all her strength to hold him from me. 
 
 " Do not kill him, sir ! do not kill him ! " she passionately 
 pleaded. 
 
 The fiendish fellow had no need for her, nor had he any 
 mercy. He said no word, but shook himself free, grasped her 
 slender wrists in his left hand, crushed them till she screamed 
 with pain, then slung her yards away, and she only stopped when 
 she bumped against the mantelpiece. 
 
 I knew my time was come. The man was mad ; the lust of 
 blood was in his face. I was half blinded by his gleaming steel 
 as he shot forth his arm to deal the blow. Instinctively I drew 
 back a step before it, whereat a streak of white jumped 'twixt 
 my breast and the darting blade, and, strange to say, the knight 
 recoiled, and with a fearful word dropped his sword upon the 
 carpet. Yet I felt no pain : no twinge of agony. Between us 
 stood my mistress dazed and quivering, blood soaking through 
 and dripping from her white dress sleeve. Soon I understood 
 the presence of that gory arm ; 'twas this that had saved me 
 from the steel. 
 
 " Father ! " she cried wildly, " he is unarmed. Do not kill 
 him ; 'twould be murder. Do you not see he is unarmed ? " 
 
 " Fight, you villain ! " he howled beside himself ; " fight, you 
 hound, and I will spit you ! Dost hear me ?" 
 
 My tongue being dumb, I found no word of answer. He fell 
 into a paroxysm of rage, and heaped curse after curse upon me. 
 Still I could not fight him ; and though he itched to strike 
 me dead, he refrained, mainly, I believe, because he found me 
 passive. 
 
 " Ye refuse ? Malefactor, do but set foot on my land once 
 more, and ye shall be dipped head foremost in the midden till 
 you die. Ye've escaped justice so far, but 'tis not for long. I 
 will move heaven and earth to hang you. Begone, child of 
 hell ! A curse go with thee ! " 
 
 Overcome with anger, he clenched his fist and hit me in the 
 face, and for the only time in all my life I took a blow in 
 silence. I quailed before his dread malignity ; it recalled that 
 of the arch-fiend Jeffreys. 
 
 I found Dorothy already in the hall. She opened the outer 
 door, and stood beside it awaiting my departure. I stopped 
 involuntarily as I neared the threshold. I was chilled by the 
 darkness of the night, and the wind shrieking in the copse. 
 Could I leave her thus without a word, without a plea, without
 
 ALAS/ 189 
 
 a mitigation of her anger? But the mere sight of her sufficed 
 to daunt me, 
 
 Standing there hard and rigid, she drew herself to her fullest 
 height, and gazed at me with unutterable loathing. She was 
 the cruelest creature I ever saw. Her bearing was truly brutal 
 in its studied scorn, and her face had never a spark of pity in 
 it. As I approached and stood beside her, she drew her skirts 
 together as though fearful I should touch them. She did this 
 ostentatiously, and hurt me with her cruel eyes 'tis a woman's 
 way of bullying. At first she gave no speech, but maintained 
 the torture with her look. 
 
 " Get you hence, you dog ! " she said at last, and waved one 
 arm towards the door. 
 
 'Twas her wounded arm, and as she shook it warm drops of 
 blood plashed upon my face, and even touched my lips the 
 blood she had spilled for me ! The thought nerved my courage 
 and quickened me with life ; therefore I disobeyed, and still 
 remained gazing at the blood, her own blood, dripping from 
 her sleeve. How could I accept vituperation for farewell ? So 
 I vainly stayed for a sign of hope, one grain of mercy. I 
 craved for these, quite wild with desperation. 
 
 " Dorothy ! " 
 
 " You Armstrong ! " she whispered softly so softly that her 
 lips seemed to caress the words as they stole slowly from her 
 throat. Coming at that time, this unearthly softness numbed 
 me ; 'twas a thing fathomless, a thing outside nature. 'Twas 
 then I had a terror of the girl ; her voice set a fear-blight on 
 the heart But I could not, dare not leave her so. I stam- 
 mered " Mercy ! " and bent my head, whereat she bent hers 
 also, peered up in my face, and her eyes they scorched my 
 brain. Ere I could think of what was toward, she sprang like 
 a tiger at the wall, and twitched therefrom her father's great 
 black riding-whip. She swung it round her head ; I saw the 
 snake-like lash glide quivering through the air ; heard a hissing 
 "whish," and thought my face was cut in two. 
 
 I turned and fled like rain before the wind. I stumbled into 
 Joe's saddle, untethered him, and, nearly blind, pulled his head 
 and set him on his course. As I did so, the door was closed 
 against me, and this re-echoed in my soul, for 'twas the closing 
 of the door of Hope. 
 
 I rode from that house of torture, heart and face each torn 
 and bleeding. I dug the spurs in my horse's flanks, and he, 
 poor brute, leapt through the darkness, faithful and uncomplain- 
 ing. The night was inky black, the atmosphere heavy and 
 13
 
 1 90 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 muddled, and charged with a coming tempest. I galloped Joe 
 over hedge and ditch, hill and dale, through wood and thicket, 
 crop and pasturage, but never on the straight highway. Soon 
 the dull thunder rumbled overhead, the lightning leapt along 
 the sky, and the heavens spat upon the earth. The rain poured 
 down in a soaking sheet, wetting me to the skin, and snatching 
 what breath was left in my miserable body; yet I did but bury 
 the wicked spurs the deeper, and the animal, faltering not, 
 dashed through it all, and for a time defied its rider and the 
 elements. Presently the water streamed off the pair of us, 
 though that was no care of mine. My only cares were the 
 knight, his daughter, the bang of the manor door, and the blow 
 that seamed my face. 
 
 Thrice I pitched out of the saddle ; but, being stark mad, it 
 did not affect my neck, so I remounted only to ply the spurs 
 afresh. Shortly I felt the brave fellow's limbs were flagging ; 
 and still he did his best. Alas, poor Joe ! horses have better 
 hearts than men. I knew his strides were not now so strong 
 or certain, tho' like a fiend I urged him on, the brunt of the 
 storm in our teeth, and the gloom an expanse of ink. 
 
 It may have been hours, for aught I know, when horse and 
 man came crawling into the yard of the King's Head, Bridg- 
 water, the animal clothed with mud and frothy foam, the rider 
 a prey to madness. His eyes were bloodshot, his gait unsteady, 
 and his soul sickened and despairing. 
 
 I called hoarsely to the ostler, who came running to do my 
 services, just as Joe sank down, with torn and bloody flanks, 
 through sheer exhaustion. I reeled into the little parlor some- 
 how, and flung myself in a chair, and lay there panting and 
 streaming with water. I was conscious of nothing but the throb- 
 bing of my flesh where the lash had bitten it. 
 
 By and by Peter Whipple opened the door softly and put his 
 head in. He gave a glance at me, and muttered just three 
 words " Damn the women ! " then cleared out quick and 
 closed the door behind him. 
 
 Following that, I was not again disturbed ; mine host was 
 the wisest man I ever knew. 1 lay there, bereft of wits. I 
 tried to think, but my brain was dull ; to talk, but my tongue 
 was dumb; to move, but my limbs refused to do my bidding. 
 Once I tried to weep, but even that pleasure was denied. At 
 length, quite suddenly, I burst out laughing. I jumped up, 
 vivified by some strange power, and set up peal after peal of 
 laughter. After that I danced and sung, bit my hands and 
 gnawed my finger-nails ; then flung myself full length on the
 
 THE COUNTING OF THE COST. 
 
 191 
 
 floor with heaving chest, useless legs, and with only the power 
 to groan. 
 
 In time, daylight crept through the chinks in the shutters, 
 and I got up only to fall down, but tried again and was more 
 successful. Step by step I crawled into the yard. The serv- 
 ing-men, who chanced to be up already, hung back apprehen- 
 sively from me, upon seeing my strange appearance. 
 
 The first thing I perceived in the yard was a dark mass lying 
 impotent on the cobble-stones. I approached unsuspectingly, 
 and saw it was a horse stretched lifeless. 'Twas Joe lying dead. 
 He lay with glassy eyeballs staring wide, his limbs stiff and full 
 extended, and his visible flank smeared with blood and torn and 
 jagged. I uttered a cry of horror. This brought the ostler 
 from the stable. 
 
 " Ye've diied vor un, I rackon," he said, shaking his head. 
 
 " Nay, friend," I said, e'en though I knew the truth. 
 
 I went down on my knees beside his head, stroked his cold 
 muzzle, and called him twice by name. 
 
 The ostler shook his head again, and slowly growled 
 
 " 'E wor a fery vine 'oss, 'e wor. I rackon I nivver knawed 
 wan wi' zich a hairt as thickee ; noa, nor nivver wan zo mild an' 
 vree froom vice, an' zo purty i' th' making.' 1 
 
 " Peace, fool ! " I shouted hotly ; then rose and seized him by 
 the jerkin, crying, " Not another word, you clod ! " 
 
 'Twas more than I could bear. 
 
 % CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE COUNTING OF THE COST, 
 
 I WALKED unsteadily back to the parlor. There I sought to 
 draw my rapier from its scabbard, but found it empty. The 
 blade lay in the grate at the manor. I hunted for a weapon ; 
 and sure enough the devil, in his forethought, had caused a 
 dagger in a case to be hung up as furniture on the wall. I laid 
 eager hands upon it, ran one finger along the edge, and felt 
 quite cheerful to find it keen. Placing it upon the table, I 
 gloated over it with an hysterical kind of rapture. 
 
 I wondered what death was like, and was filled with qualms 
 for the vague hereafter. It is certain I should have made an 
 end of life upon the spot, had not a vision of that autumn night
 
 I 9 2 MIS 'TR ESS DOROTHY MA R VI N. 
 
 of '85 rushed upon me. And here we have a paradox 'twas 
 only the dream of vengeance, the nonfulfilment of the devil's 
 compact that snatched me from the jaws of hell. So with re- 
 luctant ringers I replaced the weapon on the wall, then opened 
 the window and let in the morning air. I stood and gazed 
 upon the street, and saw the housewives busy with mop and 
 bucket, scrubbing the steps and cobble-stones, as each chatted 
 to her next-door neighbor. Also I watched the plough-boys go 
 singing and whistling past the door, and the farm hands close 
 after them, laughing and joking, as they called for an early 
 draught at Peter Whipple's hostel. In the darkness of my soul 
 I cursed them. Why were such hinds as these light-hearted, 
 when I, Sir Edward Armstrong, baronet, rightful heir to lands 
 and revenues and rich estates, was the most miserable man on 
 the surface of the earth ? 
 
 If ever Peter Whipple showed discretion, it was during the 
 week that followed these events. Some men have an instinct 
 of what to do and how to do it under all varieties of circum- 
 stances. Such folks are never at a loss, no matter what tricks 
 the world may play themselves or their fellow-creatures. Their 
 mental faculties are elastic, they expand according to the de- 
 mands of the occasion. Thus it was mine host had nought at 
 all to say anent my strange return that night the fate of Joe, 
 and the weal that stretched in a blue-white streak from my 
 forehead to my jaw. Herein lay great kindliness and wisdom. 
 Furthermore, he performed many well-meant offices, which left 
 me much impressed by his friendly disposition. 
 
 'Twill serve no purpose to dilate on my hopeless frame of 
 mind. Those were dark bitter days of vain revilings against 
 God and Fate, of futile regrets, and of black despair. Doubt- 
 less you who read have already foreseen a similar disaster. 
 
 During that week I slunk about disconsolate, trying to decide 
 on my future course of action. To visit the manor again, in 
 face of the treatment I had received, would be nothing short of 
 folly; tho', in spite of this, an idiotic whim took possession of 
 my senses. It seemed an utter impossibility to my disordered 
 mind that I could live without seeing Dorothy again. I brought 
 common sense to bear upon the question, but, beyond clearly 
 demonstrating that Ned Armstrong was a fool, it gave him no 
 other sort of recompense. 'Tis a bootless thing to reason with 
 love, for 'tis a most unreasonable passion. It matters not a 
 papist's malediction whether Amaryllis loves you, so long as 
 you love Amaryllis. Next I thought of the blow that had 
 sealed the tragedy of the fatal night. I still bore its impress
 
 THE COUNTING OF THE COST. 193 
 
 on my cheek, and its pain was branded in my heart for all 
 time. Yet I no sooner recollected this than it was more than 
 counterbalanced ; Mistress Marvin had shed her own life-blood 
 to save me. My pulses throbbed ; 'twas a glow of hope. 
 Could she by any unsuspected chance forgive me ? Yet the 
 hopelessness of the thing was always there. How could a gen- 
 tlewoman forgive a common thief ? Again, even if she felt 
 disposed to overlook my crimes, I knew enough of her father 
 to be aware that he would not. And his daughter, who loved 
 him so steadfastly and so exquisitely, was not the one to set 
 him at defiance, or to act contrary to his sentiments. It has 
 since occurred to me that the only commendable plan available 
 at this time was to accept Tobe Hancock's offer, and quit the 
 country till happier times arrived ; but between the ecstatic 
 throes of imbecile love and the appetite for revenge against my 
 father's murderers, I never heeded it at all. " If I could but 
 see her I should be more content ! " was my mental cry for 
 days. It took the form of unquenchable desire. And though 
 this maid was dead to me, I craved for her like one who 
 craves for a friend who is in the grave. The utter madness 
 of the longing was a secondary matter ; so I set my wits 
 to work to get another sight of her ; and hoped that such indul- 
 gence of my passion might satiate it for a time. 
 
 When in a strait, a man of imagination, as a general thing, 
 will find ways and means to aid him. And I cogitated so 
 patiently on this hard problem, that ere long I met with due 
 reward, for I discovered a way of furthering my yearnings. I 
 knew the manor flower-beds were situated at the bottom of the 
 garden, which bordered on the copse ; and hither Mistress 
 Marvin came each morning to tend the flowers and pluck them. 
 No sooner did I recollect this than it struck me I could with 
 ease conceal myself among the brushwood, and thus, unseen, 
 could watch my darling I still presumed to call her that, in 
 spite of everything. I wasted no time in the execution of this 
 scheme ; therefore, the following morning I set out to put the 
 plan in operation. 
 
 The sight of the manor gates once more made me wince ; 
 I remembered two dear friends who were wholly dead to me 
 faithful Joe, who was dead to me in body, and Dorothy, who 
 was dead to me in soul. And 'twas I who had killed them 
 both. 'Twould be idle to state what I would have sacrificed to 
 be able to undo what I had already done. Were we but per- 
 mitted to cancel the terrible past, instead of having to bury it, 
 this world would be a happier place than it is at present. In
 
 194 MISTRESS DOROTHY MAR VI N. 
 
 a little while I banished these reflections, and made my way 
 into the heavy growth of brushwood. 
 
 This stretch of it is of wide extent. It begins a good way 
 north of the house itself, and runs along to southward till the 
 stream, at the bottom of the manor grounds, is passed for 
 nearly half a mile. The part of it which forms the avenue, 
 close by the gates, is not nearly so thick as it is in other places ; 
 and the branches being twined together, it becomes a trackless 
 patch of bough and bramble, with thick bracken underfoot and 
 a leafy canopy above. 
 
 I plunged into this impenetrable wilderness, and my clothes 
 suffered sorely in the passage, because the least trodden parts 
 of this pathless thicket appeared a very wall of briars. By dint 
 of perseverance, I worked my way to the spot for my purpose, 
 which was on the outskirts of the copse, a few yards hither side 
 the water. Here I could command a full view of the flower- 
 plot, and of all who came to meddle with it ; whilst, better still, 
 did I but use reasonable precaution in keeping close amid the 
 tangled growth, none might get a glimpse of me. To further 
 this concealment I lay full length on the grass and waited. I 
 was quite at my ease herein, though the sun was getting power- 
 ful, for I reclined well in the shade. 
 
 Presently my ingenuity met with due reward. Perhaps I had 
 been lying half an hour in the thicket, when I heard a light 
 quick step on the gravel footpath. I knew that step ; I had 
 heard it many times. Directly afterwards Mistress Dorothy 
 Marvin came down the garden walk, a basket in her hand. 
 The first thing I noted was that one sleeve had been rolled 
 back to the elbow, and in lieu of it was a big white bandage 
 bound firmly round her arm. This was a sight to banish cool- 
 ness. It sent the blood tingling in a warm wave through me. 
 Then I noted another thing-, and I must confess it pleased me 
 greatly. I know it was a mean and selfish pleasure, yet why 
 conceal it ? She was not singing and whistling French melo- 
 dies as usual. There was a sort of wistful pensiveness in her 
 face, and a sad pellucid softness in her eyes. I watched her 
 pluck a rose. For a full minute she gazed at its petals, then 
 kissed it and fastened it in the bosom of her dress. A month 
 agone she had given me arose. I had kissed it and had pinned 
 it in my coat. Could it be that ? 
 
 A spasm, half thought, half emotion, thrilled me. I was 
 both frightened and enraptured at this boyish folly. I had not 
 the courage to look at her just then ; my mind held a madden- 
 ing thought. Kinsmen, I was very young. But the next in-
 
 THE COUNTING OF THE COST. 195 
 
 stant brought its quietus. What of the blow ? 'Twas the hand 
 that held the rose that struck it. 'Twas those eyes that had 
 had a tiger's fury in them. 'Twas that willowy form that had 
 menaced me with its abhorrence. 
 
 Ere long she filled the basket, and was on the point of 
 returning to the house, when the knight came limping down 
 the path with some papers in his hand. At sight of him she 
 disguised her melancholy, and her face flushed with greeting. 
 How she loved that ugly wretch with his scarred face, his one 
 eye, his intemperance, and his filthy tongue ! 
 
 And I, who was so young, so nicely mannered, so well born, 
 and so fairly favored ! I will not prejudice your minds unduly 
 with my pettiness ; but the thought was hard. 
 
 " How now, papa ? " she demanded cheerily ; " what brings 
 you here, sir ? " 
 
 " These," and the knight held up the documents. " I want 
 your help, ma petite. I never was very apt at scholarship. A 
 courier hath just delivered me this letter. He hath ridden 
 express from my lord of Shrewsbury." 
 
 " Ah, to be sure," she laughed lightly, " that hath a weighty 
 smack with it. Business of the State' I'll be bound, or stay, 
 more likely of the State that is to be." 
 
 " I do not doubt it very nearly touches his Highness the 
 Prince," he said. 
 
 She took the letter from him, and read the contents aloud for 
 his behoof. Perchance it was wrong in me, yet the fact re- 
 mains, I strained mine ears and listened to every word that 
 passed. Communing inwardly, I argued that I had good right 
 to hear these matters, seeing I was a party to the scheme. Her 
 interpretation of it was something like the following : 
 
 " To Sir Nicholas Marvin, my very good friend : these 
 "His Highness the Prince of Orange hath accepted our invi- 
 tation of June 30. It is his purpose, however, to neglect no 
 opportunity. To guard against any miscarriage of the scheme, 
 he proposes to bring a larger army with him than we did sug- 
 gest. He is pushing on arrangements with all despatch, and 
 trusts we are doing likewise. 
 
 " 'Tis, however, on a serious danger which doth threaten us 
 that I seek to speak with particularity. Of late the King hath 
 become gravely suspicious, notwithstanding our great care and 
 discretion. His Majesty wears an evil look I am afeared 
 some of our names are known to him. Perforce our meetings 
 must end. My friend, I regret to have to counsel you to leave
 
 1 96 JlfSSTKESS DOROTHY MAR VIN. 
 
 this country, and that right speedily \ the Stuart certainly con- 
 templates ill towards us. 
 
 " Edward Sidney Russell, and myself, set out for the Hague 
 next week, and I am sure it is your best course to follow us. 
 My Lord Danby remains in London to direct our affairs, 
 although his situation grows perilous. You know his residence, 
 and he will offer you counsel on any matter concerning this af- 
 fair. For your information I may say that the barque Aurora, 
 Captain Coxwell, hath been chartered to sail on the first Mon- 
 day of every month from Harwich, for Holland. Adieu, my 
 friend, may God preserve you. 
 
 " SHREWSBURY." 
 
 I heard every word of this, and also all that passed between 
 the knight and his daughter. 
 
 " Mon Dieu ! " exclaimed Sir Nicholas, " this hath an ugly 
 sound, ma cherie. Methinks 'twill be a case o' flight instead o' 
 fight, ere long ; yet that irks me much." 
 
 " Hope for the best, sir ; should the worst happen, then will 
 be the time to fly." 
 
 " No use tarrying till you are rotting under lock and key be- 
 fore ye seek to quit the country; the matter that will give me 
 the sorest trouble is what is to become of you, my lass. We 
 are without friends this side the Channel, and you cannot stay 
 here at the manor, seeing what troublous times are so close at 
 hand. What can I do wi' you, wench ? " 
 
 " Oh, if things come to the worst," she replied on the point 
 of laughter, "I must turn soldier along with you, father, and 
 push a pike for the confusion of the tyrant. How say you, 
 sir ? " 
 
 " You laugh, but methinks that will be your only chance. 
 You can handle a pistol pretty tolerable, and might with some 
 little tuition wield a light sword ; and, besides, you are well 
 acquainted with horses. By my troth thou hast really solved 
 a problem." 
 
 She looked at him, flushed a lovely scarlet, became much 
 confused, and said dolefully 
 
 " You are not in earnest, father, surely ? I did but jest just 
 now. I am afraid I should make but a sorry soldier, and per- 
 adventure, in the face of the enemy, I might show the white 
 feather." 
 
 " What ! " and methought the old warrior was about to eat 
 her, "you are no child o' mine then ! Confound that pluck o' 
 thine ! Methinks there is something radically amiss with it.
 
 THE COUNTING OF THE COST. 197 
 
 Show the white feather, say you ? Old as I am I do but wish 
 there was an enemy now to whom I might have the chance to 
 show it. By God, I'd show him a sweet steel blade instead, 
 and deftly handled, mark you ! 'Pon my soul, wench, your 
 spirit is a degradation to him that bred you." 
 
 " You do me a wrong there, sir," she answered swiftly. 
 
 " Nay, nay, craven heart, I'm too lenient." 
 
 " I'm no craven heart, father, indeed I'm not ! 'Twas but the 
 blood I was thinking of. It turns me sick." 
 
 " Bah ! ye shame me for sure. Why, even that black thiev- 
 ing scoundrel of an Armstrong could sing a better tune than 
 you can. Bad as he is, he would have made no to-do whatso- 
 ever about a matter o' this sort ; yet you, my own flesh and 
 blood, shrink from it." 
 
 " Master Armstrong Was very brave. Do not forget how he 
 carried that missive to my lord in face of many dangers, and 
 how " 
 
 " Hold ! not so damned much of Master Armstrong, if you 
 please. That low devil is in your head again. But, alack ! it 
 grieves me to know his courage puts thine to shame. Besides, 
 as ye've told me often yourself, many a Dutch burgher's vrouw 
 defended her homestead lustily in the days of William the 
 Silent, 'gainst the tyranny of Spain. And I'll swear that their 
 stork was nowise equal to thine own. Oh, woe is me ! to have 
 a child like this. A lily-liver, say I, is the greatest curse that 
 may fall on anybody." 
 
 She looked at him in silence, her face troubled ; but not re- 
 proachful. As usual she adjudged the fire-eater in the right, 
 and doubtless deemed herself a puny creature. Soon she cried 
 out warmly 
 
 " Father, I will do as you wish. I will cross the water with 
 you and join the army." 
 
 " That so," he said with some complacence ; " faith, that is 
 more to thy credit. Ma petite, I will have thee hard by my 
 saddle-bow, and I'll show thee how to ride into battle, and how 
 to sweep infantry to perdition, as Rupert was wont to do. 
 Hoity-toity, I can sniff a brave time coming ! 'Twill be better 
 then, methinks, than brooding over glib-tongued highwaymen. 
 It need not be known in camp y'are a wench, for mayhap 
 'twould go against you, though I fail to discern the reason. 
 Why should not a maid be a man's equal with proper training ? 
 Perhaps 'tis because many of 'em have a notable flaw in the 
 pluck." 
 
 " Yes, sir," the girl said staunchly. " Methinks it will be for
 
 1 98 MJSTXESS DOROTHY MAR VIN. 
 
 the best. You are everything to me; and while you are away 
 I should be always moping and wondering whether any hurt 
 had stricken you. Verily, this is a brave idea of yours. I can 
 be your body-servant, whereby the pair of us will be saved 
 anxiety. I am ready to start to-morrow, if need be." 
 
 " Shoo ! you're too fast, sweetheart. We cannot hope to 
 reach Harwich for this month's sailing 1 . Yet we must not fail 
 to be in time for that six weeks hence, providing James lets us 
 bide till then. In the mean time we'll rely on fortune." 
 
 These were the last words I heard pass between them, for 
 then they walked out of earshot towards the house. To me, 
 who had overheard it all, the matter appeared wondrous strange. 
 To think of this beautous gentlewoman becoming a man-at- 
 arms, and fighting in the forthcoming war, was a thing much too 
 weighty for my limited understanding. Yet, without doubt, both 
 the knight and his daughter were fully bent on bringing the 
 scheme to fruition. 
 
 Three days later I was watching in the copse again, for the 
 weather still held fine, when I overheard another conversation 
 between them, which, if of a different nature, was of equally 
 great importance. This time they came down the path 
 together. 
 
 " I prefer the soldiering," the maid was saying. 
 
 "As you will, lass," said the knight, with a show of resigna- 
 nation ; "but methought the opportunity a good one. I like 
 the lad, he hath honor and good courage, is well favored, and 
 is of the best family (as, indeed, he must be, seeing how near a 
 kinsman he is of your mother's) and hath a good estate. Also 
 his heart doth lean towards you, and I half promised you to 
 him when he was over here last year. 'Tis a rare chance for 
 you, I wot ; for I wish to see you safely cared for. I'm an old 
 bird now, and may not be with you long, but am unwilling to 
 leave you alone in the world. You had better consider this 
 matter carefully. That lad thinks very kindly of you, and I 
 tell you he is honest and true, and I like him altogether." 
 
 Master Edward Armstrong, hidden ten yards away, here- 
 abouts grew nervous. And he strained his eyes and body not 
 to miss any word or token that was forthcoming. 
 
 The maid shook her head. 
 
 " Don't be a fool ! " 
 
 " Sir, I would not like to marry him." 
 
 'Twas a heartsome speech for Ned Armstrong's ears. 
 
 " Young wench," replied the knight with asperity, " listen to 
 me. Don't be a fool. Ye have here a fair prospect of being
 
 THE COUNTING OF THE COST. 199 
 
 settled for life. The youth is in all ways desirable, and I am 
 sure he loves you." 
 
 " But I don't love him." 
 
 " You don't love the count," snarled the soldier, his anger 
 breaking bounds at last. " No, I'll tell you whom you love. 
 'Tis that vile Black Ned, a common highwayman. Yet, mark 
 you this very well, I will know no rest till that rogue hath had 
 justice executed upon, his dirty, deceitful, thieving body. Mark 
 you that ! And how dare you show airs and graces to me, 
 madam ? I say you had better marry M. le Comte, and, sink 
 me, you shall ! " 
 
 " Father," Mistress Dorothy answered warmly, " three days 
 agone you bid me turn soldier, and I was squeamish and liked 
 not the task. Yet I promised to obey you ; and if it please you, 
 sir, I will. Now you alter your commands, and bid me marry 
 a miserable Frenchman, and of men I last would choose as- 
 suredly he'd be a Frenchman. I do not care for the lad. He 
 may be a very excellent fellow, no doubt he is ; but I pay no 
 heed to him. No, Sir Nicholas Marvin, I will go campaigning 
 with you, sir." And she shook her curls and stamped her foot, 
 and looked so bold, imperious, and defiant, that the old knight 
 paused ere he made answer. However, when speech came to 
 him, it did so in no uncertain manner. From experience of his 
 ways, I was aware that the thing beyond all others that was 
 most irksome to him was to be thwarted in his projects. 
 
 The six languages were called into requisition ; but, as 
 usual, this torrent of abuse was very coolly taken, though I 
 trembled lest the desire to do her father's will should lead her 
 to alter her determination. To my infinite delight, she showed 
 no sign just then of any such proceeding. In the end he bade 
 her stay there, and he would send her cousin, the count, to 
 join her, that he might press his suit in person. From this I 
 gathered that the young man was in the house, that these two 
 had come out into the garden to confer upon the matter. The 
 maiden lingered among the flowers awaiting his arrival, and all 
 the while I lay watching watching ! 
 
 Presently the gravel of the walk -was scrunched underfoot, 
 and as handsome a cavaliero as one might wish to see came 
 along it and saluted her. His features were high, delicate, and 
 clean cut, his apparel of the finest, plentifully interlarded with 
 velvet and silver, lace ruffles at his wrists, and a rapier by his 
 side. He spoke long and rapidly in the French tongue. This 
 was to my intense annoyance ; for, having neglected early 
 scholastic opportunities, I was at that time ignorant of the
 
 200 SI/STRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 language. And what is the good of being eavesdropper an 
 unclean occupation if you cannot understand a word of the 
 conversation ? 
 
 Now, Mistress Marvin was well acquainted with the foreign 
 jargon, and though aught French was so much against her 
 taste, out of courtesy she answered in the same mode of speech. 
 Thus, between the two, I was completely balked. 
 
 M. le Comte grew impassioned ; the .maid grew arch and 
 saucy. The young man placed his hand on his heart, whilst 
 the fair one clasped hers behind her back, and shook her 
 coquettish curls at him with a most amazing air of impudence. 
 At that the gallant went down on his knees before her kins- 
 men, you will understand he was a Frenchman. 
 
 "Ah ma belle cousine ! je vous aime /" he cried eagerly. He 
 was not content to say this once, but several times emphatically 
 repeated it. That phrase stuck in my head. But 'twas quite 
 too much for the lady's gravity. Still I can excuse that French- 
 man, because she never was so irritatingly lovely as when she 
 had mischief in her eyes. And she had it in them then. 
 
 " Raoul," she asked, in the goodly Anglo-Saxon doubtless 
 she was too warm to employ the less familiar vehicle " what is 
 the French for a clodpoll, a lumpish fellow ? " 
 
 " Lourdaud, my lovely cousin, lourdaud," replied that in- 
 nocent young Frenchman, in extremely creditable English. 
 
 " Then, Monsieur Lourdaud," said Mistress Cruelty, " on to 
 your feet at once, sir ! You are surely fraying that beautiful 
 plush at the knees ! Besides, I am not in the least edified when 
 J see a kinsman of mine look like a scarecrow in a potato patch. 
 Come, up you get, sir ! or, 'pon my word, I'll laugh at you." 
 And faith, kinsmen, she did laugh at him, and in the most tan- 
 talizing manner. 
 
 My fine gentleman rose from his lowly posture ; but he 
 blushed as he did so, and looked more than a trifle sheepish. 
 Then the maid gave him a sound talking to ; but to Ned Arm- 
 strong's disgust this harangue was in the confounded foreign 
 tongue. Yet he had the satisfaction of seeing his rival blush 
 again, and far more deeply, and to watch him grow still more 
 sheepish in his bearing. Ultimately the pair of them went 
 away together, the lady very voluble, the gentleman very silent 
 the lady laughing, the gentleman glum and crestfallen. 
 
 I felt almost sorry for the Frenchman. He seemed a simple 
 lad enough, withal honest, and desperately enamored of the 
 maid. He prosecuted the matter in a manly, straightforward 
 way, and I could not help but think had been very severely
 
 THE GATHERING OF THE STORM. 201 
 
 dealt with. My own feelings, you may guess, were inexplicable. 
 Being young myself, and filled with heroic notions, I could have 
 found it in my heart to hate Dorothy Marvin for her flippancy. 
 She did not seem to be honored in the least, and did not even 
 condescend to be dignified upon the subject. She appeared to 
 have toyed with his affections in much the same way that a cat 
 does with a mouse, with similar feline sort of claws, that leave 
 galling wounds behind them. 
 
 Presently I left my hiding-place, and returned to Bridgwater, 
 lost in profoundest meditation. I had ample mental food on 
 which to meditate, seeing that I felt myself to be seriously per- 
 turbed by this new development. It thrust the prize farther 
 from my grasp than ever. True, the girl had obviously refused 
 the count, yet I rightly felt this would avail me little in the end. 
 Two men had set their minds upon this marriage. And one of 
 them was the implacable Sir Nicholas Marvin. I felt that this 
 fact alone would settle the question ; for even if the girl proved 
 obstinate, I had little doubt reverence for her father, if nought 
 else, would prevent her flying in the face of his authority. Even 
 if she did prove intractable, being so lonely, unprotected, and 
 entirely at his mercy, she would not stand the slightest chance 
 against him. He was one who would have his way at any cost. 
 Verily the case, so far as I was concerned, was hopeless. 
 Besides, when all was said, Dorothy had spurned me. Others 
 might dash in willy-nilly and win the prize or lose it ; but I was 
 bound, and very rightly, by the bonds which some call Fate. 
 Kinsmen, you may very properly inquire by what right I had 
 indulged in this soliloquy? By what right had I entertained 
 these doubts, these fears, these impertinent forebodings ? By 
 none at all. But, please remember, I loved Mistress Marvin, 
 and love, as ye know, rarely jumps with common sense. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE GATHERING OF THE STORM. 
 
 THE evening of the following day, on returning to the King's 
 Head to pass the night, I was confronted by terrible news, and 
 by the first of a peculiar sequence of life-and-death adventures. 
 Upon arriving at the tavern, I walked through the back entrance 
 into the private parlor. The moment I was ensconced therein, 
 Peter Whipple came noiselessly and joined me. He put his
 
 202 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 fingers on his lips, whispered " Hush ! ; ' silently locked the 
 door ; then seated himself close beside me, and in an under- 
 tone conjured 
 
 " For the love of Heaven, make no noise, Ned ; neither raise 
 thy voice beyond a whisper ! The common room is full of 
 King's men newly come from London." 
 
 " What of that ? " I asked. 
 
 "By the Mass, you will learn all too soon! 'Tis on. your 
 account alone they have journeyed hither. They bear a warrant, 
 with the King's signature displayed thereon, for the apprehen- 
 sion and proper conveyance to jail of a notorious malefactor, 
 one Black Ned, and this same warrant is issued on the recom- 
 mendation and complaint of my lord Sunderland, backed by 
 that of my lord Feversham. Also the document goes on to say 
 that under penalty of the King's weighty displeasure, it behoves 
 every justice of the peace not only in Somersetshire, but through- 
 out the kingdom to furnish men and money for its execution, 
 should they be called upon to do so. Furthermore, it gives on 
 another paper a full and accurate description of you, along with 
 a hundred pounds reward to any person who shall deliver you 
 up to justice." 
 
 " Is that solemn truth ? 'Tis no jest, Pete ? " I asked fear- 
 fully. 
 
 " Would to God it were ! Every word on't is gospel, I swear. 
 Why, lad, I have e'en seen the sheepskin, and a mighty precise 
 and circumstantial bit o' scribbling too." 
 
 I groaned. This was no matter of pettifogging sheriff's men. 
 
 " No use to sit sighing and groaning, my lad," Peter went 
 on sharply. " If ever ye had need to show yourself a man of 
 action 'tis at this moment. I would Long Bob were here. He 
 was the man ! though, by my troth, he ne'er had a job so ticklish 
 to navigate. 'Tis a very bad business altogether, and it behoves 
 me to speak to the purpose. I would not give a week's purchase 
 for your life and liberty. On their way up they have spread 
 out their arrangements in Wiltshire, and to venture that way 
 would be madness. 'Tis plain you must not bide under this 
 roof another night, else they're bound to take you." 
 
 I groaned again, bereft of the power of thinking to any 
 remunerative end. To add to my sore predicament, I had poor 
 Joe no longer for my servant. Just then there issued from an 
 adjacent room a chorus of carousing voices. They were trolling 
 a lusty snatch of song, and this rang throughout the hostel. 
 
 " There they are," said Pete in a whisper. " Let 'em sing, 
 'twill keep 'em from doing mischief at present. Besides, my
 
 THE GA THERING OF THE STORM. 
 
 203 
 
 lad Tom knows how to manage 'em. He's a smart youth, let 
 me tell you ; the smartest in the parish. 'Train up a child in 
 the way he shall go,' saith the Scriptures, an' 'oons I've surely 
 followed 'em." 
 
 Neither of us spoke for several minutes, and the silence was 
 only broken by the hilarity in the common room. Master 
 Whipple was wondrous serious that night ; far more so than 
 ever I'd known him previously; but he spoke first, and I could 
 have kissed him for his words. 
 
 " Ned," he said, thrusting his hand out, " thy paw, lad. For 
 two years we two have been staunch friends'; and the weather 
 hath been sunshine. Dost think I'm going to desert thee now 
 the clouds are coming ? No ; 'taint my way. Thy hand, lad, I 
 say, and by the shade o' Long Bob, I'll surely pull thee 
 through." 
 
 " Thank you, Pete," said I. Here was a true friend. 
 
 "Now, my gossip," quoth Peter briskly, " I'll waste no time. 
 I've got a few brains o' mine own, and I'm going to use 'em. 
 Recollect I'm the skipper o' this craft at present. Now listen 
 to me. You have no horse ? " 
 
 He scored this fact off on one finger.' 
 
 " And no money, I wot ? " 
 
 I nodded acquiescence, and up went another finger. 
 
 " And you are a fugitive with retreat cut off, and a hungry 
 pack of bandogs o' the law at your heels ? Now, young un, 
 say not a word till I bid you. Old Dame Nature has given 
 me a head-piece, and it isn't a fancy ornament neither. 'Twas 
 made to be used, and, sink my soul, it shall be." 
 
 First he took his black jack out of the cupboard, and his church- 
 warden off the mantelshelf ; set them in working order, and bade 
 me get mine and do the same. After that, for half an hour he 
 sate puffing and swigging, puffing and swigging, and staring into 
 vacancy. As for me, I also sate staring into vacancy, yet when 
 I tried the Trinidado it turned me sick, and when I ventured 
 on the October it choked me. At the end of a long half-hour, 
 Master Whipple emptied the contents of the jack, hung up his 
 pipe, and proceeded to make known the result of his delibera- 
 tions. 
 
 " Ned, 'tis forcible to my mind that you must leave this hostel 
 to-night. I will not answer for your neck, should you bide here 
 another day. Now the question is, whither shall you rlee. To 
 go eastward into Wiltshire would be but running into danger, 
 because their plans are in apple-pie order in that direction. 
 Also you are much known in the north o' the county, and would
 
 204 Mf STRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 surely be taken ere you could get any distance away. South- 
 ward the sea would soon cut you off, yet that might avail you 
 better than aught else, if we did but know of a craft to take you 
 over the water. But, as luck will have it, friend Billy Hardisty 
 only sailed yesterday to fetch a cargo of French brandy. Now, 
 lad, you are well acquainted with the Quantocks, as I've oft heard 
 you say. Sure you can discover some snug fastness or retreat to 
 seek refuge in till the pursuit becomes less keen. That is un- 
 doubtedly your best chance, and you must trust to your wits 
 for food, as there are several homesteads in the neighborhood. 
 Yes, this is positively your best outlook. You have no horse 
 to encumber you, and with reasonable precaution, you should 
 be able to breathe in comfort for a long time yet. Also ye lack 
 money a real misfortune that. A bit o' th' ready will over- 
 come many difficulties. Y'are a thriftless youth, yet, sink me ! 
 so was Long Bob Bickers. But bullion you want, and I'll show 
 you how to get it." 
 
 Master Whipple was a man of rare brain-power and invention, 
 and in sudden emergencies of this nature his mother-wit bordered 
 on the marvellous. At such moments he seldom failed to show 
 his boundless superiority over his fellow-creatures. On this 
 occasion he soon had an idea, and when he did happen to obtain 
 one$ as a general rule, it proved a thing of value. 'Twas 
 necessary for me to procure money, and for a quarter of an 
 hour, mine host impressed most explicitly upon me the best 
 mode of securing the same. Having made my course ^of action 
 clear, and fully instructed me in the part I was to play, he un- 
 locked the door and went out to assist his lad Tom in the dis- 
 pensing of liquors to the soldiers in the common room. 
 
 As soon as he was gone, I muffled myself up thickly and 
 covertly in the folds of a horseman's cloak. That done, I took 
 from a cupboard, placed at my service by the landlord, four 
 pistols, all of which I loaded and put carefully in a handy 
 pocket under the folds of the cloak; pulled my hat low down 
 over my eyes, and stole stealthily out of the parlor into the yard. 
 No sooner had I arrived there than I suddenly smartened my 
 carriage ; briskly wheeled about, and strode straight into the 
 apartment where the King's men were sitting. 
 
 " Haw, landlord," I cried, in a loud overbearing voice as 
 though I were the greatest man in the realm, " a flask of claret, 
 if you please ; and if you set any of your washy stuff before me, 
 it is at your peril." 
 
 " Quite so, my lord. Just so, my lord. I will bear that in 
 mind, my lord," cried Pete, bowing with deference and solici-
 
 THE GATHERING OF THE STORM. 205 
 
 tude. " My lord," he continued, " I will not forget to set be- 
 fore you a vintage which you shall surely smack your lips at, 
 for in good sooth your own cousin, His Grace of Grafton, was 
 even so kind as to take more than he could properly hold, 
 though maybe I'm over bold to say so." 
 
 " Tush, landlord, I trust he took no more than decently befits 
 a gentleman. If he did, I'll wager 'tis prime stuff, for Cousin 
 Graffy hath the nicest tongue for a dram, and the shrewdest 
 eye for a woman in the three kingdoms. Now trip it featly wi' 
 those dainty feet, sir, and oscillate those shapely limbs, and 
 generally outdo La Favorita at Old Drury in swiftness and 
 grace of motion. Come, trip it, landlord ; come, trip it, sir \ t 
 My gullet is as dry as my old dad's coffers." 
 
 This I rattled off in the approved London fashion, chewing 
 a tooth-pick the while, and infusing as much magniloquent 
 vapor into my manner as I could command. 
 
 Master Whipple did as he was bidden, yet not ere he had 
 bowed once more to this person of quality. 
 
 A dozen soldiers in the King's uniform sat round a table 
 near the doorway, with a goodly quantity of liquor and beer 
 ready for their throats, and were occupied in either playing 
 cards or watching their companions do so. 
 
 No sooner did I make my appearance and begin to speak, 
 such was the skill of my counterfeiting, that one and all 
 ceased paying attenion to pot and pasteboard, and inclined 
 their ears towards me. To hear mine host belord me as he 
 had done, together with the assumption of my demeanor, 
 straightway produced an extravagant impression upon their 
 minds, which I vow were none too clear. And to crown all 
 this, 'twas a comic sight to see these worthies exchange glances 
 when cunning Peter made mention of the Duke of Grafton. 
 As he went in quest of the wine, he shot a solitary glance at 
 me, which, though seemingly insignificant in itself, was deeply 
 charged with eloquence. Hereabouts I made believe to see 
 the redcoats for the first time. I singled out by his dress a 
 little fellow (whom methought I had surely encountered on a 
 previous occasion) as the captain of the company. First of 
 all I eyed him in an apparently critical fashion, and then said, 
 still preserving my assurance 
 
 " Good evening, captain." 
 
 " Same to your lordship," he replied, bobbing stiffly. As I 
 inspected his waspish red face, shrewish lower jaw, puckered 
 beady eyes, and round, fat, and stunted little body, my convic- 
 tion grew firmer that I had indeed made his acquaintance under 
 14
 
 206 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 different circumstances. And tacked close on it, there came 
 into my mind the recollection of some transaction with this 
 same individual and the Mayor of Exeter in a business capacity, 
 some months previous. Yet, seeing how little the affair re- 
 dounds to my credit, 'twill serve no useful purpose to retail it, 
 though at that time the captain, who bore the name of Joshua 
 Pringle, was only an apparitor of King's Bench.* But, as I 
 subsequently learned, this man, thanks to a varied knowledge 
 of the West country, and force of ability, had been chosen to 
 lead the expedition against Black Ned. 
 
 " You have some brawny ones here, captain," I said, point- 
 ing to a couple of lusty fellows at his elbow. " By the Mass, 
 I'll wager they could give sluewd knocks in His Majesty's 
 service. But I've heard it said brains and brawn ne'er accord 
 with one another. Now tell me, friend, is it not the case that, 
 though you are scarce half the size of one of these lads, you 
 could, in the matter of head-work, put them to the blush ? " 
 
 " Quite so, my lord." 
 
 "And methinks 'tis not improbable that even in the matter 
 of more manual exercises, though you do lack stature, you 
 would not be altogether out of it. By the look of you I should 
 say you could doubtless twirl a sword or handle a musket with 
 any man." 
 
 "Quite so, my lord; quite so." 
 
 The little officer was certainly overcome by this insinuating 
 flattery ; which was clearly proved by the expansion of his chest, 
 and the rapid exalting of his head. In very truth at that mo- 
 ment he appeared as patronizing and self-satisfied as an arch- 
 bishop. 
 
 " And are all your company as deft and skilful in the han- 
 dling of firearms as yourself ? " I asked. 
 
 " They are a credit to me, your lordship. Of course they 
 do not possess that neatness, that deftness of fingering, and 
 that general elegance of mode I am proud to lay some claim 
 to. Tis the head, there, my lord, the head. Nature doth not 
 endow us all alike." 
 
 "Of course not, captain. I' faith all the world knows, men 
 of brains blossom by themselves, and do not go about in com- 
 panies. There is a great dearth of such, I trow. Yet do I 
 understand you aright when I say these men, every one of 
 them, though lacking your daintiness of manner, are capable of 
 hitting a given target at ten paces with some degree of ac- 
 curacy ? " 
 
 * See Prologue. Editor.
 
 THE GATHERING OF THE STORM. 207 
 
 " Most certainly, my lord," he replied, fussy as a cat that is 
 having its back stroked. 
 
 " Then, captain, luck hath certainly favored me in this 
 matter. I will promise your men a guinea to drink my health 
 with, if they do but consent to manage a small service on my 
 behalf." 
 
 " They will be happy to do that, sir." 
 
 " You must understand, captain, 'tis a wager of a hundred 
 guineas I have laid with my lord Feversham, the commander of 
 the King's forces. He was airing his opinion t'other day that 
 very few persons were proficient in the exercise of firearms, and 
 were able to use them with accuracy. Yet I wagered, there 
 and then, thai I could walk into any country inn and choose 
 half a dozen fellows who would put a bullet through a mug ten 
 paces distant at the first time of asking. Ods fish ! 'twill be a 
 rare joke ! My lord will be fairly hoist with his own petard. 
 Here hath he been having your men trained in the perfect use 
 of musket and pistol, and it to cost him a hundred guineas. See 
 the joke, captain ? Methinks it will be mightily relished in 
 Town." 
 
 The King's men grinned. 
 
 At this moment the landlord returned with the wine I had 
 ordered. I bade him place it on one side for a while, and also 
 commanded him to move the other table, at which none were 
 seated, a distance of ten paces away, and place a mug thereon. 
 
 With an air of the greatest astonishment Master Whipple 
 obeyed. Captain Pringle was the first to essay the task. Easily 
 enough he shattered the mug, and certes the task was ridiculously 
 simple. Another crock was set up, and the next man performed 
 the feat ; and thus they continued until every man had emptied 
 his pistol in putting lead through the earthenware. 
 
 These fellows had had wine sufficient not to make any awkward 
 inquiries, as in sooth they might have done, for to men wholly 
 sober it must of necessity appear a strangely vague proceeding. 
 But they had bibbed enough to want more, and were all eager- 
 ness to get it. 
 
 Mine host expeditiously set the room to rights when the job 
 had been properly performed. Having cleared away the mass 
 of broken crockery, he set the table facing those of the soldiers 
 a convenient distance off, and laid my wine thereon. Also he 
 fetched a goodly serving of sweet wine for them at my order, 
 whereupon I was belorded by all more freely than ever ; the 
 payer very fittingly commanding respect. 
 
 I assumed a seat opposite these gentlemen, and had a perfect
 
 2 o8 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 view of them as they stowed away their drink, whilst I sipped 
 mine in a genteel manner. 
 
 This may have gone on ten minutes ; at any rate, long enough 
 for them to recommence chattering, playing cards and casting 
 dice, without further heed to me, when Master Whipple winked 
 at me, outwardly without aim or purpose, and in a moment I 
 slipped my four pistols stealthily on to the table. Laying three 
 carefully down I took the remaining one in my hand and cocked 
 it up in the eyes of the company. 
 
 " Gentlemen," said I, in a voice so unlike my previous one, 
 that all of them started in astonishment, " I require your purses." 
 
 Each man in turn gave a witless stare, opened his mouth; 
 then closed it with an exclamation. 
 
 The captain was the first to find his tongue. 
 
 " Good God ! Black Ned himself." 
 
 " Ay, friend, that's true," I said cheerfully. " Now, 1 will 
 have things done orderly. That you gallant gentlemen may 
 play me no scurvy trick, I must beg the loan of your weapons 
 first, and that of your purses afterwards. I beseech you un- 
 buckle your swords, withdraw your pistols, and present them to 
 me at this table one at a time, not forgetting every stiver ye 
 may have about your persons. And, mark you this, should I 
 see any one of you make a movement ere the correct season, I 
 will most assuredly put a bullet into the carcase of him who is 
 so unwise. D'ye see, I've got four loaded pistols, whilst all 
 your own are empty, thanks to your exceeding kindness. There- 
 fore it must be plain to you all that argument is useless. Now, 
 Captain Pringle, you being the leader o' this enterprise, and the 
 most intellectual man in the room, I require you first to come for- 
 ward and deliver up what I have demanded." 
 
 They fell to swearing and shifted their eyes uneasily, first to- 
 wards me, than towards one another. 
 
 Unquestionably their position was thankless. The deceit I 
 had practised had left them with unloaded firearms, and ere they 
 could have attempted to re-load I must have shot the one who 
 dared to do it. Neither could a sudden rush have been at- 
 tempted, without loss of several of their lives, and no matter how 
 precarious the strait may be, life is ever accounted a momentous 
 thing. 'Twas apparent to the entire crew that I was master of 
 the situation, and no one was more alive to that unpalatable 
 fact than diminutive Captain Pringle. I watched them narrowly, 
 and as I did so beheld the captain fumbling slyly and care- 
 fully under the table. In a moment he whipped this hand 
 from underneath, and I saw the glint of a pistol-barrel.
 
 THE G A THE KING OF THE STORM. 209 
 
 Instantly there was a flash and a keen report, and the fellow 
 sprang up with a howl, as the firearm dropped on to the floor. 
 
 " Oh, my arm ! my arm ! " he screamed ; and the blood 
 welled through his jacket. 
 
 " No tricks, captain," I said, with a calculated smile. I had 
 been too quick for him. 1 reloaded my pistol with a sinister 
 calmness, which made a visible impression on my victims. 
 Next, I produced my watch, and laid it on the table, remarking 
 sweetly, " Captain Pringle, if you fail to obey me in two minutes 
 by this watch, I have a bit o' lead here that shall find your intelli- 
 gent head ; so bestir yourself for the sake of your abnormal 
 wits." 
 
 There and then he came to me at the table, his bloody limb 
 hanging limp, and his breath caught up in sobs of pain. I 
 might have pitied him, could I have forgotten what his mission 
 was. He reluctantly unbuckled his sword, laid down his pistol, 
 and handed over a whole month's pay, or what remained of it, 
 which was a good proportion, as it had not long been drawn. 
 Every man Jack of them did likewise. Thereupon I marched 
 them out into the street, where their horses were awaiting them, 
 and away they rode toTaunton, being billeted at the Green Man 
 hostelry in that town. 
 
 " Ye shall pay for this," muttered the bleeding and mind-hurt 
 Master Pringle. 
 
 Yet I laughed and carelessly snapped my fingers. However, 
 I had the good sense to know that this disdain was but the 
 idlest of boasts. At that moment my prospects looked blacker 
 than they had done for many a day. Master Whipple and I, as 
 soon as they were gone, counted up the money (a comforting 
 and worthy sum), and divided it equally between us. This was 
 only common fairness, seeing this pretty trick we had played 
 together had been conceived in that gentleman's head. We 
 buried the weapons in a field at the back of the house, for their 
 loss would be a sore inconvenience to their owners ; a pleasur- 
 able thought, when I reflected how nearly they were my enemies. 
 'Twas deadly strife bewixt us strife which meant my life and lib- 
 erty. Already I had struck them a very unkind blow, though one 
 that might be mended. Pete chuckled a hundred times that night, 
 and praised me considerably for the skilful way I had executed 
 his idea. He even went so far as to question whether the im- 
 mortal Bob Bickers could have accomplished it much better. 
 And this was an admission so singular in itself, that I took op- 
 portunity to record it on the almanac. 
 
 "There's one thing troubles me, Pete," I said; "do you not
 
 2 1 o MISTXESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 think these fellows will come another day, and lay a charge 
 against you of aiding and abetting me? " 
 
 "Tush, lad," he replied, with cheerful whistle, "hast never 
 heard of ways and means ? I have got a tongue in my head, 
 ain't II" 
 
 I was forced to admit this ; whereat he set about whistling 
 with greater vigor, and his owl-like countenance wore a look 
 that nature does not give to a common person. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE FUGITIVE. 
 
 I CRAMMED my pockets with food ; dressed myself in my stout- 
 est suit, encased my legs in thick riding-boots, and had my 
 cloak for an outer covering. I next stuck a brace of pistols in 
 my belt, and filled my pouch with ball. Thus equipped, I 
 bid adieu to Peter, and close on midnight set out for the hills, 
 in no very cheerful frame of mind. Truly I had good reason 
 to have this weight upon my spirits ; as it might be days, weeks, 
 months, or never that I should see my friend again. And if I 
 have not already proved him to be so in your eyes, rest assured 
 I will ere long. 
 
 I started for the hills a hunted man, which was a thing cal- 
 culated in itself to fill one with a pessimist's reflections. I slept 
 that night at least securely, as there was no likelihood of pur- 
 suit, in the open among the heather ; and, as the air was warm 
 and dry, I did not find my couch entirely void of comfort. 
 
 Next day, I roamed about to discover a sheltered hiding-place 
 whither I might flee when hard beset, or in which to rest safely 
 of a night-time. In the glare of the powerful sun I wandered, 
 knowing no rest until such a retreat had been obtained. There 
 were numberless little crags and hollows scattered here and there, 
 mingled with thick clumps of furze and a wilderness of herbage. 
 The surface of the Quantocks is much broken by little hills 
 and glens, or "goyals " as they are called in our parts, cutting 
 it up into meagre patches, and numberless brown-colored 
 streams flow down into the valleys, whilst all manner of trees 
 flourish close beside them. My quest went unrewarded during 
 the first day, being unable .to find a hiding-place to suit me. 
 But I was determined not to abate my zeal till one had been
 
 THE FUGITIVE. 2 1 1 
 
 procured, as then I should be better equipped against my 
 enemies. 
 
 The Jiext night I slept in a tree. I meant to throw no 
 chance away ; for life is the most esteemed when it is felt to 
 be precarious. The day following I still pursued my object, 
 though after a bright morning the sky grew clouded, and early 
 in the afternoon the rain came dripping down. Yet e'en though 
 it soaked my cloak, I persisted in my search. An hour before 
 nightfall this perseverance was rewarded. Maybe, I had 
 wandered five miles from Chilverley village, when I halted 
 suddenly, for lying just below me was a deep valley possibly 
 fifty feet beneath. It was as though a huge lump had been 
 cut out of the earth, for there stood a sheer precipice of rock, 
 steep as a house side, to form the near wall of the gully. I 
 was now standing on the edge of this barren length, and peer- 
 ing into the depths of the recess. As I did so, I saw that the 
 base of it was split up into little fissures, and methought it 
 likely if I made my way to the bottom, I might find some nook 
 among these clefts that would offer a place of refuge. 
 
 As I have said, 'twould have been impossible to have clam- 
 bered down the rock, because 'twas like a huge house side, and 
 every whit as precipitous. Yet I did not fail to perceive the 
 high ground on which I stood sloped gradually downwards, till 
 it came on a level with the " goyal." This deep glen was per- 
 haps two hundred yards from the wall of the beetling cliff, to 
 the narrow strip of bushes which formed the entrance, and the 
 outlet also, for it was walled in by the rocks on three sides, and 
 this short belt formed a small opening on the fourth. It crossed 
 my rnind that herein was my long-sought goal. To gain proof 
 of this, I followed the sloping ground till I had gotten on a 
 level with the "goyal," and, by climbing over a few scattered 
 fragments of rock, and poking forward and breasting the bushes 
 made my way into this gloomy enclosed space. I walked 
 round the foot of its walls, hoping to find some sheltered nook 
 at their base ; for, to search higher up was useless, as the rock 
 sides were entirely unbroken in their expanse. 
 
 To my joy, I presently discovered the object of my search, 
 for exactly opposite the entrance, at the bottom of the hither 
 side (above which I had stood), was a small archway among 
 the fragments strewn about the floor of the glen, and this 
 formed a little cave, which was bounded backwards by the 
 cliff. This insignificant receptacle might hold a grown man 
 with comfort ; tho', to put another in beside him would have 
 been an impossibility. 'Twas a sweetly sheltered nook, and
 
 2 1 2 MISTRESS DORO THY MA R VI N. 
 
 my heart leapt up at sight of it. Here at least I might bide 
 with scant fear of discovery, and with a weather-proof roof 
 above me, as the rocks met together overhead. As I have said 
 it was only a very little place, maybe a dozen feet from the cliff 
 base to the tiny entrance, which was so narrow that only one 
 person could get through, and then it was a squeeze. It exactly 
 faced the mouth of the "goyal," and the mass of furze in its 
 vicinity. 
 
 Forthwith I made this snug retreat my domicile. When the 
 darkness stole like a thief upon the hills I drew my cloak about 
 me, stretched my limbs at full length on the heathery floor, and 
 being much wearied, without a thought to things past, present, 
 or to come, I fell into a blissful sleep, and never dreamed at all. 
 In the morning when I rubbed my eyes the sun was mounting 
 in the heavens, and I ate my last crumb of food. 'Twas now 
 a matter of much moment how to obtain a fresh supply. After 
 some hard thinking on the subject, I determined to pay a visit 
 to Chilverley as soon as night fell, being well enough acquainted 
 with the hills to find my way back again in the dark. Through- 
 out that day I brooded plentifully on my own affairs. Of a 
 surety they had taken a turn for the worse of late. Whilst I 
 lingered here in hiding, who might tell what was being encom- 
 passed at the manor ? 
 
 My present position would have been perfectly tolerable, as 
 among these hills I was riot by any means affrighted at the law 
 hounds, had not gloomy forebodings kept rising in my mind as 
 to what might be happening to Dorothy. Now I am aware this 
 was grave impropriety on the part of my mental faculties. Ye 
 may well ask why they should be troubled about an innocent 
 maid who had been my dupe, and who had execrated me over 
 the threshold of her father's door. They had no business 
 whatever to be concerned about her, yet that ne'er mattered a 
 farthing rushlight to 'em. The images of a maiden with won- 
 drous eyes, an old, gouty, vile-tempered warrior with a lacerated 
 visage, and a passionate, handsome young French gallant, with 
 "Ah, ma belle cousine, je rons aime" for ever issuing from his 
 lips, jostled in my brain all the livelong day. If I had listened 
 intent enough, I might have heard the clanging peal of wedding 
 bells ; yet I didn't. I only speculated, and amongst other 
 things upon my future course of action. I hated the old 
 knight and his designs; I hated the Frenchman more, and 
 would have run him through with an unrepentant heart, and 
 all this because because I loved Mistress Dorothy Marvin in 
 direct defiance to common sense and reason.
 
 THE FUGITIVE. 213 
 
 Yet, may I ask, what doth love know of common sense and 
 reason ? Why just as much as a sucking-calf does of wisdom, 
 and no more. Accordingly, I hated Sir Nicholas and the French- 
 man, because they sought to rob me of my unwilling prize. 
 Placed as I was, I had no chance to hinder the threatened ca- 
 tastrophe, therefore wicked restlessness gnawed my heart-strings 
 all that day ; surely love is the foster-mother of hate. 
 
 Directly nrght had fallen, I descended to the valley wherein 
 our homestead lies. I slipped through the village in the shadow 
 of the hedegrows, till I found myself before the latch of our 
 kitchen door. With a beating heart I pulled it, and walked in 
 amongst the occupants. 
 
 John, now the day's work was done, had exchanged his heavy 
 boots for slippers, and, in lazy repose, was smoking in the chim- 
 ney corner. Mother and Betty were busy concocting a simple 
 of herbs, such as was kept for minor hurts and ailments, and 
 for dispensation to the neighbors. 
 
 One and all of them started back in surprise as they beheld 
 their visitor. Mother kissed her son 1' faith, sons must be 
 very far gone in infamy when mothers won't. Betty hung back, 
 timid and distressed, whilst John scowled, and went on smok- 
 ing. 
 
 " Mother," said I, " I have come for food. Victuals have 
 run short with me." 
 
 That was sufficient for the moment. The two women, in the 
 winking of an eye, had set out a huge supper for my delectation. 
 Mother bade me eat and drink my fill ere I exchanged another 
 word ; whereat I took a chair, and sate at the head of the table 
 close beside John's elbow. 
 
 With a darker scowl than ever my brother got up in an in- 
 stant, and betook himself to the other end of the kitchen, so as 
 to be far removed from me. I marked this keenly, and so did 
 mother. Her eyes met mine, yet no word passed between us. 
 It so chanced that a cushion lay on John's new seat, and mother 
 bade him hand it her, and upon his doing so, she fixed it against 
 my back, saying the while that I looked very jaded and weary. 
 In a short time my brother retired to bed. Ere he did so, he 
 kissed his mother and sister, and gave them good-night. I 
 proffered my hand to him, yet he never heeded it, and, without 
 a word or look for me, walked upstairs. It was not till mother 
 and I were alone that I overcame the silence I had hitherto 
 preserved. 
 
 " Mother," I said, " hast heard the latest news ? " 
 
 " Alas, my poor boy, I have. 'Tis like a knife to my heart
 
 2 1 4 MISTRESS DOROTHY MAR VIN. 
 
 to learn thou'rt hunted hourly like a fox. And all last night, 
 after hearing what Tobe Hancock told us, I could not sleep for 
 trembling and for thoughts of thee." 
 
 " I have gathered no tidings for the last three days, mother. 
 What is this news ? Nothing very dire, I trust ? " 
 
 " Oh, 'tis terrible, cruel news ! The King hath sent men 
 down from London for thy capture, which, of course, thou'rt 
 aware of. But worse than this, all the gentry in the neighbor- 
 hood have taken the matter up, and one of them, by name Sir 
 Nicholas Marvin, hath offered one hundred pounds to those 
 who deliver your dead body up to justice, or two hundred 
 should you be captured alive." 
 
 At this I uttered an involuntary cry. 'Twas a blow to stag- 
 ger a stronger man than I. 
 
 " Also," she continued, " he is lending his own servants to 
 join in the pursuit, and is paying men to assist, whilst other 
 gentlemen, who pronounce you a public bane, have offered a 
 round sum between them, and are furnishing men and money 
 with which to hunt you. Tobe says that they have heard you 
 are in hiding among the hills, and are about to search every 
 place of habitation among them. They will look in every glen, 
 and valley, and patch of brushwood in quest of you. They 
 mean to cover every inch of ground, and, I hear, nigh a hun- 
 dred men are afoot scouring the country side." 
 
 " 'Tis cruel news ! " I exclaimed. In those days I was a bold 
 fellow, and one not easily abashed, yet this dreadful informa- 
 tion seemed to strike me down. 
 
 Mother then proceeded to tell how the lawyers had come 
 expressly from London for the purpose of telling her that her 
 son's heirship had been forfeited to the King, on account of 
 his outlawry. Ultimately she stuffed my pockets with food of 
 all kinds, and promised to have a basket of it placed in a partic- 
 ular spot amongst the boulders on the hill-side every morning. 
 After that, I left her to weep and pray for her eldest son, a thief, 
 a fugitive, who was hunted by a hundred men, and who had a 
 great price upon his head. 
 
 He, bereft wretch, went back to his place of succor in the 
 bosom of the hills. The moon was up, and shed a blue re- 
 splendent glory over the dark masses of boulder, timber, 
 stream, and brushwood. My heart felt cold in my breast, and 
 my teeth chattered though the night air was warm and calm. 
 The demon, Horror, seemed to clog my very soul as I thought 
 of the hundred men who were seeking me night and day ; and 
 the reward for my apprehension.
 
 THE FUGITIVE. 215 
 
 The crudest pang was the knowledge of Sir Nicholas 
 Marvin's rampant hatred. 'Twas plain the man had neither 
 forgotten nor forgiven. His vengeance was truly a thing of 
 which to live in terror. And would he disregard the oath he 
 had sworn to me ? That was a new fear, for I ever sought to 
 keep the traditions of our house unsoiled. Hitherto, I ac- 
 counted myself safe from the law's clutches, for, with some 
 show of reason, methought that a dozen King's men could ne'er 
 be able to root me from my fastness. Yet now it was an 
 entirely different matter. 
 
 As I learned afterwards, what mother had told me was, alas, 
 too true. When it became known how anxious the King was 
 for my arrest, the long-flouted gentry in the vicinity bethought 
 themselves that the occasion presented a fair opportunity to 
 make me pay for many tricks and indignities I had inflicted on 
 them ; and also to prove how much sympathy they had for the 
 King in his quest, by aiding vigorously in the search. Cer- 
 tainly I had become most obnoxious to the County, and having 
 laughed at the power of the Justices for so long a time, one and 
 all of them combined to assist the King. Included amongst 
 them was the High Sheriff, who called out his posse to join in 
 the hue and cry. And so, between them, they raised many 
 men, and offered a large reward for the criminal's body, dead or 
 living. Also, every word was accurate concerning Sir Nicholas 
 Marvin. In fact, he was the most anxious and most earnestly 
 interested man in the business. Sooth, he was a terrible 
 enemy. Sleep did not come to me so readily in my hiding- 
 place that night ; for many hours I lay awake with a weary 
 restlessness, and with brain afire, pondering bitterly upon the 
 great force of men and money arrayed against me. Verily, un- 
 less Providence was wondrous kind, I could not hope to 
 escape. 
 
 About noon next day I left the remainder of the food brought 
 overnight in my little abode, and went to seek the promised 
 basket. To my exceeding thankfulness, it reposed at the spot 
 mother had said it should. I emptied the contents into my 
 pockets, and, leaving the basket where I had found it, returned 
 to my sheltering-place, glad to seek a covering from the fierce 
 rays of the sun. I crossed my legs tailor fashion, squatted 
 down under the kindly awning, and ate my dinner. 
 
 I had not been thus engaged very long, when, without a warn- 
 ing, half a dozen men sprang through the bushes, two hundred 
 yards away, at the mouth of the goyal. The distance that lay 
 between us prevented them from espying me at once. There-
 
 2 16 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 fore, I lay down flat that I might escape their observation. To 
 my horror, however, three went one way, and three the other, 
 and commenced walking round the base of the rocks, evidently 
 bent on neglecting no opportunity in their vigilant search. 
 Should they chance to come as far as where I lay, I could not 
 fail to be discovered. They neither swerved nor halted, but 
 kept following close by the bottom of the steep, ascents ; drew 
 nearer and nearer, and soon I knew my last hour of liberty 
 was come. But despite my desperate position, methought life 
 still worth a struggle. The three to my left hand had ap- 
 proached within ten yards of where I was stretched full length, 
 when I jumped up, my head coming within half a foot of the 
 roof of the cavern. Plucking two pistols out of my belt, I 
 cried out to them to tarry, holding a weapon in each hand that 
 the entire company might have a sight of them. They did 
 stop short, indeed, gravely startled by this apparition ; but in a 
 moment Captain Pringle, who formed one of the number, gave 
 vent to a cry of delight, and waved his uninjured arm in 
 rapture. 
 
 " Found ! " he exclaimed with malicious joy, and straight- 
 way began to dance. 
 
 They stood watching me with an apprehensive eye for the 
 pistols. 
 
 " Approach not a step nearer, or I put a bullet through the 
 foremost man," I shouted. 
 
 " Who will draw the badger?" asked the captain, his joy 
 cut short at this defiance. 
 
 None of them seemed willing to undertake this ticklish task, 
 least of all Master Pringle himself. They stood and took 
 counsel one with another as to the best means of laying hands 
 upon me. 
 
 " Shoot him," said one. 
 
 " Ay, ay," assented two or three. 
 
 " Nay, my lads," quoth the captain, " that will not do ; 'twill 
 l)e a clear hundred out of our pockets. Did not Sir Nicholas 
 Marvin offer us one hundred pounds if we took him dead, and 
 two hundred should we take him alive, so that he might be 
 placed in the felon's box, and die a felon's death ? No, 
 methinks it will ne'er do to shoot him ; best take him alive." 
 
 " But how ? " they asked. 
 
 The little captain knitted his brows and stared at me in deep- 
 est thought. 
 
 For my part, to stand there watching them decide my fate 
 was the reverse of cheerful. Still, I had already made up my
 
 THE FUGITIVE. 217 
 
 mind that, should they advance to take me, I would shoot down 
 as many as I could. I was a desperate man brought to bay. 
 
 At length Master Pringle spoke, and he sent a chill through 
 all my bones as the words issued from his lips. 
 
 " Tell you what, my lads," he grinned, " we will earn every 
 groat of our guerdon. We will ne'er leave this place till he 
 surrenders. We'll pitch a little tent across the opening against 
 yonder bushes, then he can't escape ; and so will starve him out! 
 One of you shall mount guard close by him in the night, and 
 the moment he falls asleep he is ours. If three days doesn't 
 settle him, I'll pay for a gallon o' sack." 
 
 " Bravo, captain ! " 
 
 " It's the head there, d'ye see ? You fellows would ne'er 
 have thought o' that in a month. But, by my troth, 'twill be a 
 sweet revenge. Master Black Ned, what say you ? A sweet re- 
 venge, you'll admit. I promised I would pay thee for that small 
 affair the other night, and, so help me God ! I will. I'm re- 
 puted smart at repaying those kind of debts ; thou dost not. 
 play Joshua Pringle many such pranks. Good friend, how 
 happy you will be to lie there foodless and sleepless. My eye, 
 friend, you will enjoy yourself ! And then there'll be a lovely 
 rope waiting to stretch that neck o' thine, and a beautiful gib- 
 bet for thy bones to rot in. And remember, we shall receive 
 three hundred pounds for this little business two hundred 
 from Sir Nicholas Marvin, the best-hearted man in the county, 
 and another hundred tacked on by the neighboring gentry. 'Pon 
 honor, friend, we will drink thy health wi' it blithely, and wish 
 thee a pleasant journey through the valley of the shadow." 
 
 The man's maleficence was disgusting as he danced before 
 me, in heathenish glee. To cut short his foul exultation, I 
 shouted 
 
 " Hold, you little hound of hell, or I put a bullet through 
 you ! " 
 
 I raised my pistol to get a sight of him as I spoke, and three 
 parts made up my mind to shoot him dead. Mayhap in the 
 end 'twould have saved me much anxiety had I done so, yet I 
 can never be too thankful I had not his blood upon my soul. 
 'Tis vile enough to be a thief, yet how much worse to be a mur- 
 derer 1 My attitude silenced the creature, but forthwith they 
 proceeded to take measures to starve me into surrender. They 
 could with ease have shot me, but the thoughts of that other 
 hundred pounds made them anxious to take me alive if possible. 
 This was a further proof of the thirst for vengeance that pos- 
 sessed the knight. He was not satisfied that I should lose my
 
 2 18 MISTRESS DORO THY MARVIN. 
 
 life, but I must lose it in the direst shame and ignominy, at the 
 hands of the common hangman. 
 
 One of the King's men was ordered to fetch a tent, and to 
 call his remaining comrades hither, whilst the rest stayed to 
 maintain a watchful guard upon me. Ere nightfall ? spacious 
 canvas covering had been erected at the mouth of the "goyal," 
 wherein the whole crew lay drinking, playing, and waiting. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 THE STRANGE ADVENTURE OF THE " GOYAL." 
 
 To lie cooped up in that rocky crevice, and to know that 
 when I came forth out of it into the world of men I must do so 
 to a shameful death, was a revolting reflection. Escape was 
 impossible ; my captors were in possession of the only exit. 
 Even had I a rope, it would have availed nothing, as there was 
 no means of securing it at the top of the rocks, whilst to climb 
 up without such aid was quite beyond the range of possibility, 
 since on the unbroken expanse of cliff there was nought to 
 offer any foothold. The soldiers knew this, and therefore the 
 whole crew made high holiday as they awaited my surrender. 
 Not that this joviality offered the slightest hope of amendment 
 in my fortunes. They were far too alert for me to steal a 
 march upon them. Faith ! three hundred pounds had made 
 them zealous servants of the King. They troubled their heads 
 little about their prisoner, knowing thoroughly well that flesh 
 and blood is no match for hunger, thirst, and lack of sleep. 
 
 Twice during my first night's vigil I saw a man's blurred 
 shadow issue from the darkness. Evidently a soldier was listen- 
 ing for any sonorous sounds, so that he might seize me. How- 
 ever, I drove him away with threats on each occasion. This 
 served to prove that I should be their prey the moment I 
 yielded to the wiles of slumber. Herein lay my chief concern ; 
 in the matter of food, I might have defied them for a week, be- 
 cause I was sufficiently supplied ; yet the mere thought of going 
 without sleep for such a period was torture. Truly I must 
 soon give in ; but, in despite of that, with a vain, pig-headed 
 pertinacity, I was determined to hold out as long as I was 
 able. 
 
 The King's men had brave times ; 'twas pleasant enough for 
 them. They basked in the sun, or slept through the daytime,
 
 THE STRANGE ADVENTURE OF THE " GOYAL." 219 
 
 gambled and caroused all night, and made the silent hills re- 
 echo with their songs, their oaths, and their Bacchanalian 
 laughter. As for me, I declare that I had a very sober time 
 indeed, and an intensely bitter one. Conscience is a coward ; 
 'twill not attack a man when he is hale and free in limb and 
 mind, as at such a time it is likely to be worsted. No, that is 
 not at all its method. Watchfully, stealthily, 'twill wait till its 
 opponent lies weak and spent ; then like a demon it comes 
 from a cobwebbed-corner in the brain, and sallies forth to tan- 
 talize its victim. And, oh ! the promises for future amendment 
 it will extort at such triumphant times, for, like all cowards, it 
 rides with a high hand in the hour of victory. Nevertheless 
 these fair promises are forgotten when the penitent regains his 
 rude, corporeal vigor. 
 
 Were I only to set down here a tenth part of what transpired 
 in my mind during these moments of repentance, straightway ye 
 would call me names, and account me the sorriest of story- 
 tellers. There is but one of these things I will mention, 
 and that shall be the bitterest. I had been the dupe of love. 
 Whether this contingency arose through the machinations of 
 God or the devil 'twas more than I was capable of fathoming ; 
 yet I never doubted its unpalatable truth. Here had I wasted 
 months of time and energy on a hopeless thing, and was con- 
 demned to die spurned and cursed by the one for whom I might 
 have sold my so'ul. Furthermore, but for this love which had 
 so befooled me, I should have carried out Tobe Hancock's 
 wishes, and have quitted the country. Oh, blind, blind fool ! 
 thrice-duped idiot ! to clutch after a Will o' the Wisp till it leads 
 you into a bog, only for it to dance away as you feel the black 
 slough closing above your head, and as life is ebbing from you ! 
 Oh, blind, insensate fool ! Yet, stay, why this to do ? Every 
 fool doth advertise his name when he is called upon to pay for 
 all his folly ; I suppose 'tis then for the first time that he re- 
 alizes that " fool " should have been his natal title. This was 
 the wearing of the mind and of the body, methinks something 
 of the bitterness of death cankered it. 
 
 My plight was pitiable ; being compelled to lie hours in a 
 narrow place, with limbs cramped, tongue parched, and eyes 
 destitute of sleep. Times without number I made up my mind 
 to leave this pestilential shelter and give myself up to the sol- 
 diers of the King. Aught was better than this cruel state. 
 Yet no sooner did I get my limbs a trifle stretched by standing 
 up prior to going out, than once more my heart failed, and I 
 returned to voluntary captivity. Thus must I linger till the
 
 220 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 time when nature would have her way, then perforce I should 
 pass into the hands of justice. 
 
 On the morning of the third day I had lain without sleep, a 
 new idea came into my head and a welcome one. A bullet 
 through the brain methought would settle all things sublunary. 
 Thereupon I hugged the weapon to my breast, and blessed it 
 by the kindly name Deliverer. By its aid I might escape the 
 gallows, and the gaping grinning crowd ; and thus balk the 
 knight, and so be saved ignominy. Verily this idea in itself 
 was heartsome. I set about reckoning the time I had left to 
 live. One more night, and this same day, methought I could 
 keep awake perhaps twenty hours in all. Twenty hours to 
 make my peace with God ! At once I knew I could not do it 
 in the time. Most folk do not trouble about the hereafter till 
 they meet it face to face ; and tho' I was one of that procras- 
 tinating tribe, and had to die a thief, and by my own hand, try 
 as I might I could not think of hell and heaven. God knows 
 I sought to do; still it was in vain ; I even had no words to 
 form a prayer with. 
 
 I lay all through the day tossing on the bed of heather, lost 
 in a kind of stupor, thinking of nothing at all, with my eyes 
 fixed on the stern impassive rocks. The sun dipped gradu- 
 ally in its grandeur, till the purple flecked the sky; 'twas the 
 last sunset. I did not cry nor moan by this, nor roll and toss 
 about, having done with such emotions. I only lay with lips 
 cracked with thirst, heavy eyes, and the pistol soothing my hot 
 cheek with the stolid coldness of its iron. 
 
 As the evening came the sky clouded over, and a breeze 
 sprang up from the southwest. Once or twice I saw the 
 prowling shadows of the watchful soldiery close at hand ; but 
 had the strength to cry out, and threaten them with my pistols, 
 whereupon they retired to their game. The rain began to 
 patter down, and this gave me a little vigor as I sucked the 
 raindrops, whilst they bathed my brow. Being thus revived I 
 felt more energy for a while, and commenced to think again, 
 not of eternity, but of my ride one morning in the spring, when 
 I sought to break my neck. Also of another ride a month 
 agone in the furious storm, when I rode my brave horse till he 
 died. There I had the beginning and the ending. Perchance, 
 after all, death did not seem so grim and terrible. 
 
 I and my kind companion, the pistol, lay there that last night 
 side by side. It, cold, callous, without feelings, without emo- 
 tions, yet with the gentlest pity ; I, calm, with neither joy nor 
 cure ; waiting for my merciful servant to perform its office.
 
 THE STRANGE ADVENTURE OF THE GOYAL." 221 
 
 Soon Ned Armstrong, thief, with Death at his elbow, fell into 
 a kind of half-unconsciousness. Once I gave a horrible start 
 and shivered. 'Twas the face of Judge Jeffreys peering through 
 the gloom. I saw his eyes, his glaring wolf-like countenance, 
 his huge periwig, the white powder snowing out of it ; and his 
 square murderous jowl. I saw myself down on my knees be- 
 fore my father's gibbet tree ; heard it creak in the wind, and 
 heard the scream of the carrion bird, as it flew into the boding 
 night. The raindrops mingled lovingly with the wind soughing 
 in the valley, and murmured sweet harmonious music ; a gentle 
 soothing rhapsody ; a surcease from sorrow ; from hate and 
 love. 
 
 Mine eyes kept closing as though pulled together by an un- 
 seen hand. There was no light in the sky, no object visible 
 through the darkness ; all things around were tragically silent, 
 and the night fell like a terrifying pall of black. 'Twas a fitting- 
 night to die in. Suddenly I raised my arms and shivered ; I 
 could not keep my eyes open. The time had now arrived when 
 the friendly pistol was to prove its worth. I stretched my hand 
 out and got the iron thing within my grasp, stroked the loaded 
 barrel ; and my fingers touched the easy trigger. Here I 
 closed my eyes, slowly raised the barrel to my forehead ; but 
 during the performance of this reluctant act I thought of her 
 who had saved me from myself ; who had lifted me out of utter 
 depths of infamy. I thought of her who had inspired me to hate 
 my fallen state, who had made me feel the happiness of living; 
 of her who had made me more fit to behold my Maker. Then 
 I felt the cruel stroke, and thought 'twas good to die ; but 
 directly saw her bleeding arm, and changed my mind. After 
 that I grew maudlin, like the heroes in the fourth-rate tragedies 
 of the playhouse. Would she be glad to know that I was 
 dead ? or would she weep ? Would she hate me still ? or 
 would she hate herself? Or would ? 
 
 Here the wily demon sleep took hold of me, and for a time I 
 had no care for earth, or hell or heaven. I became conscious 
 again with a violent start. There was a hand on my sleeve. 
 Oh joy ! the pistol still nestled in my fingers. 
 
 " Who are you ? " 
 
 " Hush, Ned," said a soft voice. 
 
 Hereupon methought my reason had surely gone. A hand 
 was laid on the back of mine, and another " hush " was breathed 
 within my ears. 
 
 " Dorothy, is it thee ? or am I mad, or am I dreaming?" 
 
 " Poor lad ! Here, drink this ! "
 
 222. MfSTKESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 Without any manner of doubt it was Mistress Dorothy Marvin 
 down here in the " goyal," and on her knees at my side. To 
 prove it was no phantasy of madness, I felt a phial as plain as 
 ever mortal did, and also raised it to my lips, and gulped the 
 spirit down. 
 
 " Whither hast thou come ? " I asked in a sort of hopeful 
 fear. 
 
 " I have come to save thee, Ned. For the love of Heaven, 
 make no noise." 
 
 I was fully awake by this, tho' if ever a man was wideawake 
 when he thought he wasn't, then without doubt that man was 
 Edward Armstrong. 
 
 " Have you the strength to follow me ? " she asked. 
 
 " That I have," said I, in a sudden thrill of vigor. " I will 
 follow thee anywhere away from this accursed hole." 
 
 "Well, then, if thou hast the strength, and art noiseless and 
 very speedy, thou art worth a many dead men yet." 
 
 " But how, mistress ? " I whispered in amaze. 
 
 "A rope dangles from the cliff. If you climb that you are 
 safe. Come, take another draught, and follow at my heels, and 
 speak no word." 
 
 Carefully I took the charge out of the loaded pistol my 
 true friend and stuck the weapon under my cloak. Then, 
 afire with eagerness, I followed this good angel of deliverance. 
 She led me to the wall of the rock, and slowly and cautiously 
 made her way, feeling for the rope at every yard. 'Twas so 
 dark that, though I was hard by her elbow all the while, her 
 form was but a shadow. Suddenly she stopped and said 
 " Hush ! " into my ear again. 
 
 " The sentinel is lying here. Stride over him," she whis- 
 pered. 
 
 I felt a strange sensation, yet just then, my guide took a wide 
 step, and I beheld a dark mass lying at my feet. I did as I 
 was bidden, so strode clear of it ; and followed in the wake of 
 my deliverer. Soon I found her standing still, a few yards dis- 
 tant ; she had discovered the end of the rope. As I came up 
 she gave the hempen strands into my hand. 
 
 '' Up you get, sir ! " she said shortly. 
 
 " What, and leave you till the last ? Nay, nay, mistress, that 
 cannot be. After you." 
 
 " Don't be a fool ! " 
 
 Her tone was very low, but particularly fierce, and admitted 
 of no controversy. It had more resolution and courage in it, 
 than ever I've heard from the mouth of woman.
 
 THE STRANGE ADVENTURE OF THE " GOYAL." 
 
 223 
 
 " Now, look alive, Ned, and get to the top. 'Twill be easy 
 climbing, for there is a big knot for every four feet of rope." 
 
 'Twas as she had said, therefore the ascent was easy of 
 accomplishment. In no time my feet touched the firm ground 
 above, and a moment later, swifter than ever, Dorothy came 
 up hand over hand and stood beside me. 
 
 " Quick, and help me unfasten this rope," she commanded. 
 
 Verily, she was like three men rolled into one just then ; she 
 had thought for everything. Her voice was a leader's voice, 
 although so hushed, and her courage was truly marvellous. 
 'Twas a pity she was not a man, else she must have been a 
 great one. The rope had been secured to a strong stake 
 planted firmly in the ground ; but in a minute it was untied, 
 whereupon we drew the whole length out of the jaws of the 
 goyal, and left it in a coil on the top of the precipice. 
 
 " There ! " she exclaimed breathlessly, " we may tarry now. 
 The King's men will have to walk round for a good half-mile 
 to get on our track. Thou art saved, Ned." 
 
 'Twas too dark for us to make our way with certainty, as 
 such was the blackness of the night, that we had to plant one 
 foot carefully before the other, lest we tripped over some bush 
 or boulder in our path. 
 
 " Best take our time," she remarked, still keeping sole com- 
 mand ; " they have not yet discovered that the bird hath flown, 
 and when they do, they will ne'er be able to follow in the 
 dark." 
 
 " Mistress," said I, unconsciously leaning on this splendid 
 creature, as the weak ever do on the strong, " whither must I 
 flee ? I know of no place of refuge. They will surely retake 
 me ere long." 
 
 " Pish ! " she cried contemptuously; "you talk like a man, 
 and with only a man's wit. 'Tis lucky for you, sir, that I'm a 
 woman, and with a woman's ingenuity," and she gave a little 
 inward trill even at so supreme a moment it seemed she had 
 not forgotten the usages of laughter. " Now," she added, " I'll 
 wager they never find thee. I have gotten the very best 
 hiding-place for thee in the kingdom." 
 
 My heart leaped into my mouth at these noble words, for 
 noble they truly were. A sense of awe of this girl was growing 
 upon me. Could this be the light-hearted, laughing madcap ? 
 the slenderly wrought Mistress Marvin, with the maid's phy- 
 sique ? 'Twas her voice that whispered thro' the gloom ; but 
 the spirit that burned, and glowed, and throbbed behind it 
 would have honored indomitable Ulysses.
 
 224 MISTRESS DOROTHY MAKV1X. 
 
 " We had best make slowly for the east, Ned, then we shall 
 be following our course. 'Tis a rare piece of luck not having 
 to cross their path to reach our place of succor." 
 
 After she had spoken thus we walked on in silence, side by 
 side, yet very carefully. 'Twas still raining, and to prove this 
 was no dream, several of the drops (with malice aforethought) 
 found their way down my back and made me shiver. And so real 
 was that shiver that I'll swear mortal ne'er had one so natural 
 in sleep. We went forward for a quarter of an hour in silence. 
 She did not say a word, whilst I felt strangely overcome by the 
 sense of the noble thing she had done for me, of all men in the 
 world, and also by the way in which she had done it. Truly 
 she was her father's daughter. That night's splendid work 
 proved to me at least, despite her feminine exterior, that she 
 had more of the lion in her than the lamb. Yet stay, I run too 
 fast. 
 
 We went on saying nothing for a quarter of an hour ; but at 
 the end of that time the voice of Mistress Dorothy Marvin of 
 Kelston Manor (not her of the hills) quavered 
 
 " Keep close by me, Ned. I feel unwell." 
 
 A moment later she cried out, gasping 
 
 " Oh, Ned, I feel so strange. My knees are knocking. I 
 believe I am about to fall. I I oh dear ! " 
 
 I caught sight of her swaying in the darkness, so instantly 
 put my arms around her, and supported her. She lay like 
 lead in them. Tenderly I placed her on a hillock, and searched 
 about her person for the spirits, and in doing so made another 
 discovery, to wit, that she wore the garb she had done at Bru- 
 ton. By force of patience I found the phial, and ere long 
 brought her back to sensibility. Having quite recovered, we 
 sat down together, side by side, on the wet hills, and waited 
 for the first fleck of dawn that we might pursue the way. 
 
 " Ned," quoth Mistress Marvin of the manor, " I prithee do 
 not laugh at me, but I feel a dreadful baby. Fancy to act 
 like that. Why I simply might have beaten all the King's men 
 myself, I felt so full of pluck, and then to make myself a fool 
 now all is over. My word ! old daddy would ne'er forget it 
 did he but know I so demeaned myself ; tho' I promise thee, 
 Ned, he shall not know a word of this night's doings from any 
 lips of mine.'' 
 
 " Mistress Dorothy," I said, though I know not whence came 
 the strength or the courage to speak, " I am unworthy to talk 
 to you." 
 
 " Oh, I'm a goddess, am I ? "
 
 THE STRANGE ADVENTURE OF THE " GOYAL." 225 
 
 " I have deceived you and the knight, your father," I con- 
 tinued lamely, " and yet you have risked your own life twice 
 to save my worthless one. I cannot thank you ; I know not 
 how." 
 
 " Did I ask you to ? " she asked pertinently ; and then 
 enunciated " bah ! " so bewitchingly that I felt a great regret 
 and that was because I could not see the expression on her 
 face. " But I am sure," she said, " you are desperately curious 
 to learn what hath brought this night's doings about; so, to 
 while away the time, I'll tell you." 
 
 " Mistress, methinks I am in a dream. I cannot grasp what 
 hath just occurred. 'Twill be but another debt I owe should 
 you make matters more clear to me." 
 
 " Look here, Ned Armstrong, if I hear another word about 
 your debts, you shan't have a single word from me. However," 
 she said, beginning the narrative, "you are quite aware of the 
 awful animosity papa bears against you. 1 love him dearly, 
 ay, more than I can really tell ; yet I dread his hatred. When 
 he doth get a notion into his head that he hath been wronged, 
 then no earthly power will prevent him seeking vengeance. 
 And his vengeance is terrible ; he frightens me when he gets 
 like he did on the night of your confession, and ever since he 
 hath sworn your death. He declared to me, morning, noon, 
 and night, he would ne'er rest till you had died on the gallows. 
 This he swore that night, and swears the same to this hour; 
 thus no sooner did the King's men arrive with the warrant for 
 your apprehension, than he jumped about like a youngster who 
 hath ne'er known the gout. Many a time had he cursed his 
 own soft-heartedness (as he called it), in not killing you when 
 he had the chance, and when these fellows from London came, 
 he straightway sent for them, and offered the terms all the 
 county wots of. He hath lent three of our serving-men to go' 
 help and seek you, and, in fact, when his foot hath been well 
 enough, he has e'en gone abroad himself for that same pur- 
 pose. Since their coming he hath had nought but you in his 
 head, and I tell you, Ned, I have spent more than one night 
 sleepless, thinking of his dreadful threats. 
 
 "Well, the most terrible thing happened this morning. That 
 wretched Captain Pringle came in high glee, and gave father a 
 full account of how they had got you like a 'badger in a hole.' 
 He told him how they were bound to starve you out ere long, 
 and the two of them seemed so delighted over it, that I could 
 not bear to be in the room and hear them. It made me des- 
 perate to think of you lying pent up there in that horrible hole,
 
 226 MISTRESS DOROTf/Y MARVIN. 
 
 and to know that you would ne'er come out of it only to death. 
 And I thought, Ned, what a brute 1 had been to you the night 
 you came and told us about yourself. I felt I could not rest 
 without doing something to help you. Therefore, as the cap- 
 tain returned to his comrades, I followed him at a safe distance, 
 marking my way carefully at every step, and when I came to 
 the glen peeped over the edge of the cliff at you, and saw you 
 lying there. And when I saw you, gaunt and pale, and like a 
 rat in a trap, I knew my mind was quite made up. First I 
 unrove a part of one of my stockings, tied a pebble to the end 
 of the thread, lowered it down the mouth of the gulf, and so 
 measured the height of the rocks ; and then went home, ne'er 
 said a word to anybody about the matter, but got some rope 
 about the proper length out of the hayloft, and by working 
 hard made the knots in it, and thereby also made -a sad mess 
 of my gentle maiden's fingers. Feel, sir! " 
 
 She laughingly brushed her open hands across my cheek, 
 saying, " What think you of Dorothy Marvin, martyr ? " And 
 truth to tell, in some degree she was a martyr, because her 
 fingers were very rough and blistered. 
 
 " Methought," she added, returning to the narrative, " I 
 might be perhaps a sorry climber, having had scant practice at 
 the business. But, my word, sir ! you should have seen me 
 this afternoon ! I climbed tree after tree, and swarmed the 
 rope till I could go up like a monkey. Also I was afeared you 
 might be weak and ill, therefore brought that phial with me. I 
 came away before dark hour, that I could find my way to the 
 spot with certainty. Upon arriving I fixed the stake, which I 
 brought together with the rope, and waited till nightfall. But 
 when darkness came, I am ashamed to tell you, my courage 
 failed for long enough. Every time I looked down into that 
 'black abyss I shuddered, yet after a long struggle smothered 
 my fears and descended. That done I felt equal to anything ; 
 and verily should have been abashed at nought, I felt that bold 
 and strong. Just then a sentinel came up, so I crouched down 
 in the shadow of the rock, and as I did so my fingers lit on a 
 piece of stone, whereat I happened to remember old daddy's 
 maxim, 'that in war time 'tis your first duty to beat the enemy; 
 and that it is a commendable plan if the said enemy be in your 
 power to kill him first, and beg his pardon afterwards.' Now, 
 as that prowling sentry must certainly mar the scheme, I simply 
 gave him a little tap behind the ear as papa hath often told of 
 doing. Of course, I meant not to kill him, and God forgive me 
 for laying hands upon him ! but methinks he surely will not
 
 THE STRANGE ADVENTURE OF THE " GOYAL." 
 
 22 7 
 
 die. 'Twas such a lady's tap, though wondrous neat of exe- 
 cution." 
 
 "Dorothy," said I, almost afraid of my mine own boldness, 
 " would you like to hear the story of my downfall ? " 
 
 " Ned. I have sought to divine your past these many days. I 
 could wish for nought better than to hear the story from your 
 lips." 
 
 With that I told her all in an honest manner. And the more 
 I told her the easier the narrative became, for I felt the listener 
 was sympathetic ; and somehow it fell out that when the first 
 streaks of day appeared, and the east grew gray, the hand of 
 Black Ned lay in that of Mistress Dorothy Marvin. 
 
 As soon as there was light enough to proceed on our way, we 
 set out for the promised place of refuge. I asked the maiden 
 whither it lay, but she only laughed and bid me follow, and she 
 would lead me to it. The rain had ceased falling now, and we 
 stepped out briskly over the glistening heather. 
 
 Certes ! she appeared a curious creature in her man's attire ; 
 but it did not ill-become her. Besides, her steps were so light 
 and supple, her courage so bold, and 'her spirit so high and 
 noble, that she might have donned it always, and without the 
 least assumption. Once, however, she chanced to see me look- 
 ing at her, and thereupon flushed up red as fire. This greatly 
 disconcerted me, for 1 immediately remembered why she was 
 wearing such habiliments ; thus wished a hundred times I had 
 not been caught a-staring. We trudged along straight to the 
 manor gates, and these lay before us ere the sun had climbed 
 over the ridge of the horizon. 
 
 I stopped at sight of them. 
 
 " Stay, mistress ! " I cried, " methinks I am nearer the enemy 
 than ever. I must go no farther if I am really to save my neck." 
 
 " Silence, sir ; no questions, I beg. Am 1 not the leader of 
 this enterprise ? Therefore, obey your superior officer." 
 
 I did so, and then the meaning dawned upon my heavy 
 understanding. She proceeded directly in among the under- 
 growth and brushwood into the thickest depths of the spinney; 
 I ever at her heels. She took me among branches and 
 brambles, stout thickets, close-grown clumps of timber and wild 
 masses of herbage. Such sequestered spots among this little 
 wood she led me to that I had ne'er visited before ; and often- 
 times we were so close beset with briers that our hands and 
 cloaks were torn, and it was with difficulty that we saved our 
 faces. At last we came to a spot more thickly entangled still. 
 This appeared truly impassable, of such height, strength, and
 
 228 MISTRESS DORO THY MARVIN. 
 
 vastness was the intermingled density of verdure ; and so great 
 was the power of its resistance, that it would have taken more 
 than one man to have overcome it. 
 
 The maid, however, had a path at her disposal, as after a 
 strict scrutiny of the landmarks, she parted a group of bushes 
 some yards to her left hand ; and thereby revealed a hidden 
 opening. Thro' this we went and found a space splendidly for- 
 tified by impenetrable shrubs; and as I stood in the middle of 
 this rare hiding-place I tossed up my hat for joy, because the 
 prospect meant life to a hunted man. 
 
 It was very gloomy by reason of the leafy covering overhead, 
 and the great strong blocks of brier and bramble on every side. 
 There was, perhaps, twenty feet of clear grass, and to show yet 
 another instance of my deliverer's forethought, there reposed 
 two thick rugs on the ground, and upon raising them a basket 
 of food and drink was disclosed to view. Without parley, I let 
 loose my famished self and greedily attacked this blessed store, 
 and Dorothy worthily seconded my efforts. 
 
 " Ned, methinks this is the finest hiding-place in the king- 
 dom," she said between the mouthfuls. " One would think Sir 
 Nicholas Marvin's estate to be the least likely spot in all the 
 world to find Black Ned." 
 
 " Take back the foul blow, the coward's blow, I gave that 
 hateful night," the sweet-blooded girl implored with peculiar 
 timidity two hours after our arrival, as she left me alone, still a 
 free man in body. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 A LESSON IN THE LOST ART OF MANAGING WOMANKIND. 
 
 I MADE no answer to those last words of Mistress Marvin's ; 
 any reply of mine would have been inadequate. She left me, 
 promising to return ere the day was out to bring more food. 
 
 What with one thing and another my brain had been turned 
 into a bewildered chaos. 'Twas hard indeed to realize that I 
 was safe, that I had balked and evaded the King's men entirely, 
 and still had my limbs unfettered. A fierce longing grew up 
 within me to accomplish some great deed for the behoof of my 
 rescuer. Just then I should not have accounted life too dear a 
 price to have paid for such a blessed privilege. I was nearly 
 mad with joy. After all the maid had dared and done for me, 
 who could doubt that she returned my love ? Yet that was
 
 THE LOST ART OF MANAGING WOMANKIND. 229 
 
 merely an argument of youth. A man more advanced in years 
 one with a less supply of good blood and that far more 
 sluggish might have known that the whole sex of womankind 
 is ne'er so strong in kindness nor so prone to noble deeds as 
 when pity hath entered into its heart. 
 
 And Dorothy Marvin pitied me, though I fail to discover any 
 good reason for her state of mind. With far better reason she 
 might have stuck to her revilings, for truth to tell, in my secret 
 heart (which kept rising uppermost as cork will in water), I 
 felt myself to be the most miserably weak and paltry creature 
 ever man did feel in a woman's presence. To me she seemed 
 to possess all the manliness. She was so strong, so indomi- 
 table, so fearless ! And I, knowing this much of her, felt all 
 the smaller and meaner for the knowledge. 
 
 The maid was as good as her word, for that afternoon, as I 
 sat with my back against the tree, in the midst of my gloomy 
 retreat, I caught a glimpse of lustrous eyes glowing through the 
 bushes. Next moment Mistress Marvin stood beside me. 
 
 " Here I am," she said gayly ; "and oh, Ned, methinks thou 
 wilt bless me ten thousand times. See here, sir, what I have 
 for thee ! " 
 
 She had brought a full basket with her. Very deftly she 
 whisked away the cloth at the top and produced a rare roll of 
 tobacco, a pipe, and a dozen cigarros. 
 
 " There, sir, what do you say to that ? Are they not a brave 
 sight ? I stole them when Sir Nicholas went to sleep. Oh, 
 Ned, I am behaving very monstrous by my old father ! This 
 morning that rascally Captain Pringle came with the wriest face 
 I've seen for many a day, and told papa that you had escaped 
 them, and that he knew not how. And when he had told it 
 all, he burst out a-cursing, and then old dad went black in the 
 face. He seized hold of the little captain and howled at him, 
 ' Sayest thou sooth, little rat?' The King's man answered that 
 'twas only too true, and swore louder than ever. And then, 
 Ned, you'd have laughed your ribs sore had you but seen it, 
 for my gouty old father cried, ' A kick for a curse, you fool ; ' 
 and lifted him with his sound foot bang against the wall. But 
 poor daddy is in a terrible way. He hath done nought but rave 
 since he heard the news, and only to think his own daughter is 
 at the bottom of it, and you biding on his own estate. 'Twould 
 be a joke indeed, if he were not so genuinely angry. Oh, Ned, 
 I am a double-faced sinner ! I am behaving very wickedly, for 
 he is the very kindest of fathers. I do believe if he knew, he 
 would ne'er forgive me ! "
 
 230 MISTRESS DOKO THY MA R VIN. 
 
 Her bright face clouded all at once, and there came a look 
 of trouble on it. All the same, I held mine own opinion as to 
 the kindliness and the fatherly qualities of Sir Nicholas Marvin. 
 It ever passes my comprehension why this maid should have 
 had no other feelings than the very deepest love and veneration 
 for the callous old war-dog. 
 
 "Hast heard, mistress, what they purpose doing next?" I 
 inquired. 
 
 " Alas," she replied, laughing again, " they are determined 
 not to let the matter rest, and Sir Nicholas hath added another 
 hundred pounds to what he hath already offered. Captain 
 Pringle hath a very strong idea you are still lying in hiding in 
 the hills; yet, Ned, I have a notion that you and- 1 might be 
 able to prove him wrong." 
 
 She was all gayety for the moment, and so arch and delight- 
 ful was her demeanor, that I sighed to think what a rare prize 
 she was, and how far she lay beyond my reach. Therein lay 
 the gall which would forever dash the cup of delight with 
 bitterness. Maybe that sigh of mine was infectious, for directly 
 after, my companion fetched one just as heartfelt on her own 
 account, and once more the laughter left her eyes. 
 
 " Ay, Ned, I too am sorrowful. Sometimes when I think of 
 what threatens me, I feel as though, like King What's-his-name, 
 I can ne'er smile again. Perchance it may grieve you too, Ned, 
 for 'twill be my wedding-day, come a week to-morrow." 
 
 "What!" I exclaimed, sore taken aback. Just then I had 
 forgotten that wretched Frenchman. 
 
 " You may well cry out, lad. At times I feel beside myself 
 about it. Married in a week to a jabbering, shoulder-shrugging 
 Frenchman. Ugh, horrible ! Now, I might have abided a 
 reasonable Englishman, but a Frenchman, never ! I'm weary 
 to death of that country, yet when I'm wedded to my cousin, M. 
 de Crois, I shall have to return to France with him. Sir Nicholas 
 hath declared I must marry him ; he hath given my hand to 
 him, and swears on oath he will make me. I've coaxed him, 
 and defied him, and threatened him, and beseeched him, but 
 he will list to nought at all." 
 
 All at once her face was lit with passion. She rose suddenly, 
 and commenced walking round and round the little clearing 
 like a caged animal. 
 
 " I love my father ! " she exclaimed, half to me, half to her- 
 self. " I adore my father. I revere the very ground he treads. 
 But I'll not be driven. No, I won't ! I hate De Crois, I hate 
 the man I hate him ! "
 
 THE LOST ART OF MANAGING WOMANKIND. 231 
 
 The poor, torn creature burst into frenzied sobs of anger, and 
 forced her body through the gap in the brushwood, and went 
 away and left me miserable. Forgetting danger, I went after 
 her to try and proffer comfort, because 'twas more than I could 
 endure to see her so. Yet, quick as I was, she was already 
 yards away, and before I was able to get to her she had reached 
 the border of the copse, where, to my terror, she came face to 
 face upon her father. Instantly I flung myself face foremost in 
 the thicket grass, and luckily the knight, being so much occupied 
 with his young daughter, did not notice me. 
 
 " Hillo, Obstinate," he growled at sight of her, " what art 
 doing here ?" 
 
 " Nothing, sir." 
 
 " You look exceeding amiable, my pretty lady," said he sar- 
 castically ; " but ne'er mind, the dressmakers are coming to- 
 morrow to start upon your wedding clothes." 
 
 The maid gave vent to a most unfeminine speech. 
 " Save your money, sir, save your money ! " she replied fiercely. 
 " I don't want new dresses. Finery will but mock me. A week 
 to-morrow, I shall be nought better than a beggar at a feast. 
 Why do you force me into this thing ? I hate De Crois ! I hate 
 him!" 
 
 " So you still harp on the old string," he returned, an ugly 
 rasp in his voice. " I tell you straight, wench, my patience hath 
 nearly fled. I do all I can, and this is my thanks. I am far too 
 lenient. In my young days, I should have given ye a sound 
 thrashing for one half the tongue I have had from you. And 
 'twill come to it yet, mark my words, 'twill come to it yet ! 
 Years gone by strapping fellows six feet four in their stockings 
 have had to obey my every word. Did they cavil and sulk ? 
 Did they say that they wanted to do this, and wanted to do that ? 
 Well, now I come to think, one of 'em did, and, by St. Louis, I 
 had the skin flayed off his back within a quarter of an hour 
 afterwards. Ods my life ! 'twill come to it yet ! " 
 
 He emphasized this by tapping his stick on the ground. The 
 maid looked at him boldly ; the threat cut her pride. Her eyes 
 defied him as she answered 
 
 " That's all very well, sir, but I am your daughter. You 
 would never clare " 
 
 " Dare ? Don't you talk to me about daring. I tell you, 
 you slim, pretty Good-for-naught, I have had about enough of 
 your airs and graces. 'Tis quite plain I have pampered you till 
 I've made you a fool, and now you are trying to make me one.
 
 232 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 Nice thing, very ! Who are you that presumes to bandy words 
 with the man who hath led the finest cavalry in Europe ? " 
 
 " Your daughter, sir," she said simply but defiantly. 
 
 Her courage touched me, for the knight was getting angrier 
 every moment. This was evident by his liberal oaths, and the 
 rapid workings of his face. Yet the maid drew herself up very 
 rigid, and eyed him calmly, unflinchingly. 
 
 " Alack," he retorted, "you are my daughter, worse luck ! 
 And a pretty creature you are, are you not ? A brave branch 
 from a worthy tree ? You who are sick at a drop of blood, you 
 who are afeared of a grain of salt, you who faint over a sword- 
 thrust in the arm, and weep over it afterwards. Alack, you 
 are my daughter! I' faith, Heaven owes me'a grudge to 
 send me a poor, puny, white-livered, milk-and-water chit of a 
 wench, that's only good to cry, and to show impudence towards 
 her betters men who have fought and bled for their Sov- 
 ereign, and have carved their names in history." 
 
 The man knew that he had hit her hard. Grimly he watched 
 her lower her eyes, and the blood glow in her cheeks. 
 
 " Father, did I not promise to ride to the wars with you ? 
 That doth not look as though I am afeared." 
 
 " I want deeds, not words." 
 
 " You shall have them, dear papa, if you will but give me 
 the chance." 
 
 She was trying strategy now. 'Twas exquisite to hear the 
 music of her caressing tones, and the wheedlingly graceful way 
 she used them. 
 
 " Do favor me this once, sir. Let me accompany you to 
 Holland, and I will be a credit to your name." 
 
 " Pish ! You just marry the count, and be a credit to some 
 one else's name. I'm not greedy. We will let the men of the 
 family gain honor for the House so that its women can smirch 
 it." 
 
 " Say not so, father. Please do not make me marry the 
 count, or 'twill break my very heart." 
 
 She said this pleadingly, timidly, wistfully, and put her arms 
 round his neck, kissed his cheek, and nestled her head closely 
 against his face. Was there a man alive who could resist this 
 coaxing appeal ? Apparently there was, for the knight fiercely 
 disengaged her arms from his throat, and thrust her roughly 
 from him. He shook his finger in her face, and showed his 
 stick significantly. 
 
 " Enough of this. The game is too old ; the trick is too stale. 
 This is how you have befooled me aforetime. Yet, not again ;
 
 THE LOST ART OF MANAGING WOMANKIND. 233 
 
 my mind is quite made up, and my patience exhausted. Give 
 me another word, and I'll allow you a sore back for a wedding- 
 present." 
 
 This cruel speech hurt her severely. She threw up her head, 
 and stared straight at him without a spark of fear, for him or 
 his stick either. Her face and eyes seemed filled with fire. 
 
 "Then I will say another word, sir," she cried in a voice I 
 had ne'er heard her use to him before. " I'm not a puppet ; I'm 
 not a doll stuffed with sawdust; I'm a living being. I've a 
 head and a brain and a heart like you, sir. I can think and 
 feel. I've said I don't want to marry the count ; and I'll say 
 more I won't marry the count ! " 
 
 " Mille tonnerres ! " shouted the knight at this defiance ; and he 
 grasped his stick and struck her a horrid blow on the shoulders. 
 
 'Twas but the first of many. He seized her slim wrists in his 
 one hand's devilish grip, and with the other crashed blow after 
 blow on to her defenceless body. 'Twas a brutal beating. But 
 she took it without a cry, without one plea for mercy, almost 
 without a murmur, except a few dull moans of pain. 
 
 I, lying prone in the thicket, was stunned by the sight. My 
 brain was stupefied, my limbs paralyzed ; and my entire body 
 went limp and numbed, and refused obedience to the will. And 
 though I would have forfeited my right hand to have felled the 
 wretch in his gray hairs, I could not move. This is a blot up- 
 on my manhood, at least I believe it so to be myself ; lay it to 
 the door of nature, not to mine. 
 
 "There, my beauty!" snarled the knight when he had 
 finished plying the stick, " you have had it now. Perhaps " 
 
 But he was interrupted. The girl turned on him in a fury. 
 I have ne'er seen a woman quite so beautiful. She was a tigress, 
 then, with her bosom quivering, her blood-lit face, and her 
 mercilessly cruel eyes. 
 
 "Perhaps you think I shall now marry the count. Sweet 
 Lord, will I ? " And the fearless creature stood awaiting a re- 
 newal of the blows. 
 
 But the knight was a beaten man. He stared at her as 
 though not rightly sure whether he still enjoyed his natural 
 senses. 
 
 " You young devil ! " he screeched betwixt his teeth ; then 
 turned on his heel and limped away towards the house. 
 
 His daughter fell back against a tree ; and though her nether 
 lip was twitching, she kept herself (God knows how!) from 
 weeping. Then I did the most selfish thing in all my life I 
 got up and confronted her. At sight of me she looked as 
 though I'd stuns: her.
 
 234 ATJSTKESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 " Go away," she commanded. 
 
 " Dorothy " I began. 
 
 " Go away, Ned ! " she interjected fiercely ; and brushed 
 away the tears that glistened on her eyelashes. 
 
 " Why do you cry ? " I asked, my method cruel ; my motive 
 subtle. 
 
 "I I f feel unwell," she stammered. 
 
 " Because your father beat you ? " 
 
 " Y e s, b because he beat me like a dog." 
 
 The words were wrung from her first reluctantly, then 
 suddenly; she seemed to throw them in my teeth. 
 
 " He is a brute," I said. 
 
 " 'Tis a lie ! He is the best, the noblest, kindest father in 
 the world. He hath forborne till he can forbear no longer. 
 Go away ! " 
 
 " But I must speak." 
 
 " Oh, go away ; I feel half dead. I'll come and see you soon." 
 
 For a second there was a hard struggle in this fragile maid ; 
 but all at once she dropped face downmost at my feet, and lay 
 stretched full length upon the grass ; then sobbed and sobbed 
 as though her humiliated heart must break. 
 
 I stayed and watched the tempest of her angry pain ; at first 
 with a beastlike enmity towards one man ; and it ran in my 
 mind to beard him, and make him regret his deed. But reflec- 
 tion, the destroyer of heroic notions, stopped me ; whereupon I 
 tarried still at the poor maid's side, consumed by unutterable 
 grief, with no courage in my heart to speak one word ; till my 
 blunted sensibilities discovered that my presence tortured her. 
 Thereat I slunk away, and for many hours had no other thought 
 than that of the brutality of men. 
 
 Do not think me unduly presumptuous, kinsmen, if I confess 
 that after this time of brooding woe, hope was once more 
 rekindled in me. Did I say presumptuous ? O God, who was 
 I that dared to exalt my thoughts towards her ? An outlaw, a 
 hunted criminal, a man who had to steal to obtain his bread ! 
 And yet she loved me ; I knew she loved me. There was the 
 hope, the pity, and the madness. But she loved her father also. 
 The problem was truly purgatorial ; I looked at it from every 
 side ; examined it from every point of view ; tried to grasp it 
 in the composite ; then tried to analyze it, so reduced it to 
 controversial fragments. I sought to deduce a result from bald 
 facts, and failed. There was the cold-blooded conundrum, "If 
 Ned Armstrong loves Dorothy Marvin, and Dorothy Marvin 
 loves Ned Armstrong, and Sir Nicholas Marvin hates Ned
 
 THE LOST ART OF MANAGING WOMANKIND. 235 
 
 Armstrong, what are Ned Armstrong's prospects?" 'Twas as 
 pretty a puzzle as any I've ever encountered ; but there was a 
 sort of madness underlying it. A dainty problem truly, but 
 one to send a man to Bedlam. 
 
 In the end I was thrust back upon the fundamental fact that 
 the answer lay with Dorothy herself. Thus I waited for her 
 coming. I felt that her arrival would solve it for all time. But 
 the shadows crawled across the sky, yet I saw her not. Soon 
 the darkness fell pitch black, yet still no Dorothy. The 
 suspense was torture to me, burnt with a fever of the mind. 
 Had aught befallen her ? Had the knight inflicted more bru- 
 talities upon her ? Or was she deciding on her course of action ? 
 And what would be her course of action ? Would she cleave 
 to me, or to her father ? And if she clove to me, would she 
 have the courage and the strength to successfully defy her 
 father ? Question succeeded question, thought succeeded 
 thought, and by and by fear succeeded hope. 
 
 Kinsmen, what think you of this fool and his folly ? 
 
 Hour after hour passed, and each hour seemed an epoch. 
 Still I lay, love lapt, gazing wildly upon the darkness. I saw 
 the starlight through the trees, yet never called on God. I was 
 afraid of Him; yea, just then I hated Him. The more He 
 exalted me above my fallen state, by the madness He had 
 poured inside my veins, the more He tortured me. 
 
 At last the dawn broke, and with the first streaks of it there 
 came Dorothy Marvin. I heard a rustle among the brushwood, 
 and next instant she pushed her way through the aperture. She 
 was white as death, but her mouth was firm and tight, and her 
 eyes steadfast and lustrous. I rose at once. I knew by her 
 demeanor that we had arrived at perhaps the supremest crisis 
 in our lives. 
 
 " Ah, lad," she said, "thy face betrays thee." 
 
 Her voice startled me, 'twas so charged with great emotions. 
 I tried to laugh, but could only tremble. 
 
 ;< Thou hast had never a wink of sleep this night," she said ; 
 and her tone had depths I never yet had known ; " nor have I. 
 Poor pair of storm-tossed imbeciles ! I have been struggling 
 all night long to go with my duty and my conscience. It hath 
 been as though my brain would burst through my head. I've 
 known more of hell these last few hours than ever I hope I shall 
 again. Ned," she cried, gripping my arm, and again I saw 
 how deathly white her face was, " why did you come and cut 
 my heart in two ? 'Tis you that have acquainted me with 
 sleeoless niffhts. I've throbbed as I've heard your tread ; tingled
 
 236 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 when I've heard your voice. You have enlarged my soul. 
 You've given me a new life, new thoughts, strange raptures ! 
 And you have crushed me like a worm ! You have set your 
 heel upon my heart ; you have murdered me ! " 
 
 'Twas grimly spoken ; her tone was deep and terrible. 'Twas 
 the travail of a profound abysmal nature. 
 
 " Had I ne'er seen you," she said, and her bitterness fright- 
 ened me, " I could have obeyed my father, but I cannot now. 
 You hold the key that unlocked my bosom. Ned Armstrong, 
 you madden me ! You are cruel, merciless, murderous, to make 
 me suffer so ! God, was ever maid so torn as I ! " 
 
 Here the half-wild tempestuous girl began pacing up and 
 down once more in the throes of torture. Her face, bloodless, 
 strained, and eager, looked unearthly to my sight. We were 
 both in that ecstatic state of mind when ardent creatures live a 
 lifetime in a moment. Each of us was packed with a multiplicity 
 of passion. 'Twas a time when simple souls do deal in 
 tragedies. 
 
 " Why did you trick me, cheat me, dupe me, fool me ? " she 
 cried. "Why did you come with the air of an honorable man, 
 with the mien of an honorable man ?" 
 
 " Because my love is honorable," I said with great violence. 
 
 " I know it, I know it ! I know your love is honorable. 
 There lies your brutality. You say you are a thief, a fugitive 
 from justice ! " 
 
 " And being that," I said, and my voice was bitterer than 
 verjuice, " my soul is poisoned, my virtues are polluted. Be- 
 cause I steal a purse, I cannot earn an honest groat ; because I 
 steal a purse, I cannot do a worthy deed ; because I steal a 
 purse, I cannot cherish an honorable sentiment." 
 
 "You taunt me," she said haughtily brutal. "And I will 
 not be taunted by Black Ned. You are as dirt beneath my 
 feet." 
 
 Her eyes were very cruel. 
 
 " I may be dirt ; but I will not be trampled on," I flashed 
 back savagely, then made towards the outlet. 
 
 But she was, too alert for me. She ran forward quick as 
 lightning, and set her back against it. 
 
 " You must not go ! you shall not go ! " 
 
 Knowing what I did of her, I was well aware I should have 
 been obliged to kill her to have escaped just then. I stood 
 chewing my lips ; and looked at her with unutterable scorn ; 
 being almost convulsed with rage. I forgot all her nobleness, 
 her magnanimity towards me, a thief ; I only remembered that
 
 THE LOST ART OF AI A NAG ING WOMANKIND. 237 
 
 she had flung my crimes in my teeth when she had least right 
 to do so. She knew I was entirely at her mercy ; she knew I 
 owed her more than life ; yet had put her foot upon my neck, 
 and now sought to crush the life out of me. Had she delivered 
 me from death for this ? I had a horrible desire to strangle 
 her. But quick as thought she read that devilish emotion. 
 
 " Ned Armstrong," she said simply, and though she did not 
 seem afeared, was humbler and sadder than ever before I had 
 seen her, " I've been a brute to thee, but a bigger one unto my- 
 self. I know that which Black Ned himself alone doth know. 
 Black Ned is a man of honor. Thou mayst tear my tongue out 
 an thou wilt." 
 
 She came softly from the outlet then, and left me a free 
 departure. Tear after tear dropped down her face rebellious 
 tears. She wept for her own humility. 
 
 I gazed half-stunned at the proud, passionate girl, so power- 
 ful, so wild blooded and so courageous. She was utterly crushed 
 under the weight of her humiliation. Her anger had let her take 
 a cruel advantage, and now she felt what the deed involved. 
 
 " You'll forgive me, Ned ? " she pleaded, and put one hand 
 upon my arm. 
 
 I said nothing ; being something of an egoist, I felt myself 
 much injured. But next instant it struck me that I was acting 
 like a cur. How dare I stand so much upon my dignity ? 
 
 " Mistress," I answered, " he that owes you his life twice 
 over, can ne'er have aught to forgive in you" 
 
 " Then hear me, Ned," she said, wildly earnest. " I am a 
 girl, a young and undefended girl. And thou, Ned Armstrong, 
 art a hunted criminal, a thief, an outlaw, a man attainted of high 
 treason. Thou art hounded high and low, and thy life may be 
 forfeited any moment. Thou hast no friends, no resources, 
 and can barely evade the law. Yes, I know all this, and I know 
 I shall be condemned as mad or worse. Nor do I care. I will 
 go with thee. Thou art a man of honor /" 
 
 As she spoke these words, her voice grew more and more high 
 pitched, till at last it seemed to assume a ring of triumph. 
 
 Next moment she kissed me on the lips, and afterwards stood 
 before me rigid and dauntless, her mouth firm and unflinching, 
 and her eyes wild with sparkles. 'Twas as though she were 
 invoking all the world to witness what she had done. 
 
 When she spoke again she completely startled me. 
 
 " Ned," she asked softly, " dost thou believe in God ? An' 
 thou dost, we will beg for the strength to fight our enemies." 
 
 In one hand she took a silver crucifix, which was suspended 
 16
 
 238 tVISTRKSS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 from a ribbon round her neck (being bred a Romanist), clasped 
 it in her fingers, and knelt on the ground and prayed. 
 
 I stood still and dully watched her do this. I was more a 
 sheep than a man that minute. I did not like to look at her. 
 yet did look by a sort of fascination. I was awed by this fine 
 creature's faith the faith which I had not. I was ashamed, 
 unmanned, yet almost happy. 'Twas the newest proof that she 
 could command my better nature ; had I tried I should have 
 been powerless, just then, to have fallen upon my knees, and 
 so have played the hypocrite. 
 
 Soon the girl arose, and her face was such that it did a weak- 
 ling good to see it. 
 
 " My lad," she said with a noble boldness, "you and 1 have 
 got to fight, and shall have all the world against us. Art 
 afraid ? " 
 
 " Not unless thou art." 
 
 " Thy hand," she demanded, and upon receipt of it she 
 squeezed it in a most unmaidish grip. 
 
 Kinsmen, she stood intrepidly upright, with the warlike eye 
 of some heroic deity ; waved one hand above her head, and 
 snapped her fingers at the bushes. " We shall live to treat 
 our enemies like that," she said. 
 
 It may have been bravado in her, yet I'll swear 'twas a true 
 index to her feelings at that moment. 
 
 " You understand," she said imperiously, " you and I are 
 not a pair of lovers, we are comrades. I am not your ' dear,' 
 or your 'mistress,' or your 'lady,' but your brother-in-arms. 
 A tremendous work lies before us. We must be staunch, 
 whate'er betide, and fight together. And when we've gained 
 the day, then, and not till then, can we spare time to talk of 
 love and suchlike airy nonsense." 
 
 " Airy nonsense ! " I reiterated, and, kinsmen, do you know, 
 I felt somewhat hurt and disappointed. 
 
 " Yes, yes, yes ! " she went on impatiently. " I did say ' airy 
 nonsense.' We must work first, and play when the work is 
 done. If we waste valuable hours cooing love-sick ditties, 
 and babbling midsummer sentiment, some fine morning I shall 
 be Madame la Comtesse de Crois, and you will be grinning in 
 a tight cravat at Taunton jail." 
 
 And so in lieu of a better clinching of the compact, I had to 
 be content with handshakes. 
 
 " Ned," she said, " 'twill be no fault of mine, if my father and 
 De Crois coerce me." 
 
 " But how can you hope to defeat them, and in what way can I
 
 THE LOST ART OF MANAGING WOMANKIND. 239 
 
 assist you ? " I asked, feeling suddenly how hopeless it all was, 
 and how helpless was Ned Armstrong. 
 
 " You can do but one thing for me at present, dear lad," 
 she answered with rare simplicity " that is, to nerve my cour- 
 age always to its highest pitch. I shall have great need of 
 every ounce that I possess." 
 
 " But how can you hope to thwart Sir Nicholas and the 
 count ? " I inquired, dubious though filled with admiration. 
 
 " By this," and she placed one hand upon her forehead. 
 
 " I presume that doth mean by strength of will ? " 
 
 " Faith ! thy wits are marvellously keen for so early in the 
 morning." 
 
 Her tone was prettily satirical. 
 
 " Ned," she said passion had somewhat subsided in her 
 voice "'tis a bitter thing to be in open enmity against him 
 thou hast loved, admired, and reverenced from thy babyhood. 
 'Tis a cruel thing, but what can avail me ? " 
 
 "There is one way," I insinuated. ,Kinsmen, I hope you 
 sniff this subtlety. I was deliberately encouraging her present 
 train of thought. Why ? To learn if possible the precise 
 strength of my position ; in other words, to learn the magni- 
 tude of Ned Armstrong's advantage over Sir Nicholas Marvin. 
 
 " 'Tis true," she answered sadly, not guessing aught of the 
 subtlety in question. " I have merely to marry my cousin, then 
 there would be a consummation of the peace at Kelston Manor. 
 The fatted calf would be killed, my old dad would preach ten 
 sermons on the ' young wench that went astray ; ' but he'd for- 
 give, with a grunt, his rebellious daughter. And we should 
 have the old gentleman drinking 'the health of the bride ' so 
 zestfully in brandy punch, that he'd have to be carried to bed 
 by the servants, whilst his daughter would have the consolation 
 of knowing that she had made him cheerfully drunk at the cost 
 of her lifetime's happiness. It may be selfishness, but I dare 
 not kill my soul to please my father for twenty minutes." 
 
 I was astonished at her bitterness. Yet she must have been 
 above mere mortals if, in a case so cruel, she had been free 
 of it. 
 
 "My lad," she continued, and her tone was bitterer still, 
 whilst the smile about her lips was not one that gave me pleas- 
 ure, " his worship's stick did not break his daughter's back, but 
 'twas the straw, though a somewhat weighty one, that broke the 
 camel's. But that is not the worst. He was angry then, and 
 was, methinks, quite within his right ; the dreadful part is he 
 hath told me since, when in his rational mind, with his blood
 
 240 MISTKESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 cool and his temper normal, that he hath hated me from my 
 birth. There have been times when I almost guessed this, yet 
 could never spur myself to a full belief of it. Yet I know it 
 now, I know it now ! And I might have known it years ago, 
 if I had but dared to think about it. I could ne'er bring a light 
 to his eye, nor life to his cheek, nor a grip to his fingers. And 
 I have loved him better than my life all these years, and I love 
 him now ; but we can ne'er be as we used to be ! " 
 
 Her misery was unutterable. The old knight had already 
 taken the most venomous vengeance possible. I had never 
 credited him with much perception, yet that he must have had, 
 because to have punished her so severely by that unpaternal 
 speech could only have been by a deep and accurate reading 
 of her sentiments. Meanwhile, it flashed upon me suddenly 
 why this maid was willing to dare and to sacrifice so much for 
 me. The reason may have been a mighty one, but 'twas not 
 of a nature to make me at all vainglorious. Kinsmen, even the 
 noblest women must have a supply of that gracious quality of 
 which they give so much away ; they must have sympathy. 
 And to this hour 'tis my belief that I was the only person the 
 forlorn girl knew in the world, from whom she could spontane- 
 ously seek it. I will not boast that I thoroughly understood 
 the entire complexity of her character ; yet what I did know of 
 it I loved, admired, and reverenced ; and this I consistently 
 betrayed to her by looks and words and actions. 
 
 " Dorothy," I asked, "do you not fear your father? I must 
 say I am desperately afraid of him, myself." 
 
 " Yes," she said, with the suspicion of shudder, " I do. I 
 am a mere kitten in his hands. Every year I have lived with 
 him I have known him to be my master; I might thwart him in 
 little things, I might be disobedient for half an hour together, 
 I might, when his gout was very good, be saucy to him, and so 
 presume upon his kindly nature with my nuisance of a tongue. 
 But when I arrived at what I knew to be my high-water mark 
 of perversity, his High-mightiness would give me a look with a 
 special eye, and would say in a special manner, ' Wench, let me 
 
 have two more words from you, and I'll ' Ned, my lad, 
 
 he'd 'clutch his stick ; whereat the kitten would have to stand 
 still and tremble, lest it had its puny little claws cut. But dost 
 know, my lad, 'twas a most delicious feeling! " 
 
 Kinsmen, I confess I broke into a guffaw of laughter. 
 
 "I mean it," she replied, and she was laughing also. ",'Tis 
 a delight to know sometimes that there is such a thing upon the 
 earth as your master. Tis a subtle, indescribable pleasure to
 
 THE LOST ART OF MANAGING WOMANKIND. 241 
 
 feel the bit tugged occasionally. When you go for a week at a 
 time with the gardener, the ostler, the steward, the butler, the 
 cook, and the maids perpetually bobbing and doing your bid- 
 ding ; and with the dogs and horses forever obedient to your 
 will I never had one yet that wasn't 'tis, I repeat, delicious 
 to hear his seventy-two-year-old worship thunder, ' Dorothy, 
 you young devil, you do this,' and to feel, e'en if he hath bade 
 you put your finger in the fire, that you dare not for your life 
 relieve your itching tongue by replying, ' Sir, I'll see you hanged 
 first ! ' ' 
 
 " Then, dearest, you like to be obedient ? " 
 
 " No, but I like to know sometimes that I have to be. My 
 old father always says that it behoves all men to ride the women 
 on the curb, and to keep the reins tight and well in hand. He 
 says, if you give us women an ell, we take a yard ; allow us a 
 slack rein, and we mighty soon get superior notions. Had my 
 father given me a taste of his stick once a month, whether I 
 needed it or not, I had been all the better for it." 
 
 " What ! '' I cried, astounded. " Then thou hast no faith in 
 the chivalry of man ? " 
 
 " Chivalry ! " and she curled her lip. " ' Tis, very well for 
 those who tilt at windmills. But with all due deference to you, 
 my gallant, if I ever do allow myself a husband " (kinsmen, the 
 naughty maid looked sly), " he must be a man, understand me, 
 sir, a real man, not a pretty plaything, all sugar and sweet 
 speeches, who daren't say ' be hanged ! ' to a lady. No, I must 
 have one who can make me do things that I do not want to do 
 one who shall be my master. That's why I despise my 
 cousin. I should be his master. Of course he is polite as a 
 valet, and smooth as a pot of pomatum, but he's all polish, all tin- 
 sel, no true metal, all shell and no kernel. Ned, my lad, I should 
 bully him, whereas I would like a man who could bully me some- 
 times. I should be tempted to be a tyrant and a brute to the 
 pretty boy. Dost recollect what King Charles said of young 
 Prince George ? Said he, ' I've tried Prince George sober, and 
 I've tried Prince George drunk, but, drunk or sober, there is 
 nothing in him.' 'Tis the same with Raoul de Crois. I should 
 be too strong for the lad. In a year he'd no longer be rny 
 husband he'd be my lap-dog. And I don't want a lap-dog ; I 
 want a man, a real man, a man like my old dad. who could say, 
 'Dorothy, thus far shalt thou go, and no farther.' " 
 
 " Dorothy," said I nervously, " you forget your auditor." 
 
 " I don't," she said coolly. " I am talking to Ned Arm-
 
 242 MISTKESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 strong. I'll not deny that he hath his faults, but he's still a man, 
 in spite of "em." 
 
 She looked at me as solemn as a judge ; and though her mode 
 of thinking was so truly strange, certes 'twas none the less 
 sincere. And for myself, I felt it one of the rarest moments in 
 my life, because she had honored me with so much of her 
 private mind. 
 
 Soon afterwards she left me. I had now the knowledge that 
 the bravest maid in Somerset was mine. Yes, mine assuredly 
 if I could but evade the King's men till William came and took 
 the Crown, and if Dorothy could thwart the Frenchman and her 
 father. Hers was the more immediate trial; and I must admit 
 that when I thought of what she might have to undergo, I be- 
 came woefully anxious. Her parent had no sense of mercy ; 
 yet, when all was said, methought that circumstance was cer- 
 tainly in my favor. Being so big a brute, 'twas plain that he 
 would try to make the girl submissive to his wishes, not by per- 
 suasion, but by force ; and this, I had the sense to know, 
 was the most foolish course he could adopt. Whatever she might 
 declare to the contrary; in extreme cases, that is, whene'er her 
 pride was called in question, the only means of getting her to do 
 a thing against her wishes was to coax her, not to drive her. 
 It may have been her spirit, or a certain perversity in her nat- 
 ure, or the result of her rigid paternal education, I know not 
 which, but 1 believe myself a little of the three, that accounted 
 for this stubbornness. Anyway, I do know that this young 
 maid, though forever at a tyrant's mercy, had a will there was 
 precious little bending. 'Twas only susceptbile to fair words, 
 and hardened into adamant when less kindly arguments were 
 used. The knight had gravely erred when he had called per- 
 sonal violence to his assistance, for, besides losing his temper, 
 he had lost his cause as well. Yet do not let me dilate too 
 much on this condemnation of Sir Nicholas, because his stick 
 and his temper were two very true friends of mine. Kinsmen, 
 to your ears this statement may sound brutal, but I was just as 
 sure of its reliability as I was that Dorothy, in the depths of her 
 heart, would ne'er forgive her father's pair of injudicious sat- 
 ellites.
 
 BEA 77 PA CIFICI t 2 43 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 BEATI PACIFICI ! 
 
 THE afternoon of that same day she came again to see me. 
 Soon she proved how kind and thoughtful she could be in little 
 things, because, to my surprise, she brought two swords along 
 with her. 
 
 " Here, lad," she said, " is kindness for you. I have smug- 
 gled these from the lumber-room father keeps about a dozen 
 there ; and as I know you are as miserable as a dog that hath 
 lost its tail, to be cooped up here for hours with nought to do 
 but count your fingers and brood on the way Dorothy Marvin 
 does her hair, you'd better take hold of this, and I'll have a 
 bout with you, so that you can keep your hand in." 
 
 I obeyed her with alacrity. 'Twas not the first time by many 
 that we had encountered one another. 
 
 She promised me, in her wickedest way, three kisses if I could 
 disarm her three times within ten minutes. I twice performed 
 the feat in the first five, but try as I might (and I employed 
 every wile and artifice at my command, and worked myself in- 
 to a perspiration) I could not earn my guerdon. And I felt it 
 somewhat hard when she flatly refused, and not without some 
 sly hints and ridicule, to allow it me as she declared I had not 
 earned it. The truth is, had she had a man's physique, she must 
 have been one of the first fencers of the time. She could teach 
 me much I did not know about the science of the art ; could 
 practically demonstrate her principles ; and had remarkable 
 courage, suppleness, judgment and dexterity with which to do so. 
 
 Presently we sate down side by side upon the grass, the pair 
 of swords between us. Soon we fell to talking. 
 
 " How goes the war, dearest ? " I inquired, forebodingly anx- 
 ious to hear how she had fared with her tyrant of a father. 
 
 " Badly," she answered dolefully ; " the belligerent hath been 
 uncomfortably active." 
 
 " There has been no repetition of yesterday, I hope ? " 
 
 " No," and she began to laugh, " there's been no more as- 
 saults at present. But the besieger threatens to starve the 
 garrison." 
 
 " Nay," said I, incredulous. 
 
 " He does, though ! There hath been a pronunciamento to 
 that effect this morning. Sir Nicholas Marvin, owing to his
 
 244 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 daughter's ' damnable obstinacy,' has postponed the wedding 
 till she surrenders. ' And,' says he, 'in the mean time he will 
 allow me one week to alter my mind and mend my manners 
 generally ; but if in that time they are not changed to his liking, 
 he will clap me under lock and key in the garret, and keep me 
 on bread and water (like they do in the army) till 1 have found 
 my senses.' " 
 
 " Well, I'll be shot ! And what said you to that ? " 
 " I said that which Sir Richard Lovelace hath said for me 
 already 
 
 " ' Stone walls do not a prison make, 
 
 Nor iron bars a cage ; 
 Minds innocent and quiet, take 
 That for an hermitage.' " 
 
 " And what said he ? " 
 
 " He wanted to know whether 'minds innocent and quiet ' 
 took as kindly to bread and water. For himself, he said he 
 had some doubts, because he'd tried bread and water in divers 
 Dutch dungeons, but after three days it grew mighty cold to the 
 stomach." 
 
 " But he'll ne'er do that," said I, aghast at such arbitrary 
 methods. 
 
 " Won't he ? You don't know him, my lad. If he says a 
 thing he does it, unless Providence prevents him." 
 
 " What a brute he is ! " I exclaimed fervently. 
 
 " Ned Armstrong, how dare you, sir ! " she cried, her cheeks 
 aflame, her eyes fire, whilst she looked quite bewitchingly 
 angry. " If you live to the age of seventy-two, sir, and do in 
 that time one-half as much for your name and fame, and ex- 
 hibit one-quarter his military genius, you'll be entitled to respect 
 from springalds, and to obedience from your children. My lad, 
 you forget yourself." 
 
 " Then you forgive him ? '' I asked humbly. 
 
 " Forgive him ! " she echoed swiftly ; " you said ' forgive 
 him?' Ton my word, that is magnificent! Dorothy Marvin 
 forgive her father ! \Ve shall hear of a candle next forgiving 
 the sun for melting it ! " 
 
 " I don't understand the man at all," I said lamely, trying to 
 mend matters, but too crushed to do the thing becomingly. 
 
 "You don't," she answered coolly. "Look here, my lad." 
 she demanded imperiously, " what dost think I am a god- 
 dess ? " 
 
 " Yes," said I ; "to me you are a goddess."
 
 BE ATI PACIFIC I! 
 
 245 
 
 She looked at me, keen as any hawk, to see if I were laugh- 
 ing at her ; but beholding me exceeding grave and earnest, she 
 calmly stroked the dimple of her chin, and said, with the most 
 unctious deliberation, and impudent as possible 
 
 "Well, yes, perhaps I am a goddess a goddess with a 
 temper." 
 
 " But, Dorothy, what does your father think you are ? " 
 
 " A dog," she replied between tears and laughter " a dog, to 
 obey his whistle or else be beaten till it does. And I'd be 
 only too blithe to obey it, because I know it to be my duty; 
 but there's a contrary something in my heart that will not let 
 me." 
 
 She had no laughter when she spoke those last words. Her 
 face was full of pain, and her eyes of misery. 
 
 " Ned, 'tis cruel of thee to so oft recall my unhappiness, and 
 make me dwell upon it as thou dost." 
 
 The reproach was thoroughly deserved, yet the cruelty was 
 not intentional, but simply the outcome of human weakness, 
 because, whenever we discussed her pitiable plight, the con- 
 versation, by vaguely recalling my fortunate position, always 
 left a delicious after-taste of bliss which, in turn, distilled a 
 sweet aroma of felicity. 
 
 " Hast thou seen thy cousin again, dearest ? " I inquired, 
 trying to deflect the light to the least terrible of our enemies. 
 
 " Yes, I saw him this morning. Full as usual of politeness 
 and ' lovely maid, fairest flower of earth, I love thee ' speeches. 
 The idiot was abominably amorous. One uses the stick 
 and t'other the tongue to batter me into submission. I know 
 not which instrument be the worst. One stings and t'other ir- 
 ritates. He hath given me no less than seven opportunities of 
 calling him a fool already. Ned, you that are a man of learn- 
 ing, just puzzle your brains, and find me a stronger word than fool. 
 I want a word more expressive, a bolder word, a larger word, a 
 word that's a bigger mouthful, but, at the same time, it must 
 be one that shall sound decent from the lips of a maid." 
 
 " But I thought any word was good enough for Dorothy 
 Marvin ? " 
 
 "Not so, my master," she said, guessing my purpose, and 
 nimbly defeating it. " I have to study Ned Armstrong now. 
 You see, my mouth's so pretty, and that lad Ned admires it so, 
 that I must not spoil the shape of it by the use of ugly 
 words." 
 
 "Then I'll suggest jolterhead," I said, as gravely as I 
 could.
 
 2 46 MIS TRESS DOKO TH Y MA R VIN. 
 
 " No, that's lame. It halts. I want a word that comes like 
 a ball from a musket. A word that hits and makes one tingle." 
 
 "Then try coxcomb." 
 
 "No, I can't get my tongue properly round it. 'Tis cumber- 
 some, awkward, clumsy ; " 'twould have no effect. 'T would 
 glance off him like water from a duck's back." 
 
 "Then try ass fine word ass!" I cried with sudden in- 
 spiration. 
 
 " Pish ! Twill not do at all, my lad. That would be flattery." 
 
 "Then, mistress, I'm afraid I cannot help you." 
 
 " I'm afraid so, too, you witless wight. But methinks the 
 fellow is beyond all remedy. I've tried my best to hurt his 
 feelings, but he hath the hide of a rhinoceros. And guess what 
 he says. The cunning rogue declares that a girl of my spirit 
 ought to take a soldier for a husband (my gentleman is him- 
 self a soldier). However, I told him I meant to do better than 
 that, because if 1 had one at all I would have a great swords- 
 man. That touched the boastful French soul of him. He 
 began to brag in the most alarming manner. Swore he could 
 give odds to the best man in England ; declared again and 
 again that he was the prettiest swordsman in France, and that 
 he'd slit the skin of any man I'd a mind to bring forward." 
 
 There and then the fine-spirited maid looked at me in a way 
 there was no mistaking. Instantly I was fired by that eloquent 
 countenance. 
 
 " He said that, did he ! Sooth ! I'll show the frog-eater that 
 we grow men this side the water that can tickle his heart ! I'll 
 prove that an English sword can cut him, if an English tongue 
 cannot." 
 
 " Nay, nay, lad," interposed the owner of the latter weapon, 
 quite as warm as ever I was, " thou'rt wrong about the tongue. 
 'Tis half French more's the pity." 
 
 " I've a long score to settle with Monsieur Widemouth," said 
 I, fairly thirsting for a fight, "and I'll settle it on his body." 
 
 In my youth, kinsmen, even my enemies ne'er accused me of 
 false modesty. 
 
 " Then you mean to fight, sir ? " 
 
 " Mean to fight ? What a question. If thou wert Ned Arm- 
 strong, and a beggarly Frenchman talked to Dorothy Marvin 
 like that, what wouldst thou do ? " 
 
 " Faith ! " she said, and her eyes were very big and bright 
 and splendid, "I'd meet Monsieur Raoul some fine morning ns 
 he came from the manor, where he'd been pestering his cousin, 
 who ne'er did him any harm, and I'd box Monsieur Raoul's
 
 BE A TI PA CIFICI ! 2 47 
 
 ears, and ask him what he meant by his words and his conduct. 
 And then, if he'd a mind to fight (Sir Nicholas tells me the 
 French are the willingest nation in Europe in the matter of 
 a duello), I'd off with my doublet, and ere he could make three 
 ripostes I'd allow him the benefit of that lovely little inner twist 
 of the wrist " (the trick of which Dorothy hath taught me so 
 often), "curl my blade past his, and pink him just here." She 
 indicated the centre of her breast. " If thou art very careful 
 of the lungs, Ned, 'tis not a fatal spot in a man." 
 
 " And. that's precisely what I will do." 
 
 " There's mettle in the lad," she said, with that archly crit- 
 ical air of hers, then gazed at me in admiration ; " but there," 
 she added coolly, " you needn't blush, sir, because I've said so. 
 Blushes don't sit well on a man ; besides, they look suspi- 
 ciously like vanity." 
 
 " Will your cousin come again in the morning, dearest?" 
 
 At that she. discarded banter, and seriously asked 
 
 " But you are not in earnest, Ned ? " 
 
 "You'll see," said I. 
 
 " 'Twas only my jesting," she said, uneasily. 
 
 " Then the Frenchman did not talk like that?" 
 
 " Oh, yes, he did." 
 
 " Then we'll try to discover who's the better of the two." 
 
 Hereat she looked unmistakably apprehensive. 
 
 " Ned," she said nervously, " if you venture forth you will 
 court great danger." 
 
 " Not at all," said I doggedly. I had already made my mind 
 up on the matter, and felt genuinely disappointed at her altered 
 tone. "We shall meet in a secluded spot ; and I'll take due 
 precaution lest I be hurt." W 7 hen that was said she grew visibly 
 paler. " But there is not the smallest ground for fear," I hast- 
 ened to assure her. " You can depend on me to keep my 
 skin entire." 
 
 " But 'tis a foolhardy business." 
 
 " Not so ; there really is no danger. Besides, I'm sick of 
 being cooped up in this dreary hole. Now do be kind and let 
 me venture." 
 
 " Oh, if you put it that way " 
 
 " And if I stop here and swallow the insult, I should show 
 myself unworthy of you, Dorothy," I added, to press the first 
 advantage. 
 
 " Chut ! " she shot back sharply, " that is what had better 
 not been said." 
 
 " 'Twill not matter," quoth I obstinately, because my purpose
 
 248 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 grew stronger than ever upon me. " I mean to transact the 
 business with that Frenchman. It can easily be d.one." 
 
 Upon this, seeing how defiant was my demeanor, she began 
 to coax me ; and her coaxing any man must have found nearly 
 irresistible. 
 
 " My dearest lad," she said, " I dare not let you go." 
 
 "What!" I exclaimed, "this from Sir Nicholas Marvin's 
 daughter ? " 
 
 'Twas a telling stroke. She grew confused in. speech and 
 manner, and flushed exceeding red. 
 
 " Yes," she answered indistinctly, and I knew she hated herself 
 for what she said, " I always did admit that I shamed my father. 
 I'm not fit to be child of his. At bottom I'm a coward, a chicken- 
 hearted coward. My lad, I cannot bear that you should risk 
 your life when there is no reason for so doing." 
 
 " But there is little risk, and many reasons." 
 
 She shook her head, looked wistfully at me, and cried with 
 a sudden burst of fervor, " Oh, my lad, I love you." 
 
 " Love ! " quoth I ; " did I hear that word ? " and I curled a 
 scornful lip, and made myself a pretty hypocrite. "Mistress 
 Marvin says love is airy nonsense." To my shame, be it known, 
 I enjoyed that retort immensely. 
 
 " Did I say that, Ned ? " 
 
 " Ay, that you did," said I, and I'm afraid my visage was 
 triumphant. 
 
 " Then I'm sorry I said it," she said, uncommonly penitent. 
 
 " At the time, dearest, I was equally as sorry myself, but I'll 
 confess I feel quite glad now." 
 
 " Ned, thou hard villain, thou art teasing me ! Desist, or I 
 hit thee ! " 
 
 I did desist, because she had a knack of keeping promises. 
 Then she began again to coax me in deadly earnest. Her coaxing 
 method I'll make bold to say was positively unsurpassable. She 
 had the supreme gift of looking unconsciously innocent at a 
 moment's notice ; and could also adopt a most admirable sim- 
 plicity of voice, manner, and gesture, that lulled her unsuspect- 
 ing opponent into a false security. So while she was conjuring 
 me in most beseeching accents, and whilst I (as I thought very 
 astutely) was attacking the weak spot in her armor, she was 
 trying stratagem. The weak spot was her father. With quite 
 remarkable address I took advantage of it. I kept reminding 
 her that she was her father's daughter, and so much was she 
 bound up in that old wretch, and so great was her admiration 
 of his character, that because of it, she mortified her woman's
 
 BE ATI PACIFICI! 
 
 249 
 
 tenderness, and disciplined the femininity of her nature. And to 
 such an extent did I play upon this vulnerable spot, that to 
 judge by her tone, her talk, and behavior, it certainly looked 
 as though she was on the point of submitting to my wishes. 
 But, I repeat, she was employing strategy. 
 
 Now, as I have said, the swords lay between us, and we two 
 were in a sitting posture. And the diplomatic maid, seeing that 
 her skilful tongue was of no avail, had recourse to her equally 
 skilful fingers. Whilst she held me in earnest talk anent the 
 danger to my precious skin, she stealthily, and wholly unperceived 
 by me, got one hand round the swords, and her face the while 
 was the very emblem of simplicity and innocence. 
 
 " Ned," she drawled softly, slowly, plaintively, and all the time 
 did fix me with her eyes that were most pathetically wistful, " I 
 am very, very grieved and very very hurt to hear that 
 thou hast decided upon this course without deigning to take heed 
 of me " and she raised her other hand (as I thought to whisk 
 a sorrowful tear from her eyelid). But ,no, she did nothing of 
 the kind. She gave me a vigorous push, which overbalanced 
 me and sent me sprawling on my back. 
 
 I gathered myself up as quickly as I could, only to find that 
 Mistress Dorothy and the swords were missing. I scrambled 
 after them through the gap, but this precipitance only served to 
 disprove a fallacy. We men always hold that girls cannot run, 
 but, by my soul, kinsmen ! that rule did never apply to this one. 
 With one hand clutching the swords, and t'other her skirts, she 
 fled like a deer, and had gained the open ere I could overtake 
 her. 
 
 I retired, angry, amused, crestfallen, and delighted. Once 
 more she had shown me how meagre mine own wits were in 
 comparison with hers ; and how impossible 'twas for me to hold 
 her for long at a disadvantage. However, three hours later, 
 she returned, imperious, but swordless. 
 
 " The lad is a grand runner," she began, in a kind of mock- 
 ing song ; " a grand talker, a grand fighter, and a grand boaster. 
 But he's young very young and hath no more than his share 
 of ingenuity. But, young man " here her tone and demeanor 
 became of a sudden singularly patronizing, " I have considered 
 your case, and have asked his worship's opinion of Perry Wil- 
 mot. No matter what the state of his temper may be, Sir 
 Nicholas will always discuss one topic that topic is swords- 
 manship. Here is what the old gentleman said, ' Peregrine 
 Wilmot is the wickedest devil, and the skilfullest, pluckiest, 
 hardiest, and fiercest fighter at the present moment in England,
 
 250 MIS TRESS DOR OTH Y MA R VL \ ' 
 
 and the man that can whip him, sober or drunk, may cock his 
 hat in the eyes of Europe.' So cock it, friend Quickfoot ! " 
 
 Forthwith the saucy one made a grab at Ned Armstrong's 
 hat, and rakishly cocked it over that gentleman's eye. 
 
 " Sooth," she exclaimed, mightily enjoying her own impudent 
 handiwork, " if Mistress Dorothy Marvin, of Kelston Manor, 
 in the county of Somerset will but condescend to take this lad 
 in hand, and bestow a few pains on his education, she'll make 
 a man of him yet ! Well, boy, as I've said, I have considered 
 your case. I should like young Raoul to get a thrashing from 
 my man 'twill do him good. Therefore I'll allow my man to 
 fight him on four conditions." 
 
 " Bravo ! " cried I, dancing ten steps of a corranto. 
 
 " Firstly, as the parsons say," the madcap continued, " Ned 
 Armstrong is to fully understand that he is only going to fight 
 because Mistress Dorothy Marvin lends her countenance to the 
 scheme, and because she is kind enough to allow him to do so. 
 She hath heard a great deal lately from Ned Armstrong's lips 
 about ' I'm going to do this ; I'm going to do that; I'm going 
 to do just as I choose, whether Dorothy says I can or I can't.' 
 Now, I want you to appreciate, my fine-feathered young bird, 
 that 'tis only by Dorothy's express permission .that you are 
 going to do anything at all. See ? " 
 
 'Deed, kinsmen, I did see ! I saw that Mistress Impudence 
 meant to exact a very high price for the privilege. Still, to 
 this condition I assented humbly. 
 
 " Secondly, that you do not kill my cousin." 
 
 "Certainly," said I; and added to myself, "come, that is 
 better ! " 
 
 " Thirdly, that you do not boast should you happen to win." 
 
 " Boasting is not a habit of mine," said 1 stoutly. 
 
 At that she puckered her brows in imitation of an angry 
 pedagogue, lifted her finger, and sternly said 
 
 " Boy, be careful ! How dare you contradict me ? I say you 
 do, sir. But you do it in a stealthy way. You have an atro- 
 cious trick of blushing when your ears are tickled with praise. 
 As I've said, it doesn't look well in a man. It shows a sus- 
 ceptible heart, a heart that will batten on flattery." 
 
 "That I will try to amend," said I, still very meek. Be it 
 known, kinsmen, I had not yet secured that sword. 
 
 " Fourthly, that you no longer treat me as though I were a 
 goddess." 
 
 " But. dearest, to me you are a goddess. You are so much 
 better than 1."
 
 BE A TI PA CIFICI ! 251 
 
 " Wrong quite wrong ! How many more times must I tell 
 you that I am your comrade ? There are no grades among com- 
 rades ; all comrades are on an equality. I hate to see you so 
 confoundedly humble ! " 
 
 " Dorothy, I owe you so much." 
 
 "Oh! so you think you can pay your debts with humility. 
 Cheap coin, my lad, cheap coin ! Not for Dorothy Marvin, 
 thank you. You had better remember that. Besides, if I 
 could fight like you can, the woman's not made that I'd let say 
 the tenth part to me that I do to you, sir." 
 
 " But I must be polite to a lady." 
 
 "I'm a lady?" 
 
 " 'Pon my soul ! I shall ne'er see a finer ! " 
 
 " Call me that once more, Ned Armstrong, and, on my life, I'll 
 betray you at once to King James. ' Ladies,' says Sir Nicholas 
 (and he hath been seventy-two years on the earth), 'have white 
 hands, white skins, and white livers ; have so much water in 
 their heads that it doth ooze out at their eyes ; have to powder 
 their faces to hide their follies ; and have to squeeze their 
 bodies to keep their sins within a reasonable compass.' " 
 
 " Mistress, you are a traitress to your sex." 
 
 " Not I. The sex is a traitress to itself. Here am I, a 
 woman. I'd be very brave if I could, but I can't." 
 
 " Not brave ? Then what, in the name of pluck ! doth go by 
 the name of bravery?" 
 
 " Why, I would call bravery the splendid trait of being able 
 to do a fine deed as easily as eating your dinner, like my old 
 dad can. Whene'er I do aught above the common I have to fight 
 against my inner self till it is accomplished." 
 
 " But that is what I should call the very highest kind of 
 courage." 
 
 " Oh, is it ? " And her tone betrayed that she was neither 
 convinced nor satisfied. " But where would I be in time of 
 war ? Tell me that. Where would I be in a beleaguered city ? 
 When besiegers put a garrison to the sword they spare the 
 women and children. And I should be spared scathless 
 among 'em, whilst my old father, nearly four times my age, 
 would, in the mean time, have spilt his last drop of blood, and 
 have died by the sword, rather than be spared by the foe. 
 Talk about betraying the sex ! 'Tis already betrayed, when it is 
 classed with babes and sucklings as being too contemptible to 
 have good powder and shot and steel spent upon it ! " 
 
 " Oh, well, well ! " I exclaimed, laughingly, *' I consent, most 
 lovely Amazon. Ne'er again will I treat you as a goddess, nor
 
 M7S TRESS DORO TH \ ' MA R I 'IX. 
 
 insult you by the title ' lady.' You shall be my brother-in-arms. 
 my comrade. Though, should you ever wish to be considered 
 as a la that is, I should have said, as a person that isn't a 
 male. I shall be quite as willing to oblige you, mistress." 
 
 "Good lad ! " she said, though I would net like to be placed 
 upon my oath to declare that 1 did not see mockery in her eyes, 
 as she went and fetched the sword, which it appeared she had 
 left just outside the enclosure. ' Ned," she said, as she returned 
 with the weapon, " I hope thou dost not think nut over-bold ?" 
 
 ".Over-bold for a maid in war, and over-modest for a maid 
 in love," said I. 
 
 " And now, young man," quoth she, and her tone was very 
 business-like, "thou art willing to be my cavaliero, my true 
 knight, my faithful servant ?" 
 
 ' Your very faithful servant, mistress ! " 
 
 " Then stand forth, in a soldierly manner, that I may see 
 whether thou art worthy of my confidence." 
 
 I stood before her, rigid as an arrow, with head back and 
 chest out. She looked me over in her prettiest fashion, with 
 mock gravity and a critic's eye. 
 
 " Well set up and sturdy. A comely and a likely lad, with a 
 stout heart under his jacket." 
 
 "Now for the sword, "said I. 
 
 She gave me the one she held in her hand. 
 
 " 'Tis the very best in the whole collection, sir. You can 
 rely on that I have chosen it, myself, and I know a good 
 sword when I see one." 
 
 " Many thanks, mistress. But I trust you will not deduct 
 this loan from my wages." 
 
 " Your wages, sir ! What do they amount to ? " 
 
 A smile and a kiss from thee ! " 
 
 " You rate your services very high, lad." 
 
 "Indeed? And I must have the payment in advance." 
 
 " You will not get it. Earn it first, and claim it afterwards. 
 I am told that is the law of commerce." 
 
 " But not of love and war." 
 
 " What know you of them ? You have been in the one but 
 once, and never in the other." 
 
 " Your tongue is wondrous sly, Dorothy." 
 
 " And your chin is wondrous dirty, Ned. It sadly lacks a 
 razor. And it shall surely have one, for no knight o' mine 
 shall sally forth with a whole week's down upon his jaw." 
 
 Ere I could reply to this saucy threat, the audacious maid had 
 left me for the night. She had left me alone, with my hopes,
 
 A KA 77 PA CIFICI ! 2 5 .3 
 
 my schemes, and my happiness. This last emotion had been 
 debarred for many months ; but now the stream of it had begun 
 to flow suddenly and swiftly. You are at liberty to blame my 
 folly, kinsmen, as much as ye feel it merits ; but 'twas delicious 
 folly. 
 
 There may be folks who read their Bibles as night by night 
 they sip their punch, and are ultimately lulled to sleep by a 
 snow-white pillow and a snow-white conscience, who, on moral 
 grounds, may set a hard name to my presumption. Yet a man, 
 once down, must he ever be kept down ? He that hath erred, 
 must he be calumniated for all time ? 
 
 A pitying woman had solved this problem for herself ; and I 
 was but too eager to accept her solution as a balm for many 
 wounds. Perhaps we were both too young to answer it. Yet 
 we had answered it in defiance of the world, and most likely in 
 defiance of our inmost souls as well. 
 
 However, I am straying from the narrative to discuss the 
 merits of a hearthstone theory. Let it suffice that we who had 
 gone through the fire, and had seen each other suffer, had, 
 rightly or wrongly, unriddled it according to our lights. And, 
 that being so, I passed a sleepless night, not being accustomed 
 to such happiness. I could not grasp my marvellous fortune 
 all at once ; it seemed so airy and so dreamlike. 
 
 At daybreak in the morning I left my retreat and partook of 
 a dip in the stream. Upon returning with clean hands and 
 face, I found Dorothy already in my bower. She had brought 
 more food, a razor, and a pot of lather; and insisted on shav- 
 ing me herself. Forsooth, she was very skilful in the art, by 
 virtue of much practice with her father. Such was the deftness 
 of her handling, that within ten minutes she had wrought a new 
 creature of me altogether. But the way she twisted my poor 
 jaw about ; the way she admonished me to be particularly 
 careful in not moving my face the hundredth of an inch, be- 
 cause, if I did, " the razor might slip, and cut those beautiful 
 blue veins in the neck, and thereby save the men of law the 
 trouble ; " the artistic way she pursed her lips as she delicately 
 came round the chin-curve ; the way she stopped suddenly in 
 the middle of the feat and vowed, as I had recklessly twitched 
 one eyelid, " that sooner than run the risk of having a fellow- 
 creature's death upon her conscience, she would take away the 
 razor, and, by doing so, would leave me in the ridiculous post- 
 ure of being one-half shaven and one-half bearded ; " and the 
 way I had to coax her to complete the task, with my face half 
 lathered as I did so, made me much regret her condescension. 
 17
 
 254 - W-S' TXKSS DORO TH Y MA R VIN. 
 
 The business was to be transacted that morning. Dorothy 
 told me two things of greatest import, namely, that her cousin 
 was expected at the manor during the forenoon, and also that 
 he could speak and understand the English tongue with ease. 
 
 The maid showed me a place in the copse where I might 
 overlook the gates, and could thus see when the count left the 
 house. One moment she was afraid of what I was on the point 
 of encompassing, and full of fears and regrets, and the other 
 made jokes at the expense of the pair of us. And so long did 
 we talk together, that in the end my companion forewent her 
 usual ride before breakfast. 
 
 When at last she did leave me alone to carry out my designs 
 upon the Frenchman's person, I made a hearty meal ; then 
 betook myself to the part of the spinney which commanded a 
 sight of the entrance gates. For an hour I watched in vain ; 
 but after that the Frenchman came along and walked his horse 
 up to the house. Having seen him move out of sight round 
 the bend among the trees, I lay down in the thicket awaiting 
 his return, and was blissfully content to do so. Without any 
 possible doubt 1 should beat that frenchman. I was not 
 blessed with more than my share of wits at ordinary times ; 
 but now Cupid had got among them, the little god had made 
 pitiable havoc. 
 
 All too soon M. de Crois came back; for he disturbed and 
 scattered certain delicious day-dreams in which I took indul- 
 gence. As he was riding his horse at a foot-pace, I allowed 
 him to get some few yards ahead, and then silently sprang out 
 after him, that he might not see whence I came. My rival was 
 pensive ; I remarked his face was groundwards and that his 
 horse's motion accorded well with a heavy mood. I followed 
 behind at an easy distance, till we had arrived at a spot midway 
 betwixt the gates and the highway; whereupon I strode up with 
 boldness, and soon had my face hard by his saddle. 
 
 He stopped his animal altogether at sight of me, and, with a 
 gesture of surprise, inquired my pleasure. 
 
 " You a,re the Count de Crois, I hear, sir," I began, and my 
 tone bore a studied coldness. " And, sir, I also hear a whisper 
 that you have some swordsmanship." 
 
 At that he bowed and twitched his shoulders in the conti- 
 nental fashion. 
 
 " Monsieur flatters me." He used sound English, though 
 'twas encumbered by the buzz of his foreign accent. 
 
 "I believe, sir," said I, colder than ever, "you have the 
 acquaintance of Mistress Dorothy Marvin."
 
 BE ATI PA CIFICI ! 255 
 
 " I hold that honor." 
 
 In spite of myself, I was sensibly drawn towards him out of 
 sheer sympathy, because at the first mention of that name his 
 eyes lighted in the most wonderful manner. 
 
 " Sir, I share that honor with you." 
 
 " Ah ! " he cried, and his face fell suddenly dark. 
 
 "Count," said I sardonically, " I have also heard a whisper 
 that you mouthed some big words in the presence of that lady, 
 regarding the way you would serve us English swordsmen." 
 
 Ostentatiously I laid a hand upon the sword-hilt that was 
 at my side. That which the Frenchman did next will forever 
 command my admiration. He simply hissed a nimble word, 
 slipped off his horse, feverishly seized my hand, and cried 
 at the same instant, " Monsieur, monsieur, we are choicely 
 met ! " 
 
 " Never a doubt," said I. " For the honor of our respective 
 nations we must have a little passado there's room here on 
 the grass." 
 
 " One moment, monsieur! Hath my lovely, my angelic, my 
 adorable cousin had an intimation of your enterprise ?" 
 
 I smiled at him, not coldly either. The man would have 
 thawed an iceberg. 
 
 "Par Dieu, she is divine!" And he shook his maggoty 
 French head so lustily, and lingered so long on the ".See ees 
 deevine," that I was compelled to laugh at his comicality. At 
 that moment I had but one regret ; which was that our joint 
 divinity was not there then to enjoy his words and actions. 
 
 " Sir Count, I can only venture to meet you on one condition 
 which is, that the victor shall deposit the vanquished in a 
 place of safety. Somersetshire roads," I craftily added, to 
 shift all signs of suspicion 'from myself, "are not the place for 
 wounded men. There are enough cut-throats and thievish 
 knaves at large in this county as would suffice to man His 
 Majesty's Fleet. Therefore, should you disable me, I must beg 
 that you will place my body in the custody of Master Peter 
 Whipple, at the sign of the King's Head, Bridgwater." 
 
 " Willingly," he assented. " And on mine own part, the 
 Green Man, at Taunton, is whither I bide at present." 
 
 This bargain struck, my opponent, who was fascinatingly rapid 
 in his actions, dived a finger into the pocket of his vest, pro- 
 duced a gold piece (a Louis d'or, I think), saying, " There is an 
 advantage in the sun " which was very true spun the coin in 
 the air and called on me to cry. The cast fell against me ; 
 whereby my enemy had choice of ground. Albeit he deliber-
 
 256 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 ately chose to face the sun. This was a piece of the purest 
 generosity. 
 
 I had made up my mind to hate the fellow, and also to punish 
 him. Now, I think that all men will agree with me that he 
 merited a punishment richly ; yet here was I already feeling a 
 grudging tenderness towards him. 
 
 The horse was tethered to the hedge. Then we took off our 
 coats and hats, rolled up our sleeves, and unsheathed our 
 swords. It was a scorching day, the sun was in the zenith of 
 its glory ; the insects flitted lazily by ; and the yellow ears were 
 motionless behind the hedges, with graceful heads bowed 
 gently. The birds trilled sweet discourse in the heavens, and 
 hard by, to my left hand, the hills rose up above the fields of 
 wheat. The warm flood of sunlight revealed the wooded combes 
 on the Quantock slopes ; thick dark patches upon their surface ; 
 their clustered groves of beech and ash, telling of shade and 
 shelter. Higher up the heights reared towards the sky, and 
 were alive with a mass of furze and yellow gorze ; whilst here 
 and there the little hill-streams, both swift and sluggish, cut 
 shimmering lines on the heathery slopes. Perhaps we were a 
 pair of fools ; but youth is prone to folly. Had we had more 
 wisdom, we must have been less happy, for a wise man hath 
 very rarely a spirit of content. 
 
 My opponent was truly a noble fellow, a good head taller than 
 I, lithe and graceful of body, with a handsome, open, manly 
 countenance. To see his wide bright eyes was to know that a 
 brave heart lurked behind them, and from the first I never 
 doubted that I must fight my hardest, if I was to claim the 
 victory. Yet, be it understood, I never doubted my capacity 
 to gain it. 
 
 We shook hands, crossed swords, and fell to. I gave back 
 a step as I felt his blade for the first time ; and gave back 
 another as I felt it for the second. Ere long I feared that I 
 could not hope to win ; and that idea roused all the devil in 
 me. But to what purpose ? My rival was calm, unperturbed, 
 and smiling. He drove me back with swift, firm, neat play of 
 weapon, and 'twas only by great agility of body that a catas- 
 trophe was averted. This man was a master of the art offence ; 
 there was poetry in the glance of his gliding blade ; as swift as 
 light, and dazzling as the sun. His play was delicate, serene, 
 enchanting; and he had a wrist of steel and the Hundred Eyes 
 of Argus. 
 
 As for me, poor fool ! I was but a toy to him. I tried my 
 rustic artifices, and the contemptuous way he turned them off
 
 BEA TI P AC I PICI! 
 
 257 
 
 made my heart drop like lead in my bosom. May I ne'er for- 
 get the smile which greeted them. A baby would have had as 
 much chance against this inspired swordsman as Black Ned the 
 undefeated. I knew I had no chance ; and he knew it too, so 
 simply laughed to himself as he measured my ability, and 
 exhibited all his own splendid art. I grew sick as I bethought 
 what this affair might cost me. Better a thousand times have 
 kept out of it altogether. 
 
 With reckless fury I beset him, hoping by sheer vigor to 
 beat down his guard ; but without avail. He seemed to enjoy 
 the thing as a jest. More than once a sharp thrust would have 
 ended the matter, yet he preferred to frisk and fondle with me. 
 like a cat does with a mouse, and was content to give a deftly 
 pretty riposte now and then in return. But love is a para- 
 doxical power ; frequently it will take brains away from one 
 who hath them to lose, and, on occasion, may even bestow 
 them on the brainless. 
 
 Certes, 'twas so in this case. Love gave me a bright idea. 
 The disdainful Frenchman was toying with me, and was show- 
 ing off his own great art. Methought I would toy with him. 
 And this was the execution of the plan. I pretended to be 
 quite exhausted (which I assuredly was not); my thrusts grew 
 more feeble, and my parrying more half-hearted, yet all the 
 while I took care to have my vigilance on hand, should a quick 
 thrust be given me. Hereupon my opponent grew more and 
 more careless, as he thought I was entirely spent, and might 
 be despatched any minute. He expounded his accomplish- 
 ments more fully than ever, whilst I, cunning rogue, gradually 
 drew him from his defence. He was making vain show of 
 some beautiful and ornamental trick with the wrist, when I saw 
 my longed-for opportunity had come. I snapped my teeth of 
 a sudden, tightened my grip of the hilt, and with a great 
 gathering of every little bit of energy that was left me, made a 
 powerful lunge, my blade dashed past his unsuspecting guard, 
 and bit straight through his shoulder. 
 
 The poor lad groaned. The blood spurted on to his white 
 shirt as he dropped his sword, and reeled and fell backwards 
 like one dead. He lay prone and senseless on the grass, his 
 white face bathed in sunlight, and his shirt soaked with blood. 
 With many a misgiving, I went down on my knees beside him, 
 and forced strong water betwixt his teeth.
 
 258 MIS TRESS D ORO TJJ Y MA R V1N. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 A RACE FOR LIFE. 
 
 To my relief the count came somewhat to himself ere very long, 
 yet so helpless was he that I pitied him. 'Tis easy to pity the 
 vanquished when you are yourself the victor. 
 
 Now befell a most perilous and difficult part of the matter. 
 According to the agreement between us, I must see him in a 
 safe place ; and that place was the hostel of the Green Man, 
 Taunton. Having in a measure revived him, and having 
 staunched the bleeding to the best of my ability, I buttoned 
 his coat loosely over his shoulders, and donned mine own. 
 'Twas no light task to place the lad on his horse's back, whilst 
 to add to my difficulties I had to climb up behind so that I 
 might support him with my arms about his waist. I deemed 
 this the readiest mode of reaching a place of safety. 
 
 It was evident, from the outset, that my mission was fraught 
 with the greatest danger ; not the least part of it being that the 
 Green Man was the headquarters of the King's men. \Yith- 
 out delay I set off, anxious to get the ticklish feat performed. 
 The animal bore its double burthen in a highly creditable 
 manner. In an hour Taunton came into sight ; the count by 
 that time being weak, and very much spent through loss of 
 blood, the pain of his wound, and the jogging of the horse. 
 Fortunately the Green Man stood scarce two hundred yards 
 within the town, yet, though we had only to traverse a single 
 street, and had then to turn into a narrow lane, our passage 
 thence drew the attention of the townsfolk towards us, and I 
 confess my heart came in my mouth when I saw the stares and 
 gestures of the onlookers, which plainly told me that they 
 recognized their visitor. 
 
 Doubtless the mild folk were pretty considerably astonished 
 to see Black Ned parading the streets in broad daylight, when 
 so great a price had been set upon his head. Through excess 
 of curiosity, a small crowd collected and began to follow at my 
 heels, though 'twas not their purpose to offer molestation, for 
 the commonalty were well affected towards me at this time. 
 Seeing how precarious was my position, I hastened to dispose 
 of the Frenchman, so that I might invoke the aid of my heels, 
 and leave the town behind as speedily as possible. As soon
 
 A RACE FOR LIFE. 
 
 2 59 
 
 as I d'rew rein before the door of the tavern I alighted, and 
 calling to a lusty fellow close by to assist me, without more 
 ado we bore the injured man head and heels into the hostelry. 
 The landlord came bustling into the passage to meet us. 
 
 " Oho ! " said he, " what have you there ? " 
 
 " One of your customers hath had a sword thrust," I an- 
 swered in a thick, disguised voice, my head bent low over the 
 wounded man. 
 
 " Then bear him upstairs to bed." 
 
 We walked past him and up the staircase opposite. Just 
 then a room door opened to one side of the passage, and 
 a voice called out, " Hullo, Master Tonk, what hath now 
 befell ? " 
 
 That voice sent cold blood thro' my veins, and set mine ears 
 a-singing, for it belonged to Captain Joshua Pringle. Neither 
 he nor the landlord had yet recognized me, therefore I kept 
 straight on up the stairs, yet devoutly wished the while that I 
 was well out of my predicament. We 'laid him on the bed of 
 the first room we came to. Having done this, I immediately 
 left the apartment to descend the stairs ; but, by the direst of 
 misfortunes, the landlord, Captain Pringle, and half a dozen 
 soldiers were leisurely ascending at that instant. The captain 
 stared me full in th face. 
 
 " Thunder of God ! " he bawled. 
 
 There was no time for politeness and courtesy, so I bounded 
 downstairs three steps at a stride, banged one fist into the 
 bloated face of the little captain, the other into that of the be- 
 wildered landlord ; butted my head into the stomach of an in- 
 offensive servant of the King, and thus made a passage through 
 them. I rushed to the door, where the Frenchman's horse 
 stood passive in the midst of an inquisitive multitude. In a 
 trice I was in the saddle, and riding away for precarious life. 
 And none too soon. Already my pursuers were giving their 
 lungs rare exercise. 
 
 I could hear Master Pringle bellowing, " Stop him, in the 
 King's name ! " " Saddle the horses, men, and be thundering 
 smart ! " "A guinea for a loaded pistol ! " " Hi, you fellow 
 there, down him ! down him, I say! " 
 
 I never once looked back, but fled swiftly out of the town, 
 and none sought to bar my progress. I galloped over the 
 bridge, and directly the houses and the river were at my back, 
 a white, rugged, dusty road confronted me, and a stiff eight 
 miles burst to Bridgwater. 
 
 Presently I looked round to learn how I fared. To my ex-
 
 260 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 ceeding perturbation I beheld a cloud of dust some distance 
 down the roadway. I knew it was my pursuers, and that delay 
 would mean my life. Their own animals were fresher than 
 mine, but luckily I had a good start. I had no fixed plan of 
 baffling them ; yet had but two chances of escape. Either I 
 must take to the hills and abandon the horse, as I was hard by 
 them ; or else trust to good fortune and Peter Whipple and 
 make for Bridgwater. Mayhap I was ill-advised, but I chose 
 the latter alternative ; for Master Whipple was without peer in 
 my eyes at that time, and methought if his wits could not help 
 me, mine own would be assuredly of no avail. 'Twas a stern 
 chase ; the scorching sun knew no mercy for pursuers or pur- 
 sued, the hedges danced by on either side, and the hoofs of 
 my horse clicked harsh music on the flinty track. 
 
 The Frenchman's beast was well grown and powerful, and 
 had a good heart withal, which is the chiefest thing with both 
 men and horses. I gave the willing creature his head, and by 
 voice and trick of body helped him forward. Perhaps we had 
 traversed three miles of the way ere I looked back again. The 
 distance between us had scarcely lessened. Another mile we 
 went, still at the same mad pace, and then I turned again in the 
 saddle. This time my survey was less to my satisfaction. One 
 man, evidently with a splendid animal under him, was now 
 yards ahead of the rest, and had decreased the distance betwixt 
 himself and me by one half. 
 
 Presently, to my dismay, I could plainly hear the thudding of 
 his horse's shoes and the urgency of his tone. I saw it was 
 Captain Pringle, barely forty yards away, standing up in his 
 stirrups. His animal, with head bent low and the foam all over 
 its mouth, was flying onward nearer and nearer. 
 
 " Stop, in the King's name ! " 
 
 I protest that I had reasonable excuse for not doing as I was 
 bidden on this occasion. Accordingly I lost no breath on 
 words, but simply called on my horse more strenuously than 
 ever. 
 
 " Stop ! " and I heard a trigger click. 
 
 I was too sore pressed to look round now ; yet shortly after- 
 wards did so, and with the bitterest of curses. A bullet sang 
 by, and struck the road five yards ahead, just as the report hit 
 my ears. Again the pistol cracked and my horse lurched and 
 stumbled, and 'twas only by great firmness and quickness of 
 hand that I prevented his downfall. My enemy shouted 
 triumph. 
 
 I turned round as I felt the animal's faltering steps and per-
 
 A RACE FOR LIFE. 261 
 
 ceived a track of blood-stains on the road. A bullet had buried 
 itself in the fleshy part of the creature's thigh. The delighted 
 captain had far outstripped his men by this, and was scarce 
 twenty yards behind ; and he was gaining rapidly now, for my 
 brave horse was nearly spent, whilst his wound grievously 
 retarded him. With an uncompromising hand I snatched a 
 pistol from my belt (I ever carried one there at least) and 
 eagerly rammed a charge home. Meantime the captain was 
 howling at my horse's heels, and was also fumbling for powder 
 and shot in his bandoleer. 
 
 Without a word, I turned of a sudden and fired full at his 
 noble animal. Down it thumped with a crash, one white eye- 
 ball glinting and its scarlet nostrils quivering. Its rider also 
 fell with fearsome violence, and rolled over and over on the 
 dusty highway. At the same moment my own horse had done 
 its last yard. Rapidly it sank to earth, .and I had to be alert 
 to reach the ground ere it pitched me out of the saddle. 
 
 The main body of my pursuers still kept the track some dis- 
 tance away, so in a fever of fear I tore off my jacket and sword 
 (Sir Nicholas Marvin's), discarded my hat, and kicked off my 
 heavy riding-boots. Thus, divested of all encumbrances, save 
 a pistol and a charge or two, I started to run to Bridgwater. I 
 had a long start, but a good two miles in a sweltering sun had 
 to be traversed. I kept on the margin of grass beside the 
 road, because 'twas far less irksome to my stockinged feet 
 than the hard middle would have been. Thus lightly clad, I 
 raced along swiftly, with hands clenched and teeth set tight. 
 All this had been remarked by the enemy, for I could hear 
 their hoarse cries and shouts in the distance. Be a man the 
 fleetest of his species, he cannot compare with a horse in point 
 of speed ; howbeit, I trusted to my advantage to bear me to 
 the hostelry before my pursuers could overtake me, as in my 
 youth I greatly excelled in running. 
 
 The King's men came galloping onward, whilst I, bathed in 
 sweat, with throbbing temples and brain afire, ne'er faltered 
 once in my wild career, but fled for Bridgwater. As I neared 
 the town the distance between us was greatly lessened ; yet I 
 still maintained a lead. 
 
 When I rushed in through the front door of the King's 
 Head, the soldiers were lost to sight for a moment in a bend of 
 the street. Peter Whipple was with me in an instant. In a glance 
 he took in my panting chest, streaming face, and scant attire. 
 
 " Save me ! " I gasped. " Pringle's at my heels." 
 
 Without a word he thrust me behind the door of an empty
 
 262 M/STKESS DORO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 room just as a clatter of hoofs arose without. Through the 
 nick of it I could peer straight on to the doorstep and the cob- 
 ble stones below the sign-board. 
 
 Master \\'hipple was a man of resource as well as of action, 
 therefore he moved to the hostelry entrance to greet the King's 
 men as they drew up their frothy horses. 
 
 " Landlord ! " cried the little jackanapes Pringle, who had 
 ridden along in full dignity of his office on the steed of one 
 of his troopers, "have ye set eyes on that hell-hound of a Black 
 Ned ? We close beset his heels a minute agone. Answer 
 truthfully as thou lovest life." 
 
 "Ay, to be sure, your honor," quoth Pete, in answer, and 
 truth was stamped upon his countenance. " He hath passed 
 this way a minute since. He hath just gone up the street." 
 
 " Away then, lads, again ! " cried the excited captain ; and 
 off they clattered, their breath heavy with curses. 
 
 Pete joined me, his face solemn as a judge's. "Lad," said 
 he, " we have just time to breathe, and barely that. Unless I 
 am mistaken, those fellows will be back again in the twinkling 
 of a bedpost. Now, let us try to combat their designs. I am 
 mighty pleased to see thee safe, for ugly rumors were afloat 
 concerning thee. Yet this time is no time for congratulation. 
 Now, submit thyself to me entirely, and by the Mass I'll ex- 
 pound the meaning of a master mind." 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 IN WHICH WE LIVE AND LEARN. 
 
 " FRIEND NED," said Master Whipple, " I have a snug retreat 
 for thee." 
 
 He conducted me to the far side of the long room, and there 
 showed me a cupboard hidden three parts from view by a table 
 in front thereof. The room itself was of goodly size, with a 
 door at either end of it, the one leading from the entrance 
 passage, and the other at the far end, close by the cupboard, 
 into the kitchen. 
 
 Mine host installed me in that cupboard. This made my 
 position none too comfortable, as the air of it was stuffy, and if 
 size be aught to judge by, 'twas ne'er intended to receive a 
 full-grown man. 
 
 The long table and forms beside it were moved a convenient
 
 IN WHICH WE LIVE AND LEARN. 263 
 
 distance away, so that a person might pass between them and 
 the door of the receptacle. 
 
 " Young friend," said Pete, in his most impressive manner, 
 " I am about to show you the true art of business. A cultured 
 brain alone could conceive what I am going to show you, and I 
 flatter myself 'tis a close observance of the methods of Long 
 Bob Bickers, the greatest and skilfullest man in the three king- 
 doms in his day, which doth now enable me to imitate him in 
 some little particulars, no matter how unworthily." 
 
 He spoke in the weightiest way imaginable ; though 
 methought there was something unctuous in his speech, and 
 something owlish in his countenance. 
 
 " Now pay strict heed to me in everything," the little man 
 continued, " and I promise that you shall not go unrewarded. 
 I was much pleased with your manner in that last affair, and 
 mayhap you do not forget the guerdon that did accrue there- 
 from. Now do as y'are bidden. As Bob Bickers was wont to 
 remark, ' obedience is a monstrous fine quality in other people.' " 
 
 Hereupon my worthy host placed me in the cupboard and 
 securely fastened the door. After that he went and sought his 
 lad Tom, and through the wall I could hear him issuing implicit 
 instructions in the kitchen. What they were I could not tell. 
 I know that before long savory odors found their way through 
 the partition to my nose, whereupon I suddenly recollected that 
 I was hungry. Other matters, however, soon arose to distract 
 my attention. I had lain ten minutes in the cupboard, when 
 once more a clatter of hoofs arose in the street, and shortly 
 afterwards, Captain Joshua Pringle and his men clanked into 
 the room. Mine host came bustling forth to greet them, 
 smiling and obsequious. By good fortune it chanced that the 
 keyhole was on a level with my eyes, thus I was able to see 
 something of what passed outside. 'Twas evident His Majesty's 
 servants were sorely perturbed in spirit, but mine host was all 
 affability. 
 
 " Man," called out the captain, a mixture of sternness, dig- 
 nit}', and irritation, " methinks thou hast wantonly deceived us. 
 It doth occur to me thou art in league against us together with 
 that arch-villain, Black Ned. I accepted your excuses over that 
 first business, yet I promise you I have my doubts, and, 'pon 
 honor, ye shall swing, sir, as an aider and abettor, if I can but 
 prove aught against you. Ye said the black rogue had gone 
 up the street. Now I have questioned a score of folks, and they 
 swear they have not seen him pass. Verily, landlord, ye shall 
 swing if ye have deceived me."
 
 264 MJS TA'SS DORO THY MA K VI N. 
 
 " Dear, dear, how annoying ! " quoth Pete, in honeyed per- 
 suasiveness, and with the sweetest of humility. " Sink me ! 
 your honor, these sleepy rustics have no eyes. Ton my soul, 
 where you and I come f nxn, they would have clapped the fellow 
 into jail on their own accord. But, by my troth, captain, you 
 and your men look devilish thirsty. Hie, Tom, do you bring a 
 big stoup o' cider here this minute, and look damned lively, so 
 that the gentles may not wait. Come, sirs, be seated and take 
 a draught. Long Bob Bick er that is, I should have said, 
 my lord Buthbungle ever averred that good cider was a godsend 
 such days as these, and I promise you there is none better in 
 Europe." 
 
 Gradually, carefully, step by step, Master Peter Whipple 
 pacified them, and drove away by gentle benignity, and brave 
 show of kindly good nature, their disappointment and ill 
 humor. They sat down at the long table in front of me and 
 drank their cider. As a crowning beneficence, by which he 
 completely won them over, he set a smoking and choice smell- 
 ing dinner before them. Instantly they fell to, with no lack of 
 appetite, their threats toward mine host smothered for the nonce 
 at this new proof of his worth. 
 
 " Gentlemen," said Pete, still monstrous polite, though quite 
 restored to their good graces, " I will look to it that you are not 
 disturbed. You shall have this room for your own use alone, 
 that you may discuss any private matters unmolested, as gentle- 
 men are fond of doing. Yes, sir captain, I know exactly how 
 to treat persons of your quality." 
 
 No sooner did I hear those words of Master Whipple's, 
 than I guessed he had a set purpose in putting me where he 
 had. 
 
 Left to themselves, my enemies kept up a continuous din 
 with knife, fork, and platter. They talked noisily and loudly 
 among themselves for a length of time, vowing empty vengeance 
 against the cramped and cooped-up creature in the cupboard. 
 Towards the end of the meal their talk became more sober, and 
 in a short time Master Pringle directed attention to himself 
 whilst he gave them information on a matter of import. 
 
 " Pass the cider, Joe Walker, that I may wet my whistle, ere 
 I tell you fellows a secret, which only I and Tom Cox are aware 
 of. Is it not so, Tom ? " 
 
 " Ay, captain, that's infernally true." 
 
 " Now, list you. lads. I may not speak loud, or I may be 
 overheard, though 'tis my belief, when all is said, the landlord 
 is an honest fellow. I have told you nought before for fear of
 
 IN WHICH WE LIVE AND LEARN. 265 
 
 your blabbing tongues. Still, pay good heed now, as the time 
 for action is nigh at hand." 
 
 The little officer spoke in a subdued tone, whereat I craned 
 one ear to the keyhole, and heard every word he uttered. And 
 long ere he had ceased his talk, my nails bit into my palms 
 with excitement, whilst every fibre of my body was a-quivering. 
 
 "What I have to tell is this, and do you guard it as your 
 lives," announced the captain. "The day ere we started for the 
 West on this wildgoose chase, His Majesty the King sent for 
 me, and we had a long and private talk together." 
 
 " Oh ! " exclaimed half a dozen of them, actuated by this 
 illustrious name, and I beheld them as I peered through the 
 chink stretching their necks, and drawing their heads as close 
 to his own as they possibly could get them. 
 
 " King James," went on Master Pringle, " first required my 
 solemn oath not to divulge a word of what he might tell me un- 
 til the time for action came ; and you fellows, being under my 
 command, were to be informed when the hour arrived. What 
 His Majesty said to me was that, 'twas upon the plaint of my 
 lords Feversham and Sunderland that this expedition had to all 
 outward appearance been organized to capture the highwayman. 
 However, the King said he had an object behind it all of much 
 deeper and further-reaching import than the arresting of this 
 scurvy rogue. This object was known only to himself, and he 
 now imparted it to me, that I might carry it out (which I faith- 
 fully promised to do) to the utmost of my capacity. James said 
 for a week or two past he had had black suspicions in his mind 
 anent a great conspiracy which he believed was afloat in the 
 land a conspiracy that meant to oust him from the throne, 
 and one beside which that of Monmouth was the merest foolery. 
 He suspected a large number of his greatest ministers were at 
 the root of the matter. Mind ! 'twas only suspicion, for he was 
 without any direct proof whatsoever. Could he obtain it, 
 wealt'h and title should avail them not, but to the gallows they 
 should go, as prouder necks than theirs had ofttimes had to do. 
 'T\vas plain to him, he said, that this smouldering fire of con- 
 spiracy must be stamped out with resolution, and could he 
 discover the prime movers, assuredly it should be. Further, he 
 declared the safety of his crown rested upon the matter. His 
 Majesty was sore perturbed in spirit, as I could plainly- see, 
 and 'twill be woe betide all traitors that fall into his 
 hands. 
 
 " This is the duty he hath imposed on me. He hath a great 
 fact to work upon, and he trusts to my skill and fidelity in
 
 256 MISTRESS DO ROTH V MARVIN. 
 
 making it a powerful instrument, in averting his threatened 
 ruin. It hath come to his ears that several covert meetings 
 have been held in various country houses by divers lords, 
 both spiritual and temporal, and he can give a shrewd guess 
 for what purpose. One of these gatherings hath been quite 
 recently held at the house of Sir Nicholas Marvin, at Kelston 
 Manor, here in Somersetshire. And, whilst everybody hugs 
 the notion that we have come westward to solely effect Black 
 Ned's capture, without creating any attention at all, I must 
 set secretly to work, under the cloak of that enterprise, and 
 find out for certain, by hook or by crook, whether this knight 
 hath any treasonous designs. If so, I am to seize his body, 
 and his papers, and convey him forthwith to London. Arrived 
 there, he (James) will answer for it, that his favorite iron boot 
 shall make him tell many things, and if the other birds have not 
 already flown, one and all shall hang together. Above every- 
 thing, I was to be mindful of strictest secrecy, and should Sir 
 Nicholas Marvin show any disposition to make for Holland, 
 which is a veritable hotbed of plotters, he must be taken at once. 
 Furthermore, no stone must be left unturned to secure this 
 conspirator, even to the shedding of blood. Anything I thought 
 fit to do I was given the power to do it, yet, without fail, when 
 I proved the man's guilt, I must bring him to London. To 
 show what hath been vested in me, here is something that may 
 make you rub your eyes." 
 
 He drew a short slip of parchment out of his inner doublet 
 pocket, and read aloud the contents as follows : 
 
 " ' // is by Our order and express desire that the bearer hath 
 done what he hath done. 
 
 (Signed) " ' JAMES REX.' 
 
 " There ; what say you ? " asked the captain proudly, " and 
 in His Majesty's own handwriting too. That will bear me out 
 in anything. Well, lads, I have not proved unworthy of the 
 confidence reposed in me by my sovereign ; and while you 
 fellows have sought this miserable, thieving villain, I have been 
 engaged on State business, and weaved such a net of evidence 
 about this Marvin that, by Jupiter, he'll swing ! The blind old 
 spitfire thought I was only concerned in this Black Ned busi- 
 ness when I came to pay my frequent visits. He knoweth not 
 Joshua Pringle ! Blind old adder ! Ay, I have gotten him like 
 a stoat in a trap. I have bribed his major domo, and he hath 
 given me the plan of the house and grounds. I have discovered
 
 IN WHICH WE LIVE AND LEARN. 267 
 
 where the treasonous documents do lie. I have the most posi- 
 tive evidence of his guilt. All his male servants have at one 
 time or another been soldiers, and he is a rare old fighting man 
 himself; still we shall have scarce any trouble if we come at 
 the right moment. Three of his fellows are away on this Black 
 Ned business, and I'll take care they keep on it. Our time 
 will be an hour after sunset on this Friday evening, when an- 
 other of his servitors will be at Bridgwater, buying provisions. 
 That will leave but one male the major domo, who is ours, 
 and will assist us in our designs. Mind ! not a word of this to 
 a living soul. We will ride up to the manor to-night after sun- 
 down, seize the treacherous old knight, and convey him post- 
 haste to London. Zounds, lads ! I smell preferment in this 
 matter. Still, I do not want you to overlook this Black Ned. 
 Have him we will at any cost. He hath played me more than 
 one trick, and it galls me, I can tell you. I'll show him I'm 
 not a man to be the butt of a rustic." 
 
 This was the most important part of wjiat the fellow said. I 
 heard every word, and as 1 listened my breath came painfully 
 quick, and my brain staggered with this bewildering new-born 
 knowledge. I was fascinated by it for a time; and when I had 
 the power to think in some kind of order, I felt as though I had 
 lived a year in half an hour. 
 
 So the implacable knight had been properly duped ! All the 
 while he thought he was bringing about my downfall he was 
 digging a pit for his own. And now, unless Providence inter- 
 vened, he would perish by the arm of the law, even as my father 
 had done, for high treason and much deeper treason than ever 
 he had compassed. 
 
 Throughout the little captain's narrative no man had put in 
 an appearance to disturb them ; but no sooner was it finished 
 than, strangely enough, Peter Whipple came bustling in to make 
 inquiry what the gentles drank. As usual he lauded his rare 
 and famous vintages till his auditors were thirsty by anticipa- 
 tion. The wine was duly laid before them in a large open 
 bowl, into which they dipped their cups and sipped it there- 
 from, and also enjoyed the seductive tobacco fumes the while. 
 Naught occurred to interrupt these proceedings for the space 
 of a few minutes ; then the far door of the room, which led into 
 the outer passage, opened, and a venerable white-bearded old 
 gentleman entered. His bowed body was supported by a staff. 
 With shuffling steps he walked along to the table where the 
 King's men were seated. He halted there, and leaned on it 
 for support close by the bowl of wine.
 
 2 68 MIS TRESS DORO TH Y MA R VIN. 
 
 " Landlord," he piped in a thin voice, "I seek some little 
 refreshment, for the day is hot, and I have not yet come to the 
 end of a weary journey." 
 
 "Ah, yes, to be sure, sir," quoth Pete, grinning and winking 
 at the soldiers, whilst they grinned back at the excellence of 
 the joke. " Mayhap ye seek a rlask of canary, or, better still, 
 the Oporto vintage, or that of the Muscadine, or the prime 
 Tokay, or the Bordeaux, or the Burgundy ? " 
 
 " No, no, landlord, they are beyond my lean purse. A mug 
 of cider and a bite of bread and cheese is all I ask." 
 
 " Ay, to be sure. Please to step across the passage, where 
 you shall be duly served, for these gentlemen desire to have 
 this apartment entirely private." 
 
 The feeble creature hobbled out of the room again as he was 
 asked to do, and once more the dozen men at the table in front 
 of me were left to themselves. Their conversation hereabouts 
 began to flag. They had neither such a flow of speech nor 
 such a zest for talking. Maybe 'twas the sweet lulling influ- 
 ence of the tobacco that affected them. Shortly one began to 
 yawn, then another, and then another; but it should be ob- 
 served that the day was drowsy and oppressive. Presently one 
 of the dozen laid his head on the table, and two minutes later 
 a sonorous snore told his friends and companions that the land 
 of dreams had claimed him. Doubtless the excellence and 
 substance of the dinner had caused this. But, to my astonish- 
 ment, they all followed this example, so that in a quarter of an 
 hour the whole pack of them lay about in twisted attitudes 
 asleep ! Could 1 too, be asleep ? It seemed an unheard-of 
 phenomenon for all those men to pop off to slumber with such 
 unparalleled suddenness; tho' this notwithstanding their snores 
 and regular breathing ere long mingled each with the other in 
 a somnolent chorus. 
 
 Then Master Whipple, who for the last twenty minutes had 
 been out of the room, came in with noiseless tread ; and there 
 was a solemn look upon his face. Strange to state, he was 
 nowise surprised to find his customers asleep. After shooting a 
 glance at the recumbent figures, mine host went and locked the 
 door which led into the outer passage. That accomplished, he 
 came to my cupboard and let me out. There was just margin 
 wide enough for me to crawl therefrom without touching my 
 enemies. 
 
 " Come on, lad, and stretch those limbs o' thine," he said 
 briskly ; " I'll warrant they need it." 
 
 "But, Pete, these men ? "
 
 IN WHICH WE LIVE AND LEARN. 269 
 
 " What of them ? They are safe for the present. A volley 
 of musketry would not wake them." 
 
 Of course mine host was the man to know, therefore I silently 
 accepted his extraordinary remark, and meanwhile fully en- 
 joyed my liberty. 
 
 " What means this, Pete ? What have you got in your 
 head?" 
 
 " Brains," was the laconic answer ; and I believed him. 
 
 For those twelve men to be slumbering thus, and that door to 
 be locked, and to see Peter Whipple standing there, solemn of 
 mien and self-assured in manner, to put the matter tersely, it 
 looked like business. 
 
 " Now, friend Armstrong, obey your leader. I bid you search 
 those gentlemen at the table, and take every shilling from their 
 pockets and put them into your own. Be light and gentle, deft 
 and nimble, and forget not a gray groat piece. Business is 
 business." 
 
 Forthwith I did as I was bidden. , I began to empty the 
 pockets of mine enemies. And, when I had successfully emptied 
 two, the other ten were already empty, and they by the hand of 
 Master Peter Whipple. It chanced that one of my unpreten- 
 tious two was that of the captain himself, wherefore I took 
 particular care to secure the King's order from his pocket. 
 
 " D'ye see this, Pete ? " I said, holding it up for his inspec- 
 tion, " we had best burn that, I trow ? " 
 
 He seized it quickly, and muttered under his breath, " '// is 
 by Our order and express desire that the bearer hath done what 
 he hath done. (Signed) James Rex? " 
 
 " W T hat ! burn this ? " he cried ; " oh, boy, I weep for you ; 
 'Tis enough to make Rob Bickers uproot his tombstone. Twenty 
 golden guineas would not purchase it back from me. Thou 
 fool ! " 
 
 He skipped away into the kitchen, and a moment later was 
 back again with scissors, needle, and thread. He flung off his 
 jacket, straightway ripped a hole in the lining, slipped the 
 precious parchment in, and sewed it up again. 
 
 " Burn it, lad ? " he said ; " I grieve to say you will never 
 rise in the world. You will be purse sneaking all your days, 
 instead of becoming churchwarden and justice of the peace for 
 the parish. But I've no time to play the dominie. By the 
 Mass ! we have squeezed another goodly sum. Business is as- 
 suredly brisk. I reckon they have only just drawn more pay. 
 Now, Ned, you stuff every brass farthing into your pockets. 
 We will see to its proper disposal afterwards. And here also 
 18
 
 2 7 o Ml 'STRESS DOKO THY MA R VIN. 
 
 is all I have about mine own person. Four shillings and ten- 
 pence. Take charge of that as well." 
 
 I put all the coins into my breeches pockets, marvelling much 
 the while at these strange proceedings. 
 
 " Pete," I said in lively wonderment, " they will assuredly 
 suspect you. You cannot hope to hoodwink them this time." 
 
 " Oh master mind ! ye show most grievous lack of invention. 
 And a man wi'out invention, as Bob Bickers was wont to 
 declare, is like a ship wi'out a rudder." 
 
 "Pete," I insinuated, "bethink you, was it not my lord 
 Buthbungle who made that trite observe ? " 
 
 He answered not, but twitched one eyelid ; in itself an 
 acknowledgment that my shot had hit him. 
 
 " Did those fellows blab aught of import during their con- 
 verse?" he asked; " methought 'twas not unlikely we might 
 earn an honest penny by what they chanced to let fall. You 
 cannot have too many ears, or too many eyes, in this world. May- 
 hap you caught something private. Is that so ? " 
 
 I took pains to conceal the major part from mine host of what 
 I had heard, as I prudently thought he might be tempted to run 
 counter to my wishes. Besides, he had not enough of my con- 
 fidence to know the whole of what had passed betwixt the 
 knight and me ; neither had I an inclination to tell him then. 
 
 For the best part of an hour Master Whipple and I talked 
 together, unmindful of the sleeping dozen in our vicinity. At 
 least Pete was, and I, trusting him implicitly, regulated my 
 behavior in accordance with his own. And he having no fear 
 of their disturbing us by waking suddenly, we talked without 
 restraint. However, I could not help marvelling how my 
 worthy friend was to slip out of his present plight, for me- 
 thought no amount of speechifying could be able this time to 
 soothe the injured men. But Pete made so light of the affair 
 that 'twas obvious he had a plan in his head. In the course of 
 time mine host glanced at the clock, and said 
 
 " They will rouse themselves in another quarter of an hour, 
 lad, so we had best make some preparation." 
 
 Without more to do the innkeeper left me a moment, and 
 came bustling back from the kitchen with a coil of rope and a 
 long kerchief. I stared at these strange articles, though my 
 wits were not keen enough to appraise their value. 
 
 As a preliminary, mine host did another strange thing. At 
 the far end of the room a second cupboard was built into the wall, 
 and upon unlocking this it was found to contain a large assort- 
 ment of coins. In fact, Pete declared 'twas a month's till-
 
 IN WHICH WE LIVE AND LEARN. 271 
 
 money. It consisted of copper and silver mostly. Mine host 
 took every piece of the latter away ; after counting it, gave this 
 also into my care ; scattered the copper coins all over the cup- 
 board, and leaving the door of it open proceeded to give me in- 
 structions how to act. 
 
 " You must now bind this kerchief tightly round my mouth," 
 he said ; " but first stuff this other one into it. Then tie me 
 down in that chair with the rope, and coil it so about my legs 
 and arms that I cannot on any account get loose. When you 
 have done that get back into your cupboard, lock the door of 
 it on the inside and watch. If I cannot teach thee something 
 this day, then either I'm a bigger fool else thou'rt a wiser youth 
 than I have allowed for. Now, do all this quietly and quickly, 
 and ask no questions." 
 
 " But, Pete " 
 
 " Ask no questions, I said. Do as ye're bidden. Your in- 
 structions are sufficiently explicit." 
 
 Without further parleying, I carried 'out his orders to the 
 letter. The result was, that when I lay in the cupboard again, 
 with the inside locked, the key in my hand, and a huge mass of 
 gold and silver in my pockets, as I peered through the keyhole, 
 I beheld Master Whipple sitting helpless in the chair, gagged 
 and secured hand and foot, the door of his money cupboard 
 wide open, the outer door of the room still locked, and the 
 twelve King's men still slumbering, despite their rummaged 
 pockets. Thereupon the nature of the trick dawned upon me 
 suddenly. 
 
 For a few minutes nought happened. Then one of the sol- 
 diers gave a sleepy grunt, rubbed his eyes, stretched himself, 
 yawned, and gazed stupidly about him. This survey was in- 
 sufficient for his bewildered senses, therefore once more he 
 rubbed his eyes and stretched himself ; then with clearer brain, 
 and clearer vision, he took in the silent room and Peter Whip- 
 pie. Still he was not sure his sight was right, therefore sought 
 in his pockets for his handkerchief; which act did ease his 
 understanding. 
 
 " Mother of Jesus 1 " he yelled, in a voice that shook the 
 ceiling. 
 
 Instantly he wakened his companions, but not with any undue 
 display of gentleness. Ere long they were very wideawake ; 
 and sprang to their feet, a jabbering, excited, wrathful company. 
 They used ornamental language, and accused one another of 
 pocket-picking ; then saw Peter Whipple. They beheld him 
 purple in the face, wriggling in his fetters.
 
 272 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 "Who's that? " they inquired of no one in particular, point- 
 ing towards their host. 
 
 They ran to him, and soon cut the rope and ungagged him. 
 Thereupon Master Whipple fell headlong out of his seat and 
 rolled on the floor gasping and choking. They picked him up 
 and managed after a while to restore him somewhat, and then 
 asked him what the matter was. 
 
 In answer, Pete fell a-sobbing. The tears rolled down his 
 cheeks in a never-ending stream, and he wrung his hands and 
 wept aloud in the depths of his despondence. 
 
 " Oh, woe is me ! woe is me ! " he bellowed, in hysterical 
 despair, with his utterance three parts choked. His victims 
 forgot their own misfortunes for a moment, and inquired con- 
 cernedly anent the trouble. 
 
 "What is the trouble?" he sobbed, "that is the trouble ! " 
 He led them to the rifled cupboard. " There, do ye see the 
 trouble now ? A whole year's earnings lost at one fell stroke. 
 The kernel is gone, and only the husk is left. Oh, woe is me ! 
 The villain hath ta'en every gold and silver piece to the amount 
 of several hundred guineas, and hath only left the coppers 
 because they were too cumbersome to carry. What, in the 
 name of heaven, shall I do ? Great God ! I am beside 
 myself. Guineas golden, bailiff-scouting guineas ! 'Tisruin ! 
 ruin ! ruin ! " 
 
 The injured man buried his head in his hands in a paroxysm 
 of grief, and wept, and wept, and wept ! till such was the 
 copious outpouring of salt water that it was a mercy the ill- 
 used creature did not dry up the blessed spring forthwith. 
 His misery was cruel to behold. Even his victims tried to 
 soothe him. 
 
 " No, no ! there is nought for it but ruin, ruin ! " he wailed. 
 " Oh, what have I done to call down this awful judgment upon 
 me and mine ? 'Tis starvation that stares me and my poor 
 family in the face, and I have striven so hard to keep a roof 
 over the heads of my wife and children. And now they must 
 starve. Oh, 'tis cruel ! cruel ! I shall surely die. Alas, my 
 poor wife ! alas, my poor family ! 'Twill kill me quite ! " 
 
 Nought could assuage his grief. He beat his head on the 
 wooden table, and in after days (to his eternal pride) was able 
 to show where he had knocked two splinters off of it, such was 
 the vigor of his thwacks. 
 
 I will tell his story, as herein lay his greatest triumph, since 
 his victims ne'er thought of questioning the truth of it. He made 
 out that the old man who had come into the room for refresh-
 
 /A r WHICH WE LIVE AND LEARA r . 273 
 
 ment was none other than Black Ned himself disguised, and 
 that while standing by the bowl of wine, he had taken occasion 
 to slip a sleeping powder in it, thereby sending the King's men 
 to sleep. No sooner had they fallen asleep than the old man 
 came to Master Whipple, took him unawares by presenting a 
 loaded pistol to his (Master Whipple's) forehead, threatening to 
 blow out his brains should he speak a word, thereby forcing 
 him to disclose where his money lay, and having been shown 
 the place, he bound and gagged him, locked the door that none 
 might disturb his own designs, then robbed the innkeeper and 
 the King's men at his leisure. 
 
 " And there was my lad Tom," veracious Peter said, " dis- 
 pensing liquors across the passage, whilst we folk were being 
 robbed of every groat of our substance. Oh, 'tis bitter, un- 
 utterably bitter ! And the rogue, when he had ta'en as much 
 as he could comfortably carry, simply bowed to me, as his 
 custom is, and went out, locking the door behind him taking 
 the key to boot, that we might not be discovered." 
 
 Not being Doctor Jonathan Swift, I have no pen to describe 
 those soldiers as they heard the details of the disaster. Yet 
 they believed every word the landlord uttered. I had ever given 
 mine host credit for being a man of conspicuous abilities, nathe- 
 less even he surpassed himself in the deceiving of his victims. 
 His story had such a glamour of truth about it, and his tears 
 were so salt that his auditors were ridiculously gulled. I had 
 the key in my pocket, and, to lend color to the story, they 
 broke open the door to get out of the room. I do assure you, 
 kinsmen, they hurled maledictions and Antichristian threats 
 enough at me to last the deepest-dyed rogue a lifetime. When 
 at last, with further imprecations, they rode away, I unlocked 
 the cupboard and rejoined veracious Peter in the middle of the 
 room. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 THE COMING OF THE KING'S MEN. 
 
 MINE host apportioned out five guineas of the booty as my 
 share. On the spot I refused this offer flatly, telling him 'twas 
 I by rights who ought to pay, seeing how he had baffled my 
 pursuers. Without any unnecessary show of words he admitted 
 this obligation, pocketed the gold accordingly, and edified me
 
 274 MISTRESS DOROTHY MAKVIN. 
 
 immensely by remarking that my sterling qualities, day by day, 
 appealed more nearly to his heart. 
 
 " Pete," said I a little later, " there is one point I am not alto- 
 gether clear upon. Who was that old man in reality ? " 
 
 " My lad Tom ; rather smart youth, I reckon ? " and Peter 
 Whipple assumed a pious aspect. 
 
 There still remained a serious matter to be transacted, ere I 
 might venture back to my hiding-place; namely, to purchase 
 a new outfit for my person. Therefore Master Whipple took 
 my measure, and went across the street to do my shopping. 
 He bought me a new suit of clothes, a new hat, and pair of 
 shoes; also was so kind as to make me a present of a tolerable 
 sword in lieu of the one I had thrown away. 
 
 I bid my succorer adieu with a thankful heart, and lost no 
 time in returning to the manor copse. I had no thought for 
 the journey, as my mind was completely immersed in the mo- 
 mentous tidings I had heard from the lips of Captain Pringle. 
 
 The utmost of my thinking could only show one way to render 
 aid'to my old friend and recent enemy. So short was the time, 
 and so greatly was I handicapped by having to conceal my 
 identity, that one plan alone appeared feasible. 'Twas truly 
 desperate ; tho' it was the only one to promise anything of 
 success. Accordingly I decided to act upon it, and to keep 
 mine own counsel till the time arrived for action. Upon reach- 
 ing my retreat, the first thing I beheld was my love sitting 
 under the tree trunk, with a white and anxious face. As soon 
 as the rustle of the brushwood reached her ears, she turned 
 this pallid countenance towards me, and it flushed with 
 welcome. 
 
 She jumped up instantly, and came and seized my two hands 
 in both her own. Her eyes beaconed with joy and thankful- 
 ness, though I found her fingers cold and trembling. 
 
 " Mine own dear lad ! " she said softly, and added in a whis- 
 per, " Thank God, thou art safe ! " 
 
 Her tone surprised me, 'twas so very fervent. Also her man- 
 ner was equally as strange, seeing that for a full minute she 
 said nothing, but looked rapturously at my face in a sort of ec- 
 stasy of happiness. 'Twas evident she had passed through a 
 time of severe anxiety. I cogitated much at this, because when 
 last I had seen her, she had appeared so confident of my success 
 and so free of apprehension. 
 
 " Dearest," I asked, " why this to-do ? " 
 
 " Ah, lad ! " she answered, " I have suffered. I have received 
 a bitter punishment for folly."
 
 THE COMING OF THE KING'S MEN. 275 
 
 " Not from your father, I hope ? " 
 
 " Yes," she said. 
 
 I clenched my hands, and 'twas as much as I could do to 
 restrain my anger. 
 
 " But not in the way you think," she added slyly. " He did 
 not know himself what he was doing, though he hath made me 
 live in an agony of dread since this morning." 
 
 ' : Tell me all about it, darling." 
 
 " Nay, not a word till I have had a precise account of thine 
 own adventures. First, sir, let me have a look at thee." 
 
 Thereupon she gazed again upon me ; this time her survey 
 was universal. She looked me over from head to heels, and the 
 pleased expression of her face announced that this scrutiny had 
 resulted entirely to her liking. 
 
 " So thou hast returned with never a scathe or injury," she 
 said ; " and dost know, my lad, that is what I'm proud and glad 
 to see? Oh, Ned, I am so thankful!" 
 
 Kinsmen, to say the least, she looked- it. 
 
 " But my cousin ? " she continued breathlessly, in a sudden 
 burst of recollection; "is he badly hurt ? Is he dead ? Oh, 
 Ned, thou hast not killed him ! " Her face was full of fear. 
 
 " Chut ! " I cried ; " he hath but suffered a flesh-wound in the 
 shoulder." 
 
 " A flesh-wound only ? " 
 
 "Yes ; just enough for me to win with." 
 
 " You are quite sure of that ? " she asked nervously. " You 
 know you fighting men hold such barbarous notions. My old 
 dad for instance, ne'er calls a wound a wound until it shows 
 signs of becoming mortal." 
 
 "But I'm not a fighting man," said I, remembering her some- 
 what light opinion of my prowess. 
 
 " Indeed you are, sir," she answered, with an inimitable 
 brightness in her eyes. " I make bold to say a really great 
 fighting man, and one I'm proud to speak to." 
 
 She said this quite free of her usual flippancy ; I had never 
 heard her tone more earnest or more reverent. 
 
 " What is this, Sir Champion ? " she queried. Her quick eye 
 had already noted the change in my apparel, and in a woman, 
 as we know, Curiosity is a high grandee, who at all times doth 
 exact the first and best attention. " New garments ! new shoon ! 
 new hat ! new sword ! " she exclaimed in pretty wonderment. 
 "My lad, I'll trouble you for an explanation." 
 
 Upon this command I entered into an account of all that 
 had befallen me, withholding nought save the designs of the
 
 276 MIS TRESS DOROTHY MA R VIN. 
 
 King's men, the name of mine host of the King's Head, Bridg- 
 vvater, and above all else for which, kinsmen, to this hour I 
 blush the stroke of fortune that enabled me to beat the French- 
 man. No, I treated my victory quite as a matter to be expected, 
 and in a confident, light, and airy manner. Perhaps 'twas that 
 my ears were greedy of praise in those days I know there are 
 young men who wax and grow fat upon it ; or was it because 
 Dorothy had evinced such singular admiration for my victory ? 
 Be this as it may, I am afeared young Ned Armstrong was 
 far too big a coxcomb to ever think of denying ought to his 
 vanity. 
 
 The girl sat down on a green hillock of turf opposite the 
 narrator. She rested her chin on her hands, and her eyes, 
 peeping above her finger-tips, seemed to glow and burn with 
 excitement and with sympathy. Never a word she uttered in 
 the course of the story, though the blood tingled in her cheeks 
 when I came to tell of my victory over the count, and she whis- 
 pered " what a man ! " as I unfolded Master Whipple's scheme. 
 And when at last she addressed a remark to me, I was startled 
 by her voice : 'twas once more full of awe and reverence. 
 
 " Dost thou truly love me, Ned ? " 
 
 I must confess I was taken aback by this question ; it came 
 so swift and unexpected. It was put not jestingly, nor to gain 
 a compliment, but nervously apprehensively. My only answer 
 was to kiss her. 
 
 II And wilt stand by me, Ned, in spite of every change of 
 fortune ? Even when thou'rt Sir Edward Armstrong, the greatest 
 man in this county, thou wilt hold to that ? Promise me, lad ! '' 
 
 " I will e'en do more than promise, sweetest, I'll swear it. 
 Having loved thee once, I must go on loving thee forever." 
 
 She rose and grasped my hand in hers. 
 
 " Oh, that I were worthy of you ! " she exclaimed, in a kind 
 of desperation, and blushed most beautifully. " I'm but a girl 
 that's good for nought save to polish swords and cherish 'em 
 after great fighting men have wielded them." 
 
 Sure her behavior was quite beyond the ordinary ; 'twas so 
 strange, so grave, so unfathomable. Methinks I must have 
 laughed had her face not been so full of earnestness, or her 
 eyes so much like embers of living fire. 
 
 " Ned," she said in a soft, solemn whisper, "thou art a great 
 swordsman." 
 
 And then she set her head to one side, and scrutinized me 
 more critically than ever. This was too much for gravity; 
 accordingly I laughed.
 
 THE COMING OF THE KING'S MEN. 277 
 
 " A very great v swordsman," she reiterated with the same 
 reverence, " and thou'rt scarce taller than myself. Wonderful ! 
 But, oh, my lad ! what an eye thou hast, what a supple wrist, 
 what muscularity of arm, and what agility of body ! Thou 
 hast defeated the best swordsman in France this day. The 
 Perry Wilmot victory is nought at all by comparison with this 
 one. Wilmot was drunk when you defeated him ; and when I 
 told you what my father said about the man, I told you far 
 more than the truth. I was in wild spirits then I do suffer 
 with them sometimes. Besides, 'twould have grieved me to 
 the heart to have disappointed you, as you had so set your 
 mind on fighting. And 1 came to feel that you ran no danger, 
 because the greater the swordsman the less will he say of his 
 skill. My dear, dear lad ! I thought I had sent you forth to 
 your death ! I have been bitterly punished for telling lies. Sir 
 Nicholas told me scarce an hour after your departure this 
 morning, all about young Raoul's splendid fighting qualities. 
 My cousin and he had been having a little bout for pastime, 
 and when M. de Crois left us, the old gentleman swore he'd 
 wager a bin of his Lanquedoc that no man in England could 
 match the lad in the art of fence. I' faith he went so far as to 
 doubt whether he could have done so himself, even in his 
 prime. He says the count possesses all the virtues of a 
 master, and hath one weakness only." 
 
 " Over-confidence ? " I suggested. 
 
 " That's it, exactly. Never have I seen old daddy so enthusi- 
 astic as he was this morning. 'Twas as though twenty years 
 had been lifted from his shoulders. He declared that to fight 
 with that man would be almost an education in the art of fence. 
 He said there was more backbone in this present generation 
 than he had given it credit for, and it did his heart good to 
 know it. He had not thought there was one who could main- 
 tain the traditions of the Forties, yet he had found De Crois 
 worthy to rank with the best. So he just kept on pledging 
 Raoul's health and sighing for his own lusty manhood back 
 again, that he might have shown him what a Stuart cavaliero 
 was capable of doing ; till at last he bethought himself of me. 
 Thereupon he snapped his fingers in my face, and swore that 
 if he had another word of demur from me about the forth- 
 coming wedding, he would drag me to church himself, and so 
 have the matter done by means of a special license. ' For,' 
 said he, ' 'twas folly, nay, sheer criminal wickedness, to neglect 
 so grand a chance of bringing a great man nearer to the family.' 
 When I heard this, Ned, I thought that I had killed thee. Me-
 
 278 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 thought I had surely sent thee forth to thy destruction. Who'd 
 have guessed that that silly, jabbering, Frenchified clodpoll had 
 been such a master. When I heard of this, 'twas too late to 
 alter things. So, for the last four hours, I have not known 
 v;hat it hath been to breathe in comfort. Methought you could 
 have no possible chance against him. I am not ashamed to 
 admit this to you now, for papa is not the man to bestow such 
 praise without due reason. But, in spite of everything, here 
 you are, safe and sound ; and oh, lad " * 
 
 Here she broke off short, as though lost for words to express 
 her admiration, and relied on looks alone to record the same. 
 This unusual meed of praise set me protesting my un worthi- 
 ness. 
 
 " No need, Dorothy, to hold me in such wondrous respect," 
 said I, my vanity tickled immensely. Of course I used the 
 boaster's favorite trick false modesty. Therefore, you will 
 understand that I vehemently protested against her eulogies, 
 pronouncing myself unworthy of them. Still all the time I 
 took great care that my voice should belie my words, so that 
 no matter what I said my tone inferred, " Don't you believe 
 me, Dorothy. 'Tis only my modesty all great men are modest. 
 I deserve all the praise I get from you, and, in fact, my dear, 
 a good deal more than you can give me." 
 
 " Methinks I am the proudest and happiest woman in this 
 county just now, Ned," she said, and her tones and looks did 
 not belie her words. 
 
 " What hath brought you to that frame of mind, Dorothy ? " 
 I promptly inquired, sniffing further compliments. 
 
 " I have the honor to protect and succor the greatest man in 
 England from the malice of his enemies." 
 
 "The greatest man in England, mistress ? " 
 
 " Yes, my dear lad ; you merit that title." 
 
 " Then you set swordsmanship and mere manual skill before 
 book-learning ? " Yet I knew full well she did. I only asked 
 her to prolong the sweetness. 
 
 "I should rather think I do," she answered indignantly. 
 " When I was very, very young I once asked my old dad a 
 similar question. 'Hey, what? Book-learning, quotha ?' said 
 he. ' Did book-learning build up the Roman Empire ? Did it 
 drive the hated Spaniard from these shores ? Did it enable 
 William the Norman to conquer England ? Did it make old 
 Noll Cromwell Lord Protector ? Book-learning, is it ? Go to, 
 thou fool ! ' And my gentleman tapped his sword, and told 
 me I was not worthy of my breed."
 
 THE COMING OF THE KING'S MEN. 279 
 
 " And you considered him quite right in this matter ? " 
 
 " Right ? Why, he is never wrong in matters military." 
 
 " And do you call it an honor to succor a man who owes you 
 his life twice over?" I am happy to say that at this point my 
 voice immediately discarded chicanery. I had arrived at topics 
 that I never yet have trifled with. 
 
 " It doth not detract from your capacity," she answered. 
 " And if you think you still lie under an obligation towards me, 
 I will disabuse your mind, sir. This day's work hath wiped 
 out all debts, and hath scored a heavy one up against myself." 
 
 " Thank you, dearest," I said, touched by her generosity ; 
 " but you surely forget 'tis no honor to protect a thief." 
 
 " Who says thou'rt a thief ? " 
 
 " The King." 
 
 " The King is a tyrant and a murderer. He killed your 
 father, and balked you of your bread." 
 
 " I am none the less a thief." 
 
 " Well, if you are so very fond of that word ! Still, I have 
 it in my mind to prove you wrong." 
 
 " Try," said I bitterly, and with half a sigh at her enthu- 
 siasm. 
 
 " Hearken to me, young man. Pietro Negretti, in his cele- 
 brated work, ' The Usages of Modern Warfare,' says, 'It is a 
 legitimate thing to seize an enemy's property when the occa- 
 sion offers.' Have you gone beyond seizing the enemy's prop- 
 erty to keep body and soul together ? No, say I." 
 
 'Twas a delight to see her eyes sparkle in their triumph. 
 Her reasoning was simply irresistible so far as it went ; tho', 
 like all woman's reasoning (that is, as much as I have encoun- 
 tered), one could not examine it very deep ere a flaw was found. 
 
 "This will not make me any honester in the sight of the 
 world," I said. 
 
 " You are honest enough for the one that loves you, dear 
 lad ! Do I care for the world ? Why should it come 'twixt 
 you and me ? '' 
 
 There was such a glow in her face, and she spoke, oh, so 
 tenderly ! that forthwith I hauled down my colors. 
 
 " Thou art beaten, boy, quite beaten ! " she exclaimed, mid- 
 way between seriousness and laughter ; " and I, being victor, 
 must e'en dictate the terms of the armistice. Promise me that 
 you will ne'er again use that ugly word in my presence." 
 
 " But, Dorothy " 
 
 " Promise, lad, or the vanquisher of M. de Crois shall spend 
 to-morrow fasting."
 
 2 8 o MIS TRESS DORO TH Y MA R VIM. 
 
 " But " 
 
 " Promise, sir, or the finest swordsman in England shall be 
 deprived of his cigarros." 
 
 " Oh, if it comes to that, I will promise, you young tyrant ! " 
 
 And we sealed this compact with but, mayhap, good kins- 
 men, you can guess in what mode we did it. 
 
 Five minutes later she left me, promising to return as usual 
 first thing in the morning. Alas ! how little she guessed what 
 was pending ere another sun might rise. I had not said a word 
 to her on that subject, because 1 felt that to do so would serve 
 no useful purpose. I fell into a kind of fever of excitement. 
 There was absolutely nought to do but wait for nightfall and the 
 coming of the King's men. Upon looking at the setting sun, I 
 judged there was scarce three hours of daylight left. I reviewed 
 all the circumstances more exactly in the vain hope of finding 
 a loophole of escape from so perilous a dilemma. The captain's 
 plan was secret and skilful. The attack was to be made when 
 the old knight would be able to offer the least resistance. 
 'Twould be quite easy to seize his person and his papers within 
 the space of a few minutes have a coach in waiting in the 
 darkness, and hurry him to London without any being the wiser, 
 save Dorothy, who would be powerless to save or to aid her 
 ill-fated sire. 
 
 At last an idea struck me. If the coast was clear, there was 
 still time for Sir Nicholas to slip his enemies. Thereupon I set 
 out cautiously to reconnoitre. I made my way to the outskirts 
 of the copse, and peered through the trees that skirted the 
 carriage-track leading to the house. And the very first thing I 
 noticed was a man on the fringe of grass, lying down immedi- 
 ately opposite me. I slipped nastily back into the shadow of 
 the trees, for I recognized the King's uniform. Twenty yards 
 further down another was concealed in an exactly similar fash- 
 ion. Both these men overlooked the only road from^he house. 
 'Twas patent none might pass along it without the alarm being 
 given. And, even had the track been clear, it occurred to me 
 that the old war-dog would not have fled, but would have fought 
 the matter out ; I knew his heart was big enough. 
 
 This was how it would have to be. The shortness of the time 
 had afforded me no opporunities for providing better. There- 
 fore my plan was to lie in wait till the King's men rode up and 
 had gone in to Sir Nicholas, who I was certain, when he learned 
 their errand, would shed every drop of the blood in his veins 
 sooner than yield up the incriminating documents. Thus I 
 would seize the most favorable moment during the altercation.
 
 THE COMING OF THE KING'S MEN. 281 
 
 rush in sword in hand, and maim as many as I might ere they 
 had gathered their wits sufficiently. This would reduce their 
 numbers, and thereby mitigate the hopelessness of the struggle, 
 as two desperate men, both accomplished in the art of fence, even 
 when pitted against heavy odds, require dealing with by incom- 
 petent and unskilled swordsmen. Call this a wildgoose scheme 
 if you will ; but " desperate cases, desperate remedies." And 
 it was certainly the best that offered itself, for the more I con- 
 sidered the subject, the more certain I became that the knight 
 would never fly, only as a final resource. Also there was a 
 subtle thought forever rising in my mind. " Suppose, Ned, 1 ' 
 said an unbidden voice, " you make a brilliant effort this night, 
 and save the knight and his papers; your cause cannot help 
 being benefited by the circumstance. Sir Nicholas is bound to 
 entertain much kinder sentiments towards you." In answer to 
 this, the only thing left for me to do was to devoutly hope that 
 matters would end so favorably, and to watch the sinking of the 
 sun and the lengthening of the shadows. 
 
 As the time drew near I recollected that in this rush of great 
 events one thing had been omitted. I had not warned the 
 knight. This I had had ample chance of doing by the agency 
 of his daughter. Then I asked the hard question of myself, 
 " Why should I warn him ? Is he not one of my fiercest 
 enemies ? " This should prove a key to my plan of action. I 
 was not going to the knight's assistance out of any love for him. 
 'Twas because I loved his daughter. And to love her with im- 
 punity I must have her father's goodwill. The readiest way to 
 obtain that goodwill was, to my thinking, by rendering him an 
 important service. Here was the sought-for opportunity. Yet 
 it must be one large enough to impress him with its magnitude. 
 Now, a mere word of warning carries no glamour with it ; but a 
 brilliant bit of fighting and half a dozen dead men heaped 
 around you make a far deeper impression upon a soldier's mind 
 than the most eloquent oration ever uttered, or than a million 
 words of warning. From which, my children, it should be seen 
 that, though your sire was at this time no older than yourselves, 
 there was room in his head for other things as well as folly. 
 
 Ten times during the last hour I drew my sword from its 
 scabbard, felt the edge with my thumb, and scanned the white 
 blade to espy any speck of dirt or rust that might linger on it. 
 I traversed every foot of my hiding-place. I could not keep 
 quiet through longing feverishly for nightfall. The waiting I 
 could not bear ; the business being one that must have unset- 
 tled any man. A torturing doubt seized me at the last moment
 
 282 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 as to whether I was really making the most of my chances. I 
 went over all the previous ground again ; and knowing how high 
 the game was for which I played, I rightly argued that the 
 stakes also must perforce be high. 
 
 I left my bower as the shadows crept across the earth, and 
 making my way carefully along, I reached a spot bordering on a 
 trim lawn which overlooked the front entrance to the house. 
 Here I hid myself as well as possible, with ears strained to catch 
 a clatter of hoofs on the gravel, though the King's men were 
 scarcely due yet. 
 
 Presently I saw the white blinds drawn of the room I had spent 
 so many hours in, and the candles striking through them gave 
 a feeble reflection for a yard or two without. The darkness 
 came sneaking upon the world. God alone knows what is done 
 in the darkness, the horrible darkness ! 
 
 As I waited in my place of concealment, I could hear the 
 strains of the spinet, accompanied by a familiar voice, which 
 trilled a lively lilt. The sprightly sound was hard to hear ; it 
 turned my heart cold. 
 
 The soldiers should be here by now. Then my heart ceased to 
 beat almost ; I had caught the long-listened-for clatter at last. 
 
 Horsemen came thudding, with snorting horses, past where I 
 lay. No lack of noise was with them ; riders being busy pass- 
 ing japes one among another, whilst their horses' hoof-irons 
 scrunched the pathway. The King's men halted before the 
 entrance steps, slipped off their animals, and fastened them 
 together. 
 
 I crouched along in the shadow of the wall of the house to 
 within a few yards of the soldiers, that I might hear all that 
 passed. Ere they could enter the house, the front door was 
 opened, and Dorothy came out on to the steps to greet them. 
 
 " We have news of great import for your father, mistress," 
 said the captain. 
 
 " Anent Black Ned ? " she asked. " I do hope, Captain, you 
 have caught the slippery villain." Whereat I knew she was 
 tantalizing Master Joshua Pringle. 
 
 With that he followed her into the hall, his men trooping 
 after him. No sooner had the last man passed out of sight 
 through the hall door than I drew every pistol from the holsters 
 of the saddles, and, gathering them in my arms, I ran and hid 
 them among the brushwood, knowing that no sword can com- 
 pare with a fire-arm ; and should any man during the forthcom- 
 ing conflict bethink himself of using his pistol, there would soon 
 be an end to the business.
 
 THE COMING OF THE KING'S MEN. 283 
 
 Here I noted a thing which stimulated my spirits in a high 
 degree ; I discovered that only six of Captain Pringle's com- 
 mand were with him ; the ostensible reason being that his task 
 was so simple he could afford to treat it lightly. 
 
 Afterwards I listened under the window of the big sitting- 
 room, in which the candles were burning. I heard voices 
 tolerably tranquil, then a little louder, then louder still. Follow- 
 ing that I heard the knight's pitched high in anger ; and the 
 six languages plenteously used. Soon his rage was his master. 
 
 " No, you base-born hound," I heard him cry quite plain, " I 
 will not give up the papers or my person either ! Dost think 
 James Stuart is to do as he lists in the matter ? E'en though 
 ye are seven to one, I will not surrender. We will have a little 
 breather first." 
 
 " Don't be a fool ! " put in Master Pringle. 
 
 "A fool, didst thou say, jackanapes? Thou shalt pay for 
 that." 
 
 Thereupon methought I caught some muffled sounds of 
 scuffling, and I heard the captain bellow 
 
 " At him, lads, before he gets his sword. You, Bill and Tom, 
 the papers are in the cabinet ; seize them whilst we take his 
 worship." 
 
 These instructions were not carried out aright, for directly 
 afterwards there came the ring of steel. 
 
 In wild excitement to see how the land lay, I clambered to a 
 precarious foothold on the window-sill, and thereby managed to 
 gain a peep of the interior over the top of the blinds. I saw 
 the knight, despite his gout and the infirmities of age, plying 
 his sword, as a young man might have done with admirable 
 deftness and vigor, dancing round the table the while to evade 
 a couple of men ; whilst the captain, with folded arms, along 
 with the others, stood in one corner grinning in their relish of 
 the joke. 
 
 Two more walked across the room to where Dorothy stood 
 with her back to the cabinet containing the precious documents. 
 They strode up to her boldly, and bade her make way for them 
 to open it ; but recoiled in a second, for the maid whipped a 
 pair of pistols from behind her back, to their astonishment, and 
 thrust the muzzles in their faces. 
 
 They halted, laughing ; but the maid was not jesting. Her 
 lips were tight, and her eyes terrible. Her fingers fairly seemed 
 to twitch upon the triggers ; whilst the look in her face had 
 nought to do with that of a gentle maiden. Another step, and 
 both of them would have had acquaintance with eternity. This
 
 284 MISTRESS DORO THY MA R I YA r . 
 
 was enough for me ; I had seen those eyes ablaze, and those 
 hands with two wicked weapons in them. I jumped off the 
 window-sill at a bound, raced up the entrance steps, and sword 
 in hand ran in among the company. Four men instead of two 
 were now besetting Sir Nicholas, and one at least bore the 
 marks of his weapon. Still the knight was quite outnumbered ; 
 another minute then all would have been over, for one of his 
 assailants must have run him through. As I ran in and pinked 
 the foremost of the four clean through the chest, cries of 
 anger and surprise rang thro' the room, and then 'twas wildest 
 chaos. 
 
 I can't tell what next occurred ; I cannot set things down 
 hereabouts as they befell in their due order. I know that in 
 ten minutes or even less the beautiful room was a slaughter- 
 house. The knight forgot his age, his stiffness, his infirmities 
 forgot everything but the lust of killing; and I oh, J did 
 too ! We fought till we couldn't see ; without cries, without 
 words ; but with the ferocious silence, the dumb blood- 
 questing tenacity of bull-dogs. The sparks flew out of the 
 steel. 'Twas sickening to feel the squelch of the blood at your 
 sword point, to feel your adversaries' panting breath in your 
 face ; 'twas hand to hand all the time. Over the table, round 
 the table, across the table, we fought and writhed and struggled, 
 and truly that table was our guardian angel. It alone saved 
 us from the press of the foe. We cut, hacked, and slashed, 
 and ever at the men in red. Neither heeded his neighbor, nor 
 had a thought beyond how to dodge the reeking steel. 
 
 Twice I was beaten to my knees, yet each time rose with 
 little hurt, and fought again the harder, till at last my sword 
 found the vitals of an enemy. With a moan he squirmed and 
 fell in his death throe. I skipped away, yet still the devilish 
 steel was at my body. The knight and I were side by side for 
 a second, and I caught a glimpse of him as his Perillo pierced 
 the throat of one poor devil, and then I saw his other hand 
 was running blood. This was only a glance, for an instant later 
 I was half blinded with my own, as it streamed from my brow. 
 But I wallowed in it, and stabbed and thrust with a tiger's 
 fury. 
 
 Again I was beaten to my knees, but hung by the hand to a 
 murtherous blade about to descend. Suddenly it was left 
 therein entirely ; the knight had spitted its owner, and he, too, 
 lay among the stricken. We two demons ne'er ceased till the 
 conflict was decided, whereat we stayed our scarlet blades, 
 looked round, and saw a slaughter-house.
 
 THE COMING OF THE KING'S MEN. 285 
 
 Yea, we stopped and took survey when there was nought else 
 to do. Faces and swords dripping blood, we stood side by side 
 and beheld six men groaning and writhing, or stark dead upon 
 the carpet. The seventh man, Captain Joshua Pringle, was 
 nowhere to be seen. The butchery was horrible ; the walls, 
 the furniture, and the wainscot were all splashed with purple, 
 whilst numberless articles were overturned, else smashed in 
 fragments. 'Twas a hideous nightmare. 
 
 Dorothy still stood with her back to the cabinet, her face 
 white with wordless terror. Her hands shook and her whole 
 body seemed to shrink in mute horror from the sight. Albeit 
 she grasped the pistols; and I knew by the magnificent deter- 
 mination which, in spite of all, still lurked in her frightened 
 face, that, had either of her friends been in need of assistance, 
 she would promptly enough have lent it. 
 
 As for the knight, he ne'er heeded the butchery nor the groans 
 of the wounded ; but simply seized my hand in his own bloody 
 one, and sang out, " Man, y'are a beautiful fighter ! " then 
 wiped his sword on the tail of his doublet, mopped the blood 
 from his face on the sleeve of it, and stuck his sword point in 
 the carpet. His one eye burnt brighter than fire. Every fibre 
 of his body quivered. He was a madman. 
 
 " A noble victory," he roared, ;t a noble victory ! Seven to 
 two, and there they are laid out for their coffin-cloths. Wench, 
 we're a dazzling pair. This is life, my lass we're back in the 
 Forties now. Man, where did y'e get that upper-guard ? I 
 call it great ay, y'are a beautiful fighter ! Friend, I am young 
 again ; this night hath knocked forty years off my age-scroll. 
 I've a score yet to settle wi' you, mon cher. That may keep 
 for a minute, then we'll have another flutter we'll make a 
 night o' this. Let's have a drink ere we settle the. game. 
 Thirsty work, hey ? Come, Dorothy, a couple of bottles of my 
 Lanquedoc. Oh, oh ! now what hath gotten the wench. A 
 damned deal too nice i' th' stomach as usual." 
 
 The girl said nothing, but recoiled from his look. This, how- 
 ever, did not affect him. The unchristian creature, though 
 wounded in at least half a score separate places, jumped across 
 to the cupboard, and produced two bottles of wine. There was 
 no cup about the place, therefore he simply knocked off the 
 neck, and bade me do likewise. This much accomplished, he 
 gulped down a great draught, and then holding the wine in a 
 neckless bottle above his head in one hand, and, despite all in- 
 juries, his sword in the other, roared out in a wild, cracked 
 voice, with scantiest melody 
 
 19
 
 286 M/STRESS DOROTHY MARTIN. 
 
 " Up wi'your cups to King Charlie, 
 We pledge him in sparkling sack. 
 To perdition we send wi'out parley 
 Each ranting Presbyter Jack. 
 A fig for the Huntingdon Brewer, 
 A kick for old Ironside Joe, 
 Stick 'em both on to this skewer, 
 A curse for the prick-eared foe." 
 
 Thus he screeched the old Cavalier's drinking song, till he had 
 finished his bottle and mine as well, and his voice failed him; 
 whereupon he executed something of a hobbling dance, without 
 the least thought for the blood that dripped from his person. 
 
 " Now, Ned, are ye ready ? Y'are a rare fighting man, else 
 I should not have shown you such courtesy. I am beholden 
 to thee for what thou hast done, yet I do not forget old scores. 
 Come, my lad, we have breathed ; we'll now see who's the better 
 man. If my luck abides, I shall have thee through the heart 
 at the third pass." 
 
 I winced at this ; the man was a horrible enemy. His bloody 
 countenance relaxed into a gleeful grin. Just then one of the 
 wounded men gave a more piteous groan than ever. 
 
 " Ventre Saint Gris ! " exclaimed Sir Nicholas, " 'tis evident 
 I am not half the man I once was. Here am I forgetting the 
 first of duties towards an enemy. I thank you, friend, for 
 your kindly reminder." 
 
 He stepped across to where the wounded man lay helpless, 
 raised his thirsty sword, and passed it straight through the 
 soldier's heart. The blood squirted hideously on to the walls 
 and wainscot. 
 
 " Any more ? " inquired the monster. " Ah, to be sure, there 
 are three yet." 
 
 He made a movement towards another wretch, and raised his 
 sword again. Ere it could descend, Dorothy had rushed to 
 his side, and hung with both hands to his sword arm. 
 
 " Stop, sir ! " she cried. 
 
 " Stop ! dost know what thou sayest, soft wench ? 'Tis the 
 fortune of war. Art mad ? " 
 
 He tried to shake her off as he spoke, and there was murder 
 in his eye as he glanced at his victim. Still the girl clung to 
 him tighter than ever, entreating wildly 
 
 " Spare them, sir ; spare them ! For God's sake, spare them ! 
 'Tis murder, sheer murder ! They are helpless." 
 
 And all the while the stricken wretches, who still lived, 
 squirmed and writhed away as far as possible from the knight, 
 in horrible fear of the uplifted sword, their eyes nearly bolting
 
 THE DEATH-SONG OF MARS. 287 
 
 from their heads in terror. Meantime the girl had let go her 
 hold on his arm, but had seized with both hands the hilt of his 
 sword. The fearless creature grappled with him, and struggled 
 might and main to wrest it from him. Twice he lifted his dis- 
 engaged fist as if to strike her, then caught her by the throat 
 and hurled her half across the room. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 THE DEATH-SONG OF MARS. 
 
 ONCE more he raised his sword to kill the stricken men ; yet 
 here the door opened of a sudden, and Captain Pringle thrust 
 half his stunted body into the room. 
 
 " One a-piece ! " said he. 
 
 In a moment the place was filled with smoke, and our ears 
 rang with two heavy reports. The first bullet passed my ear 
 and buried itself in the wall behind, and the second struck the 
 old knight full in the chest. I saw him tottering when the 
 smoke lifted. I ran to him, and straightway he fell back into 
 my arms, gasping. The wretch who wrought the murder, 
 having fired the shots, fled without waiting to remark the effect 
 of his deed. 'Twas grievous to see the old man as he lay in 
 my arms, coughing and spitting blood ; whilst I felt his atten- 
 uated body all of a quiver and tremble. 
 
 " Lay me down flat," he said in a choked, husky voice ; " I 
 shall rest easier. And now for the punch. Quick, wench, 
 and brew it! I haven't long to wait." 
 
 " Oh, father, you must not die ! " she exclaimed in almost 
 childish desperation, yet without weeping. Her eyes were dry. 
 I could not bear to look at her hard, unearthly, distracted face. 
 
 " Of course I shall die, wench ! " he said querulously. " 'Tis 
 the fortune of war. I remember old Major Leroux being struck 
 in the same place before Ruhrendorf, and he had growled his 
 last curse ten minutes afterwards. 'Tis grand to die sword in 
 hand, though 'tis scarce to my taste being potted like a fox in 
 a hole. But I can't have it all ways. I have gained a glorious 
 victory this night, and must be content with that. I would 
 have wished to cross swords wi' you, Ned, my lad, had I been 
 spared a bit longer. Y'are a damned black rogue, though a 
 beautiful fighter. Now, wench, bestir yourself over that punch, 
 else I must cock my toes with a thirsty throat."
 
 288 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 The dying man said all this in a low peevish tone. His 
 daughter did as she was bidden in a dazed way. She brought 
 the steaming liquor and laid it down, and knelt beside him. 
 His eyes lighted at the sight of it. 
 
 " Say you will not die, father ! oh, say you will not die ! " 
 she begged, with an impotence that was pitiful to hear. 
 
 " Not die ? Faith I've no say in the matter ! " he answered, 
 after sipping a modicum out of the bowl. 
 
 " Live sir ! Live for me ! I cannot part from you. I can't 
 let you go ; I love you so." 
 
 She flung her arms madly about his neck, and kissed in the 
 wildest way his bleeding face. 
 
 " Now then, young fool, stop that ! " he said. " I'm done 
 for quite." 
 
 To prove it, with violent fingers he tore away the soaked 
 garments from his wound, and laid bare his chest, a mass of 
 gushing purple. 
 
 " Can you now understand the game is played ? I've a 
 couple of ounces o' solid lead in my inwards. It's giving me 
 devil's delight. I can't abide it much longer." 
 
 He took a longer pull at the punch, and then trembled all 
 over in a horrid spasm of pain. 
 
 " Here wench," he said slowly, and very composedly, " you 
 can give me one kiss ; I'm almost done. You've been a good 
 girl in your way. A trifle too soft i' th' heart maybe, and as 
 stubborn as a mule, but I don't hold you accountable ; 'twas an 
 accident of birth. You were born a wench, d'ye see. You've 
 been an eyesore to me. You've no pluck ; but as you're a 
 girl, you're hardly to blame. P'raps I've been a bit hard on 
 you at times, but I'm not so young as I used to be. Maybe I 
 have done things to you I ought not to have done to a wench, 
 but the gout hath been mortal bad very often. I've ever meant 
 well by thee ; 'tis only my way. I say again thou hast been a 
 good lass. Come, another kiss. How soft your lips are ! They 
 soothe me, so kiss me once more for the last. If y'are so set 
 against young Raoul de Crois, I will waive the matter. I would 
 I might commit you to the care of some friend ; I should then 
 bide easier, for these are hard times for lonely gentlewomen. 
 You have a sneaking likeness for that Black Ned. Come hither, 
 sir! Y'are a damned bad, deceitful, purse-snatching thief, and 
 I curse you. But still y'are fine at the wielding o' the steel. It 
 crosses my mind that ye have the impudence to cast an eye 
 towards this wench. But you shan't have her ! Mark me !- 
 you shan't have her ! We'll have no common cutpurses in this
 
 THE DEA TH-SONG OF MARS. 289 
 
 family. She may be a white-livered wench, but she's a daughter 
 of mine and one Marvin, and she, a woman, is far too good for 
 a million thieves. Dorothy, I'd like you to have De Crois ; he's 
 all a swordsman. As for Ned here, he knows how to fight. 
 My lad, ye have courage and a notion of the art of fence, but 
 do not leave your wrist so open, and give not undue prominence 
 to the edge. 'Tis the point you should rely oh. I'm sorry I 
 didn't live to see you hang, and sorrier still that I've not had 
 time to put a hole in your heart. Wench, more punch ! " 
 
 Gradually as he spoke his voice became weaker and more 
 feeble, till at last it died away in a whisper. After this strange 
 farewell, he clutched with twitching fingers at the bowl, took a 
 draught, and in a loud, unsteady tone he once more bade Dorothy 
 kiss him. She did so, and then another spasm of agony seized 
 him, and contorted his body. He lay there a hideous, writhing 
 figure, and as the torment took a firmer hold upon him, he beat 
 his fists about, and poured the punch down his throat without 
 intermission. The fumes and the pain took effect on his head, 
 and his reason went. 
 
 He screamed out hoarsely, " My lads, a slack rein and a 
 bloody heel ! After the crop-eared rogues ! Slice 'em down ; 
 and no quarter ! Now charge all together saddle-bow to saddle- 
 bow, and knee to knee ! See, they're running ! Your Highness, 
 'twere best to cut 'em off on the left, and take 'em by the river. 
 Down wi' every Puritan dog among them. Hurrah for the King 
 and Prince Rupert ! 'Tis victory ! victory ! a great and glorious 
 victory, your Highness ! " 
 
 Then the madman pitched his voice still higher and roared 
 out 
 
 " Up wi' your cups to King Charlie ! 
 We pledge " 
 
 'Twas his last word. A gush of blood sprang up in his throat 
 and choked him. He shot out his limbs, and stared with his 
 one glassy eyeball up at the ceiling stone dead.
 
 290 MIS 'TK ESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 THE FLIGHT OVER THE HILLS IN THE DARKNESS. 
 
 THE knight had scarce drawn his final breath when Martin, 
 the groom, returned from Bridgwater to find his master dead. 
 He had served with Sir Nicholas in more than one campaign, 
 and the fellow blubbered miserably over the brave departed 
 spirit. Between us we reverently covered up the lifeless body 
 in a cloth, and bore it out into the grounds to its final resting- 
 place. Dorothy followed behind us, carrying her dead sire's 
 dripping sword. With dreadful calmness she pointed out the 
 spot he was to lie in, and stood by white and listless whilst we 
 dug the grave. 
 
 In half an hour we had it prepared ; tho' ere \ve could lower 
 the corpse into it, the maid had knelt beside the body, had 
 gently laid the sword on its owner's breast, and had kissed the 
 cold lips silently and without a tear. Then she looked at me 
 and whispered huskily 
 
 " He would have liked it thus to lie with him, that none might 
 sully its fair fame. " 
 
 As we filled in the first sods she turned her head away, as 
 though the sight was beyond her strength to bear ; and when 
 our task was done, she leaned her weight on me, almost in- 
 capable of standing. 
 
 Very slowly I led her back to the house, with Martin at my 
 heels, and all the way she had neither words nor tears. Indeed 
 nothing but a dry-eyed grief a grief that had cut her down. 
 
 Upon returning to that slaughter-house of a room, the first 
 things to .meet our gaze were three dead men extended stark 
 upon the carpet and three wounded lying in blotches of blood 
 around them. Two of these latter were sitting up, limp, woe-be- 
 gone, and weakly, and groaning so in their agony that it irked 
 one's ears to hear them. Whether 'twas such sounds or the 
 sight of me that touched her, sure I cannot tell ; yet quite sud- 
 denly something of the old brightness came into her eyes, and 
 straightway she ceased her lethargy. Methought she gave a 
 look at me as though fearful of my reproaches ; then hastily 
 made for the kitchen below-stairs, where all the female servants 
 were huddled trembling in a corner.
 
 THE FLIGHT OVER THE HILLS IN THE DARKNESS. 291 
 
 In a short time she came back staggering under the load of 
 a large tray, which she set on the top of the cabinet. It con- 
 tained a pitcher of warm water, bandages, cordials, some kind 
 of balsam, and ajar of green usquebaugh. Luckily my wounds 
 were scarce aught to speak of, though some havoc had been 
 played with the flesh of my sword-arm by several imperfectly 
 parried thrusts. So soaked with blood were my shirt and coat- 
 sleeves, that to draw them away from the arm itself was an impos- 
 sibility. Therefore my succorer took a knife and carefully cut 
 the limp rag away therefrom, and revealed the bare limb, and 
 'twas not an agreeable sight. Indeed, had it been any one else's 
 arm it would have given even me a qualm to have looked at it, 
 for the half-clotted blood covered it in a horrible dark purple 
 mass. 
 
 I watched the maid, and saw her go a shade the paler, whilst 
 her fingers hung involuntarily aloof from the nasty mess of 
 flesh and blood. Yet even as I saw this, something like a swift 
 emotion shot across her face, and by the look of her eyes I knew 
 it meant a resolution. She seized the injured member, quickly 
 and almost roughly, as though afraid of her will being beaten by 
 a natural instinct. Swiftly and tenderly, with soothing merciful 
 hands, she bathed the wounds with warm water, and freed them 
 from the blood, and stanched the bleeding. And though her 
 sympathetic fingers were soiled and smeared with my unworthy 
 gore, and though its aspect was so evidently repugnant, she 
 performed her task with even more than woman's tenderness. 
 My scathes being disturbed, they began to smart and ache, no 
 doubt by contact with the water. 
 
 But I didn't wince ; neither did I mean to do. And, in de- 
 spite of pain and unwholesome sights, I had it in my heart to 
 wish that my other arm was quite as badly injured. For such 
 was the delicacy of her touch, the deftness, the skilfulness, and 
 the caressing gentleness of her finger-tips, that they seemed to 
 speak to me more plainly than aught else could have done. When 
 the hurts had been thoroughly bathed and cleansed, and as she 
 was about to fix the bandages, I asked quite boldy, " Where's 
 the balsam, Dorothy ? " 
 
 She looked at me as if fearful of giving offence by disparag- 
 ing my endurance. However, once more humanity was too 
 much for woman's delicacy, and she answered with a world of 
 meaning in her voice, " 'Twill hurt very much, Ned ; very much 
 indeed, dear lad ! " 
 
 Still I was resolute, so she handed me the balsam that I 
 might apply it, shrinking from the task herself, for 'twas not in
 
 292 A/SSTAESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 her nature to wantonly give pain in cold blood either to man or 
 animal. Call me fool, call me charlatan ! either one or t'other, 
 if ye are so minded, kinsmen ; yet I most certainly rubbed that 
 balsam into the flesh, before her eyes, not carefully, nor ten- 
 derly, nor to the extent of a few drops only. No, I gave my arm 
 a liberal quantity, smartly administered. And when my love 
 began to wind the white cloths neatly round my injuries, she 
 whispered 
 
 " Ned, I dare not have done that to myself, nor have let 
 others do it for me ; " and she shook her head, sighed " Ugh !" 
 and shivered. 
 
 The darling! of course she couldn't; I knew she couldn't, 
 and for that self-same reason I had applied it before her eyes 
 to duly impress certain things upon her recollection. Howbeit, 
 very shortly, that right arm of mine began to smart, and then 
 to burn, then to sting, then to bite, and then to do these things 
 together. I set my teeth, and tried to bear it, because Dorothy 
 every now and then peeped over her shoulder to look at me. I 
 strove, Heaven knows how hard, to support the torture without 
 even winking. Yet the horrid pains began shooting as far as 
 my armpit, and to execute wild vertigoes of torment, like devil's 
 dances all the way up the injured member ; till verily methought 
 I must faint with agony. But I ground my teeth the harder 
 into my lower jaw, and gripped the palm of my other hand till 
 the nails cut the flesh. Were those awful pangs ne'er going to 
 abate ? Apparently not at present, for the sweat came out on 
 my forehead, and the convulsive spasms crept half-way up my 
 neck. Thereupon a groan, half-subdued, but plainly audible, 
 sneaked out from somewhere, whereat the maid peeped round 
 again, and I blushed an eloquent scarlet. Straightway my 
 torture began to lessen ; and, betwixt ourselves, if ever man 
 was properly punished for folly, presumption, and self-conceit, 
 that man was Edward Armstrong. 
 
 Meanwhile, the girl was for the time forgetting her position 
 in the world, and the tragedy of that terrible night. She was 
 busy tending those of the fallen who still breathed, plying the 
 remedies and the water with unceasing vigor. Thpugh these 
 were her mortal enemies who had broken one great tie of her 
 life, she propped their backs, assuaged their thirst, stanched their 
 bleeding, bathed their wounds, and doctored them as well as 
 she was able. They looked at her between the groans in 
 suffering yet grateful wonderment ; and one poor wretch with a 
 slashed face and a swordthrust through his ribs, took her velvet 
 hind in his own porv fist and kissed it. Thereat I, Black Ned,
 
 THE FLIGHT OVER THE HILLS IN THE DARKNESS. 293 
 
 seeing this, turned mine head away, and for the first time since 
 September, '85, had wet eyes. 
 
 Having accomplished so much for her foes, Dorothy took .the 
 precious documents from the cabinet, kindled a blaze with flint 
 and steel, and burned them deliberately one by one. Shortly 
 after, one of the three survivors (the least injured) set off for 
 Bridgwater to bring help for his comrades, and for assistance 
 to bear away the dead. 'Twas no time for tarrying now. In 
 little more than an hour reinforcements would be at the manor, 
 and 'twould be a particularly serious matter for us if we were 
 discovered here. 
 
 " Dorothy," I said, and then stopped suddenly. The maid 
 had re-assumed her listlessness and dry-eyed misery, while hard 
 lines seemed to have gathered on her face, and to have shorn 
 away her youthful beauty. All this went to my heart at once, 
 and stopped my tongue ; though my wits, and I am proud to 
 say they were indubitably keen in this crisis, told me that prompt 
 action alone could save us. Thus, the urgency of the case bade 
 me speak my mind without the least delay. 
 
 " Dorothy," I said again, this time in a tone of eager com- 
 mand, " we must be hence from this place, without one moment's 
 bootless tarrying. Ere long we shall have the whole hornet's 
 nest about our ears. Let us prepare for instant flight! " 
 
 She gave no reply, and the misery deepened in her face. 
 
 " Darling," I said again, not daunted, but nerved to greater 
 efforts by the pressing anxiety that beset me, " get away from 
 this, if not for your own sake, for mine, else they will certainly 
 arrest you and convey you to London, as an aider and abettor 
 of treason. 'Twill be death to thee then." 
 
 Despite my tone and the appeal the words conveyed, she was 
 still silent, passive, and lifeless. The blow had crushed her so 
 that she had now no care for the world. And every minute we 
 lingered we jeopardized our safety. Desperation set my brains 
 to work, and enabled me to use wiles and cunning. 
 
 " Dorothy," I began once more, " you, who have gone through 
 so much, and have faced so many dangers, are not going to 
 play the coward now ? Come, be brave ; 'twould sorely grieve 
 your father to know that you so soon forget his precepts." 
 
 It was an unkind speech, and I delivered it sharply, and 
 without a spark of softness or any kind of sentiment. I even 
 hated myself for my harshness, yet it did a thousand times 
 more good than mere persuasion. She looked at me for few 
 seconds as though she were dazed and half insensible. 
 
 " You say flee, Ned. But where am I to flee ? I have no
 
 29 1 tf/STXESS DOROTHY MAR VIN. 
 
 friend but thee this side the Channel, and thou'rt wanting a 
 home or place of refuge. I feel bereft and lonesome. The 
 world seems empty. I have none to look or lean to, but to one 
 that cannot help me." 
 
 It tore my heart to hear her voice so hopeless, and to see her 
 face so drawn and white. All the same her words were quite 
 true. Who was I to render aid at so dire a moment ? I was 
 so hemmed in by circumstances, that I seemed really worse 
 than useless. But honor, love, and gratitude called loudly on 
 me to assist her now the time of her need had come. She had 
 nobly succored me in the hour of my adversity. Was I to fail 
 in this cruel hour of hers? Surely not. Therefore, it befell 
 that my mind, in some strange unaccountable way, suddenly hied 
 over the hills to a little hamlet, to a woman, a pitying woman, 
 and a mother. At this, I took my stricken love's hand, and 
 warmly said 
 
 " Dorothy, we are comrades. I will take thee to a place of 
 refuge from the anger of the King, even as thou tookest me." 
 
 I spoke boldly, and though nine-tenths of this boldness I did 
 not feel, 'twas a very honorable deception ; for I sought to give 
 her heart new life, new hope ; and in a measure was successful. 
 
 " Thank you, lad," she replied, with just a spark of spirit. 
 
 " Dearest, follow me, and ere the dawn you shall be safe. We 
 must be expeditious. Collect your valuables, and let us set off 
 at once, for I doubt not when the King hath had his choice 
 there will be little left." 
 
 I threw as much cheerfulness and energy into my words and 
 gestures as I could, knowing well that it behoved me to act thus, 
 to inspire, if possible, my companion. 
 
 She asked me to follow her into another room in search of 
 the family heirlooms and jewels. She gave a little cry when the 
 room was lit, for there were the drawers burst open, with the 
 unimportant contents strewn about, and every article of value 
 gone. This was the full revelation of the villainy of Captain 
 Joshua Pringle. 
 
 As we afterwards learned, the knave had obtained, amongst 
 other information from the major domo, the place where the 
 plate and the jewels lay, and during the conflict he had slipped 
 out of the room and packed them all into a bag which he slung 
 over his horse's back, and in his rummaging had discovered two 
 old pistols of the knight's. On going to his horse outside he 
 found that his own weapon was missing, and hearing Sir 
 Nicholas' voice uplifted in the drinking song, he knew at once 
 that his men were beaten. Therefore he charged his new-found
 
 THE FLIGHT OVER THE HILLS IN THE DARKNESS. 295 
 
 firearms, and determined to put a bullet through the pair of us 
 that we might trouble him no more, whence he could ride 
 securely off with the booty, and, as hath been seen already, this 
 plan was put in practice. 
 
 Our discovery was still another blow to the unlucky creature, 
 tho' she bore it in silence. She sought for every piece of money 
 she could find, and having gathered it together, she wrapped 
 herself in a cloak, and leaving Martin in charge (he was an 
 honest man, though a cantankerous one), we set off for Chilver- 
 ley farm. 
 
 I was perfectly easy in my mind as to how mother would 
 receive the fugitive. I never lacked faith in her bounty or her 
 largeness of heart. As for myself, the pursuit was bound to 
 slacken for some little time, seeing how sorely the night's work 
 had crippled the King's men. We were a pair of fugitives 
 together now, both fleeing from the King's justice ; although I 
 am sure the offences of one of us were not particularly heinous. 
 She had shared the conspirator's secret -and had defended his 
 papers, but both of us were too well aware the King would not 
 now let the matter rest. 
 
 'Tis strange how the events of life sometimes befall. 'Twas 
 now my turn to play the part of friend and succorer. 'Twas I 
 who was leading her to the place of refuge this time. I knew 
 I had but to tell the maid's story to mother, and she would be 
 taken to her heart at once. My mother's charity towards her 
 fellow-creatures was boundless, if her heart was only touched 
 by their sufferings or misfortunes. All the way the maid was 
 dumb ; her spirits drooped ; the joys of life and hope with her 
 were dead. She asked no questions ; but simply followed, very 
 listless. I wished ten times to myself that she would weep. 
 'Twas this hard unyielding grief that made me so mistrustful ; 
 women should weep when the cup of sorrow is so full. 
 
 I walked with quick footsteps, hoping to rouse her somewhat 
 thereby and drive away her apathy. 'Twas a vain hope, how- 
 ever, though she kept pace with me in despite of everything. 
 The propitious moon lighted the track all the way, wherefore 
 we made fine progress among the hills, overcoming the dangers 
 of the broken paths, and fording the little streams at the shal- 
 low places by hopping from one boulder to another till we 
 gained the farther side. The night was mild and bright, with a 
 soft fragrant south wind astir which felt generous to our faces. 
 None knew the hills better than I ; therefore, under my guid- 
 ance, we ne'er swerved from the direct road. Yet it was a 
 rugged, broken, precipitous, and difficult track. One moment
 
 296 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VIM 
 
 we found ourselves deep down in a wooded combe, dark and 
 close grown, with an eager runnel burrowing its course betwixt 
 the oaks, and flowing with a soothing song over the stones in 
 its bed; whilst as we made our way by the margin of the rising, 
 falling water, with its gentle swish for company, rats scuttled 
 away from our feet and rustled into the stream. On the other 
 bank a gaunt heron stalked past with a silent lassitude instead 
 of the water ousel which lingers here by day ; and we heard the 
 sweet soft pleading of the willow wren, harmonious with the 
 summer wind whispering to the branches. Passing under the 
 clustered oak-boughs, they casting their black shadows in the 
 track, we crossed the red, flat river stones and rose toward the 
 imperious heights gloomy and grand in the moonlight ; desert- 
 ing in our upward passage beeches and the mountain ash, till 
 they looked blurred masses in the vale. Soon we felt the bend- 
 ing red-brown heather, heavy laden with the dew, mingling with 
 our legs; and though we rose so high, and overlooked the misty 
 valleys, our journey's end lay not there. We clambered clown 
 again and crossed another stream in close pursuance of the 
 path, till we turned into a straighter road, and five minutes 
 after were standing under the farmstead windows. 
 
 The dawn had not come yet, and showed no sign of its 
 arrival ; whilst the house was clothed in barren stillness. All 
 were a-bed within those four walls. I could only think of 
 one mode of obtaining admittance for the two of us, and of 
 gaining mother's private ear ; and surely both were very 
 necessary. 
 
 " Dearest," I said, " we cannot stay here in the open till the 
 doors are unbarred. Let me leave you here a few minutes, 
 whilst I get matters amended." 
 
 She consented to await my return, not at all frightened to be 
 left alone. I went round the house and stopped under the 
 window of my old chamber. With a spring I alighted on the 
 sill of the window underneath, and with another, begat of long 
 practice aforetime, clambered on to that of the one above. In 
 two minutes I had made a noiseless entrance through this 
 upper one into my deserted room. From thence I betook my- 
 self to mother's apartment stealthily, being fearful of arousing 
 the other inmates. To my joy I found the door unfastened 
 and the blind drawn up. Thus the chamber was as light as 
 day almost, by reason of the streaming moonlight. 
 
 " Mother," I said, laying a hand on the sleeper's shoulder, 
 " waken, I pray you." 
 
 She started under my touch, opened her eyes, and shivered.
 
 THE FLIGHT OVER THE HILLS IN THE DARKNESS. 297 
 
 " Ned, Ned, is it you ? Is it my poor boy ? What do you 
 here at this hour of the night ? Whence have you come ? " 
 
 She asked this apprehensively, and with the aid of the white 
 moonbeams I saw her frightened face. I reassured her as well 
 and as quickly as I could, for I was mindful of my waiting 
 companion. Regarding Dorothy, I only told her in as many 
 words what the maid had done for me ; and what I now wished 
 to do for her; that she had ne'er known a mother, and that 
 very night she had lost her only protector. No sooner was this 
 briefly narrated, than mother made me go down without further 
 tarrying and let the hapless maid in ; saying she herself would 
 dress the while and come down to welcome her. 
 
 I descended into the kitchen, withdrew the bolts, turned the 
 key, and stepped out to fetch the maiden. 
 
 " Here, darling," I said, with a laugh, though a deceitful one, 
 " I have done well, as I have returned through the -doorway 
 instead of the window. Wilt follow me in ? Mother will be 
 downstairs to greet you in a minute." 
 
 "Thou art truly kind, Ned," she answered, giving me a cold 
 hand, " and I thank thee for what thou hast done for me this 
 night." 
 
 She came with me into the kitchen, and, placing her in a 
 chair, I raised a light, just as mother came down the stairs. 
 In a look she beheld her white wan face, and her eyes with the 
 horror in them. Thereat she acted according to my presenti- 
 ment. Though she had ne'er set eyes on the hapless maid be- 
 fore, she walked straight to where she sat, timid, miserable, 
 silent ; took both her hands in hers and kissed her. 
 
 " My poor girl ! " she said. Dorothy gave an almost 
 frightened glance at mother ; she had not known such gentle- 
 ness before, and did not expect it now. " Ay, but your hands 
 are like ice, dear, and your face is whiter than a ghost's," quoth 
 mother, in her true maternal manner. 
 
 Forthwith she set about remedying the maid's misfortunes. 
 She bade me go and fetch the dryest logs I could find in the 
 wood-shed ; and when I came back with a huge armful, she had 
 me down on my knees building a new fire in the grate whilst 
 she prepared a cordial. 
 
 In a quarter of an hour a steaming basin of milk was prepared, 
 and while the girl sipped it mother chafed her lifeless hands. 
 Another quarter of an hour and she had seen her in a freshly 
 ordered bed. Hereafter, she came downstairs and set out a 
 rare repast for me. The occasion demanded that I should tell 
 mother all the events which had brought about our nocturnal
 
 298 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 visit. 'Twas a long story, told truthfully, ay, so truthfully that 
 I e'en touched on the feelings we bore toward one another. 
 Mother's heart was moved by Dorothy's cruel misfortunes. 
 
 " Poor girl ! poor girl ! Ned, I am glad indeed you have 
 brought her to me," she said, when I had told the story. " And 
 I owe her more than I can ever repay ! 'Tis her alone I must 
 thank for having you still alive." 
 
 "I am sore afeared this blow hath crushed her, mother. She 
 seems listless and broken, i have never seen her so before," 
 I said. 
 
 This she would not have for a moment. 'Twas self-evident 
 that the fugitive had gone direct to her heart, and, God knows, 
 it was a large one and a warm one. 
 
 We talked for nearly an hour together. I even unfolded the 
 plot for the downfall of King James, and as I spoke I realized 
 myself what success in the matter meant. My whole life hinged 
 on William's coming, and I made that clear to mother. The 
 dethronement of the Stuart implied liberty, free citizenship, 
 money, land, title, and revenge for me, and for the one I loved 
 it embraced the same, save that I had yet to learn that she 
 cherished aught so dark and unholy as revenge. Alas ! 7 did, 
 and with a grim, horrible intensity. The degrading passion 
 smouldered in my soul, ate deep into it, and in a sense, thereby 
 reduced me to a monomaniac. 
 
 We were still talking when John came downstairs to begin 
 the day's labor. He stared stupidly as he discovered us sitting 
 in the kitchen ; yet, recovering at once from the first shock of 
 surprise, he put on his boots, and without giving me one look or 
 word, went forth to the fields. That hurt me more than a blow 
 from his hammerlike fist would have done. 
 
 I was now able to breathe for a time with more freedom ; 
 knowing the bloody work of the previous night had sorely crippled 
 my hunters ; therefore, I rested undisturbed on a feather-bed 
 for the first time for many days, and 'twas delicious. 
 
 After a few hours' sleep, and my wounds giving scarce any 
 trouble, I rose, dressed myself, went downstairs, and found 
 mother busy compounding a sovereign remedy ; and the sight 
 of her face stopped questions for the moment, for, in equal parts, 
 it bespoke excessive care and excessive gravity.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW. 299 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW. 
 
 WHEN I saw her countenance so full of unwelcome import, 
 rny heart leaped unbidden up into my throat, and then, as it 
 were, just as suddenly dropped down below its normal depth. 
 
 " How's Dorothy, mother ? " I asked. 
 
 Thereat she turned towards me, and I saw her eyes were wet. 
 
 "1 do not like her looks at all, Ned. I I'm almost afraid 
 she is going to be very ill." 
 
 " Say not so," I said feebly, childishly, like one who fain would 
 postpone a descending blow, though quite sure it must descend. 
 
 Just then my brother John came down the stairs on tiptoe, 
 though as if to flout his care his boots -squeaked and creaked 
 at every step. He was dressed much above his week-day custom. 
 Indeed, he was habited in his Sunday coat and hat, and carried 
 a whipstock in his hand. 
 
 " Where's he bound for, mother ? " I asked as he passed 
 through the kitchen door into the yard. I did not dare to address 
 this question to him in person, for he treated me, not as a fallen 
 angel as he might have done but as a base creature, some- 
 thing meaner than the dirt he trampled underfoot. 
 
 " He hath gone to fetch the doctor," replied mother. 
 
 Gone to fetch the doctor ! 'Tis a harsh plaintive sentence 
 that hath struck deep into the hearts of many families. 
 
 " Is her malady so dangerous, then ? " I asked, full of fear. 
 
 " It begins to frighten me, Ned. A delirium hath seized her, 
 and it grows hour by hour, her heartbeats faster and faster, and 
 her eyes are becoming terrible to look at." 
 
 " Oh, mother ! " I gasped, my heart fluttering in a most un- 
 reasonable manner. I asked to see her. Mother peremptorily 
 refused this request ; but I begged so hard and so persistently 
 that, in the end, she was not proof against my importunity. 
 
 No sooner was the tardy permission granted, than she led 
 me to her room. She opened the bedroom door and marched 
 in before me, just the least little bit in the world officiously. 
 The blinds were drawn, though 'twas midday and gloriously 
 sunny. I came to the bedside, and, in the subdued light of 
 the darkened room, I saw my darling lying prone and racked 
 with fever. Her cheeks were hectic, her eyes full of horror, and
 
 300 MISTRESS DOKO THY MA K VIN. 
 
 unnaturally bright and restless ; whilst the dark forest of her 
 hair had become so dishevelled that it hung low down over her 
 forehead, and, with these other things, made her appear so 
 strange and wild that, at first, I did not like to look at her. Al- 
 beit she looked at me stared straight at me with those eyes 
 that were now filled with a vague terror ; and that were per- 
 petually roving. Still she gave me no glance of recognition, 
 not a solitary feature moved by way of welcome, nor did she 
 smile, nor speak a single coherent syllable, but muttered a host 
 of words rapidly under her breath, so that none heard them. 
 
 " Dorothy," I said softly, to make her speak to me. 
 
 Again she stared straight at me, and then broke out suddenly 
 in a high, quick voice 
 
 "Their eyes, their eyes; see their eyes! Those are not 
 men's eyes they are devils' eyes. Ho, ho, ho ! the blood ! the 
 blood ! All on the walls the blood on the walls ! And their 
 eyes ; dear God, their eyes ! " 
 
 Again she began to mutter incoherently, and stretched out 
 her hand to Betty, who had been by her side for several hours. 
 To me she gave not the slightest heed, whereupon the truth 
 dawned on my slow understanding. She did not know me ; 
 my heart turned like ice in my inside to think that we had gone 
 through so much together, and had endured and loved one 
 another so continually. Verily, 'twas very hard ; and this one 
 stern act of nature cut me to the quick. Suddenly the sufferer 
 sat up in bed, and thrust one ringer towards me wildly. And 
 though Betty had her hands upon her in an instant, and said, 
 " There, dear ! " soothingly, and endeavored to put her head 
 back on the pillow, she failed, by virtue of Dorothy's stout 
 resistance. 
 
 "That's Black Ned ! " she cried ; " he says his name is Mas- 
 ter Jackson. He is not Master Jackson. He is a thief a 
 thief, I tell you. Dost hear? That's Black Ned. I have been 
 deceived. He's not honest ; not an honorable man he says 
 he is not. I've been tricked and cheated, tricked and cheated ! 
 He carried the letter to Lord Churchill. Master Armstrong 
 carried it thither no, Black Ned, the highwayman. I am de- 
 ceived, duped, cheated! The man's a thief. I know he's a 
 thief ! Kill him, then, dear father, kill him ! Curse the 
 wretch, I loathe him ! " 
 
 She fell into a state of frenzy, and wrestled with her nurses ; 
 and all the time her wild eyes ne'er left me. In my shame and 
 horror, I was struck stupid at the outset, and clutched hold of 
 the wooden bedpost for support.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW. 301 
 
 My mother and sister each shot a furtive glance at my face, 
 and saw that in it which made them avert their gaze. I could 
 feel myself looking guilty. 'Twould have been a crowning 
 mercy had the floor opened and swallowed me as I stood, for 
 this awful advertisement of my infamy crushed me, felled me, 
 stunned me ! 
 
 Good God ! was she ne'er going to cease her terrible words ? 
 Were her eyes ne'er to leave my face ? The blood in my veins 
 was chilled, whilst shame burned itself upon my heart. In the 
 end, I managed to stagger mechanically from the room. Would 
 to Heaven I had not set foot therein ! The whole truth of the 
 matter was that, for weeks, I had well-nigh forgotten that dark 
 episode of the past ; forgotten it, in my youthful bliss and 
 rapture. 
 
 Man may make history, tho' he cannot unmake it afterwards. 
 He may forget it for his own part, yet he may hot wipe out the 
 printed page, and blot it for ever from the sight of posterity as 
 though it had ne'er been written. So with his sins. He may 
 commit them in his youth, and forget them till old age, but, in 
 the mean time, the world at large has them all by heart, and 
 hands them down to future generations. 'Twas appalling to 
 think that the revelation had been made to mine own flesh and 
 blood ; and to conceive how they, kind souls, must view me 
 not as a mere thief by force of circumstances, but as a trickster, 
 a liar, a cheat, and deceiver of an innocent maiden ! 
 
 " Curse you, Ned Armstrong ! " I growled to myself ; then 
 walked up and down our deserted kitchen almost frantic. How 
 must I seem to my mother and sister upstairs ? They who had 
 borne so much, would they now abhor me ? 
 
 At the height of this inward disturbance, mother came 
 downstairs to fetch a medicine. I seized her hand like one 
 possessed, and said with a rush of words 
 
 " Mother, all thou hast heard is true. And that maid loves 
 me in spite of it. Canst thou love me, too, in spite of it ? " 
 
 Without a moment's hesitation she kissed me deliberately, 
 and gently. What noble creatures women are ! A weight was 
 lifted from my soul. I had suffered five minutes' torment, and 
 this sweet forgiveness was as a balm to many wounds. 
 
 "Do not say a word of this to John," I implored, and she 
 readily set my mind at ease. Kinsmen, he was not exactly a 
 woman, but a cold-blooded, bowelless man, whose iron heel I 
 had learnt to dread. 
 
 " Dost think, mother, thou canst bring her back to health ? " 
 I inquired, misgiving much.
 
 302 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 " It shall be no fault of mine if I fail, Ned. I have sent for 
 Master Cooper, the best physician in these parts, to come and 
 tend her. Mistress Dorothy hath done far more for my son 
 than ever his mother can do for her." 
 
 Thus it will be seen my loved one had gone straight to 
 mother's heart, not by means of her beauty, her bravery, or 
 her many virtues ; but simply because she had succored me, 
 a thief, and trickster, in the times of my direst need. After 
 this, I waited in a state of high impatience for the coming of 
 the doctor. Of course, when he did come, I had to keep out 
 of his sight, on account of my exceeding notoriety. I looked 
 anxiously and fearfully for his departure. At last, perched as 
 I was before my bedroom window, I saw him ride away on his 
 cob, whereupon I lost not another second, but came down into 
 the kitchen and sought for news. I found John therein, put- 
 ting on his week-day boots, and I asked him what Master 
 Cooper's verdict was. 
 
 " He says she is dangerously ill, and will be wondrous lucky 
 to get over it." 
 
 I burst out thereat in desperation, " Is there nought I can do, 
 bethink you, to assist mother and Betty ? Must I continue to 
 ramble aimlessly about, not a farthing's worth of service to 
 Dorothy or her nurses ? " 
 
 " Nought you can do ? " said he comfortingly. " If you'll 
 just be more of a man, and less of a calf, and take yourself off to 
 the hills till bedtime, out of the way and sight of all, methinks 
 that will be performing the truest service you're capable of." 
 
 I acted on this advice, and slipped stealthily out of sight of 
 the farm hands to the hills. 'Twas hard to know that my love, 
 and prayers could not avail my darling in the least. The women 
 folk, as usual, had full sway. 'Twas they who had to battle 
 with life and death. What use were my vaunted, manly quali- 
 ties, though her life hung in the balance ? I wandered about 
 the glen, and threw pebbles into the flowing streams to kill the 
 time, till nightfall. Every minute thus wasted my brain brooded 
 continuously on the chances. Would she live ? Would she 
 die ? Ultimately my mind was worked up to such a pitch that 
 I was frightened to ponder on the future. All my hopes and 
 cares for life were centred on that maid who lay grappling with 
 death. When dark hour came, I went indoors, but with no 
 appetite for supper. No welcome news awaited me. Mother 
 sighed, and said she was afraid my mistress was no better, in 
 fact, a trifle worse if anything. I passed a night of fitful dozing. 
 Many times I awoke with a sense of great oppression around
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW. 303 
 
 the heart ; and to wonder how the fight was going. And when 
 the early sun rose furtively out of the banks of mist that hung 
 over all the valley, I jumped out of bed, and dressed myself 
 for another day of cheerless waiting. I opened the window 
 and looked about, and saw, but did not admire, the beauty of 
 the prospect. For long enough I sat pensive, and filled with 
 gnawing fears, with scarcely any hopes to balance them. Thus 
 I began the day to the tune of the humming of the bees, the 
 lowing of the cattle, and the pangs of trouble in my breast. As 
 I went forth into the kitchen, that place of cold comfort, I be- 
 held Betty kindling a light to burn something wrapped in paper. 
 'Twas a thick mass of black-brown tresses, and rapidly my. 
 thoughts hied back to that dismal spring morning I had first 
 set eyes upon them. 
 
 "Pretty hair, pretty hair!" I murmured, and touched it 
 caressingly with my fingers, then very gently with my lips. 
 
 " Fool ! " growled John's great voice behind me, " you know 
 'tis fever-ridden ? " 
 
 Ay, I knew right well, but recked the less because of that 
 hateful knowledge. Meantime Betty gave him a reproving look, 
 and me a kindly one, for she had not guessed this softness in 
 my nature. All that day I sought further news of Dorothy's 
 condition at frequent intervals ; tho' in no word was there any 
 comfort. As time wore on, her strength went lower and lower, 
 and the delirium slowly gave way to a kind of stupor. Hourly 
 the issue went steadily against the nurses, whilst gloom en- 
 thralled me. Every time mother or Betty came from the sick 
 chamber, I scanned their faces, yet never gathered one spark 
 of comfort, nor did their tongues provide it. 
 
 About midday I learned that she had fallen quite insensible, 
 and all through the afternoon this preyed on me, and gave me 
 a sort of cold despair. The doctor did not come till the approach 
 of evening, and I had to keep myself aloof for a weary while in 
 anxious waiting for his verdict, for he stayed in the sick-room 
 an hour or more ; and when he went away he left no solace. 
 Of course, immediately he had gone I tried to learn what his 
 opinions were. Mother and John were in earnest converse as 
 I came and asked for news. Mother said softly 
 
 " Her condition does not improve, Ned. I begin to have 
 misgivings." 
 
 " Dost think she will get better ? " I asked dejectedly. 
 
 " Get better ! " she replied, taking me up sharply ; " of course 
 she. will get better." 
 
 "With all respect to you, mother," said Master John, "the.
 
 304 Af/STA'KSS DOKO TIJ Y MA A' VIN. 
 
 doctor said he did not see how she could last through the 
 night." 
 
 "Thou nincompoop !" exclaimed dear mother very angrily, 
 "is not my word as good as any man o' medicine's? He hath 
 only book-learning to go by, and ne'er sets a hand to preserve 
 life, unless it is by blood-letting, whilst I assist with my limbs 
 and wits. So 'tis for me to talk like that when the occasion 
 demands it. Take notice of me only in this matter, Ned, and 
 not of the witless doctors." However, at this point her spirit 
 gave out suddenly, for she finished by saying, in a sinking voice, 
 and with great reproach to John, " You should not have told 
 him that, you cruel fellow," and fell to weeping. 
 
 " So ye call it cruel," quoth he, in his heavy way ; " hath the 
 man gone so long without truth, that it offends his ears to hear 
 it ? If it is cruelty to speak in an honest, straightforward 
 way, these wonderful new-fangled notions are one too many for 
 my wits. Methinks the world is no place for a plain man 
 nowadays." 
 
 With the delivery of this long (for him) and wrathful speech, 
 he strode away in a mighty huff. 
 
 Having now heard the worst, I tried to take the news with 
 resignation. 
 
 " If she must leave me, mother," I said, " let me see her for 
 the last time ere she goes." 
 
 She granted my request, but altogether declined to accept 
 Master Cooper's word as final. But I knew she believed the 
 man in her secret heart. Upon coming to the chamber where 
 my mistress lay, methought my spirits rose a little. This 
 admits of no explanation, unless 'twas the mere sight of her 
 was always enough to make them do so. When I saw the 
 white face on the white pillow in the darkened room, and came 
 to think of all its owner's former zest of life, and sprightliness, 
 and fire, I could not keep my thoughts from the inimitable 
 smiles that had flitted across her face, and the way her bosom 
 had throbbed with life aforetime. Perhaps it was the over- 
 powering sense of these things, or the knowledge that she was 
 surely going from me, that made this sight the bitterest one 
 throughout all the days of my adversity. Tears are inadequate 
 at such ineffable moments, therefore I bowed my head to my 
 breast, as once before I had done in her presence, and hastened 
 to reach the cool night air outside the farmstead. It seemed 
 to me that God had willed this parting as a punishment for my 
 sins. Wherefore I strove to bear it meekly, and to reconcile 
 my heart to its tenderest chords being torn asunder.
 
 THE KING'S MEN TAKE THE FIELD AGAIN. 305 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 THE KING'S MEN TAKE THE FIELD AGAIN. 
 
 I CANNOT write down in detail, kinsmen, a full account of 
 this night of trial and sorrow. This inability arises from the 
 fact that all minor things were swallowed up in one great catas- 
 trophe. I may only say that I marched up and down our fields 
 and meadow-land from dark till the hour of dawn, sometimes 
 with a savage hopelessness, at other times with a resigned hope- 
 lessness, or far more often with a hopelessness neither savage 
 nor resigned, but simply stupid. Perhaps 'twas only just that 
 I, Ned Armstrong, thief, should have the prize plucked from 
 my grasp as I was cherishing hopes of reaching it. Doubtless 
 it was a wise and beneficent ordination, that a man should be 
 punished according to his iniquities. Still 'twas hard, God 
 knows, very hard ! Fate, however, had surely willed this as my 
 penalty, for Master Cooper, in face of common opinion, could 
 not do wrong, much less utter wrong in matters pharmaceutical. 
 And so I tramped about all night on the verge of desperation, 
 and always with an abiding sense of a stunning blow, the extent 
 and power of which I could not rightly gauge. 
 
 The harvest was now thick upon us, bursting through the 
 hedges, ripe and ready for the reapers. These thoughts of 
 harvest time and reaping recalled the bitter year of '85, and I 
 was fool enough to compare their several depths of bitterness. 
 Not that I could work the problem out to any degree of nicety, 
 but mainly dwelt thereon because melancholy likes morbidity 
 to keep it company. Despite the fair harvest, I trod among it 
 wantonly ; and as I thought of the destruction I was causing, I 
 even felt a devilish pleasure to know 'twas nature's handiwork 
 destroyed. Sometimes I felt the yielding wheat against my 
 legs, or at other times the stiffer barley bristles ; and heard the 
 gentle music of the wind in tender-cadenced harmonies as it 
 softly swished amid the ears of corn, and passed away, to sigh 
 along the valleys, and to join the murmur of ever-flowing waters. 
 All this ! and to think of the young life ebbing slowly behind 
 the blinds of the bedroom window yonder. 
 
 In the midst of my biting pain, the moon sailed out of a bank 
 of cloud and flecked it with tints of silver. A cloud with a
 
 306 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 silver lining! Yes, / remembered that, and the old phrase 
 seemed to mock me. How bald, how barren, are mere inani- 
 mate words to the affairs of life, to the events of a fiesh-and- 
 blood existence ! When the moon was fairly risen, it showed 
 me where the white flaked tops of the oats were lying, side by 
 side with those of the rich brown barley. Once a rabbit brushed 
 by my feet and startled me for a moment, whilst after that a 
 corncrake set up a discordant croaking, and gave me a longing 
 to wring its neck. 
 
 Still all these things lasted a minute only. They perforce 
 gave place to a white-faced maid, battling with life and death ; 
 one who had loved me dearly. I have said I had come to 
 accept this as a settled thing of Fate, and that God had willed 
 it so. I strove to the utmost of my fortitude to support the 
 calculated blow of the Creator; but 'twas more than I could 
 endure. And what mortal man could endure this sudden snap 
 in the pride of life, this sudden blighting of young blood ? 
 Surely not Ned Armstrong. Thus he trampled down the corn, 
 and felt himself abused. 
 
 Swiftly the darkness slipped away, yet I had a wholesome 
 terror of the morning. But when the first beams of sunshine 
 slanted over the hilltops and made the limpid streams to sparkle, 
 I became a whit more cheerful, because light must ever 
 triumph over darkness. However, this was but a momentary 
 thing, for as the east grew slowly lighter, the old heaviness 
 returned in such abundance, that by the time the dawn had 
 fairly come I was a thought more miserable if such a thing 
 could be. By this the birds had set up a mighty twittering 
 over in the ravine, whilst I could plainly see the poppies nod- 
 ding their dainty heads among the wheat, and the foxgloves 
 blowing on the bank obedient to the south wind that gently 
 tickled them. Howbeit none of these sweet things of nature 
 pierced the gloom that clung around my heart, but only made me 
 brood again on my bright new hopes and their early downfall. 
 
 At last I managed to grapple sufficiently with terrors to en- 
 able .me to put an end to my suspense. Therefore I marched 
 off with a firm step towards the farmstead, to hear the worst. 
 Doubtless the terrible struggle between life and death had 
 terminated now, thus I inwardly braced my courage up to bear 
 the stroke of the final disaster. As I was turning the corner 
 that gives the first sight of our house windows, I sharply 
 stopped, and felt quite unable to approach a step the nearer, 
 because 1 knew I might tell at a glance whether my love still 
 breathed, as according to custom all the blinds would be drawn
 
 THE KING'S MEN TAKE THE FIELD AGAIN. 307 
 
 down if she no longer lived. Hereupon I halted, willing to 
 bear more wearing fears instead of the knowledge of dreadful 
 truth. However, I soon overcame this qualm, strode a few 
 steps farther, and took a hasty glance at the farmstead. Oh, 
 joy ! my love was still alive, for all the blinds were up, save in 
 one window on the second floor, set in a frame of the twining 
 tendrils of the vine, and of the clustering green clematis. I 
 felt a thrill of strength run through me, and a new hope rise in 
 my breast. This sight had proved Master Cooper wrong in 
 one particular. But soon this kind emotion vanished, as I 
 really could not tell whether the chance of life had at all in- 
 creased. Accordingly I hastened to the kitchen to gather the 
 precise state of the sufferer. 
 
 " Where have you been, my poor boy, this night ? " asked 
 mother with a grave and sorrowful countenance, and with a 
 tearful glance at my dejected bearing. 
 
 I minded not her words, 'twas her sad face I alone paid heed 
 to. Surely there could be no misinterpreting it. Thus I dared 
 scarcely ask 
 
 " How lies Dorothy this morning, mother ? " 
 
 " Oh, to be sure, how is the maid ? " quoth she so diffidently 
 that I was stung at her unconcern. 
 
 " How is she ? " I cried excitedly. 
 
 ''Dear, dear, Ned, I had forgot that you loved her so. Well, 
 she hath returned to consciousness, and hath woke quite sen- 
 sible. The danger is now past. I -declared all along that I 
 knew more about the matter than Master 
 
 I cut her words short by involuntarily flinging myself upon 
 her neck and weeping in an ecstasy of relief. Joy had burst 
 down the floodgates built by brooding sorrow. As for mother, 
 no sooner did she realize my state of mind, than she burst out 
 weeping too, to keep me company. Not perhaps that the oc- 
 casion especially demanded tears on her part, but because it is 
 part of a woman's creed never to let the chance of a good cry 
 slip by, when she can conveniently and decently get one. 
 
 Modesty whispers me to draw a curtain round my excessive 
 happiness this heavenly day, and to dismiss in a single sentence 
 extravagant things I said and did. John viewed it all in silence, 
 and with a cynical coldness, Betty was wondrous pleased with 
 it, whilst mother treated it with mild surprise. This last-named 
 person I took to task later in the day by virtue of such cool 
 behavior. 
 
 " I cannot fathom your calmness in this matter, mother," I 
 said.
 
 308 M1STXESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 "Nay, my dear boy," she replied, " I am by no means calm 
 about it. I am glad as glad can be, and well nigh overcome 
 with thankfulness." 
 
 " Verily you astound me, dear mother," I answered ; " you 
 have scarce a word about Dorothy's marvellous recovery." 
 
 "Oh, oh! Mistress Dorothy, is it? Well, who would have 
 thought of it? I declare I had clean forgotten all about her." 
 
 " Then who in the world have you been thinking of this 
 glorious day ? " 
 
 "Just hearken to this son of mine ! What care I for all the 
 girls in Christendom now that you have come back safe. Me- 
 thought you had surely gone forth last night to do yourself an 
 injury in your despair." 
 
 So this was the real state of things. It humiliated me to 
 know it. I could not comprehend why my dearest mother 
 should cling to me in despite of everything. Another person 
 also shared my perplexity, for John scowled in the corner. 
 This day I have treasured up in my memory throughout all 
 these years. The clinching proof of the fact is that I recollect 
 the exact date at this moment without help of memorandum. 
 It was the 22d of August, 1688. 
 
 For all this joy, I had another trial to undergo, though to be 
 sure a most insignificant one in comparsion with my former 
 sorrow. The brave and skilful nurses now tyrannized over me. 
 I was all eagerness to hold speech with my darling now she 
 was quite sensible, and so rapidly mending. But neither of 
 them would hear of it. Mother laid down two distinct reasons 
 why I should not see her yet awhile. First, I must wait till 
 she could leave her bed and sit in her room, because it was not 
 a proper and respectable thing that a man should visit a maid 
 who was obliged to lie in bed to receive him, unless it was a 
 case of dire necessity. 
 
 Now, I would not hear of this for a moment, and sought to 
 over-ride it as paltry, and as extremely Puritanical. Mother 
 met my arguments at first by saying that " it did not become 
 a Christian family," and that "folks might be tempted to talk 
 and say things." Nevertheless, for my life I could not tell 
 how "folks" were to get to know, and what they might say 
 even should they do so. Then she said my father and herself 
 would ne'er have dreamt of such a thing before they were 
 married, and that the younger generation was nothing near so 
 modest as it ought to be, and finally wound up with the old 
 sn\v " that wrong was wrong, and right was right, but wrong 
 was no man's right," whereat I was fairly beaten by the ir-
 
 THE KING'S MEN TAKE THE FIELD AGAIN. 309 
 
 resistible force of this feminine logic. The other reason was 
 that the maiden was barely well enough to see me. I was 
 obliged to wait nine days for the privilege of a sight of her; 
 though in the mean time I had abundant proofs that her old 
 life and spirits were returning fast. Twice in one day her 
 nurses discovered her out of bed clad In her nightdress only, 
 gazing wistfully out of window. And as I learned from her 
 o\vn lips afterwards, the only inducement that kept her in bed 
 was the threat that she should be debarred from sight of me a 
 a whole day longer for every time she left it without permission. 
 Again mother came to me shortly afterwards, saying 
 
 " Ned, Mistress Marvin is very pretty, and very wayward, 
 and I shall learn to love her thoroughly; but betwixt ourselves 
 she hath some curious and most unmaidish notions. Methinks 
 her education must have been a truly strange one." 
 
 "Why so?" I asked genially, for I guessed what was coming. 
 
 "Well, just now, for instance, she asked me whether we had 
 such a thing about the house as a book with plenty of battles 
 in it. I confess I was surprised at the question, but told her 
 we had worthy Master Bunyan's ' Pilgrim's Progress,' and that 
 there was plenty of fighting therein. ' Oh, that is only make 
 believe. 'Tis like playing at war with toy warriors, to read of 
 that milk-and-water campaign,' she said. ' My dear,' said I, ' 'tis 
 a beautiful book, and is filled with the deeds of noble Christian 
 soldiers.' 'Christian soldiers, indeed ! ' she replied with scorn. 
 ' 'Tis no wonder the devil's host gains so many victories in this 
 world, for these Christian soldiers are ignorant of all principles 
 of war, and sing hymns and patter prayers when they might 
 more fittingly be employing their sword-arms. I' faith it is 
 quite true what my dear papa always averred, that religion was 
 a spur to courage, but a detriment to swordsmanship.' Then 
 directly afterwards she asked Betty whether she had any 
 knowledge of the art of fence, and if not she would be most 
 happy and willing to teach it her. Really, Ned, I cannot un- 
 derstand this maid of thine at all." 
 
 I simply, laughed at this, and mightily enjoyed mother's per- 
 plexity. 
 
 In the end my patient waiting met with due reward, for one 
 afternoon Betty came to me smilingly, and whispered 
 
 " Ned, if thou'rt minded to climb the stairs, methinks I can 
 bestow a guerdon upon thee for thy pains." 
 
 In the twinkling of an eye Edward Armstrong had jumped 
 from his chair, trod on the cat's tail, and was half-way up the 
 stairs, with his sister following. Soon the best bedroom door
 
 3 i o MIS TRESS DORO THY MA R VIN. 
 
 on the left-hand side of the landing had been thrust open, and 
 me pushed through it, whilst Betty had called out laughingly, 
 " An unwelcome visitor for Mistress Marvin ! " and had shut the 
 door quickly, leaving me alone to face the invalid. This struck 
 me as being both kind and considerate of my sister. 
 
 My love was sitting swathed in shawls in a chair beside the 
 bed, gazing out of the window. Her face was wan, and a coif 
 covered her head, and her eyes were half closed. 
 
 At the beginning she did not look at me, and I may say this 
 made me nervous. 'Twas so long since I had last seen her, and 
 now she appeared so sad and grave and pensive, that though for 
 the first moment I felt a wild desire to rush forth and embrace 
 her, her serious demeanor restrained me, and caused me to stand 
 six yards away, timid and bashful, with all my speech dried up. 
 She turned her matchless eyes languidly towards me, and said 
 still more languidly, and with all the airs of an idle lady 
 
 " Master Armstrong, is it ? And how is Master Armstrong 
 this pleasant afternoon ? " 
 
 " My darling," quoth I, and then stopped. There was some- 
 thing in her tone and manner that chilled and frightened me. 
 Certes ! this was not the old Dorothy. 
 
 Again she looked at me, this time with mild surprise, and 
 with a bewilderment pretty to see, only that it hurt me so very 
 sorely. I quailed before her steady gaze and its strange indif- 
 ference. Many thoughts crowded into my mind ; all of them 
 unpleasant ones. What could this mean ? Had she forgotten 
 me already ? 
 
 " My darling," I said again, but this time hardly above a 
 whisper. Something seemed to incommode my throat and stop 
 all power of utterance. 
 
 Thereupon she put her hand to her forehead as though per- 
 plexed, whilst my misgivings changed to tangible certainty, and 
 awful fears caused my heart to sink. 
 
 " Ah, Master Armstrong," she said measuredly, and with a 
 feeble glimmer of a smile, but only the spurious imitation of 
 her former one, " I remember now, oh yes, I remember now." 
 
 This did but add to my pain of mind, for all the old fire, the 
 old spirit, the old vivacity had vanished, and in place thereof 
 there was nought but cold lassitude. 
 
 " So thou hast forgotten everything," I gasped, sweat 
 springing to my brow. 
 
 She clasped her wasted hands, with the blue veins showing 
 through the skin, and dropped them in her lap. She lowered her 
 eyes and turned her face away from me, but never answered.
 
 THE KING'S MEN TAKE THE FIELD AGAIN. 311 
 
 "You may have forgotten me, you may love me no longer ! " 
 I broke out vehemently, " but ne'er can I forget you, or what 
 we have gone through together. I have heard before of folks 
 losing their memories and their former ties of life by reason of 
 great maladies. Yet I have not been ill myself, therefore my 
 heart and recollection are quite unchanged. I must " 
 
 " Hush, hush, hush ! Master Armstrong, I am far too weak 
 to bear such loud talk. I must beg you to withdraw if you 
 cannot restrain your tone. My nerves will admit of not the 
 slightest noise." 
 
 " Dorothy, thou'rt surely not in earnest. This indifference 
 is cruelty." 
 
 " Cruelty it may be, but oh, I must be honest ! I must not 
 deceive you, by allowing you to cherish false-hopes, and false 
 expectations. Master Armstrong, I no longer feel towards you 
 as I used to do. I er, I oh, I," she stopped and surveyed 
 her twitching fingers. My heart was like a lump of lead by 
 this. There was no hope for me in the marble face and the list- 
 less eyes. Little had I guessed that any ill, no matter how se- 
 vere, could change a warm nature to a cold one, could change 
 passion to harsh indifference, could change kindly recollection 
 to stern forgetf ulness ! 
 
 " So, Dorothy, this is the end of all that hath passed between 
 us. Oh, my love, how can you "?" I cried wildly, and a sort of 
 madness came upon me. 
 
 Still her face was cold, calm, impassive ; whereat I swore 
 softly as I thought unto myself, kicked over a chair, strode past 
 her, turned my back towards her, and looked out of the win- 
 dow too. 
 
 " Ned, thou energetic gentleman, don't be so hard on the 
 furniture." 
 
 That was the voice of the old Dorothy. I turned again and 
 confronted her in an instant, and saw the face of the old Doro- 
 thy too. I saw the wonted fire in her countenance, the wonted 
 smile about her eyes and lips, and the warm blood glowing 
 'neath the soft skin of her cheeks. 
 
 " You once called me a goose, Ned, I believe." 
 
 " I may have done, perchance." 
 
 " I now call you a gander, sir, and with far better reason." 
 
 " But, my love, thou hast been very hard on me this day." 
 
 " Delighted to know it, young man. I meant to be. The 
 punishment hath been severe ; I hope 'twill be remembered." 
 
 " But what have I done to merit it ? " 
 
 " Just hark at that now-! Well, if you do not know, Master
 
 3 r 2 MIS TRESS DO KG Til Y MA R VIN. 
 
 Innocence, I will be at the pains to tell you. Here have I 
 been sound in mind, and pining for a sight of you for nine 
 whole days ; whilst you, you coward, have been tyrannized over 
 by a parcel of women, though in perfect health, and quite 
 capable of resenting their behavior. Not so me, for I have 
 been laid by the heels, my clothes taken away, the room door 
 locked, and all manner of threats employed to keep me snug 
 between the sheets. I have come to loathe these four walls, 
 and to be bitterly angry for Ned Armstrong's neglect. But, I 
 say, dear lad, I played my part very neatly, did I not ? and 
 have paid you according to your deserts. My word, sir! thou 
 hast a fine knack of swearing soft and powerful, tho' 'tis not a 
 gentlemanly habit. Very clever of me, I think." 
 
 " You young witch ! " 
 
 " Now, lad," she said, in her sauciest way, " you may give me 
 one kiss. Yes, methinks I have the strength to bear just one, 
 providing it is proffered very nicely." 
 
 In the face of this encouragement, I gave her not one, but 
 many more than the stipulation. 
 
 " Oh, Ned," she said, with girlish vanity, " is it not a pity 
 that my pretty hair is gone ? " 
 
 " Shows your snow-white neck to all the better advantage, 
 love." 
 
 " And what of my thin cheeks, sir ? " 
 
 " They allow of three extra dimples when you smile, dear." 
 
 " Very adroit, my lad ; very adroit." 
 
 And then she fell to talking of her near escape from death, 
 and for at least an hour filled mine ears with nought else but 
 the praises of mother and Betty, who most certainly between 
 them had saved her life. 'Twas fine to hear the warm-hearted 
 young creature pour forth her words of gratitude, her cheeks 
 flushed by their owner's earnestness. Yet the last words my 
 loved one spoke to me that day touched on an entirely different 
 subject. 
 
 " Ned, women are not expected to fight, are they ? " 
 
 " Certainly not." 
 
 " I am pleased to hear thee say so. May God ne'er let me 
 behold another fight. I have seen but one, and that I shall 
 remember till my dying da}'. I must always shiver when I 
 think of it. You and Sir Nicholas were like raving tigers who 
 had smelt blood that night. Ne'er can I forget your eyes. 
 Methinks they have seared themselves into my brain ; and 
 henceforth there is at least one woman who will be quite con- 
 tent to leave all fighting to mankind."
 
 THE KING'S MEN TAKE THE FIELD AGAIN. 313 
 
 My mistress mended very rapidly now. Day by day her 
 strength came back, and with it all her former gayety, playful- 
 ness and quick impetuosity. Albeit, there was one alteration 
 in her sentiments. Her dead sire to her was glorified ; she did 
 not once mention the circumstances of his murder; and on one 
 occasion when I chanced to embark upon the story for the 
 enlightenment of the family, she rose hastily from her seat and 
 left the room. And the next time she found me alone she 
 besought me never again to allude to it in her presence ; add- 
 ing, and her eyes were cruel 
 
 " Ned, whene'er I think of the murder of that noble man, it 
 seems a reproach to me, his child, that the wretch Avho wrought 
 the deed still lives. Sometimes when I am alone it almost 
 maddens me to think Pringle goes unpunished. Mayhap one 
 day he will be in my power ; and then 
 
 Her face caught something of her dead sire's murderous 
 look, and her mouth went hard and merciless. She looked 
 noble, nay, magnificent, in her fierceness, and her untamed pas- 
 sion. Once before had I seen her thus ; then she had been 
 my enemy, but was now my friend and darling. This bare 
 thought sufficed to keep me happy for hours afterwards. . 
 
 Steadily the days slipped by, and each one seemed to give 
 my love a greater glow of health, and a riper, fuller beauty. 
 Never before had she known the meaning of feminine love, in- 
 tercourse, and sympathy. Now all these good things were hers, 
 and they gave her heart a warmer zest of life, and a larger 
 share of joyfulness. But, strange to say; her nature was not 
 softened in the least. That word " softened " must not be as- 
 cribed to me, kinsmen. Should I live to be as old as Methu- 
 selah, I will ne'er admit that it needed any softening, as me- 
 thought it quite soft enough already. Still, mother would 
 maintain, in face of me and even my wilful mistress, that her 
 spirit was far too high for a maid, and that (to use no stronger 
 word) it needed softening or mellowing. She declared it did 
 not become a girl to fence and play singlestick or quarterstaff 
 with the male sex, to ride barebacked horses over five-barred 
 gates, to beat the dogs into submission and go badger-hunting 
 with them afterwards, or to talk so much of war. However, 
 despite these defects, mother was obliged to admit many times 
 over that she loved Dorothy as a daughter of her own. And 
 every time she said as much in my hearing, my cup of happi- 
 ness seemed filled up to the brim. 
 
 I was truly happy throughout those sweet days. I was now 
 waiting for Prince William's coming, and every morning I
 
 3U Af /STRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 jumped out of bed it gave me joy to know that I had twenty- 
 four hours the less to wait for his arrival. But one night, in 
 the midst of all this happiness, John came home with heavy 
 news hot on his tongue. 'Twas to the effect that Captain 
 Pringle had received reinforcements from London, and that 
 once more they were keenly questing me. Also a rumor had 
 gone abroad that Black Ned was still in the county ; and that 
 a Nether Stowey yeoman had actually set eyes on him, scarce 
 a week back, one morning among the Quantocks. It was evi- 
 dent from this that I must leave my present life of peace and 
 comfort without delay ; and that night when I retired to rest 
 my slumbers were nothing near so pleasant as of late they had 
 been. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 THE SUPERIORITY OF KING'S MEN. 
 
 'TWAS no longer safe to bide under the sheltering roof-tree of 
 home. I must be away if I sought to save my neck. Hiding- 
 places were scarce, and the best of all methought was the one 
 I had so lately occupied. There was but one drawback to it, 
 and that was lack of food. Wherefore the three women, all 
 eagerness for my preservation, undertook between them to 
 keep me well supplied, promising to convey it secretly into the 
 copse. 
 
 Two days they acted thus ; yet ere the third had passed I 
 had no further need of their bounty. In the early morning of 
 that day, thinking that I might with safety venture forth into 
 the open for a little while to ease my legs, as they were weary 
 of being cooped up in so narrow a space, I was walking leis- 
 urely near the manor gates, when the hoofs of a horse sounded 
 close by ; and before I could spring into hiding, a voice cried, 
 " Good morrow, my friend." 
 
 'Twas my vanquished rival the Frenchman. I tarried and 
 held speech with him. Though neither of us bore any enmity 
 towards the other, M. de Crois was not satisfied. 
 
 " Monsieur," he said, " you beat me. Being a stranger to 
 defeat 'tis a thing to chafe my blood. Pray let me see your 
 steel again one more passado is the vanquished's privilege in 
 France, and I think the same holds with gentlemen all Europe 
 through." 
 
 I could not refuse him without greatly lowering myself in
 
 THE SUPERIORITY OF KING'S MEN. 
 
 3*5 
 
 his estimation, and it would have put me sorely about to be 
 thus belittled. Accordingly, I acceded to his request, yet 
 strictly premised that, should I fall before him, he was to place 
 me under the care of Master Whipple, even as I had conveyed 
 him to the Green Man at Taunton. My hope of success was 
 of the scantiest, and, to add to my predicament, love did not 
 urge me on this time ; 'twas simply a duty I owed to the van- 
 quished. Granted that my claims to honor were peculiar, 'twas 
 honor alone which prompted me now to engage. 
 
 We crossed swords within twenty yards of our former meeting- 
 place, tho' now the sun had not reached any power, the dew lay 
 on the grass, and the air was chilly and refreshing to the 
 temples. The count made no vain display on this occasion, 
 but went grimly to work, and ere I could retaliate he had set 
 three sharp thrusts at my chest which needed great alertness 
 and agility to escape. This man was a master of the art, as I 
 have said. He fought me brilliantly, and there was no with- 
 standing his skill and impetuosity. He drove me back from his 
 restless blade, and do as I might, I could find no chance 
 of averting the threatened catastrophe. My breath quickened, 
 and the sweat crept on my forehead, still that merciless steel was 
 quivering before my eyes, and seeking for its chance. And it 
 duly came. I repulsed the vigorous onset more feebly every 
 time, till at last the sword-point slipped my guard. I felt as 
 though red-hot skewers were searing my flesh, my eyes swam, 
 my head grew dizzy, and everything the twittering birds, the 
 lowing cattle, the dewy fields, and that maleficent rapier 
 settled into one universal blank. 
 
 When I opened my eyes, and could see and think and feel, I 
 was not exactly sure whether I was wideawake, or had passed 
 to the land of visions. I lay on a bed in a strange room, and it 
 was filled with loud-voiced fellows, and close by my elbow knelt 
 a chirurgeon looking me over keenly. 
 
 " He hath regained his senses, friends," he said, as he per- 
 ceived my open eyes. 
 
 " Well said, sir ! Let's have a look at my admirable gentle- 
 man." 
 
 This was spoken by a voice which made me wish I was still 
 unconscious. The little Pringle shoved his face between me 
 and the red bed-curtains. He shook his fist in my face, and 
 then, in excess of devilry, tweaked my nose viciously with his 
 other paw.
 
 3 16 MJSTA'ESS DORO THY MARTIN. 
 
 "Oho, Master Thief ! " he cried, showing two rows of teeth in 
 an ungentlemanly grin. " Y'are mine at last. I ne'er forget 
 my debts. You've escaped me once ; yet 'tis the final time. 
 A sweet length of hemp and a handsome gibbet-tree await you." 
 
 The others crowded round and looked at me in unmistak- 
 able delight. The generous captain called for wine and 
 treated his men round. They danced and sung, such was their 
 pleasure ; and all the time I lay with a fearful pain in my right 
 side, which forced a groan at intervals. 'Twas a refined torture 
 to be lying helpless there, watching their joyfulness. 
 
 Having drunk plentifully, the little captain commenced strut- 
 ting up and down the room, and declaiming very powerfully 
 anent the immense, nay boundless, superiority of King's men 
 over all other species of mankind. 
 
 " He, he ! " sniggered the captain. " Trust King's men to 
 carry a matter through when their minds are set upon it. We 
 are not sheriff's officers and country dolts. We are differently 
 fashioned; we say a thing and we do it, or else do know the 
 reason." 
 
 To this day it hath ne'er struck me that 'twas any special 
 display of ability on their part which brought about my arrest. 
 
 It appeared that when the count, according to the compact, 
 was bearing me to Bridgwater on his horse, by a strange mis- 
 adventure my enemies happened to accost him on the way. 
 They beheld me insensible, and forthwith took custody of my 
 body and bore it to the Green Man, Taunton, where they 
 halted to partake of wine on the strength of their good fortune, 
 and also, as I shrewdly suspected, to wait awhile to let the news 
 of my capture get noised abroad, so that the townsfolk might 
 assemble in force to see me borne with triumph to prison. 
 
 Having bibbed enough for the time being, my captors pro- 
 cured a shutter to bear me further on my way to jail, which, in- 
 deed, was not far distant. 'Twas an irksome passage down the 
 stairs on the comfortless wood, carried on the shoulders of my 
 captors, whilst their leader strode on jauntily in front, bidding 
 the crowd, in his most aggressive and authoritative manner, 
 make way for the upholders of justice and the public peace. 
 
 All the town seemed to have gathered and were surging in 
 the path ; but I was quite able to meet the eyes of the grinning, 
 staring multitude. Mayhap 'tis one of the misfortunes of a 
 great man to be trampled on when he doth chance to fall. 
 Nought is too good or gracious for this same person when at 
 the zenith of his glory; yet, when the downfall comes, the mob 
 spits upon him with no better reason than they cheered him i:i
 
 TA UN TON CO UR THO USE : TA UN TON JAfL. 317 
 
 prosperity. So 'twas now with me. Hundreds whom I had 
 not harmed, and who had previously shown me favor, now 
 howled and cursed with the loudest. 'Twas a mighty mob, a 
 restless, glaring, threatening mob, and, moblike, seeing me quite 
 incapable of resistance, threatened me repeatedly with divers 
 kinds of violence. Natheless I laughed and scoffed at it, for I 
 was always gifted with the rude surface courage that flourishes 
 in wild animals and the lower types of man. This proceeding 
 further incited them, and they became more aggressive in their 
 abuse. One coward came forth and slapped my cheek to ex- 
 press contempt the better; but this laudable desire was fraught 
 with infinite disaster, for a splendid fist shot out from the arm 
 of a still more splendid fellow, and the coward dropped like a 
 log 'midst the roar of the multitude. The smiter was my brother 
 John. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 TAUNTON COURTHOUSE : TAUNTON JAIL. 
 
 MY heart sank as the jail gates closed and thereby cut me 
 off from the living world. The governor, a fat, heavy-witted 
 fellow, came forward to meet us as we reached the prison yard, 
 and, after expressing his great pleasure at the morning's work, 
 led my five bearers and me along a dark corridor in the for- 
 bidding building itself, and from thence to a small, dark, bare 
 room, with a stoutly barred window set up high in the wall, and 
 a thick door of solid oak, grated at the top, to confine me 
 securely. Seeing my condition so weak and unhappy, a mat- 
 tress, a rug, and a blanket were allowed me in lieu of the 
 wooden pallet usually allotted to prisoners. 
 
 When the door clanged to, and the jailer's key turned squeak- 
 ing in the lock, I threw myself on my meagre couch and felt 
 that my end was near. My wound gave me much agony, 
 though the bleeding had been stanched. Every hour was 
 fraught for me with grievous pain of mind and body, whilst 
 my hurt ne'er seemed to mend a whit. The chirurgeon came 
 to my cell once a day to tend it : and very zealous indeed was 
 he for my well-being, that I might come to be decently hanged. 
 'Twas a wretched, fretful, exasperating time ; and to lie prone 
 and helpless awaking the gibbet was not the slightest consola- 
 tion. The assizes were close at hand ; hence I had not long 
 21
 
 318 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 to linger. As the days passed my weakness of body increased, 
 and my state of mind further aggravated it. 
 
 One morning, maybe a week after my arrest, the governor of 
 the jail came to me and bade me rise and follow him ; for the 
 justices were down from London on their Western circuit, and 
 they were now awaiting my appearance at the courthouse. 
 Soap and water did their best to redeem my countenance some- 
 what ; tho' even then I was but a woe-begone apology for a man. 
 
 'Twas a short journey to the courthouse, and it was made in a 
 guarded vehicle. The place of horror was packed as tight as 
 it could be by a throng of pitiless spectators, who, with unan- 
 imity, bent their eyes on me as I was ushered into the dock. 
 I failed to mark them then, as I almost thought I beheld the 
 Lord Chief Justice in his scarlet robes, such was the power of 
 imagination ; yet 'twas not so, for three judges were installed on 
 the dais who had less devilry than he. And as I looked about, 
 I thought to see my father at my side, and the other eight 
 prisoners near him. I thought to see the crowd of grinning 
 soldiery, and to hear the japes and bellowings of Jeffreys. 
 Then I suddenly recollected my present predicament, and I 
 e'en wished that times had not changed since then. Three 
 years agone I could have faced God with name unsullied ; but 
 now I was sold to the devil, and was dishonored in His sight. 
 
 The multitude craned their necks and obtained a view of me, 
 whereupon each wallower in curiosity looked questions at his 
 neighbor. Could this miserable, wan-faced creature be the 
 man who had set three counties agog with amazement ? who 
 had tricked and flouted justice, and had made the sheriff and 
 his men a laughing-stock ? A buzz of wonderment arose, 
 whereat their lordships cleared their throats and reminded 
 Master Usher of his duty. Directly that same buzz was 
 hushed, and the sombre-garbed lawyers fidgeted in their seats. 
 
 The men of law had come from London in considerable force 
 to represent the King, and 'twas quite educational to see their 
 mass of papers, and to mark the restlessness of their pens. 
 Very generously His Majesty had allowed me a small gentle- 
 man (who was forever bobbing up and objecting) to plead for 
 me. And a monstrous fine pleader he was too. He might 
 have drawn tears out of a stone, yet never once out of the grand 
 jury. They were all blue-blooded Tory squires, from whom I 
 had extorted the richest part of my booty, and when an un- 
 usually brilliant burst of eloquence arose from my small lawyer, 
 somehow they always happened to be occupied in blowing 
 their noses, or in helping themselves to Black Rappee.
 
 TAUNTON COURTHOUSE: TAUNTON JAIL. 319 
 
 The trial, like most of its species, was a mockery. I had to 
 be hanged, and every one in the place was aware of the fact ; 
 and none better than myself. Perhaps 'twould not have been 
 respectable for me to have been hanged without a lot of word 
 bandying : 'twould mean taking bread out of the mouths of the 
 attorneys. Their lordships were quite grief-stricken over my 
 iniquities ; the crown lawyers descanted at length upon the 
 number and extreme wickedness of my crimes ; whilst the wit- 
 nesses came one after another to contemn and damn my frail 
 character. 
 
 Captain Joshua Pringle stood forth in the witness-box, amidst 
 a hum of admiration from those assembled. He spoke at 
 length, and detailed with surprising imagination my hunting 
 down and capture, and the desperation of my resistance. His 
 veracity was properly rewarded, as he was publicly compli- 
 mented by their lordships. The candles were lighted ere the end 
 of the farce was played. At last the men of law ceased their 
 babbling; whereat I waited dull and desperate for the end. 
 The sentence was proclaimed aloud with its luxurious wealth of 
 detail (even to the disembowelling), as so parlous a rogue en- 
 tirely merited. I had ten days left to live in which to make 
 my peace with God. At daybreak, on the eleventh morning, 
 the sentence was to be carried out. The judges were solemn 
 as death itself ; the lawyers, after their immense exertions, took 
 advantage of the moment to snatch gulps at the liquor, which 
 reposed in small bottles in their several pockets; the jury were 
 gleeful; and the spectators clapped their hands in approbation. 
 There was not a wet eye amongst them, which made me thank- 
 ful, as it proved that none of the home folk were present. I 
 preserved a reckless, defiant demeanor in face of them, and 
 was grateful that I had still the strength to show so bold a 
 front. 
 
 I was taken back to my dismal cell, with ten days to live. 
 At first all emotion was frozen up. I lay stunned and devoid 
 of care, yet 'twas but the calm before the storm. Neglected 
 precepts will oft be rekindled, even though they have lain dead 
 for many days. 'Tis not in our power to thrust aside early 
 teaching arid exhortation altogether. Kinsmen, we may tram- 
 ple upon it if we will, but its embers will indubitably smoulder, 
 choosing a seasonable time to blaze again into a living fire. 
 This resuscitation is greatly to be dreaded by strong men, tho' 
 more especially by weak. And I was a weak man. I had 
 turned my head away from God, and had served the devil 
 faithfully ; and had now ten days to live. Ten days to undo
 
 320 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 all that had been done. As I have before averred, conscience 
 is a coward. It invariably waits till its victim is crushed by 
 adversity ere it makes the grand assault. When the mind and 
 body are alike attacked by some eating malady, and the gates 
 of hell are looming large within the brain, then down comes 
 conscience, grim and merciless. I had tried to cajole my mind 
 into believing that after all I had been too harsh in the judg- 
 ment of myself. However, ere morning came, I had swept this 
 notion away forever. Ten days is a little time, and how to 
 employ it to the best advantage, I did not know. I sought to 
 make my peace with God, and once I tried to pray, but could 
 not do so with any inward sense of propriety. No, I could not 
 pray. I might frame the words, yet they did nought to miti- 
 gate my sins ; there was no inspiration in them. In the morn- 
 ing I claimed a condemned man's privilege, and asked for a 
 clergyman. A Catholic priest was sent me, and he talked 
 about Confession, et cetera, and was particularly pat with the 
 Scriptures. He stayed two hours, and was doubtless a well- 
 meaning and holy man ; but methinks he was a source of det- 
 riment to my temper, and no benefit to my soul. As I was 
 lying under sentence, my friends were allowed to see me, there- 
 fore that same afternoon my mother visited the jail to say fare- 
 well. She came paler than a ghost, and her white face hurt me 
 cruelly. She stood by my mattress and looked clown at her 
 wasted son. I had nought to say to her at first, and she had 
 nought to say to me. She drooped her head, knelt down and 
 took my hot hand in her own. 
 
 " My poor boy ! " she said at length. 
 
 I did not answer, and she stroked my head and wept bitterly. 
 By and by words came to my tongue, and I mumbled them with 
 rapidity ; fearful of a failing voice. 
 
 " Mother," I said, " I have not much longer to live. Wilt 
 send Tobe Hancock to me ? I must have speech with him, 
 'tis for my soul's well-being. I have been base and weak, but 
 have not dragged our name through the mire. None know that 
 I am your son ; and I beseech you preserve the secrecy. Give 
 me your forgiveness and your blessing, and when Prince Wil- 
 liam comes, bid John go leave the plough and fight, remember- 
 ing father, and tell Dorothy " 
 
 I broke off short at my darling's name ; my utterance was 
 choked. 'Twill be seen my last words were those of vengeance. 
 Even as I faced the grave 'twas rampant in my mind ; a bitter 
 thing to harbor then, but one far bitterer to acknowledge after- 
 wards. And then to leave my mistress, the one who had braved
 
 TAUNTON COURTHOUSE: TAUNTON JAIL. 321 
 
 so much for me, and whom I knew full well was longing for the 
 Dutchman's coming, not for her own sake, but for mine lo 
 leave her, added bitterness to a cup already overcharged with 
 gall. 'Twas unseemly, I am aware, to countenance such 
 thoughts as these at this awful season, yet I cannot alter truth. 
 
 Mother kissed me, and said good-bye ; and when she walked 
 away and left me, her steps they were unsteady. I, who guessed 
 the tortures in her breast, stared at the chinks of the grating 
 up in the wall, and watched the streaks of daylight glimmer 
 through it. I watched them till there were none to see ; till the 
 darkness gathered, and there was no longer any light. I had 
 asked mother to send Tobe Hancock to me, as methought he 
 was a man who might prepare me better than any one else for 
 what was about to follow. That night passed with more horror 
 than the previous one. My wound pained me grievously ; the 
 hurt ne'er seemed to mend, and as the hours went, I felt the 
 fever rising in my frame, whilst the tojture of my brain con- 
 tinued. Nine days to make my peace with God. 
 
 Towards noon, next day, Tobias arrived. He came to me 
 very grave, and with a dignified sorrow. He took my hand in 
 his great brown one, and looked at me straight and simply, and 
 somehow hope came into my mind at mere sight of him. I had 
 half feared he would spurn and revile me, in fact, that he might 
 e'en refuse to come and see me. However, I had misjudged 
 him. In days gone by, I had flattered myself that I knew him 
 and his character better than other people, yet 'twas plain even 
 I did not realize his virtues in their full capacity. He gave me 
 a look with his deep brooding eyes, and by some means I man- 
 aged to tell him where my trouble lay. He said nothing for a 
 while, but ultimately told me I was not so bad as he had at first 
 supposed. Hereafter he talked to me earnestly, yet soothingly 
 and gently; then read the Bible in his homely tongue, and ex- 
 plained the import of his reading with simplicity, but with acute 
 knowledge of his subject. He ne'er grew tired ; but meant to 
 save me, if flesh and blood could do so in the time. He ex- 
 pounded and revealed to me many things connected with Holy 
 Writ, of which I had hitherto been ignorant. He visited me 
 morning, noon, and night, was ever the same; he had no fire 
 of the zealot now ; and was always calm, soothing, patient, 
 unwearying. He avoided the past, but threw his whole soul 
 into the work that lay before him. Albeit, the ten days that 
 were left slipped by, one by one, and as each one fled my fever 
 of mind and body grew. 
 
 In the day-time I could rest with tolerable ease of brain, yet
 
 322 AffSTKESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 when the stealthy horrible darkness came, the tortures of fear 
 and remembrance seized me in a grip of iron and held me fast. 
 The piety, the zeal, and the real friendship of Tobias lightened 
 the misery of the day, but the black, haunted night, ah me ! I 
 cannot tell the horrors of it. The inflammation of the wound 
 wrought horrid pain, and kept sleep from my eyes ; therefore I 
 did nought but groan and toss about and heap maledictions on 
 my pitiable state. Despite the efforts of the blacksmith, I could 
 not resign myself to death. I. dared not think of the hereafter, 
 though 'twas so fast approaching. And being so weak I sur- 
 rendered to pitiful revilings. I cursed my friends, I cursed the 
 King, I cursed myself; and directly I had thus delivered my 
 puny soul, I grew terrified at my position. To die so infamous 
 and unrepentant appalled me, yet what could avail ? I might 
 curse or I might pray. 'Twas all to no purpose ; wherefore I 
 became a victim to despair. If I could live a few weeks more 
 I might make my peace. But no, 'twas not to be. I must die 
 a thief and unforgiven. Was there no way out of that dread 
 cell ? Mine own understanding could think of none. What 
 chance had a man so grievously stricken of escaping ? Here 
 another bitter thought came to me. The man who might be of 
 the greatest service had made no sign. Peter Whipple had 
 ne'er once appeared. If any mortal could assist me in my 
 present pass, assuredly 'twas he. 'Twas a cruel reflection to 
 think he had deserted the sinking ship. Why did not Peter 
 Whipple, my friend and hero, come ? He of all men might 
 assist me, yet held aloof. He had renounced my cause, despite 
 his many fair professions. Death had already a hand on my 
 shoulder, but that did not prevent me giving mine host of the 
 King's Head a malediction in the middle of the night. And 
 having done that, I remembered the next night would be my 
 last on earth. 
 
 Towards noon on the following day, another visitor was 
 ushered into the condemned man's cell. One glance told me 
 'twas my darling. At that sight misery overpowered me for the 
 moment. I had wished ne'er to set eyes on her again this side 
 the grave, since all thoughts of her added one hundredfold to 
 my tortures. What man could bear to be so vividly reminded 
 of his loss ? 
 
 I was alone, for Tobe Hancock was not yet come. Dorothy 
 came towards me in her usual bold resolute fashion, yet no smile 
 enhanced her lips, no joy shone in her eyes, for her face had a 
 distracted look, and she shuddered when she saw me so hag- 
 gard and strangely altered. She took both my \vasted hands
 
 TA UN TON CO UR THO USE : TA UN TON JAIL. 323 
 
 in hers, and pressed them so hard that in my feeble state I 
 winced. 
 
 " Dear lad ! " she said softly, and gazed at me with a power 
 of wistful sympathy. Her face told me many things, yet not 
 one was so plainly noticeable as the look of dull despair that had 
 settled on it. 
 
 " Perhaps I ought not to have come," she said, still holding 
 my hands ; " but, oh, my lad, I could not keep away ! I know 
 it hurts thee to see me, and were I in thy place 'twould be the 
 same with me." Again she looked at me, and I saw her eyes 
 were heavy, and that her nether lip was quivering. " Methinks 
 circumstances are too strong for us this time, Ned," she said, 
 and her sad tone conveyed an after-taste of bitterness. " I 
 have done all I can, but have failed in everthing. Yet I would 
 not like you to leave me, thinking I had not struck and fought 
 for your cause, and mine own." 
 
 I could not fathom her meaning, but she divined my per- 
 plexity. 
 
 " I have been to London." she continued. " I saw my lord 
 Danby on your behalf, but he declared he could not help me, 
 as he was in disfavor with His Majesty. Then I saw my lady 
 Churchill, who hath much interest at Court. She declined to 
 assist me, and as a last resource I pleaded for you before the 
 King himself. Nay, I begged on my knees for your life. He 
 was harder than the steps at Whitehall, for he laughed and 
 
 said But I will not pain you causelessly by repeating his 
 
 cruel answer." 
 
 No words can show how that simple story appealed to me. 
 It told me that the world was not wholly bad, that men and 
 women were not wholly pitiless. The staunch, indomitable 
 spirit of the dead knight lived again in her who stood before 
 me. She had done a thing that few would have dared to do. 
 Her promptitude, her daring, her courage, and her steadfast- 
 ness all touched my heart together. Yet now she had to ac- 
 knowledge defeat, and she did so, brave as ever, though it called 
 for noble fortitude to keep her eyes dry, and her sobs from 
 breaking forth. 
 
 " Ned," she said simply, " we have fought much together ; we 
 have endured much for and from each other this is our hardest 
 fight. But we have had some happiness my sweet love, I will 
 remember always that rainy morning in the spring." 
 
 She fell upon her knees beside my mattress, threw her arms 
 around my neck, and drew me like a mother to her breast. 
 She kissed my hot lips, and I think did inhale the fever of my
 
 3 4 MfSTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 soul, since she rose with a wailing sob, and in the wildness of 
 passionate despair cried out 
 
 " O God, thou art unmerciful ! Thou hast dealt cruelly with 
 me!" 
 
 I saw the young head droop ; the noble lift of the neck was 
 no longer there, and I knew the proud spirit was at last subdued 
 and crushed. We parted here, and our farewell had such in- 
 effability that at first I felt a sweetness in it : love had brought 
 us very near to Heaven. 
 
 But as the cell door clanged to, and my love was lost to me 
 forever, the twilight seemed to gather round my heart, and I 
 began to long for death, as an antidote for present pain and 
 torment. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 THE SIGNAL OF DEATH. 
 
 No sooner had the maid left me, than Tobe Hancock came 
 to pay his final visit. He said farewell an hour before sunset, 
 having done all that mortal man was able for the saving of my soul. 
 My kind friend had exhorted me to be of good courage, and 
 held out great hopes for the hereafter. As long as he remained 
 by my side I felt calm and hopeful ; but as the sun waned and 
 the gray light dwindled into murky darkness, the fever rose 
 within me, and by the time the night had completely gathered I 
 lay moaning and tossing and thinking of the dawn. The dawn 
 was to mark my last hour of earth. To lie there wounded and 
 helpless, awaiting something keener than the sharpest pangs of 
 death ; bereft of hope and reason ; contemplating futurity as a 
 black ungodly horror, was in itself an appalling nightmare. 
 
 However, 'twas not the time for regrets ; all such were useless. 
 But I felt I could not die with ease of mind. An hour agone I 
 had cherished the delusion that the blacksmith had equipped 
 me sufficiently for my end, but now I was only too well aware I 
 could not die. I clung to life. I clutched at it with every 
 fibre strained to grasp the fleeting thing. But it mocked me ! 
 I could feel it ooze from my nerveless fingers. It laughed at 
 me. It was going from me. I prayed for it to stay, I implored 
 it, I begged it, yet it mocked me ! As soon as daylight came it 
 would desert me. Every minute, every second it was fleeting 
 gradually away. I implored it to stay a while ; only a little 
 time. I went down on my knees and besought it. I cried to
 
 THE SIGNAL OF DEATH. 325 
 
 it, I wailed to it, yet it mocked me. My hands and brow grew cold, 
 and my body shivered. Following that the fever rose and 
 burnt me with a consuming fire. My wound was a live coal, 
 in my side. I cried out in anguish, -but the walls of the cell 
 were unresponsive. Frenzy seized me ; I tore my hair and bit 
 my hands, and beat my head on the walls and the mattress, and 
 raved and raged and sobbed. The tempest of my madness 
 grew, but my screams and cries were unavailing. The dawn 
 must see the end. 
 
 A muffled noise came thro' the grating of the cell. 'Twas the 
 dull blows of the carpenters' hammers. They were setting up 
 the scaffold. 
 
 I snatched up the rug and blanket, and buried my head 
 therein, but those devilish sounds still beset me. I thrust my 
 fingers hard into mine ears, but to what purpose? The 
 hammers never ceased. Then other noises forced themselves 
 upon the ear. A murmur, a gentle creeping murmur like the 
 sea, rose stealthily and mingled with the' other dreadful sounds. 
 It grew and grew, till it was hoarse and maleficent. It arose 
 from thousands of throats, and their owners were gathered with- 
 out in full view of the scaffold. They were there to witness a 
 cheap entertainment. 
 
 The babbling multitude had come from north, south, east, and 
 west to enjoy itself ; and included godless men and godly ones. 
 And the godly ones : far better rob the Church than rob an 
 honest man of an execution. Fancy the righteous creature not 
 to be permitted to stand in front of the scaffold, and not to be 
 allowed to howl at the criminal, and shake his fist at him, and 
 spit upon, and fill the air with abhorrent malediction. Imagine 
 this honest fellow not being allowed to shake his head, and sigh, 
 and groan, and exclaim with pious fervor as that criminal dies 
 before his eyes, " Oh, what an example ! " 
 
 The execution over, the sainted gentleman will hie homeward 
 to read a homily to his friends and family upon the enormity of 
 sin, and the fruit it bears ; and proceed to dilate upon the glory 
 of honesty and uprightness, and will sleep in peace o' nights, 
 firm in the conviction that he hath discharged a duty due to him- 
 self and his fellow-men. 
 
 How excellent thou art to be sure, sir ! Nevertheless, kinsmen, 
 I would have you observe that some are born to wealth and 
 affluence, and never know the feel of an empty belly. Their 
 granaries and coffers are forever full. Then there are others 
 who cry aloud for bread, who know not a roof on a winter's 
 night. Well, what of them ? Surely it is their function to
 
 326 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 provide an example for Master Honesty, the lord of the manor, 
 and to furnish him with the sight of an execution, that he may 
 borrow self-esteem therefrom, and have an example for his 
 children, and a pretext to perambulate his piety. 
 
 The sounds of horror increased even as the crowd did. I 
 could not lie down and listen. Half mad I staggered about 
 the cell, and bruised myself on the brickwork. Yet the noise 
 increased. 
 
 It was a heavy, close, dull night, with a storm evidently in 
 the air. I could scarce see my hands before my face, so thick 
 were the clouds that obscured the moon. 
 
 As the time of the dawn drew nearer, I grovelled on the cold 
 stone floor. 'Twas the coolest spot I could find for my burning 
 head. Verily, but a short time was left. And then my heart 
 jumped into my throat as I heard footsteps along the corridor, 
 and saw the glint of a light. I had just time enough to seek 
 my couch ere the key grated in the lock. The heavy door 
 opened, and two men entered. The foremost of the twain was 
 the governor, bearing a bunch of keys and a lanthorn. 
 
 Surely my time had come, for methought his companion was 
 the executioner. He was a very little fellow, darkly enveloped 
 in a cloak. They approached my mattress. 
 
 " So this is the rogue," said the little man in a thick, husky 
 voice. 
 
 " Yes, your honor," answered the governor. 
 
 Perchance some of you may disbelieve the facts I set down 
 now. You are quite at liberty to do so; but I remind you. 
 were they truthless I should not now be relating my adventures. 
 
 " Master Thompson," said the little man again, " what is that 
 document I see just peeping out of the prisoner's breeches 
 pocket ? Kindly seize it, and hand it over to my custody." 
 
 " Which, your honor ? What, your honor ? Where, your 
 honor?" inquired the flustered governor, bending down and 
 rummaging my person. 
 
 Suddenly his eyes nearly bolted out of his head, and I con- 
 fess my heart stood still, for the little man bent down too, and 
 rammed the muzzle of a pistol to the governor's forehead. 
 
 "Not a murmur, or y'are a corpse." Thus spake the gen- 
 tleman with the pistol. 
 
 Next he drew another hand from underneath the folds of the 
 cloak, and in it I beheld a curious little phial. He pulled out 
 the cork with his teeth, then said to his victim in a subdued 
 tone 
 
 " Drink this, Master Thompson, without speech or delay.
 
 THE SIGNAL OF DEATH. 327 
 
 'Twill not kill you. 'Tis but a sleeping draught, and ye must 
 sleep whilst I transact a little business. Time is scant, and I 
 have much to do. Drink!" 
 
 The bewildered governor took it hesitatingly in his hand, but 
 did not make any sign of swallowing the draught. Thereupon 
 his assailant whispered a peremptory threat ; whereat, with a 
 frightened, dismal glance, the victim tossed off the drug whilst 
 his enemy grunted satisfaction. The pistol-holder still kept 
 that weapon hard by the governor's cranium, till in a little while 
 the victim yawned and rubbed his eyes, and a minute later he 
 dropped his head close by me in excess of drowsiness, and fell 
 fast asleep. 
 
 Meanwhile I knelt on my couch half-petrified with amaze- 
 ment. What could it all mean ? I was soon to learn. No 
 sooner had the governor gone to sleep, thanks to the potion, 
 than another and well-remembered voice came out of the folds 
 of the cloak. It bade me rise, and make not the slightest 
 noise. It was the voice of Peter Whipple. He had come to 
 save me. Faith ! neither mind nor body were in any condition 
 for any exercise whatever ; yet no sooner did I hear his voice 
 and his words than my strength rushed back, and, dazed with 
 wonderment, I sought to do his commands. 
 
 He impressed on me silence and expedition. First he pro- 
 duced a thick cloak similar to his own, ordered me to envelop 
 my person therein, then proffered me a phial, but I promise 
 you the contents of it were somewhat different to the other 
 one. 
 
 With stealthy footsteps we went out of the cell together, 
 leaving the unfortunate governor snoring with his head on the 
 mattress. Having already secured the sleeping custodian's 
 keys, Master Whipple locked the cell door after us. He then 
 bade me follow close at his heels, and he would pilot me 
 aright. 
 
 The great building itself seemed quite deserted by the turn- 
 keys and the various officers of the jail. My true friend led 
 me along a labyrinth of corridors, down steps, and up others, 
 through several doorways, and out at last into the blessed air 
 of heaven. We ne'er once encountered any person. Pete 
 seemed endowed with the most marvellous knowledge of his 
 whereabouts, and never halted in his course, but appeared to 
 know every nook and corner of the prison. 
 
 When we reached the yard it was so dark that we had to 
 grope our way along, yet Pete never swerved, but took me across 
 it to a small wicket let into the outer wall of the jail. With
 
 328 Hf/STKESS DOROTHY MARl'LV. 
 
 the governor's keys he unlocked it ; we stepped together into 
 the world outside ; and I was a free man once more. We were 
 now at the back of the jail, whilst in front were thousands 
 awaiting the dawn. 
 
 \Ye went along several deserted by-streets, and thus left the 
 town behind us, without being once accosted or molested. I 
 could not then grasp the entire significance of this sudden 
 metamorphosis. Arrived at the Bridgwater road, mine host of 
 the King's Head asked me whither I intended to fly. He de- 
 clared his own hostel, though quite at my service, would not 
 be a safe place. However, when he told me the King's men 
 had returned to London, and that they would have nobody to 
 lead them in their search, I decided at once to return to the 
 farm, for none knew who my parents were, and certainly the 
 pursuit would not be nearly so hot now it was left to the sheriff 
 only. 
 
 1 promised to pay Pete a visit as soon as possible, that he 
 might clear up many strange matters, and that I might bring 
 him a reward in kind, if possible, for his magnificent services. 
 With an honest hand-grip I left him, and that was all the thanks 
 I could muster at the moment, my heart being too full for my 
 tongue to be of any service. 
 
 I set out for the hills as briskly as possible, for despite the 
 darkness, I was able from long practice to find my way. Yet, 
 ere long, I became aware of my inflamed wound and my weak- 
 ness. Cruel spasms of pain staggered my steps, and now the 
 danger was past for the nonce, my feet grew heavy as lead. 
 'Twas a weary process this journey to the farm ; tho' my mind 
 was still much occupied with the most marvellous circumstances 
 of that night. I could not fathom how Pete had managed the 
 matter in so wonderful a manner. 
 
 'Twas a long while before I had traversed the hills. Grad- 
 ually the east lightened ; and I was dragging a pain-stricken 
 body over the heather when the path became more and more 
 distinct. Suddenly I stopped and turned ; and looking long 
 and fixedly at the eastern sky, beheld the dawn in its beauty 
 and its kindliness. And this was the signal of death. There- 
 upon, for the first time after my renunciation of God in the 
 shadow of my father's gibbet, I fell upon my knees and blessed 
 Him.
 
 THE HOME-COMING. 329 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 THE HOME-COMING. 
 
 I TOOK the turn for Chilverley. My heart almost over- 
 flowed with thankfulness at the extraordinary revelation of 
 God's mercy. Nevertheless, I had an irksome journey home- 
 ward, and the longer I kept the road the severer became my 
 suffering. My teeth chattered under the nipping morning air, 
 each limb had a palsy, and my body was racked with pain. 
 But the nerving thought of freedom prevented my fainting by 
 the wayside, though at every score paces I was compelled to 
 halt and rest. Thus I dragged myself along, and it appeared 
 hours hence ere I set foot in our rickyard. 
 
 As I slowly passed the sweet familiar scenes which I was 
 spared to see again, the tears were in my eyes, though they 
 were not unmingled with a tinge of gall, when I thought how 
 such bounties had been vouchsafed to me, the weakest and 
 most errant of God's creatures, who, at the first assault of mis- 
 fortune, had turned from Him and had deserted to His arch- 
 enemy the devil. Ay, there were all the old landmarks the 
 duck-pond, the dove-cotes, the hayloft, the bean-stack, the old 
 house itself, the kitchen window, and the kitchen door. And at 
 sight of the kitchen door, I stopped to get breath, because a great 
 ordeal was before me. Then I went forward with creeping steps, 
 lifted the latch, and tottered inside. Mother, in speechless 
 misery, sate upright in an armchair near the fireplace. The two 
 girls sate a distance off, huddled together, Dorothy's head on 
 Betty's shoulder. Both were staring hard and vacantly into the 
 fire. The place seemed instinct with the very atmosphere of 
 death ; its horror was reflected in the wordless terror of those 
 three faces. Their cheeks were whiter than the breakfast table- 
 cloth, yet their eyes were strained and dry. Mother, looking to- 
 wards the door, was the first to see the spectre, and at sight of it 
 she screamed, lurched, and fell forward on her face. What then 
 happened I cannot rightly tell, because I was seized with dizzi- 
 ness, and my brain turned to a kind of vertigo. But I have a 
 distinct remembrance of my darling crying out, " Speak, Ned, 
 speak ! Is it really thee ? " and of feeling her warm lips on my 
 cheek.
 
 330 MISTRESS DORO THY MARVIN. 
 
 After that, the room swirled faster and faster round me, my 
 limbs tottered, though what was the next event I cannot say 
 for certain. I know I found myself in bed without any effort 
 on my own part, and that I lay for a weary while in a manner 
 scarcely sensible, burned with inward fire. I remember tossing 
 and writhing, head chaotic, and body consumed by fever. Yet 
 throughout this purgatory there was one who ne'er left the side 
 of my uneasy bed. 'Twas one who had wide brown eyes, and 
 gentle soothing fingers. 'Twas one who assuaged my thirst 
 when I cried for water, one who plied cold cloths about my 
 brow, and with a cold light touch sometimes caressed my fore- 
 head. Once I recollect an awful agony convulsed my side as 
 though red-hot irons seared it. And I called on God to be 
 merciful to me, a sinner, for 'twas as though the last bond of 
 life was breaking. But, in the course of time, the fever died 
 down slowly, my pains grew less, and my brain came back to 
 its normal state. 
 
 Then I heard from mother's lips how my darling, to the 
 wonder of all the household that a mere girl could do a thing 
 so bold, so brave and skilful had saved my life, by burning 
 out the morbid flesh from my neglected wound, and had thus 
 performed a cautery upon it, though during the operation my 
 cries had rang through all the house, and though my noble 
 mistress had fainted immediately after its performance. Not 
 but what she stoutly disclaimed all knowledge of this latter 
 feat, declaring 'twas a calumny invented by jealous-minded 
 folk to set a blot upon her character. Be this as it may, 'twas 
 quite a natural thing to do, for it was positively unheard of 
 that any other than a chirurgeon should handle raw wounds 
 with such determination. 
 
 In the matter of the nursing Dorothy tyrannized over mother 
 and Betty. She took the entire responsibilities of the case 
 upon herself, and by some means bore it through. As I 
 learned at a later date, whene'er at this time she said a thing, 
 she did it, in spite of the utmost opposition ; yet when others of- 
 fereda suggestion, it was only carried out subject to her approval. 
 
 Now this is really singular, seeing that mother and Betty had 
 a large faith in their own abilities. Yet the young maid, at the 
 very outset, whilst the other two were still unnerved by the 
 great shock of my return took sole command of me, and kept it 
 throughout my illness. And when they came to tend me on 
 their own account, they found my darling in full possession, and 
 she said at once, without any disrespect for any persons, " that if 
 her lad was left to her she would undertake to pull him through ;
 
 THE HOME-COMING. 331 
 
 yet if others had a finger in the pie [yes, she called it " pie ! "] 
 she would not answer for the consequences." 
 
 This was taken in excellent good part, for they both saw my 
 love so bold, so ardent, and determined, that they knew it was 
 said in excess of earnestness, and without meaning offence to 
 anybody. Accordingly she sat by my bedside night and day, 
 refusing rest or offers of assistance, but just watched, and 
 worked and waited. 
 
 Thus there came a time when my speech was once more ra- 
 tional, and my head less afflicted ; and presently a joyous day 
 when I was allowed below stairs for one hour only to begin 
 with. The women folk, without any such thing as parley, turned 
 Master John out of the chimney corner, and set me in it with 
 cushions for my back, rugs for my knees, and a hassock for 
 rny feet. Yet what pleased me more than anything was to see 
 John sacrifice his chair with a tolerable good grace. And the 
 first words Dorothy said to me, after I was snugly installed 
 therein, were 
 
 " Ned, Dutch Will hath put to sea ! " 
 
 She spoke them softly, so that none but I might hear. Now, 
 this speech surprised me greatly for the time, seeing that it had 
 been uttered at such a joyful moment for us both. But no 
 sooner did I behold my darling's lustrous eyes and her eager 
 face, and the look of power that had come upon it suddenly, 
 than their full significance was borne upon my sluggish mind. 
 
 In the Dutchman's movements and the success of his mighty 
 enterprise lay our future. So long as the Stuart held the throne, 
 we must both remain outlaws, and be kept apart by stress of 
 circumstances ; yet, if Prince William could by any means be 
 placed permanently on it, our troubles with the law would then 
 exist no longer. Thus every action of the Protestant cham- 
 pion was eagerly noted by the pair of us, and every effort he 
 made towards hastening the coming struggle we hailed with 
 joyful satisfaction. All men in England at this time cast their 
 thoughts across the water towards him who was to deliver the 
 kingdom from the papist and the bigot. And it was plain to 
 everybody that the throne could only be snatched from its pres- 
 ent occupant by the arbitrament of blows. Thus the maid and 
 I waited with ill-concealed impatience for the day when I could 
 draw my sword and go fight for both our rights and liberties. 
 
 It may have happened, kinsmen, that some of yon have been 
 tempted to do my mistress an injustice by virtue of my poor 
 powers of narrative, or quite as likely by virtue of the thick- 
 ness of your heads. Perhaps you may wish to know how it
 
 332 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 was that Dorothy, professing to love me so very much, should 
 yet be so willing and so anxious for me to risk my life when I 
 could easily bide at home and let others do the risking. 
 
 In the first place, she was so utterly fearless herself, that this 
 quality was the one she cherished, cultivated, and admired the 
 most in me ; and as she told me, just previous to my duello 
 with the Frenchman, " to have a coward's fears for a true man's 
 skin was only to insult him, and to fall in his estimation." 
 
 Now, by this term " true man," without any manner of doubt 
 she meant a fighting man, for, thanks to her martial rearing by 
 that fierce warrior, her father, she ever adjudged man's real 
 vocation to be to fight for his hearth and honor ; or, in times 
 of peace, when the trade was quiet, sooner than not fight at all, 
 it behoved him to draw his sword for a little entertainment, and 
 to keep his hand in. Well do I recollect her saying to me, on 
 one occasion, " Ned, my lad, I do not know that your virtues 
 are any nicer than your neighbors', neither am I aware that 
 your intellect is greater than is barely decent for a gentleman ; 
 but your sword-arm, dear lad, is the thing that puts silly no- 
 tions in my head, and makes me admire you from a distance." 
 Whereupon she sighed, a splendid light came in her eyes, and 
 every feature seemed inspired with pride. And when I asked 
 for the interpretation of that sigh, she answered, her voice full 
 of awe and reverence, " I sigh because that noble arm o' thine 
 sets you so far above me, and because it does not appear a 
 thing in reason that a girl like I should ever gain you for mine 
 own." 
 
 Thus, in face of this, I make bold to ask you, kinsmen, was 
 it at all likely that one with so fine a spirit would seek to deter 
 me from employing the gifts of which nature had given me such 
 a liberal endowment ? 
 
 And I will add yet another reason, so that none of you shall 
 have excuse to mistake my lifelong darling's high-strung, 
 romantic nature, for cruelty and hardness. She had faith and 
 fatalism. Her .prodigious faith in my prowess shamed me at 
 times, it was so deep and so unbending. As for her fatalism, 
 it was greater than that of any woman I ever knew, and quite 
 rivalled that of men who are soldiers born, who possess this 
 strange quality in more abundance than plain civilians. She 
 ever quoted her old father's tenet that God never left aught to 
 occur as chance directed it, but that a man's term of life was 
 determined at his birth, and that no amount of danger in the 
 interim would cause him to quit the earth ere his appointed 
 time, and no amount of care would let him live beyond it. But
 
 THE HOME-COMING. 333 
 
 while I have been safeguarding a precious name from defama- 
 tion, I have been forgetting myself, who am the chief, if even 
 the most unworthy person in this story. 
 
 Day by day I mended slowly, yet always had a haunting fear 
 upon me. Many a night the face of Captain Pringle afflicted 
 my dreams. He had returned to town, tho' at any moment he 
 might come back reinforced for the purpose of my recapture. 
 And what added to my fears was the knowledge mother one day 
 imparted. She declared that on the previous occasion the 
 King's men had received sufficient information to make them 
 suspect Chilverley of harboring me, and that for two days and 
 nights the valley had been carefully watched by them. This 
 thought gave me many qualms, and ever kept me on the tiptoe 
 of anxiety regarding news of their reappearance. 
 
 That last night in Taunton jail dwelt often in my mind ; and 
 the thudding of the hammers and the murmurs of the multitude 
 gave me many wakeful hours, and put cold beads of sweat upon 
 my forehead. And what made this nightmare of sights and 
 sounds all the more appalling was because I knew God had 
 been so merciful, and that I deserved the punishment the law 
 designed to give me. It will be seen from this that two great 
 thoughts, one of hope and one of fear, ran side by side in my 
 brain throughout every hour of my existence. Who would come 
 first, Prince William of Orange or Captain Joshua Pringle ? 
 The hopes and fears begat by this hard problem seemed to 
 churn in my brain till my head would throb with very weariness. 
 And when I thought of the Dutchman's coming I would feel a 
 thrill of joy, yet when I pondered on the law's strong arm and 
 its tender mercies, I would lie awake for hours in the silent 
 night, to weep softly to myself and to rise with red eyes in the 
 morning. 
 
 Now I know quite well this is a pitiable thing for a man to 
 do, and a still more pitiable thing to confess it afterwards. But 
 this I will at once admit, and will at the same time unburthen 
 my mind of a far bitterer and far more cruel secret. It is one 
 that makes these lines come from my pen with pain I was no 
 longer a strong man ! I was cut down in the pride of life ; 
 made old before my time. The old animal courage was there, 
 the general outline of the body, and the old hopes and aspira- 
 tions ; tho' instinct told me that a great cord of life had snapped 
 the cord of fire and strength, the cord of buoyant spirit and 
 firm endurance. At first I tried to laugh at it, then to thrust it 
 aside, and then to disbelieve it. But all these attempts were 
 vain. The ugly truth steadily impressed itself upon me. Then
 
 334 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 I became frightened and oppressed with morbid terrors. Yet 
 the hard fiat had gone forth, and I had to bend the head and 
 bear it. From that day to this it hath abided with me. Twas 
 as though my young brain had been blighted, and my young 
 limbs bereft of stamina and vigor. Henceforward I was a creature 
 without backbone, without resource, without reserve of strength. 
 My spirit was broken, my soul was crushed, my tenacity was 
 withered. I could feel the claws of suffering as if for all time 
 they had been dug into my soul. This was the penalty exacted 
 of the flesh for days and days of torture, for weeks of misery, of 
 striving, of longing, of terror, of despair. Very rarely hath man 
 to pass through such awful crises as I had had to do in one 
 short epoch. And, kinsmen, whoever that man may be, he can 
 rest assured nature will exact full payment for the undue strain 
 upon her. 
 
 To all outward seeming I was still the same, and, knowing 
 this, I carefully hid the dread secret from them all. The cruel 
 fact added one more skeleton to my cupboard, for every hour 
 since that discovery I have carried a young death in my heart, 
 and a fear within my soul. 
 
 As time sped, and autumn continued its work of desolation, 
 the nights closed in, the cold winds stripped tree and hedgerow, 
 and nature changed from cheerful green to sombre brown. My 
 wound took excellent ways, as in such hands it was bound to 
 do ; my health came back, and my limbs were knit into some 
 semblance of their former firmness. 
 
 One day we heard that Dutch Will was expected, whilst the 
 next rumors were rife that a big expedition was being organized 
 in London to arrest Black Ned. Thus I was kept in a rotation 
 of elation and solicitude. However, one night, ere any great 
 event befell, a thing happened that fully deserves some mention. 
 One evening, about the middle of October, when the rain was 
 falling in torrents, and dripping monotonously on the dead 
 leaves in the orchard, we were all ranged round the fire. John 
 and I were smoking meditatively, and the women-kind were try- 
 ing to play commerce, to talk, and to cheat each other at one 
 and the same time. Presently a loud knock came to the kitchen 
 door and startled the five of us. An evening visitor, except 
 Tobe Hancock, was quite an event at Chilverley. 'Twas 
 certainly not the blacksmith, for he ne'er stopped to knock, but 
 always walked straight in. 
 
 " Make haste up the chimney, Ned ; they have come for 
 thee ! " quoth Dorothy, laughing, whilst John made for the door 
 and opened it.
 
 THE HOME-COMING. 335 
 
 " Does Ned Armstrong bide within ? " asked a voice there 
 was no mistaking, and the next instant a small personage hopped 
 between the shadow of the door and John's big body. 
 
 'Twas Peter Whipple. For a moment he stood wiping his 
 muddy boots on the mat, whilst the wet dripped from his cloak 
 and formed quite a stream on the floor. However, no sooner 
 did he behold the ladies than he whipped off his hat, and bowed 
 to them with London courtesy. 
 
 Instantly I left my seat, shook his hand warmly, and said, by 
 way of introduction, "This is the gentleman who delivered me 
 from death." 
 
 This was all-sufficient. To be sure, at the announcement, 
 John retired silently into his corner ; but in a trice Dorothy 
 was setting Peter's hat and cloak to dry before the scullery fire, 
 mother was pouring forth her thanks, and Betty was preparing 
 a meal for his delectation. 
 
 I may here state that on the night of my escape I had told 
 Peter of my name and place of refuge, which methought was 
 the least thing I could do to show my confidence in a friend so 
 true. He expressed himself well satisfied with my restoration 
 to health, but declared he should scarce have known me out of 
 doors, and that I had aged at least ten years. 
 
 I shivered at this remark, and indulged in melancholy 
 thoughts. Albeit supper drove them all away. 'Twas as happy 
 a meal as any I remember. Betty was constantly stacking 
 Peter's platter with the choicest the board could offer, and con- 
 tinually saying, " Have some of this, Master Whipple ; I can 
 recommend it," whilst mother was forever looking at him with 
 shining eyes. 
 
 He bore all this without turning a hair, but simply went on 
 eating. Howbeit Mistress Dorothy, in the end, made his face 
 kindle with a look of admiration. For that vivacious maiden, 
 by some means, filched mother's keys, took a candle, and tripped 
 down into the cellar. And when she returned she carried a 
 grimly cobwebbed bottle. 'Twas delightful to see her withdraw 
 the dusty cork from the black neck of it very deftly, then to see 
 her purse up her pretty lips, as she held a glass to the light, 
 and with the utmost care pour very gently forth the rosy liquor. 
 Then it was Pete became mightily interested, for in her 
 practised fingers 'twas well-nigh a work of art the way she kept 
 the ancient crust entire. Next she presented the brimming 
 violet-scented wine to him, a smile rippling round her eyes 
 and mouth. 
 
 " There, Master Whipple, this will drive the cold out. 'Tis
 
 336 MSSTKESS DOROTHY MAR VIN. 
 
 the Chiteau Noir vintage of '41. I'll warrant three glasses of 
 it would put an ordinary man under the table ; but, sir, thou'rt 
 by no means an ordinary man, that is if deeds are aught to go 
 by." 
 
 Now this speech, delivered with all her high-bred graceful- 
 ness, and accompanied by her insinuating charm, completely 
 knocked Peter Whipple from his vaunted cynical serenity. He 
 bounced up like a shuttle-cock, took the wine from her, saying 
 
 " Your health, my fair mistress," and drank it with indescrib- 
 able politeness. 
 
 Henceforward his courteous and gallant behavior would have 
 done credit to a Buckingham. This methought was very strange 
 in Peter Whipple, and it tickled me very much. 'Twas the first 
 occasion I had seen him in female society, and when one came 
 to think of his harsh sentiments towards the sex, his demeanor 
 was a thing to marvel at. 
 
 " Damn the women ! " I whispered in his ear on the first 
 occasion. 
 
 " Ay, damn 'em all but that one," he whispered back, looking 
 across at Dorothy. " She warms the cockles of my old heart. 
 'Pon my soul, I'd have a [here he wiped his old unlovely lips] 
 were I " 
 
 Just then I pulled his ear, whereat he stopped, and saw much 
 meaning in my countenance. At least, I opine he did, for he 
 murmured, "Lucky dog! lucky dog! she's almost worthy of 
 Long Bob Bickers," and subsided into silence. 
 
 Supper over, friend Pete was pestered into giving a full 
 account of the things that had wrought my deliverance from 
 death. He gave it with an excellent grace, though not before 
 John had performed a most irregular act indeed, nought less 
 than to charge his richest colored clay. He handed it to the 
 story-teller, that his thoughts might be thereby more readily 
 composed. 
 
 Now all along I have fully recognized that, should I ever 
 come to write my history (I have had the plan in my mind for 
 years), 'twould be simply affectation in me to try to put in black 
 and white, word for word, all that Master Whipple said, or to 
 convey to paper his delightful way of saying it. Therefore I 
 asked him at the time to write it down, which he very kindly 
 did. But before you read what he hath written I will presume 
 to say a word. Though, undoubtedly, his pen narration is very 
 fine and accurate, it lacks that wealth of warmly colored detail 
 that so embellished the efforts of his mouth. He was a born 
 talker. Beyond an hour he held five people spell-bound, and
 
 SINGULAR NARRATIVE OF PETER WHIPPLE. 337 
 
 used every oratorical parliamentary trick in vogue to supple- 
 ment his story. Mayhap his second narrative may seem bald 
 and unnatural to you it certainly does to me by comparison 
 with his first ; yet I would have you remember that the whole 
 chronicles the feat of a man of a transcendent genius, and that, 
 were the gist of what he says inaccurate, Black Ned would not 
 be writing this. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 THE SINGULAR NARRATIVE OF PETER WHIPPLE : SET FORTH BY 
 HIMSELF FOR THE INFORMATION OF POSTERITY. 
 
 To me it has occurred that, sooner than let a great deed die, 
 a man should be at pains to set it down for the behoof of others. 
 Moreover, when I gave the full narrative (I flatter myself, in 
 my best manner) to my juvenile friend Armstrong, he was so 
 impressed by my natural abilities that he begged me to put it 
 on paper in mine own style to give to his children, since he 
 said he might some day chance to sit at home and write his 
 life. Therefore being, as the late Robert Bickers always said, 
 very willing to oblige, I will proceed to commit it to paper, 
 though 1 know nothing about authorship ; nor do I want to. 
 'Tis a very idle trade ; a man who works with three fingers 
 only must be a lazy devil, unless he be a pickpocket. Not, of 
 course, that I shall fub you off with inferior matter. A man of 
 my capacity can turn his hand to anything, and pass muster 
 with the best. Anyhow, I promise that it shall be better written 
 than aught of Gentleman John's. A nephew of mine, by trade 
 a printer, once showed me a sheet of the fellow's manuscript. 
 'Twould have disgraced a pot-boy letters ill-formed, words 
 crossed out and written over, and divers names that no simple 
 Christian uses ! 
 
 1 suppose the man, being paid to do what his betters do for 
 nothing, must think it detrimental to his dignity to use genteel 
 king's English, or to write a clerkly hand.* But look to your- 
 self, John Dryden ! Many's the time I've filled a flagon for 
 you : t\vas always small ale, and you'd wait for the farthing 
 
 * The Editor feels it only kind to mention that Master Whipple's hand- 
 writing was, for the seventeenth century, almost copperplate ; although his 
 sentences, if very ornate, were also friends to redundance, and were at 
 times involved, whilst his spelling was not so strong as his self-esteem.
 
 338 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 out. Look to yourself, I say ! I'll show the world what Peter 
 Whipple can do when he dips the quill in the ink. 
 
 The countryside was ringing with great news : Black Ned, 
 the boldest rogue (save one) ever known in the West had been 
 condemned to death the previous day. He lay in Taunton jail. 
 Three justices from London had tried his case, and twelve 
 jurymen of the county of Somerset had sate and heard his 
 crimes recounted, and between them had adjudged him guilty 
 of them all, had declared his worthless body forfeit to the 
 King, and his sinful soul forfeit to the devil. 
 
 There was a little man in Bridgwater town who was strangely 
 exercised in mind over the news of this harsh decision. A 
 very little man he was indeed ; he stood but four feet eight 
 inches in his shoon though tradition is sure to tell you that 
 his brain was out of all proportion to his size. It was a warm 
 morning, and this stunted gentleman stood on the threshold of 
 his own doorway, with a pipe in his mouth and his hands deep 
 in his breeches pockets. Immediately over his head a sign- 
 board hung motionless, and artistically displayed thereon was 
 a man of high degree, a flowing periwig adorning his head, and 
 a monstrous hook nose his countenance, whilst for the admira- 
 tion of unlettered persons, and for the information of the 
 passer-by, " Ye King's Head " was writ underneath in letters 
 of gold. 
 
 The jacketless person in the hostel doorway was pensive and 
 disconsolate. A scowl trimmed his visage and a bad word his 
 tongue ; as after staring straight and silently before him for 
 twenty minutes by the clock of Bridgwater parish church, his 
 lips parted of a sudden, and a deep " Damn ! " tripped down 
 the street to mingle with the sweet air of the countryside. He 
 said to himself: "Ton my soul it's hard, very hard, and such 
 a nice open-handed, generous lad as well. He had the makings 
 of a great man, but, hang it ! he hath got to go like the rest of 
 'em. 'Twas a shortness o' breath and three yards of hemp that 
 was such a mighty trouble to mine old friend Long Bob Bick- 
 ers." Here these painful reflections were curtailed by the 
 appearance of a handsome youth, attired exactly in the mode, 
 who had a straight carriage and a polished manner. He in- 
 quired for Master Peter Whipple with the accent that comes 
 from France. 
 
 "That's my unworthy self," promptly says the man of sorrow 
 affably. " An' if my lord be blessed with a thirsty throttle, I'll
 
 SINGULAR NARRATIVE OF PETER WHIPPLE. 339 
 
 make so bold as to set before him the neatest flagon o' Madeira 
 that ever winked in the foggy land of England." 
 
 " Peste, landlord, bide awhile ! I am come upon another 
 matter, and one that touches my private peace. I must consult 
 with you apart.'' 
 
 The man threw out his words in a breath, and in the comic 
 manner of the foreigner ; but what pleased Master Whipple 
 was the nervous glitter in his eyes. 
 
 Immediately the gentleman was conducted to a nice little 
 parlor at the far end of the passage. Arrived there, he de- 
 livered the following curious statement to a bewildered listener, 
 who meanwhile redonned his jacket out of respect for his guest, 
 twiddled his thumbs, and clustered his brows thicker than a 
 Hampshire wood : 
 
 "Master Innkeeper, I am in a hard strait, and come to be- 
 seech your help. Doubtless you have heard of the capture and 
 sentence of one Black Ned, a notorious highwayman. I fought 
 the man twice, and entered into a binding compact. I did 
 not know his reputation, else I should not have touched his 
 blade nor his body ; but no matter, I found him strictly honor- 
 able in all particulars. On our sacred words, we swore on both 
 occasions, that the victor should take the loser to a place of 
 safety, providing the latter was sadly hurt, and the places agreed 
 upon were for mine own person, the hostel of the Green Man, 
 Taunton, and for himself that of the King's Head, Bridgwater. 
 The first time we met, he was the winner, and at serious risk 
 to his neck he placed me, incapacitated as I was, in the place 
 of succor named. Then we met again, and out of pure con- 
 descension to the vanquished, he fought me. On this occasion 
 I defeated and disabled him, and I weep to tell you, as I was 
 bringing him to your hostel his enemies met me on the way, 
 and seeing his body, did take it from me, and now, by mine 
 own default, he lies condemned to the scaffold. I have come for 
 your aid, as I know of none other to render assistance. Help 
 me save him, forgetful of cost ; my honor is at stake ! Money 
 I will not stint ; aught in reason shall reward you ; I have great 
 estates in France." 
 
 The Frenchman wrung his hands in despair, and his face 
 spoke of shame and excitement. He talked much of his honor, 
 his virgin honor, and continued to implore the assistance of 
 the innkeeper. 
 
 As has been said, the proprietor of the King's Head had an 
 uncommon share of brains ; whereby his perspicacity was 
 greater than that of mankind in the bulk. Besides, our land-
 
 340 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 lord had a reasoning cast of mind ; hence his intellect supplies 
 what we exhibit hereunder : 
 
 " Here is a man with money, and money is the nucleus of 
 business. He is young and a Frenchman. He thinks his 
 honor is jeopardized, and from London experience I am aware 
 a Frenchman's honor is tenderly made. He is willing to pay 
 any sum in reason in return for a service. True, the service is 
 difficult, but bank-notes strengthen the brain. Again, it is to 
 save the life of a friend; and if friendship and business cannot 
 stimulate the mental faculty, what can ? I have excellent 
 reasons for undertaking Black Ned's escape. I will procure it 
 for a consideration, a pretty substantial consideration. Even 
 should I fail, if I be wary, I need not suffer thereby, and shall 
 at least have tried to save a friend. Certainly, I have not the 
 remotest idea at this moment how the matter is to be per- 
 formed; but men with my abilities need only a quiet ponder- 
 ation and we have a plan. Now, Peter Whipple, 1 will at once 
 put you on your highest mettle by accepting a respectable 
 offer." 
 
 This soliloquy had taken place in three minutes. We hope 
 the gist of it is understood. 
 
 Meanwhile the Frenchman opposite was not nearly so en- 
 lightened. Therefore, with babylike impatience, he drummed 
 nervous fingers on the table, and spilt snuff as he conveyed it 
 to his nose. 
 
 The three minutes having come to an end, as all time must, 
 Master Whipple, calm in voice and manner, stared his applicant 
 in the face, and answered 
 
 " Good sir, I have considered your case. Black Ned is a 
 friend o' mine, and for no other living soul would I wittingly 
 jeopardize my neck. I am about to endanger mine own valua- 
 ble life (and I have a wife and ten children) to save this man's. 
 But, observe, sir, I must receive the sum of one hundred guineas 
 down as an earnest of the bargain, and nine hundred more if I 
 succeed in effecting the highwayman's liberty. And, mark you, 
 'tis pure friendship alone which prompts me to make this 
 offer." 
 
 The count never thought at all, but seized the innkeeper's 
 hand, wrung it, and offered him every groat of the money 
 demanded should he bring matters to a successful issue. Be it 
 remarked, this Frenchman was young, very young, with so many 
 emotions that let us trust he will lose the majority of them ere 
 he reaches maturity, else his magnificent patrimony will certainly 
 have dwindled to a beggar's pittance.
 
 SINGULAR NARRATIVE OF PETER WHIPPLE. 34! 
 
 No time was lost in making the bargain, and let there be not 
 the slightest misunderstanding ; Master Peter Whipple under- 
 took for the sum of one thousand guineas due a fortnight from 
 date, to deliver a notorious rogue, one Black Ned, from jail 
 alive. 
 
 Item : the said Peter Whipple at this moment had no better 
 idea how to accomplish the deed than the man in the moon. 
 
 The Frenchman left the King's Head with hope springing 
 up in his heart. We presume he made allowance for genius. 
 As for mine host, he whistled a dirge-like melody, and admin- 
 istered a severe reprimand to himself, as he muttered, " Burn 
 my soul, an old fool is the worst o' fools ! Had I asked two 
 thousand instead o' one I must have got it." Admittedly this 
 was avarice, yet stay, we are here as narrator and not as com- 
 mentator. The worthy innkeeper next gave clear orders to his 
 lad Tom, that he must not under any circumstances be disturbed 
 for three hours. Then he locked the door of the parlor, took 
 down his church-warden and his tobacco jar from the mantel- 
 shelf, set forth a mug, and a jug of his October, measured a 
 beaker, sat down beside the table, with knitted brows, and 
 thought in silence till his eyes grew dull. Bear it ever in mind, 
 he had not the smallest idea how the deed was to be accom- 
 plished, observing the while with equal care, that a thousand 
 guineas is never lightly lost by men of business. 
 
 The little man sat in his parlor, noonday sunshine illumining 
 the room with a benevolent beauty. The bees hummed lazily 
 outside, the cattle afar off on the sunny downs basked in the 
 summer warmth, the crystal springs and waterbrooks shimmered 
 and sparkled under the glorious rays, all nature was happy, 
 peaceful, and serene, and an impertinent fly stood on a wart 
 on the little man's nose undisturbed. Ah, reader ! mark you 
 that, for this man of prime intelligence heeded not the brute 
 creation, nor the soulless world of insects. He was thinking. 
 And he thought, and thought, and thought, till he had consumed 
 a gallon of October, and had smoked ten pipes of the best 
 Trinidado. 
 
 Then, as the sun was waning in its beauty, as the busy in- 
 sects lessened their activity, the impertinent fly aforementioned 
 received a rude shock as the man of brains sprang up with an 
 exclamation, and clapped his hands and danced about the 
 apartment. " Pete, my friend ! " he said in self-communion, 
 " thou art a great man, a very great man indeed, sir. I see that 
 thousand, ay, and I feel it too. Friendship and business man, 
 friendship and business, they keep the world a-moving. This
 
 342 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 affair shall set a seal to thy triumphs. Better 'tis even than 
 those London affairs, and a cool thousand, too. Whew ! God 
 bless thy soul and body ! " 
 
 Master Whipple had had reward at last. He had an idea. 
 He was not a man given to causeless ecstasies. He knew the 
 meaning of business, and therefore was fully aware of the 
 virtues of a thousand guineas. And for this idea. Keeping 
 the door still locked, he produced a clean roll of parchment out 
 of a cupboard, an ink horn, sealing-wax, a quill, and a knife. 
 Again he divested himself of his jacket, inserted the knife 
 in the lining thereof, and ripped it open. There fell out 
 a strip of white sheep-skin, inscribed on which were these 
 words 
 
 " // is by Our order and express desire that the bearer hath done 
 what he hath done. 
 
 " Given this day under Our Hand and Seal. 
 
 "(Signea) JAMES REX." 
 
 Peter Whipple smoothed it out on the table, then chuckled. 
 For the next hour no sound disturbed the stillness save the 
 scratch, scratch of the quill. The words on the clean parch- 
 ment were written in a bold, methodical, clerkly hand, yet to- 
 wards the bottom corner of the document two words of five 
 and three letters respectively were totally different from the 
 others, and these two cost the writer more labor and screwing 
 of the mouth than all the rest together ; but when imprinted he 
 sighed satisfaction and remarked, " Like as two peas, by 
 Gad ! " 
 
 Then followed a delicate and laborious process, in which a 
 stick of red sealing wax bore a prominent part ; however, an 
 hour's steady work so.w the task completed, whereupon more 
 satisfaction followed. Peradventure we are over bold, still in 
 pardonable curiosity we glance over the little man's shoulder 
 and behold a sheet neatly writ as follows : 
 
 " Order to admit the honorable John Peake to the jail of Our 
 loyal town of Taunton, that he do superintend and carry out every 
 arrangement he may deem fit to ensure the full execution of Our jus- 
 tice upon the person of one, Black Ned, a notorioiis malefactor, 
 who hath sinned and plotted deeply against Our State and Person. 
 
 " Given this twentieth day of September, under Our Hand and 
 Seal 
 
 " (Signed} JAMES REX."
 
 SINGULAR NARRATIVE OF PETER WPIIPPLE. 343 
 
 A comparison of this and the lesser missive revealed the fact 
 that His Majesty's seal and signature appeared duly set forth 
 on both, yet how they came on the larger one we neither dare 
 nor desire to tell. 
 
 Suffice to say Master Whipple chuckled again, concealed 
 these missives in his breeches pocket, unlocked the parlor 
 door at last, went upstairs to his bed-chamber, and donned the 
 finest raiment he had. He carefully curled his wig, put a 
 dainty pair of shoes with untarnished silver buckles on his feet, 
 an elegant rapier against his thigh, Mechlin lace ruffles on his 
 legs, and donned a white cambric shirt, a coat of gorgeous 
 satin, and breeches of purple plush. Mayhap to a Londoner 
 this apparel would have looked out of date, but what did coun- 
 try rustics know of current fashions? Having hunted up an 
 equally elegant hat and cloak, he descended to the parlor, and 
 took the two documents therefrom. Decently furnished with 
 gold, he set out in the twilight for Taunton jail. He went 
 forth rapidly, and never once slackened speed till the frowning 
 prison gates forbade him farther progress. An authoritative 
 rattle on those portals brought a man from the porter's lodge, 
 who admitted Peter into the prison. 
 
 " My man," quoth the little gentleman in a tone which ad- 
 mitted of neither delay nor parley, " conduct me at once to the 
 governor. I am on the King's service, and have ridden ex- 
 press." 
 
 " Yes, your honor," and the fellow bobbed a rustic obei- 
 sance. 
 
 Thereupon he led him to a well-lighted room in the jail 
 itself, and this room was occupied by a man, middle-aged, fat 
 and sleek, whose eyes and countenance had no more expression 
 than the bottle of port at his elbow. 
 
 With an imperious gesture the little gentleman dismissed the 
 man, and waiting till the door had clicked behind him, without 
 a. word, Master Pete handed the governor the larger of the two 
 documents. That person perused it. 
 
 " The King ! " gasps he in an awed whisper. 
 
 " Yes, and now read this," says Pete, giving him the second 
 slip. Yet whilst he fumbled for it, the governor deftly but 
 fearfully slid the bottle under the table. 
 
 The governor read, and Peter spoke, not in his usual way, 
 but in the mincing tone of the London gallant. 
 
 " D'ye see those, my friend ? They mean full power. I rep- 
 resent His Majesty." 
 
 Of course he represented the King ; of course they meant
 
 3 44 MISTRESS DORO THY MARVIN. 
 
 full power. Had not he, Joseph Thompson, seen that identi- 
 cal seal and signature on the death warrant which had arrived 
 that morning ? In the eyes of Joseph Thompson, the man he 
 most respected, in that shire, at least, was the gentleman who 
 stood before him. Fancy that small person to have full powers 
 vested in him by the King; to have implicit confidence placed 
 in him ! Did not his credentials declare as much ? 
 
 " Now hearkee, governor," says the Londoner. " I am come 
 a-gallop from Whitehall on a matter of deepest import, and 
 have but tarried to change my garments, for, ah, Lard ! I ne'er 
 did see the like o' these roads for dust. Now, this matter con- 
 cerns the State, as ye shall learn. Are we quite alone and free 
 from intrusion ? Let a word escape, and the secret's adver- 
 tised." 
 
 Having locked the door, the governor assured him such was 
 the case. Then Master Whipple made him swear an oath of 
 awful solemnity not to divulge a single hint of what he might 
 tell him. The governor did as he was ordered, and the 
 pseudo king's emissary, in a whispered tone, made the follow- 
 ing statement ; long ere he had ended the narration the gov- 
 ernor's heart was beating his ribs in stress of excitement. 
 
 " D'ye list to me, man. 'Tis more than your office, or your 
 neck, is worth should ye fail me in this matter. Bend your ear 
 the closer. There is a daring and far-reaching conspiracy on 
 foot to set this rogue at liberty. To the world at large he is 
 known as a highwayman only. Mayhap it may surprise you to 
 learn he is the vilest and most desperate political plotter of this 
 century. That is the reason he hath been left in the country to 
 be hanged, that less publicity may be drawn to him. He is 
 really a man of the noblest birth, but is so mixed up in skilful 
 and wicked plots to dethrone His Gracious Majesty, that so 
 long as this arch villain is alive, the King cannot sit securely on 
 his throne. But, by the mercy of God, these traitors are de- 
 livered into His Majesty's hands he hath got wind of the plot. 
 The conspirators' daring plan is as follows : The attempt is to 
 be made an hour before the execution, which, I hear, is fixed 
 for daybreak on the loth. At that time the plotters, eight in 
 number, are to climb along the roofs of the houses in Blue Boar 
 Alley, which, you are aware, adjoins the north end of the prison 
 yard. They are to drop from thence on to the top of the wall, 
 and so gain admittance to the jail. Then, fully armed, they are 
 to make a rush, overpower your unarmed assistants, and liberate 
 the criminal. Desperate scheme, is it not ? But here is our 
 side to the question. We will catch them in the act ; they shall
 
 THE ARRIVAL OF WILLIAM OF ORANGE. 345 
 
 be condemned by their own deeds. Every one of your jailers, 
 including the executioner, must be armed to the teeth and lie 
 in readiness under the shadow of the wall, and await their 
 arrival, so that as they drop over they can be easily seized and 
 bound. Now, again, I must impress upon you that on no ac- 
 count are you to breathe one word of this ; the slightest indis- 
 cretion may set the conspirators on their guard. But, when the 
 hour arrives, you are to give your men the necessary instruc- 
 tions, and you and I (the only officials left in the jail) will, to 
 avoid the least miscarriage, attend the prisoner in his cell." 
 
 The governor, being a simple-minded man and a faithful 
 servant, most implicitly carried out Master Whipple's behests, 
 so that when the time arrived Fortune declared herself to be 
 entirely on the side of intellect. No hitch occurred ; and whilst 
 the dupes were watching one side of the jail wall, like dogs over 
 a rat-hole, the thick-witted governor was drugged by the false 
 John Peake, and that notorious malefactor Black Ned was re- 
 leased, by means of the wicket-door in the southern side of the 
 prison yard, forty-three minutes prior to his intended execution. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 THE ARRIVAL OF WILLIAM OF ORANGE. 
 
 Now, when this tale of one man's nimble wits was ended, 
 John rose solemnly and shook his hand with fervor ; and after- 
 wards mine host of the King's Head was exalted to one degree 
 above a hero ; and if ever man deserved mouth praise, ay, and 
 purse praise too, assuredly that man was Peter Whipple. The 
 story made a profound impression upon all who heard it, and to 
 this day I can ne'er think of it without marvelling at the stroke 
 of genius that gave me life, and himself a thousand guineas. I 
 may remark, in passing, that since then I have been able to 
 add another thousand to his honorarium ; and also that I ne'er 
 set eyes upon M. de Crois again ; but he married into a noble 
 Breton family within a year after these events, and subsequently 
 gained soldierly renown under the French King Louis. 
 
 Pete took his honors meekly, as is seemly in true heroes, and 
 fell a discussing with John and me the chances of the approach- 
 ing struggle between the Dutchman and the Stuart. 
 
 In the mean time much rivalry was going on between the girls 
 in the mixing of a cup of schnapps for friend Whipple's especial
 
 346 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 benefit. Now, Betty, getting the spirit first, clearly held the 
 upper hand in this competition ; and Dorothy, though trying all 
 her coaxing powers, and afterwards her trickery, to obtain pos- 
 session, eventually failed to do so, and was obliged to execute 
 the menial offices of adding the sugar and hot water, whilst 
 Betty stirred the mixture, and set it by the recipient's elbow, 
 and quite naturally counted on the praise. Albeit when Master 
 Whipple took a sip at it, rolled it round his mouth to test its 
 quality, and said 
 
 " Blister me ! this is the finest and most potent liquor ever 
 made by the hand of woman. Never before hath my palate 
 been suited to such a nicety." 
 
 At this, quick as lightning, ere the less nimble-tongued Betty 
 could make a suitable reply, Dorothy courtesied her acknowl- 
 edgments, and answered, methought somewhat saucily 
 
 " 'Tis a rule of mine, sir, on the rare occasions I have the 
 honor to provide liquor for gentlemen of stupendous intellect, 
 to mix it exactly twice as strong as I do for men who have no 
 more than their share of brains to boast of." 
 
 Whereat Master Whipple smiled at her, and pledged her three 
 times in the bowl ; whilst Betty bit her lip and looked mighty 
 vexed at the enterprising and triumphant Dorothy. 
 
 " Lucky dog ! " called out Pete again across to me, so that 
 all could hear him. 
 
 Now everybody showed signs of fully understanding his mean- 
 ing except my very innocent mistress, who, having coolly re- 
 garded each smiling countenance, had the impudence to seek an 
 interpretation of this remark from him who had uttered it. And 
 so deft was she in the employment of that nimble tongue of hers, 
 that Pete, despite his London cleverness, was promptly cor- 
 nered, and had to use plain English to extricate himself, to the 
 amusement of us all. 
 
 The hour was late ere this congenial gathering was dissolved 
 by the departure of Master Whipple. He left a wondrous repu- 
 tation behind him. Betty declared that his high, expansive fore- 
 head certainly betokened greatness ; whilst mother said the 
 shape of his head and the cast of his countenance showed it 
 quite as clearly. And so deficient is every woman in logical 
 conclusions that Dorothy, of course, was entirely of their way of 
 thinking. But methinks hard-headed John somewhat put them 
 out of countenance when he growled, with irritating sobriety 
 
 " Humph ! anybody can see Whipple's a very great man, 
 what with the pomatum on his hair and the buckles on his 
 shoon."
 
 THE ARRIVAL OF WILLIAM OF ORANGE. 347 
 
 Whence Dorothy, who felt she had been bested, crept laugh- 
 ingly behind him, and cuffed his ear, exclaiming 
 
 " Thou solid nuisance ! " 
 
 Upon retiring to bed that night, and on reviewing the events 
 of the evening over in my mind, there was one matter that called 
 for some consideration. 'Twas the way that my love had man- 
 aged in three short hours to captivate Peter Whipple so com- 
 pletely. His looks and bearing testified to that. Perhaps it 
 is greatly to my discredit that I hesitated midway betwixt amuse- 
 ment and annoyance at her conduct. Yet the next moment I 
 reviled myself for my unworthiness, and went to sleep. 
 
 However, it caused me to watch her behavior the closer. 
 And the very next day I caught her practising her arts upon 
 brother John. Very subtle ones they were, yet in three days she 
 managed to command obedience from him by the mere raising of 
 her finger. I did not know whether to take offence, or to laugh at 
 her newest mischief, since the rogue displayed her command of 
 the stolid lad with the very air of the s,howman as he exhibits 
 the tricks of his performing elephant. She made the solemn, 
 heavy fellow unbend, and took great pride in so doing. If 
 she required him to talk, he did so, even in his most silent 
 moments ; whilst in his serious moods he was made to laugh, 
 and often was compelled to do her small services even to the 
 detriment of business. And when he was in her presence when 
 the day's work was done, I ne'er failed to notice how his eyes 
 followed her willow form about, and how his face lighted up 
 when she chanced to look at him, which she did now and then 
 in a fashion so entirely captivating that methought these looks 
 should have been reserved by rights for me. Perhaps this doth 
 but show the pettiness of my nature ; but I certainly glowered 
 at him very often with the sense of an inward grievance, though 
 I was at pains to do so when neither of them were looking. 
 
 Soon England was agog with expectation. Dutch William's 
 name was whispered everywhere, and his arrival was looked for 
 at any moment. 'Twas thought his fleet would sail to York- 
 shire, and there disembark the grand army it conveyed. Yet 
 its appearance was much retarded by the fierce gales that blew 
 from the westward. In the mean time the King's men made no 
 sign, thus I was able to bide at Chilverley Farm in bodily comfort. 
 Howbeit numberless emotions were alive in my heart. My 
 shattered health and broken spirit gave me grave disquietude, 
 and I was beset with fears as to whether in my enfeebled state 
 I could bear the strain of a winter campaign. Still, come what 
 might, I was fully determined to play my part in the forthcom-
 
 348 MJSTRESS DORO THY MARVIN. 
 
 ing struggle. Never for an instant did I forget my father's 
 murder. I had sworn to pursue with vengeance Judge Jeffreys 
 and the King, and so long as body and soul kept together that 
 oath held good. Again, I had an inheritance to go in quest of, 
 not for myself alone, but for the one I loved as well. No, there 
 could be no drawing back, and much as i might doubt my 
 powers of endurance, I had all to gain, and nought but a half- 
 spent life to lose. 
 
 Tobe Hancock and I conversed much together on the subject 
 that filled the minds of all men. The blacksmith, zealous as 
 ever, was prepared to fight at a moment's notice. He furbished 
 his weapons and oiled his matchlock, and waited eager and 
 couchant for the Dutchman's coming. And come when he might 
 Tobias would strike his hardest for the Protestant religion and 
 the confusion of papists. As for me, I was quite ready, save in one 
 particular. I lacked a horse, and had no money of mine own to 
 buy one. Neither dared I asked mother for one, because she 
 was quite set against all fighting. Indeed, I altogether avoided 
 the subject as far as she was concerned, and knew quite well, ere 
 I could set 'forth on my momentous errand, I should have the 
 whole weight of her opposition to face. And this constant thought 
 of horses only added to my pain of mind, for I could not think 
 of them without the death of faithful Joe being forever present 
 in my memory. Indeed to this hour I ne'er think of that brave 
 creature being killed in my madness and brutality, but what I 
 feel a sense of ignominy and shame. 
 
 While these events were pending, a far more trivial matter 
 came to a sudden head. Seeing that I had nought to occupy 
 me, and that I was endeavoring to nurse my shattered health 
 as much as possible, 'twas my custom to lie abed longer than 
 the other members of the family of a morning. It so happened 
 on one occasion upon coming down to breakfast, that I found my 
 mistress had had hers, and had set off, contrary to her wont, 
 upon some excursion among the hills, without waiting for my 
 company. 
 
 I felt somewhat aggrieved at this, and took it rather hard. 
 And what made it all the harder was that she did not return 
 for several hours, and even then volunteered me no explanation 
 of her unkind conduct. However, on the first occasion we 
 were alone together afterwards, I asked 
 
 " Whither have you been all the morning, Dorothy ? " 
 
 "To Taunton with your brother Jack," she answered. 
 
 " Oh ! " said I shortly, shutting my teeth with a snap. 
 
 " Oh ! " she mimicked after me, with an exact copy of my
 
 THE ARRIVAL OF WILLIAM OF ORANGE. 349 
 
 tone and manner. And being quick to notice the exceeding 
 gravity of my face, added with all her native impudence, " I'm 
 not your property yet, young man, so don't you think it ! " 
 
 " But, dearest, I wish you wouldn't lead John on like you 
 are doing." 
 
 She looked at me with such a depth of cool satire that I 
 began to feel uncomfortable, whilst her eyes seemed to dance 
 with laughter. 
 
 " Oh, oh ! I have found one flaw in a great man's character. 
 Master Edward Armstrong, England's greatest swordsman, is 
 jealous-minded. And now, your worship, read me a lesson, an' it 
 please you. But really, sir, I cannot help the lustre of mine 
 eyes. And you silly men are all alike. Even that fine com- 
 mander, Lord Churchill, was smitten by them." 
 
 Pertly enough she said this, but then relapsed into a tone of 
 penitential softness, and 'twas accompanied by any number of 
 melting glances. Certes, she was exercising her powers on me, 
 and in despite of all my efforts she more than half succeeded. 
 Who could resist those looks, those smiles, that air of humility, 
 and the half-veiled irony underneath it ? 
 
 "'Tis not your airs and. graces that I' complain of, darling," 
 quoth I, much mollified, " but methinks 'tis hard to prefer an- 
 other's company to mine, and to leave me all the morning." 
 
 " Bo, thou goose ! " was her only reply, and there and then 
 she ran away. 
 
 I could not quite grasp her meaning then, but somehow felt 
 that she had gotten the best of it, and that I was something very 
 like a fool. Still, one thing pleased me mightily. 'Twas plain 
 my remonstrance had appealed to her sense of right and justice. 
 For that same night she charged my pipe for me, brewed me a 
 bowl of punch, sat beside me, and talked earnestly of the 
 coming conflict. 
 
 As I remember 'twas a cold wet November night, and half a 
 gale of wind was blowing from the sea. It flicked the rain 
 against the windows, went crooning down the valleys, and 
 whining through the woods. It sobbed and wailed amid the 
 naked branches, and the melancholy sound of it made me draw 
 my knees nearer to the hearth, and set me gazing wistfully into 
 the bright embers of the fire. I was in this posture when sud- 
 denly a dripping face was thrust through the outer door. 
 'Twas Tobe Hancock. His big gray eyes were filled with a 
 weird vivacity. 
 
 " 'E hath coom, lad ! " 
 
 I jumped out of my chair excitedly. 
 23
 
 350 Ml 'STRESS D OR TH Y MA R VIN. 
 
 "Where did he land, Tobe?" 
 
 '"E hath tricked the King's fleet, and hath put into Torbay." 
 
 Thus, after all, the Prince had come to our parts, for, as ye 
 are aware, kinsmen, Torbay is a little haven on the coast of 
 Devon. Tobe was overflowing with the news, whilst I, brim- 
 ming with questions, unceasingly plied them one by one, till he 
 was pumped quite dry of information. He enthusiastically 
 descanted on the army that had come to restore England's 
 freedom and religion. It had required a fleet of sixty sail to bring 
 it from Holland, and an equal number of boats to land it. 
 Mounted messengers were riding post haste to London with the 
 news, and the Prince was expected at Exeter in a day or two. 
 It was also averred that the famous Frederic Count von 
 Schomberg had accompanied the Prince as his first lieutenant. 
 At that great name Dorothy interposed in her swift, enthusias- 
 tic way 
 
 " Didst say Count von Schomberg, Master Hancock ? Fine 
 man that ! He hath more knowledge of the art of war, and 
 hath greater military talent than any three men of his time. 
 'Twas he who gained the glorious field of Monies Claros, whilst 
 his blood hath been spilled over all the map of Europe. Dutch 
 Will hath done right well to secure his services, though to be 
 sure his years are beginning to sit heavy upon him. But no 
 matter, he's a splendid man, and there's life in the old dog 
 yet ! " 
 
 Thus spake my mistress, and 'twas as good as one of Sir 
 John Suckling's comedies, to see Tobias look at her as though 
 not rightly sure whether it behoved him to believe a girl in such 
 an unfeminine matter ; whilst, on the other hand, the excited 
 maid was regaling John and me with anecdote upon anecdote 
 of the great soldier. 
 
 'Twas now a time for prompt action, and both the black- 
 smith and I recognizing this fact, struck a bargain there and 
 then. I promised to be at his forge at daybreak in the morn- 
 ing ; we would start for the wars together. 
 
 No sooner had Master Hancock left us, than I gazed at dear 
 mother and beheld her face alive with keenest trouble. 
 
 " Ned, my boy, mine own son, you must not go to war," she 
 whispered brokenly. 
 
 I had foreseen this cruel moment. Therefore I braced myself 
 up to keep my self-control, yet felt at the same time my deter- 
 mination was far too inflexible for a human agency to turn it 
 from its purpose. Kinsmen, do not think me ungrateful, do 
 not think me cold-hearted ! You are to understand the hour
 
 THE ARRIVAL OF WILLIAM OF ORANGE. 351 
 
 had come for which I had been waiting, longing, and building 
 hopes upon for months. 
 
 " Mother," said I, " the day father was murdered I swore an 
 oath to punish his murderers. They are Judge Jeffreys and the 
 King. The time hath come at last, and so long as my arm has 
 the strength to grasp a sword, I will fight for that object." 
 
 " I am grieved to hear you talk thus, Ned. Do bide at home, 
 if for no other sake than mine !" 
 
 " Dear mother," I replied with some uncertainty ; for her 
 pleading tones had touched me, "do not think I pain you 
 wantonly, but my mind is made. I have suffered too long and 
 too bitterly. Besides, I have all to gain and nought to lose.'' 
 
 " But think of what happened when Monmouth came," she 
 said, not reproachfully, but fearfully, and terror sprang into her 
 mild eyes. 
 
 " I shall ne'er return hither, mother, if our cause be defeated," 
 I answered ; " never again will I jeopardize the peace and safety 
 of this homestead." 
 
 " My boy, you wrong me there. 'Tis not the safety of this 
 roof, but your own for which I tremble. You are my firstborn, 
 and hold the first place in my heart." 
 
 These simple words came near my undoing. 'Twas hard to 
 think that I, who had caused her such pain in the past, could 
 not spare her more when I had it in my power to do so. Never- 
 theless I found the courage to answer 
 
 " Forgive me, mother ; but please God I will go forth and do 
 my best. More than that no man can do. I am like a ruined 
 gamester, who stakes everything on a final cast. It hath been 
 torture to me to sit moping in the chimney corner these last 
 few days, unable to earn my bread, but solely dependent upon 
 the generosity of others. Yes, go I must and will ! " 
 
 She burst out crying then, and it was pitiable to hear her 
 sobs, and to take home to one's self their reproachful meaning. 
 Yet I bore them all in silence. Perhaps I was an ingrate, a 
 cold-hearted ingrate, but arbitrary Fate seemed to draw me 
 with its iron fingers towards the great struggle that held life 
 and death in the balance !
 
 352 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 THE START FOR THE WARS. 
 
 IN the midst of mother's distress I looked about me, and saw 
 Dorothy gazing intently into the fire, whilst John's face ap- 
 peared awful in its grimness. 
 
 At that moment poor mother chanced to look at my darling, 
 and the girl seemed to inspire her. 
 
 " Ned," she said, " how can you go forth and leave the maid 
 you love ? Do you wish to break her heart as well as mine ? " 
 
 That was very like a woman. She had discovered the ten- 
 derest emotion in my soul, and now her desperation led her to 
 play upon it. I could make no answer to that, simply because 
 I knew not how to frame one. A young man's love is not a 
 thing to be tampered with, neither can it be discussed before 
 an audience. I knew my position was an irksome and a peril- 
 ous one, and mother knew it too. Therefore she pressed her 
 advantage to the utmost. 
 
 " Ned, I do not see how any man, who really loves a maid, 
 can go away for months, or perhaps years, or perhaps forever, 
 to risk his life day by day, when he might just as easily bide 
 at home. 'Tis not as though you are obliged to go. 'Tis but 
 a mistaken sentiment that calls you. Oh, my boy, overcome 
 your vain desires, and think of those you leave behind ! " 
 
 This was a wondrous long speech for mother, and she de- 
 livered it with a power of pleading that would have touched a 
 heart of stone. And my heart being tenderer than that, it 
 appealed to it straightway. I felt that the tide was turning 
 against me, and that my courage was ebbing slowly. But at 
 the precise moment I was in the greatest need of help, Dorothy 
 took her eyes from the fire and looked at mother timidly. 
 
 " Dear mother," she said, as if three parts afraid, but with a 
 voice full and deep in its resolution, "please remember, that I 
 am Sir Nicholas Marvin's daughter." Her warm fingers 
 touched my hand, and their mute assistance buoyed my spirit 
 somewhat. 
 
 " Then, thou hast no fear for him ? " asked mother very 
 reproachfully. 
 
 " A soldier's child should know no fear, dearest mother. And 
 methinks when a brave man goes forth to spend his blood, and 
 his life, if need be, in a noble cause, and in his mistress's cause
 
 THE START FOR THE WARS. 
 
 353 
 
 as well, the very least we useless women, who are only fit to 
 weep in war time, can do, is to preserve a bright eye and a 
 cheerful countenance to keep his spirits up, and to save our 
 weak tears and qualms till after his departure." She said this 
 with face aglow with enthusiasm, yet mother was woefully 
 disappointed, and having read her mind incorrectly, began to 
 grow angry. 
 
 " Come, Dorothy," she replied severely, " I call that Cheap 
 Jack talk, and not suited to grave occasions. It sounds very 
 well in poems and in the playhouse, but I cannot think it befits 
 a woman of flesh and blood, who hath a warm heart within her. 
 Suppose your Ned was to be killed in this campaign, and that 
 you were ne'er to see him more ? '' 
 
 " If God strikes him down," she answered, " He will give me 
 the strength to bear the blow. Besides, no nobler death could 
 be desired for any man, than that he should die sword in hand, 
 fighting for himself, his country, and his darling. But why 
 should we women, who do nought but stay at home and sigh, 
 presume to raise our voices at great times like these ? And 
 perhaps, dear mother, you may set it down as mere boastfulness 
 in me, but were I a man I would be under the Dutchman's 
 Standard before another sunset." 
 
 The way that maid stood up before us all, with a noble in- 
 tensity about her face, and a splendid light in her eyes, was a 
 thing to be remembered. To hear the wild ardor of her voice 
 was to know she was quite carried away by the words she 
 spoke, and by the leaven which reposed within her of the dead 
 knight of Kelston Manor, the man of war who had fought and 
 bled, and had died sword in hand at last. 
 
 But mother at this was downright angry. 
 
 " You cruel, unfeeling girl ! " she said ; " 'tis quite plain you 
 do not care a jot for my poor lad, but have merely jested with 
 him. No woman who really loves a man would be so willing 
 for him to lose his life for the sake of such romantic balderdash 
 and chicanery ! Or, perhaps, you think men were only made 
 for fighting ? " 
 
 Those last words conveyed a sarcasm. Never before had I 
 seen dear mother so thoroughly aroused. I could not have 
 believed it possible that her placid nature could have let her be 
 so cruel with her tongue. Yet even as she spoke she burst into 
 a storm of passionate sobbing. Instantly my mistress replied, 
 and in a way that was quite as hard and bitter. 
 
 " I am not certain as to what men were made for," she 
 retorted fiercely ; " but, methinks, women were only made for
 
 354 MISTXESS DOKOTIIY MARVIN. 
 
 weeping! " There and then she sailed out of the kitchen, and 
 away upstairs to her bedroom, from which she did not return 
 that night. 
 
 Poor mother was utterly crushed at this, and rocked herself 
 to and fro, still crying ceaselessly in her desolation. And 
 Betty, seeing her so continuously tearful, came to her side to 
 try and comfort her, and presently they clung to one another 
 and wept together. As for me, a weight of sorrow lay on my 
 heart. Here had I, a fallen, sinful, worthless fellow, gone and 
 set angry passions in pure and loving hearts. This sad state 
 of things oppressed me sore, and gave me many longings for 
 daybreak in the morning. In the midst of my misery, John 
 touched me on the shoulder. 
 
 " We'll get out o' this," he growled, and therewith we donned 
 our hats and cloaks and set out for a walk in the darkness and 
 the rain. 
 
 'Twas the first time for years I had received any such advance 
 from him. Indeed, never since father's death had he sought 
 my company, and, if the truth must be told, I marvelled at 
 his condescension now, and felt very ill at ease in his society. 
 
 For an hour we walked side by side, whilst not a word passed 
 between us. On my own part I was too abashed to speak ; 
 whilst he did not utter a solitary syllable. But at last, as we 
 came back again towards the farmstead, he halted near the 
 stable-door, and told me to wait a moment outside, whilst he 
 went within. I heard him grope about inside for a minute or 
 two, and also heard a peculiar noise, as though one of the stones 
 of the floor had been displaced. Directly afterwards he rejoined 
 me, and I could dimly discern through the gloom that he held 
 a large cloth bag in his left hand. 
 
 " Take hold," said he shortly, and gave it into my custody. 
 
 'Twas very heavy, and upon shaking it something clinked 
 within, and the tinkling noise that came therefrom had, accord- 
 ing to some men, no sound in the world to match it. 
 
 " Gold ! " 
 
 " Ay, gold," said he. " One hundred and forty-nine pounds, 
 fifteen shillings and fourpence farthing." 
 
 " I I don't understand, John," said I, completely taken 
 aback. 
 
 " Ever since the week following father's murder," he replied, 
 "I have ne'er failed to put one-third of my earning by for a day 
 that I knew would come. It hath now arrived. It hath been 
 a cherished wish of mine to use this money myself in the 
 Great Cause, and that mine own thews and sinews, the fruit of
 
 THE START FOR THE WARS. 355 
 
 my father's loins, should strike a lusty blow, that his death be 
 not unpunished. However, methinks, 'twould kill our mother 
 for the two of us to go ; so I will bide at home. You are the 
 eldest, your father's firstborn. 'Tis more meet and seemly that 
 you should go. And, Edward, I can trust you to employ this 
 sum zealously in our own and the Prince's service." 
 
 Thereupon he gave my hand a mighty squeeze, and led the 
 way indoors. 
 
 Straightway I betook myself to bed. 'Twas the same room I 
 had bided in one night three years agone, when a similar errand 
 lay before me. Everything was the same therein. Yet three 
 years gone I had lain down with bright hopes, bright ambitions, 
 and a young, unbroken, high, and buoyant spirit. What was I 
 now ? Merely a wreck of a man, with a black history branded 
 in my soul, with my youthful vigor sapped, with my spirit 
 broken, with three years of shame and ignominy written in my 
 book of life, which nought could purge away. 
 
 A whole lifetime seemed to keep that bright day of '85 and 
 this dark one of '88 apart. Yet now, as then, I could not rest. 
 Hours that should have been utilized with slumber were passed 
 in fitful dozing. Perhaps the thing that gave me the greatest 
 pain of mind was the knowledge I was leaving those so dear to 
 my heart, and that maybe I should ne'er set eyes on them in 
 the flesh again. Also there came the hard fact that I had set 
 my two noblest friends at strife with one another on my account ; 
 and what made it all the harder, was because I could not 
 discover the way to an amendment. 'Twas plain to me neither 
 understood the other. Each of them loved my unworthy self 
 jealously, and in a fashion entirely opposite. But they were 
 blind to one fact. They could not see that, though their 
 methods and sentiments of love were so very different, they all 
 amounted to the same thing in the end. Indeed, this was a 
 galling grief to me on the eve of my leave-taking ; I could not 
 bear to think 1 must bid them both good-bye, and to know that 
 I had torn their two hearts apart ; for they had learned to love 
 one another dearly. 
 
 I rose and dressed myself very early, so that by daylight I 
 might be prepared to keep my tryst with Tobe. Judge of my 
 surprise, upon going down into the kitchen, to find it alight with 
 candles and a cheerful fire, and to find all the household stir- 
 ring. By that I knew that others beside myself had been think- 
 ing, to some purpose, of my departure. Mother and Betty were 
 particularly busy among the victuals. Bacon was frizzling 
 before the fire, and every now and then spitting into it, the
 
 356 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 kettle was singing on the hob, and a strong odor of mulled ale 
 pervaded the fireplace. Dorothy had the sleeves of her morn- 
 ing dress rolled up above the elbow, and was furbishing with all 
 her energy some huge article in her lap. At first I could not 
 rightly see what it was ; but upon approaching nearer, inspection 
 told me it was a beautiful steel breastplate, that was polished 
 as bright as any mirror. My love looked at me with a face 
 flushed by reason of its owner's violent exertions. 
 
 " Off with your doublet, lad," she said, in a cheery, decisive way. 
 
 Without parley I obeyed her. Thereupon she deftly tried 
 the breastplate on, and exclaimed 
 
 " Beautiful ! It fits you to a nicety. Methought it odd if I 
 could not gauge that sturdy chest of thine with mine eyes, see- 
 ing that I have looked at it so often." 
 
 Yet this pretty speech gave me no elation, simply because 
 the black, half-forgotten past rose unexpectedly before me. 
 Her arms, half-bare, snow-white, and delicately rounded, had 
 been in the vicinity of my eyes during this operation ; and just 
 above the wrist of one of them I saw the livid cicatrix of a 
 wound. 'Twas the first time I had seen it, and instantly it 
 flashed into my mind how it had come there. 'Twas a fearful 
 scar, deep and wide, and quite three inches long. Then a 
 movement of her arm showed me the underside of it ; and a 
 look at that revealed another scar in a similar place, which was 
 not quite so extensive or so hideous. But it made me wince 
 far more than the other did ; since it told me plainer than any 
 words that her father's sword had passed right through it. 
 This harsh jogging of my memory completely unmanned me 
 for the moment. However, directly afterwards, half-uncon- 
 sciously, I pressed my lips to the cruel scar, and murmured, 
 " How brave of thee, my darling ! " 
 
 She did not reply to this, but paid remarkable attention to 
 the breastplate ; tho' one glance told me that her whole face 
 had crimsoned, and that half a smile lingered upon her parted 
 lips. Meanwhile her nimble fingers had duly affixed the corse- 
 let. Then she stood in front of me, and looked me over very 
 critically. 
 
 "Now, then, my lad," she said sharply, her eyes twinkling 
 like stars on a frosty night, " pull yourself together. Throw out 
 your chest, sir ; set up your head, exalt your chin and keep it 
 smartly backward. Set your hands so. That's it ; excellently 
 well clone. Now straighten your carriage, as becomes a wor- 
 thy man-at-arms, and as behoves a cavaliero of His Highness's. 
 Bravo ! I call that fine just fine. Thou'rt every inch a sol-
 
 THE START FOR THE WARS. 357 
 
 dier,. dear lad, and the best swordsman in England, and the 
 noblest, truest, dearest gentleman in Christendom ! " 
 
 And, in broad daylight, she jumped into my arms, 
 clasped her hands firmly round my neck, and fairly hugged me, 
 whilst her warm young breast was pressed against that emotion- 
 less breastplate, that resisted all the efforts of Ned Armstrong's 
 foolish heart to leap through its lifeless steel. 
 
 Just then mother came and caught us in this very compro- 
 mising attitude. 
 
 " Hypocrite ! " she exclaimed indignantly. 
 
 At this my mistress let go her hold on me precious quick, 
 and fairly defied dear mother with her eyes. For a brief space 
 they stood silent and bitterly angry a yard or so apart, each 
 gazing at the other with a contempt so lofty that mere words 
 were quite powerless to convey it in its entirety. 
 
 To me 'twas an ugly moment. I owed well-nigh everything 
 to these two women ; yet here they were, ready and willing to 
 hurt one another on my account. I felt chilled and miserable 
 to behold them thus ; but in the midst of my distress, kind 
 Providence favored me with something approaching an inspira- 
 tion. I seized Dorothy's injured arm, and held it firmly before 
 mother's eyes. The maiden said, " How dare you, sir ! " that 
 is, at least, as plain as looks could say so then made an effort 
 to get free, but discovered my grasp was not affected by any 
 struggling. 
 
 " Mother," said I and my tone enlisted her best attention 
 " I have already told you how some months agone your son 
 duped, cheated, and played upon Sir Nicholas Marvin and his 
 daughter. But I have not told you yet that, when Sir Nicholas 
 discovered your son's infamy, he swore he would send him at 
 once to the place to which he deserved to go. Accordingly, he 
 seized his sword there and then, and thrust straight at your 
 son's heart. And that would assuredly have been the end of 
 him, had not Dorothy interposed her arm. She preserved his 
 life by receiving her father's steel right through it. And 
 to prove the truth of this, here is that arm ; here is where the 
 sword entered it, and here is where it came out of the back. 
 Therefore, dear mother, methinks ' hypocrite ' is a very harsh 
 word to use." 
 
 Mother seemed bewildered at this, whilst her younger adver- 
 sary still faced her squarely, with fierce looks and lofty silence 
 and a bold challenge in her eyes. However, no sooner had 
 I said my say, than mother's eyes grew wet, and she ex- 
 claimed, midway betwixt a sob and a sigh
 
 358 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 " Forgive me, you noble girl, for wronging you in my heart! 
 There is something in your nature, child, I don't quite under- 
 stand." 
 
 ' Dear mother," replied the maid softly, and in a voice that 
 was all timidity, " please let me recall that unkind speech I used 
 last night. I was angry then, and " 
 
 I waited to hear no more ; but, with a bosom alive with 
 happiness, strode hastily to the door to look at the weather. 
 And I came very near colliding with John on its threshold; 
 whilst the sight of my gleaming breastplate nearly upset his 
 mental equilibrium as well as his physical one. But very soon 
 he recovered, and cast a glance at the two occupants of the 
 kitchen, clapped me on the shoulder (quite a flippant proceed- 
 ing this for one so solemn), and remarked, " Our Ned is a clev- 
 erer fellow than I thought," and then assisted me in my study 
 of the precise condition of the English climate. Still we had 
 only just managed to discover that it continued to rain, that the 
 wind was in the west, and that the atmosphere was too warm 
 for the time of year, when Betty called us in to breakfast. 
 
 When I had got out of bed half an hour since, I could not 
 have dreamt that I was to be allowed to sit down so shortly to 
 such a joyful meal. I have a recollection of pausing in the 
 midst of a vigorous attack on the eggs and bacon, to ask mis- 
 chievously, " Why have you pulled your sleeves down, Doro- 
 thy ? " whereat mother's face shone with smiles, and pleasure 
 glowed upon it. 
 
 " Because you rude men stare so hard at arms that are not 
 brown and hairy, like your own ugly ones," she returned smart- 
 ly, and tried unsuccessfully to hide her satisfaction at her own 
 retort, by looking as unconcerned as possible. 
 
 By the time the meal was finished there was still over an hour 
 of darkness left. Thus I had no need to hurry to the black- 
 smith's forge, which was within a stone's throw of our farm- 
 stead. 
 
 ' f Ned," whispered my mistress in my ear, " there is but one 
 thing lacking for your complete equipment. Thou hast no 
 horse." 
 
 " Yes, that is indeed a misfortune," I answered cheerfully, 
 trying hard to emulate her courageous spirits ; " but I will make 
 the best of an awkward matter, and do without one." 
 
 " I'm not so sure I shall allow you, sir; it does not become 
 a knight of mine to start for the wars ill-found. Now, if you 
 will come with me, peradventure I may give you a little sur- 
 prise."
 
 THE START FOR THE WARS. 359 
 
 She procured a lanthorn, and led me across our sloppy stack- 
 yard to the stable. Arrived there, she took me past the heels 
 of three of our farm horses, until we came to the end stall, where- 
 upon she turned the light on a handsome, powerful animal that 
 was tethered there. 
 
 "What think you of him, sir?" she asked triumphantly. 
 " He's every inch a war-charger. Here," she added, in her 
 imperious fashion, "just hold the lanthorn, my lad, and I'll 
 introduce him to his new master." 
 
 And, to my exceeding wonderment, she gave the great fellow 
 a slap on his flank, cried, " Come over, Gustavus ! " slipped 
 betwixt him and the wall, and proceeded to handle that animal 
 as though she had lived amongst horses all her life. She laid 
 hold of its head and pulled its jaws apart thereby displaying 
 two rows of gleaming teeth, and exclaimed excitedly 
 
 " See, my lad, he is scarcely six years old, so is well within 
 his prime. Mark his lean" head, and his bright, well-opened 
 eye. There's breed for you ! " Next she stooped and seized a 
 big foreleg with one dainty hand, and ran the other over it. 
 " 'Pon my soul, 'tis a noble thing ! " she cried more excitedly 
 than ever ; " set the light this way, sir, and look at your new 
 property. Dost see the high withers, the fine breadth of knee, 
 and the full six inches or even more of bone betwixt it and the 
 fetlock ? Oh, 'tis a noble thing ! " 
 
 Thereupon she descanted for a full five minutes upon the 
 manifold beauties of its limbs, whilst the way she handled the 
 four of them, utterly destitute of fear, was something quite 
 astonishing. Ultimately she returned again to its upper parts, 
 dilated on the straightness and shortness of the back, and 
 wound up by stroking its big white muzzle, and by declaring 
 
 " Thou'rt indeed a wondrous lucky fellow, Ned, to have such 
 a horse at thy service. His name must be Gustavus Adolphus, 
 and I have not the least doubt he will emulate his immortal 
 namesake, whilst I have but to ask that you will treat him as 
 you did dear Joe, then he will have scant cause to grumble." 
 
 Those last words touched a very tender place. Yet the stab 
 had been given quite unwittingly, for she had never learned the 
 manner of that faithful creature's death. This was the second 
 time already that morning that bitter things had been uncon- 
 sciously recalled. Albeit, in the midst of my embarrassment, I 
 had the sense to proffer many thanks for her generosity. 
 
 "No need to thank me, lad," she replied, "thy thanks are 
 clue to Master John. Some weeks agone I confided my plan to 
 him of purchasing a horse and breastplate for the champion of
 
 360 AflSTKESS DORO THY MAR VIN. 
 
 my cause. Accordingly he kept his eyes about him, and the 
 other morning we hied to Taunton together, and struc.c this 
 notable bargain." 
 
 So this was the meaning of that neglect of me which had dis- 
 turbed my piece of mind. And if I was made to feel a fool 
 on that occasion, I was made to feel both a fool and an ingrate 
 now. My mistress narrowly scrutinized my face, and methinks 
 she guessed something of this humiliation, since she made haste 
 to add 
 
 " I have another gift for Master Armstrong, of course by no 
 means so precious as steel and horseflesh, yet I would like him 
 to cherish it now and then, that is, if I do not ask too high a 
 favor." 
 
 She said this half saucily, half sadly, with something like an 
 echo of lingering sorrow in her voice. Then she produced from 
 her pocket a small box and handed it to me. I made haste to 
 discover its contents. 'Twas a little portrait of Mistress Dorothy 
 Marvin. My heart fairly jumped, for if ever a picture could 
 have been said to speak, it was the one I held in my hand. 
 There was the same glow of the eyes, the same eager beauty of 
 the face, and the same lurking strength and subtlety about it, 
 whilst it was surrounded by a rich mass of tangled black-brown 
 hair. She looked over my shoulder as I gazed at it, and with 
 all a woman's vanity commended that self-same hair to my notice 
 by pointing it out with one finger, saying 
 
 " 'Tis not so fine now as it was then, but, I may say, sir, that 
 by the time Dutch William is King William the Third of England, 
 and by the time Ned Armstrong is Sir Edward Armstrong, 
 baronet, of Copeland Hall, Mistress Marvin's hair will be 
 as profuse as ever it was aforetime, for it grows thicker day by 
 day." 
 
 "Then, Dorothy, thou hast no fear for the result of the cam- 
 paign ? " I asked, overjoyed to hear her hopefulness. 
 
 " None whatever, lad. Dutch Will hath a mighty army, and 
 mighty men to lead it. Let me see! there'll be Schomberg, 
 Churchill, and himself, not to mention Mackay and the lesser 
 captains. Neither have I fear for thee, Ned. Something 
 tells me you will return ere longwith all your rights and liberties." 
 
 This courageous speech, and the inspiring way of saying it, set 
 a longing in my heart that nearly overcame me. 
 
 " Prithee, sweetheart, I will take one of my rights forthwith," 
 and I made an attempt to kiss her. Very prompt she was to 
 frustrate this laudable endeavor, and answered with a mocking 
 kind of gravity
 
 THE START FOR THE WARS. 361 
 
 " Forward youth ! You call this a right, do you ? Let me 
 tell you, sir, I call it a liberty, and I'll not allow it ! " 
 
 " You have allowed it many times before," I pleaded. 
 
 " I'm thinking far too often, sir. My cheek will surely lose 
 its market value, if you have access to it whene'er you feel in- 
 clined." 
 
 Thereupon, I was driven to do the next best thing, namely, to 
 kiss the one in the portrait. 
 
 " Silly lad ! " she cried at that, with fun dancing in her eyes. 
 " Oh, what would Sir Godfrey Kneller say, if he knew you used 
 his handiwork so cavalierly ? What art thinking of ? Do you 
 know you will fetch all the paint off ? " 
 
 " Perhaps that is why thou art so careful of the real one." 
 
 " Nay, nay ; you can ne'er take color from this cheek o' mine, 
 though you may very often bring more to it. How many times 
 have I had to blush for you, and your forward manners, sir ? 
 But wit in a man must be rewarded, for one so seldom finds it. 
 Here, you may try, sir ! " 
 
 And try I did my level best, but must chronicle a failure. 
 For to prove that she was right and I was wrong, my efforts only 
 added to its rosiness. 
 
 " Art satisfied, Master Impudence ? ' Then I may say, for your 
 information, that next to a righting man I place a witty man, but 
 before them both I place one who knows himself in the presence 
 of his lady." 
 
 Thus having got the last word, as woman will always have, 
 she ventured on an entirely different subject. 
 
 " Now, when you return, young man," she said, " do not dare 
 to come and tell me how brave you felt in your first battle. And 
 if you do, I shall certainly not believe you ! " 
 
 " Why, mistress ? " I inquired, aggrieved at this disparage- 
 ment of my courage. 
 
 " Because dear papa always declared only fools and liars 
 boasted of their first engagement. Even he, in his first battle, 
 kept ducking his head at every volley from the enemy, whilst he 
 hath seen hundreds of recruits, as the bullets have whizzed by 
 their ears, bowing as politely as the fops in Spring Garden of a 
 Sunday." 
 
 This started her on her warlike strain, and with sparkling 
 eyes she gave me a wonderful store of military information. She 
 told me how to ride into action, how to handle my horse and 
 weapons when I got there ; how to deport myself, how to charge, 
 how to retreat, and, in fact, instructed me in every duty of a 
 horse soldier. Indeed she even gave me some idea of what
 
 362 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 was expected of the captain of a squadron, avowing that she 
 had no doubt I should find it useful shortly. Verily 'twas an 
 education in the theory of war to listen to this martial mistress. 
 And to duly impress these things upon my unreceptive mind, 
 she made me repeat them after her, as though I was some hulk- 
 ing schoolboy, till I had learnt them all by heart. After this 
 she told me how to treat and dress those unpleasant adjuncts of 
 a battle-field ; I mean the wounds that accrue from scenes of 
 glory. Finally she said 
 
 "If black blood flows from a cut, bind your kerchief below 
 it, but if the blood is bright and pure, bind above it. Also, 
 dear lad, I have placed a bottle of your beloved balsam in your 
 saddle-bag; but please apply it when no one happens to be 
 looking." 
 
 This was a terrible home-thrust, delivered very deftly, in a 
 tone cf the utmost gravity, as though she was begging an 
 especial boon. 
 
 " Mistress, methinks it is a mercy I have gotten my breast- 
 plate on, to shield me from thy tongue," said I, like a very 
 gallant gentleman. I was determined to play my part, even as 
 she was playing hers. She was concealing the pain of parting 
 that gnawed her breast, to maintain her dignity in my sight, 
 and to keep my spirits alert and cheerful, for she knew full 
 well that I should need them all in the great task that lay 
 before me. 
 
 She assisted me to saddle Gustavus, and then bade me go 
 back to the house to bid the family good-bye, and to fetch all 
 the articles I intended taking on my journey. Thither I re- 
 turned, and habited myself in my riding-boots, hat, and cloak, 
 strapped on my sword, and put two pistols in my pockets, with 
 the bag of gold John had placed in my custody, together with a 
 smaller one given me by mother. The leave-taking was a sad 
 one, for poor mother broke down utterly, whilst Betty's case 
 was nearly similar. But John, for his part, found neither words 
 nor tears, till as I was crossing the threshold of the kitchen 
 door, with my heart like a lump of lead, he squeezed my hand, 
 and muttered in a short low voice, " Remember ! " I glanced 
 at him, and saw his great eyes glowing, and his face looking 
 grim and terrible. As I came to the stable, I found Dorothy 
 had led out my horse, and was holding his head, heedless of 
 the dripping rain. 
 
 " My darling," said I, "you must be more careful, or you will 
 surely catch your death of cold." 
 
 " What care I for that ? " she replied, and then said slowly,
 
 THE START FOR THE WARS. 363 
 
 dwelling on every word, and looking hard into my face the 
 while, " Thou art setting forth on a great mission, Ned, my 
 brave lad. Go forth and win, and then come back to me. 
 Thou hast four things to accomplish. Gain thine own heritage, 
 then mine, avenge thy father's death, and, if possible, avenge 
 mine. Is it too much to ask thee ? " 
 
 " My darling ! " I exclaimed, slipping my left arm round her. 
 
 " And promise me, dear," she whispered, so brokenly that 
 she could scarce utter the words, " that whatever may befall, 
 you will ne'er forget me. I could not bear to lose you now, 
 Ned." 
 
 At that I thought of the wet morning in the spring, when the 
 gates of hell were opened out before me ; I thought of the 
 night at Kelston Manor, of the night in the goyal amid the 
 Quantocks, of that hour in Taunton Jail and the fever-haunted 
 ones of a month ago. All these thoughts swept into my mind 
 together, and coupled with the courageous maid's wistful tender- 
 ness, mastered me completely. 
 
 " How can I forget you, Dorothy ?" T asked, and the tears 
 were near my eyes. 
 
 " Don't, Ned," she said, drooping her lashes, because my 
 face unnerved her, " else I must cry ; and I would not like to 
 cry ! " 
 
 I mounted great Gustavus, and my mistress let go his head. 
 She came to his left side, and I lowered my face to the level of 
 my thigh whilst she put up her lips. 
 
 " Good-bye, brave heart." 
 
 " Good-bye, dear lad, good-bye." 
 
 I touched my horse, whereupon he began to sedately pick 
 his way among the mire. Yet almost instantly an irresistible 
 impulse made me look back o'er my shoulder. I saw the girl 
 limp and listless against the stable door, with the first rays of 
 daylight flecking her hair and forehead. Her face was white to 
 the lips, her mouth was quivering and her eyes welled tears. 
 I shook the bridle of great Gustavus, whereat he exalted his 
 head, and set his big legs forward ; and so in the gray of the 
 morning I rode to the wars.
 
 364 MfSTKESS DORO THY MARVIN. 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 THE GREAT GATHERING AT EXETER. 
 
 TORIAS HANCOCK was awaiting me close by the doorway of 
 the forge. 
 
 " My eyemers, lad ! 'er be a booty, I rackan," said he, as 
 he caught a glint of my fine corslet that peeped from under my 
 cloak. 
 
 Next moment our horses were breasting bravely westward. 
 His was a raw-boned gray, very high in the shoulders, and stiff 
 on its legs, which might have come out of the ark with Noah 
 for aught I could tell, such was its grave bearing, and ancient 
 cast of countenance. 
 
 By this the east was flecked with stealthy gray, that came 
 glancing slowly over the hill-tops. It rolled gradually away 
 like a thick white curtain. Presently the wooded, leafless 
 combes peeped out of it, and afterwards the autumn-tinted 
 valley. Now, though the sky was streaming with a steady flow 
 of water, and the clouds were murky, dark, and lowering, and 
 though they dipped among the hedgerows and the stubble at 
 every few yards distant, my spirits soared high above this 
 gloom and sombreness. Whether 'twas the pride of love within 
 my heart, the sweetness of my darling's kiss still hot upon 
 my lips, the nobility of her courage, or the mighty enterprise 
 that lay before me ; I cannot say, with any degree of certainty, 
 which of them it was that heartened me so thoroughly. Per- 
 haps each fact contributed a share of solace, nor must I omit 
 to mention another cheerful circumstance. 
 
 I had no further fear of the King's men. Dutch Will had 
 arrived before them, as I had prayed he would do. 'Tis this 
 matter that hath given birth to the whimsical tradition concern- 
 ing Black Ned and the devil. 
 
 Master Thompson of Taunton Jail was never a perfectly sane 
 man after the strange events of the night of my escape. He 
 always averred (even on oath) that the little man in the cloak 
 was the devil himself, who had done Black Ned the immense 
 honor of delivering him from the scaffold in person, and that 
 he had fetched me hence to abide with him ever after. Whot 
 added color to this story, was the fact that Black Ned was 
 never afterwards recognized. My illness left a permanent 
 mark upon me, and this, combined with my exalted station,
 
 THE GREA T CA THE KING A T EXETER. 365 
 
 proved an ample disguise for Sir Edward Armstrong when I 
 assumed that title. 
 
 We found Exeter in a state of turmoil and extraordinary 
 excitement. The populace, with one voice, had already declared 
 for the Invader, whilst the magistracy and clergy had declared 
 for the King. Indeed, Lamplugh the bishop had deserted his 
 diocese, and with his subordinate the dean, for company, was 
 fleeing in haste to London. Wondrous stones were afloat con- 
 cerning the might and magnificence of the Prince's army. 
 Expectation was rife throughout the city, yet that day brought 
 no definite news of His Highness's intentions. 
 
 Tobias and I had some difficulty in securing a lodging for 
 ourselves and horses, for the town was thronged with yeomen 
 from the surrounding districts, anxious to witness the Dutch- 
 man's coming. Eventually we had the good fortune to procure 
 one at a hostel hard by the Cathedral Close, bearing the festive 
 sign of the Pipe and Tabor. 
 
 On every hand treason was freely spo.ken against the King, 
 and the utmost good will was manifested by the citizens 
 towards the Prince of Orange. True, some surprise was ex- 
 pressed that he should have ventured to strike from the West, 
 seeing how Monmouth had failed. Nevertheless 'twas plain to 
 all this was to be no pettifogging business of a few hundred 
 ploughmen and country yokels. Not that I seek to disparage 
 them either, for no men ever fought tyranny and superior 
 strength more gloriously than did those simple sons of the soil 
 in '85. But, in this enterprise, all things had been carefully 
 prepared. The sentiments of the nation had been sounded 
 and the Prince had been invited over by a representative body 
 of the people. 
 
 The day following our arrival an incident occurred that 
 whetted the public appetite, more than all the hearsay had 
 done. A company of horse appeared before the city with my 
 lord Mordaunt at its head, and with Prince William's chap- 
 lain, Bishop B\irnet riding by his side. At the report of their 
 approach the mayor had ordered the gates to be closed, but at 
 the first demand they were opened to admit them. The com- 
 pany rode to the market square, whereupon the chaplain, a 
 thick-set, broad-shouldered, squat fellow, with a great bullet 
 head, and bull neck, proclaimed aloud that His Highness 
 would arrive next day ; whereupon the whole place went nearly 
 wild with excitement and eagerness. 
 
 The Deanery was instantly prepared, and set in order for the 
 Prince's reception. The citizens brought out flags and bunt- 
 24
 
 366 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 ing, and decorated their houses, and an arch of triumph was 
 set up close by the west gate, and inscribed in gold letters 
 thereon was, " Welcome to the Champion of the Protestant Re- 
 ligion," on one side, whilst on the other was, "God Bless the 
 Upholder of the Rights and Liberties of the English People." 
 'Twas an eager, tumultuous time, kinsmen, I can tell you, and 
 even now, as my old head recalls it, I seem to feel the flush of 
 expectation come back to my worn-out frame. 
 
 The great day arrived at last. 'Twas the ninth of November. 
 Tobe and I took our stand betimes, hard by the west gate of 
 the city, to have a goodly view of the spectacle. 'Twould but 
 be presumption in me to dare try to fully describe the army as 
 it marched in. Its greatness thrilled those who saw it with 
 awe, and all men concurred that it was the grandest sight ever 
 witnessed in our parts. That day all the city was in the streets. 
 The display of bunting was really brave and gay, whilst flags 
 and banners floated from well-nigh every bedroom window. 
 As for the throng, it was everywhere. The footpaths were 
 clogged with it; and the house windows were thick with a 
 strangely expectant mass of humanity ; nor was this all, as the 
 house-tops were clustered with the same, whilst every signboard 
 over shop or tavern, which offered the slightest vantage-ground, 
 had at least two limbs dangling from it. 
 
 At length the distant blare of trumpets broke in on the murky 
 November air, mingled with the huzzahs of the thousands who 
 had gone forth for miles along the road to meet the army. 
 Every eye was strained to catch the first glimpse of the In- 
 vaders. By and by the shouting came nearer and nearer, and 
 the rolling of the drums struck out quite audible. Then came 
 a broad line along the rich Exe valley, and through the misti- 
 ness of the morning it was seen to wind past Haldon Hill on 
 its march from Chudleigh. The broad column came creeping 
 up to the western gate, and when the head of it was in full view, 
 a roar broke forth from the concourse within the city enclos- 
 ures, and amidst this babel of voices the vanguard came 
 prancing by. 
 
 My lord Macclesfield was the first man of the army of deliv- 
 erance to come into the city, and he was unmolested. Close 
 behind him followed two hundred gentlemen of England for 
 the most part. The sight of them alone called forth a hubbub 
 of admiration, for every man was attired in glittering cuirass 
 and helmet, with sword on shoulder, and mounted on a Flem- 
 ish war-horse. By his side each had a black negro from the 
 Guinea coast in attendance on his person. And to see their
 
 THE GREAT GATHERING AT EXETER. 367 
 
 grinning ebony faces, embellished by curious turbans, embroid- 
 ered sashes, and white feathers, set the crowd more agog than 
 ever. Next came a splendid company of Swedish cavalry. 
 Fine-grown men they were, attired in suits of black armor, and 
 with bearskin cloaks slung over their shoulders, the original 
 owners of which they themselves had slain. Their gleaming 
 broadswords and martial aspect called forth great admiration. 
 Yet this was nought at all compared to the wild enthusiasm 
 when, amidst a band of gentles and pages, a huge floating 
 banner appeared, having upon its waving folds the inscription, 
 " The Protestant Religion and the Liberties of England." 
 
 I talk of enthusiasm in this matter, but what of the shout- 
 ing, and the frantic joy when the deliverer himself rode in ? 
 Forty resplendent footmen ran beside him. On a picturesque 
 white charger there sate to our eyes at least the greatest man 
 in Christendom. 
 
 I have a vision of him before me at this hour ; I see again 
 the white plume of his Montero hat, the glint of the armor on 
 his back and breast, the sombre velvet of his breeches, the 
 broad expanse of his brow, the lustre and keenness of his hawk- 
 ish eye, the rugged thoughtfulness of his features, the firm set 
 of his mouth, and the commanding and soldierlike aspect of his 
 whole deportment and demeanor. He rode by without heed to 
 the crowd, without a smile or relaxation of a single feature a 
 carved statue for gravity and sedateness. I cried out till my 
 throat was sore, yet 'twas only as the sound of a drop of water 
 falling into the uproarious ocean. 'Twas whispered that the old 
 man, with the faintest stoop in his bearing, was the great Merechal 
 Schomberg. He rode beside the right-hand of His Highness. 
 
 Following these heroes came a long line of the famous Swiss 
 footmen, great alike in valor and discipline. They were men 
 of the ripest experience in warfare, being the mercenaries of 
 many a continental army. At their heels regiment after regi- 
 ment of British troops poured in. And not from the camp at 
 Hounslow, either. They had undergone service in Holland, 
 Germany, and France, and had bled on the field of Seneff, 
 whilst others had fought the Mohammedan Turk in and around 
 Vienna. After them came a regiment of swarthy black-bearded, 
 six-foot Brandenburghers, armed with pike and musket, and 
 bringing up the rear was an immense crowd of English refugees, 
 who had now come to avenge their wrongs and regain their 
 liberties. Amid this motley crew was one who did not fail to 
 take back my recollections three years at a bound to the less 
 glorious and less majestic pageant of Monmouth.
 
 368 H//SrA>SS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 This sudden flood of memory was brought about by a glimpse 
 of a fanatic knave in a Geneva cloak and a pent-house hat. I 
 beheld, for a moment, his face hideously marked with the scurvy, 
 his restless eyes, and keen twitching physiognomy; and in- 
 stantly I knew it for that of the Scotch doctor, Robert Fergu- 
 son, who was a cross betwixt a rogue and a madman. Many 
 wild discourses had I heard from his lips during the few weeks 
 which had elapsed between the Duke's landing and the final 
 affair of Sedgemoor. It brought a smile to my face to see him 
 now at the tail of the array, whereas he had formerly been at 
 the head of it, for the company of great men, both military and 
 ecclesiastical, was no place for this half-witted, canting creature. 
 
 After the refugees came twenty heavy pieces of brass cannon, 
 each drawn by sixteen cart horses. At sight of these, the awe 
 and admiration of the populace was not anywise diminished, 
 whilst a strange wooden contrivance, drawn on wheels, excited 
 wonderment, till it became known that it was a movable smithy 
 for repairing arms. 
 
 This was the close of a brilliant pageant ; whereupon folks ' 
 dispersed to discuss the scene and the prospect of their cham- 
 pion's success. 
 
 Tobias and I followed on the heels of the multitude back to 
 our hostel, and as we walked thence I found him heavy of wit 
 and unwilling to talk. 'Twas but a natural way of his, for the 
 more he was impressed by any sight or circumstance, the less 
 he sought to impress his friends of the same by word of mouth. 
 
 A rude surprise was awaiting us when we returned to the Pipe 
 and Tabor. 'Twas a comfortable tavern, and the landlord a 
 keen fellow ; indeed, a thought too keen for friend Tobias's 
 liking. We were enjoying a nicely cooked meal when this per- 
 son came to our apartment. 
 
 " Gentlemen," said he, with a very becoming perturbation, 
 " I am much distressed to say that you must quit this hostel 
 to-night." 
 
 " VVhoy ? " demanded the blacksmith. 
 
 "Your pardon, sirs; but it's this how. Two of the quality 
 have just arrived, and as every hostel in the city is full, they 
 have offered me treble the price I am receiving from you. 
 Therefore, gentlemen, I have accepted their terms, and will beg 
 of you again, to quit this night." 
 
 Master Hancock planted his two arms on the table, stared 
 straight at the innkeeper, and said shortly 
 
 " Rather peart, I rackon, this man, landlord. But here I be, 
 and here I bide till the army moveth vorrard ! "
 
 THE GREA T GA THE RING A T EXETER. 369 
 
 In the face of this mine host argued, mine host coaxed, mine 
 host swore, and finally threatened my friend the blacksmith. 
 Yet Master Hancock hugged a grievance ; therefore, all these 
 oaths, threats, and protestations only served to make him still 
 more stubborn. In the end, the 'landlord left us, breathing 
 hints of summary proceedings in the immediate future. Tobias 
 had right on his side, for mine host had not consulted us at all 
 in the matter, which he should have done, if only out of courtesy. 
 Accordingly, here we were, and here we were going to stay, 
 quite prepared, if need be, to vindicate our position by blows as 
 well as words. Indeed, this appeared to be a very probable 
 contingency when the noblemen came to claim their lodging, if 
 they should chance to be as determined as Tobe and I. 
 
 I was somewhat despondent that evening ; I had heard very 
 discouraging news. 'Twas to the effect that His Highness had 
 already avowed his intention of only admitting the lustiest and 
 brawniest recruits to his regiments, as he was not wishful for an 
 indifferent army. He had brought so fine a force with him, 
 that he could afford to be nice in the selection of his men. 
 
 Now I not being blessed by nature with anything of a phy- 
 sique to boast of, my chance of becoming enrolled was of the 
 slenderest. As for the blacksmith, he, too, was distressed to 
 think of my ill-fortune. On his own part he had no qualms, for 
 I gravely question whether there was a man in the whole army 
 so liberally endowed with bone, muscle, and inches. This edict 
 was undoubtedly hard towards me. And 'twas a cheerless 
 reflection that I should be obliged to return to Chilverley with- 
 out striking a blow for the cause. No, I could not do that. The 
 maid had bid me go forth and win. Then, and not till then, 
 would I return to her. Besides, I had determined, long ere the 
 words had issued from her lips, that I would ne'er go back until 
 I had regained her freedom and mine own. 
 
 I brooded on this new misfortune for some time. Presently 
 my thoughts were disturbed quite rudely, as a clatter of tongues 
 and a jingle of spurs came from the inn passage, and instantly 
 our room door was flung violently open, and two brilliantly 
 attired cavaliers stepped in, with the grinning landlord at their 
 backs. 
 
 I must pause one moment to describe the foremost of these 
 gentlemen, because 'tis a fitting thing to give ample allowance 
 to a great man. though I knew not the might of his reputation 
 then, or the illustrious name he carried. He was in the prime of 
 life, halting in gait, and very narrow-chested, but his face was 
 one to bear in mind. 'Twas perfectly livid, i' faith almost
 
 370 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 deathlike in its pallor. It bore a roving, restless, careworn 
 look, that seemed to tell of both mental and bodily suffering, 
 though whether this was so I cannot say. Otherwise his features 
 were regular, cleanly chiselled, and handsome in themselves, 
 bespeaking a goodly share of birth and intellect. There was 
 also a bright strong glitter about the eyes that strangely belied 
 his uniform haggardness and the general listlessness of his 
 deportment. His body accorded well with his countenance. 
 'Twas of painful thinness, all bone and corner, whilst even the 
 thickness of his suit failed to conceal the gaunt outline of his 
 flesliless limbs. His dress well became a man of wealth and 
 station, inasmuch that his cloak was of purple satin, edged with 
 sables, and his breeches exactly matched it. A neat periwig 
 was set well back from a high and bloodless forehead, and a 
 broad-brimmed hat, with a large white feather, that added a 
 touch of jauntiness, surmounted it. 
 
 " So these are the cuckoldy rogues, host ? " said he in a 
 decisive fashion, and with the air of a great gentleman. 
 
 " Those words in your teeth ! " quoth I angrily, for his inso- 
 lence was more than I could brook. 
 
 " Landlord," said he, betwixt a smile and a snarl, " I trust 
 you have a horse-trough in the yard." 
 
 " Certainly, my lord." 
 
 " Then will you have the goodness to summon the drawers 
 and stable-boys, so that these fellows may make its acquaint- 
 ance ? " 
 
 " Certainly, my lord," and the host grinned over the speaker's 
 shoulder at Tobe and me, and skipped away to muster his 
 forces. 
 
 Meantime the new-comers stood just inside our apartment 
 chatting. As for me, I felt my anger rising steadily; whilst 
 Tobias drained his mug of cider, and murmured something 
 about "Zons o' Antichraist " under his breath. 
 
 Hereupon the landlord re-appeared, with half a dozen of the 
 inn-servants at his heels. The person addressed as my lord 
 instantly instructed this little company to kick us out of the 
 place. This they promised to do, and forthwith set about its 
 accomplishment. However, they did not make allowances for 
 Tobias, seeing that in two minutes, with some assistance from 
 me, he had distributed sundry broken pates, black eyes, and 
 bloody noses. Neither did he stop here, since he seized each 
 of the gallants unexpectedly by the nape of the neck, and 
 cracked their heads smartly together. But this was quite too 
 much for gentlemen to put up with, therefore they whipped out
 
 THE OPENING OF THE CAMPAIGN. 371 
 
 their rapiers with the fury of wild cats and sprang at us. For a 
 moment there was a fierce scuffle, during which our opponents' 
 steel flashed unpleasantly near our breasts. Still, we were able 
 to draw our own weapons, and Tobe's superior physique and 
 my superior skill enabled us to get the best of the argument. 
 The blacksmith soon disarmed his man, but the haggard fellow 
 whom I had engaged I speedily found to utterly belie his ap- 
 pearance. 'Twas evident he possessed considerable knowledge 
 of fence, and it was only my youth and vigor that gave me the 
 advantage. In the end I was victorious ; and then it was that 
 our assailants showed themselves true gentlemen. They ac- 
 cepted their defeat without any tinge of animosity ; and so 
 gracefully did they compliment the pair of us upon our prowess, 
 that very shortly all the ill-will between us was dispelled. Yet 
 when the elder of the twain announced himself as the Earl of 
 Danby, I may say that I felt none too easy in mind, for that 
 nobleman was one of the most influential of William's sup- 
 porters. Peradventure he is better known to the younger gen- 
 eration as the Duke of Leeds, perhaps the most celebrated 
 politician of his time. Howbeit Tobias certainly did not share 
 my qualms, for in the face of this avowal the blacksmith re- 
 marked with stolid gravity 
 
 " Thou hast a mighty thick 'ead, my lord a mighty thick 
 un." 
 
 The result of our bout and subsequent reconciliation was 
 that a compromise was arrived at, and the four of us occupied 
 the two rooms between us. The famous earl and his friend 
 took to us in the most surprising manner, and I ne'er wish to 
 meet with men more sociable and kindly disposed. Later in 
 the evening I chanced to mention my difficulty in regard to 
 the army, and whilst he accepted Tobe's services on behalf of 
 the Prince forthwith, he promised to do what he could for me. 
 And the following day he proved himself equal to his word, 
 seeing that he brought good news. 
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 THE OPENING OF THE CAMPAIGN. 
 
 I SAY the earl brought good news. He also brought some- 
 thing more tangible, to wit, a permit from the Prince to admit 
 us into a regiment of British foot. As a consequence, next
 
 2-j > MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 morning we were duly installed in that of Ossory at least, it 
 still bore that nobleman's honored name. 
 
 That very afternoon began a time of tribulation. 'Twas 
 shoulder musket, present musket, poise musket, draw sword, 
 present sword, shoulder sword all the livelong day. We were 
 among a band of forty new recruits, and were put through that 
 infernal manual till our arms and legs ached nigh to dropping 
 off our bodies, and our muscles were as sore and stiff as though 
 they had been in receipt of a daily cudgelling. Neither of us 
 groaned, nor complained, nor flinched, but went through the 
 irksome duties day by day, and, being quite jaded, slept sound 
 o' nights. 
 
 His Highness was a great soldier. He would not have his 
 army a rabble, therefore he chose his recruits (who were not 
 too numerous) with the utmost care, and only the best grown 
 and healthiest of men could hope for enlistment. And once he 
 had selected them, for hours they were rigorously drilled, that 
 they might be a credit to the army when the time for action 
 came. We were not permitted to enter a horse regiment 
 indeed, none of the new soldiers were. Therefore our horses 
 were sent to the rear, to assist in bringing up the transports 
 and artillery. 
 
 Exeter at this time was a veritable theatre of war. The city 
 rang with warlike talk and sounds. The smith's hammer ne'er 
 ceased morning, noon, nor night, neither did that of the ar- 
 morer. On every open space of green, square, or common, the 
 recruits were fashioned into soldiers throughout the day, whilst 
 men of warlike mien and aspect were to be found in all quarters 
 of the town. 
 
 The strictest discipline was maintained. 'Twas the best 
 behaved host ever known. It neither caroused, nor swore, nor 
 gambled. It did not steal or pillage ; but was sober and marvel- 
 lously well conducted. Mind, I do not mean to say this army 
 was so admirable in its behavior of its own free will, but the 
 long and the short of it was, it had a leader, a master, a giant 
 of determination and strength of will and mind. The Prince 
 embodied all this, which his soldiers knew. His word was law. 
 There were times when English, Dutch, Swiss, and German 
 felt disposed to swear, yet, no matter whom he might be, he 
 swore under his breath. Otherwise there was the wooden horse 
 to teach him that His Highness would be obeyed. Perhaps 
 one man would quarrel with his ration of beer and might drink 
 that of his comrade, but three turns of a drumstick round his 
 scalp speedily made him regret the dryness of his throat. The
 
 THE OPENING OF THE CAMPAIGN. 373 
 
 commander inspired no love, but immense respect. He had 
 the captain's eye, the captain's mind, and the captain's arm. 
 And the first was trusted, the second admired, and the latter 
 feared. Though I regretted the harshness of the discipline, 
 my heart was glad, for I had found a leader, a great leader, a 
 mighty man, and, I doubted not, a conqueror. This was no 
 Monmouth a mass of fears, revilings, entreaties, and hesitancy. 
 No ; here was a man of strength and judgment, a rock on whom 
 every trooper might and did lean. 
 
 After ten days tarrying within the city, preparations were 
 made for a march forward. The King had assembled the main 
 strength of his army at Salisbury, in Wiltshire ; and perhaps 
 the man on whose military skill he most relied was my lord 
 John Churchill. My lord was playing a bold game; tho' James, 
 his master, suspected nothing. He shared the King's entire 
 confidence, as forsooth he had far greater military talent than 
 any one else in the Stuart's army. However, there was a pri- 
 vate soldier of Ossory's foot in Prince William's host who, if 
 so minded, could have told enough to have startled King James 
 out of his senses. But this simple trooper kept his own coun- 
 sel, and imparted the extent of his knowledge to no one till two 
 days previous to marching out of Exeter. Then he took his 
 patron, the Earl of Danby, into his confidence. 
 
 Tobe and I, being plentifully supplied with money, still 
 shared our lodgings with my lord and his kinsman (the younger 
 gentleman being nephew to the earl), so long as the army 
 remained in the city ; as the common soldiers were billeted in 
 any hovel or cowhouse, the place sadly lacking the necessary 
 accommodation for so immense a gathering. Therefore Tobe 
 and I greatly preferred our presentabode to the precarious one 
 offered by the regiment. And as any soldier was at liberty to 
 sleep where he was so minded, providing that he answered roll- 
 call in the morning, we remained at the Pipe and Tabor. Ac- 
 cordingly, after the labor of the day, we returned thither, and 
 indulged in a mug, a pipe, and a game of backgammon along 
 with our condescending friends. 1' faith such times as these 
 made all men condescending. Great men perforce herded with 
 the lesser ones, the town being swollen out of all size with its 
 thousands of inmates ; and doubtless many a coronet lay down 
 beside a shilling-a-day trooper. 
 
 Now, the night but one before the break-up of the quarters 
 within the city, we four became engaged on the subject of the 
 leaders of the war. My lord was saying with exultation how 
 we had several fine captains and the enemy had none.
 
 374 MISTRESS DORO TH Y MARVIN. 
 
 " Not so fast, my lord," said I, for the sake of argument. 
 " What of my Lord Churchill ? Do you not call him a man of 
 rare talent in the profession ? " 
 
 Hereupon the earl smiled a curious smile, and one strangely 
 full of superior understanding. I was nettled to think my 
 patron was pluming himself on knowledge of which I had greater 
 store than he. He thought he was in possession of a profound 
 secret, and I at once made up my mind to let him know I shared 
 it with him. However, I did not divulge mine own knowledge 
 there and then, for neither time nor place was fitting. Indeed, 
 was not the information the deepest of secrets ? Besides, I must 
 have been very imprudent to have revealed it in the presence of 
 even such men as Tobe and my lord's kinsman. Thus I con- 
 cealed what I knew for the time being, and let the earl's smile 
 pass seemingly unnoticed. I waited quietly till supper had 
 been disposed of; then as we fell to talking again, the earl 
 chanced to sit beside me, whilst Tobe and the young cavalier 
 were seated away from us across the table. 
 
 " My lord," said I, "if you are disposed to step out into the 
 yard with me, I will interpret your smile of an hour agone." 
 
 His eyes met mine for an instant, and they were full of be- 
 wilderment. After that he laughed softly, and, imitating my 
 secrecy, whispered back 
 
 " I'll wager ten guineas you don't." 
 
 " Done," I returned. We clinched the bet upon the spot. 
 
 Still surprised, but continuing to laugh in the same stealthy 
 fashion, he left the room, and I followed immediately in his 
 wake. 
 
 I was not likely to do harm by my confession, for you will 
 remember the Earl of Shrewsbury, in his letter to Sir Nicholas 
 Marvin, had stated that Danby had been appointed the repre- 
 sentative of the conspirators in London. Therefore I told my 
 lord all I knew and all I had done. Neither did I forget to 
 detail my interview with Churchill at Whitehall, and afterwards 
 to treat of the death of the baronet and the final disposal of the 
 papers. The story took a good quarter of an hour in the tell- 
 ing, the pair of us strolling up and down the inn-yard as we 
 talked. 
 
 " Gracious Heaven ! " he gasped, when the recital was ended. 
 " I believe every word. 'Tis so wondrous circumstantial. 
 Thy hand, friend; thou art a spunky fellow ! " 
 
 He seized it in a feverish grip as he spoke, and I felt his own 
 thin one tremble. 'I was as though I held a bundle of nerves 
 in my grasp.
 
 THE OPENING OF THE CAMPAIGN. 375 
 
 " 'Tis marvellous ! " he said. " You won Churchill over to 
 the cause, and do you know what you did for me ? You saved 
 my neck. If the King's men had captured those papers, there 
 would have been sufficient evidence to have brought me to the 
 scaffold. And I was in London at the time. Ton my soul, 
 what a fine fellow you are ! " 
 
 I felt flushed with pride at this repeated praise from one 
 of the highest men of the time. For that night, at least, I did 
 not get the feel of his trembling hand from out of mine. There 
 was silence between us for some minutes, and by the rays of the 
 moon I could see his livid, haggard face strained, and his brows 
 knitted in deepest thought. By-and-by he said abruptly 
 
 " If you have a mind to risk your neck once more, my friend, 
 I will make your fortune." 
 
 " Or my grave," I answered lightly, for it occurred to me the 
 word " neck " admitted of such a possibility. 
 
 " Tush ! " he cried in haste, " a man like you doth not con- 
 sider such mishaps. Ton honor you. have rendered us a rare 
 service, and I know how to give you a chance of great ad- 
 vancement." 
 
 "My lord," I replied with eagerness, already fired by his 
 manner, " I am ripe for aught, if it shall only benefit the cause 
 one iota." 
 
 " I promise you, Master Armstrong, 'tis a mission that shall 
 stagger you. And if it be only carried out like the other one, 
 'twill end the campaign ere it hath begun." 
 
 " Then I am yours to command, sir." 
 
 " Well, friend, go spruce yourself up a bit. Get your cloak 
 and sword and I will do the same, for we must repair to the 
 Prince to-night." 
 
 " But why to-night ? " I asked, surprised at this precipita- 
 tion. " Will not to-morrow do equally as well ? " 
 
 " Certainly not. Ere daylight in the morning I shall be 
 riding post-haste for Yorkshire." 
 
 " What ! and leave the army ? " 
 
 " Yes, for a time. There is a great blaze waiting to be kin- 
 dled in the north, and I am the spark to light it." 
 
 I understood his meaning perfectly, but will unfold it by 
 and by. I confess I was about wild with excitement regarding 
 the course matters had taken. I had not bargained for such 
 unheard of fortune. I was about to be brought face to face 
 with His Highness, and I had been promised advancement by 
 one of the highest men in the state. All this for a little adven- 
 ture !
 
 376 J//STXZSS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 Here was I, Ned Armstrong, thief and fugitive, and more 
 lately private soldier in the Dutchman's army, about to be 
 brought under the personal notice of the rising star of Europe. 
 I trembled as I brushed my hair ; I trembled as I gathered my 
 cloak around me, and as 1 buckled on my sword. I trembled 
 as I thought of the risk to my neck ? Surely not. Nay, I 
 thought of doing a mighty service, of which my lord had prom- 
 ised me the chance. And when I had done it, I thought of 
 returning to my darling celebrated ! my name on all men's 
 lips. 
 
 Had not Mistress Dorothy Marvin bid me go forth and win, 
 
 and then come back to her? Here was I Bah! thou 
 
 inane old fool ! better blush and conceal thy youthful follies 
 sooner than bare them before the eyes of thy children. But 
 'tis fine to be young, to have a sword, and an imagination ! 
 Still my featherhead was afire, and there was palsy in my frame 
 as I girded on my sword to visit the Prince in company with 
 the earl. At every step I took there was ringing in my ears, 
 " Go forth and win, and then come back to me ! " and Taun- 
 ton courthouse and my father's gibbet before my eyes. 
 
 CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 THE AUDIENCE. 
 
 As we set out for Prince William's abode, my companion 
 slipped his arm through mine. This was yet another mark of 
 the esteem he bore me. The night was keen and frosty, but 
 free from mist and fog. The sharpness of the air certainly 
 braced me in body, if it failed to make my mind any clearer. 
 
 The Prince was quartered at the Deanery, a large house in 
 proximity to the cathedral. We found it bathed with a blaze 
 of light. Every room was brightly lit, whilst in addition the 
 moon illuminated the exterior, and thereby greatly enhanced 
 the boldness of its aspect. It appeared to me very like a palace 
 on a small scale, for a company of soldiers was drawn up in a 
 line before the front entrance, with their musket-butts resting 
 on the pavement, and their forms rigid and motionless in the 
 moonlight. Whilst to heighten the effect of the scene, half a 
 score noblemen's coaches, with liveried servants in charge of 
 them, stood one behind the other in the roadway opposite the 
 Deanerv windows.
 
 THE AUDIENCE. 377 
 
 The first we came to was a carriage of sombre shade, which 
 attracted Danby's best attention. He gazed earnestly at the 
 panel, and reading out the coat of arms therefrom exclaimed 
 
 " 'Pon my soul, a Seymour ! Can it be the Duke himself ? 
 Let me see." 
 
 He examined the armorial bearings still closer, and said 
 
 " Ah, to be sure, 'tis Sir Edward. James, my man, thy days 
 are numbered ! Thy throne is tottering. If such staunch 
 Tories as old Ned Seymour will join us, 'twill be good-bye to 
 the Stuart dynasty." 
 
 " The sooner the better," said I. 
 
 At this point a wave of enthusiasm swept over my lord. 
 'Twas not unnatural, for hour by hour the Dutchman's standard 
 covered a larger throng, whilst James's host just as surely 
 diminished. As we arrived at the entrance, the guard 
 promptly barred the way with their muskets. 
 
 " The word, gentlemen ? " asked the sergeant. 
 
 " London and Luther," whispered the earl. 
 
 On the instant the muskets were drawn back, the whole com- 
 pany saluted, and one of its number ushered us across the hall 
 to a large ante-room. 'Twas crowded with a brilliant assem- 
 blage of men of all ages, nine out of every ten of whom bore the 
 unmistakable aspect of the soldier. Yet there was not the 
 least trace of levity, gayety, or frivolity about it. It was split 
 up into many little groups, each of which emitted a buzz of 
 low-toned, animated conversation, and this, combined with the 
 grave demeanor of all present, clearly showed that some big 
 event had happened. 
 
 " Hast heard the news, my lord ? " cried half a dozen cava- 
 liers excitedly, at the sight of my illustrious companion. 
 
 My lord shook his head. 
 
 " The King hath arrived at Salisbury this forenoon," was the 
 information proffered. 
 
 " Excellent ! " replied Danby warmly ; " I trow, gentlemen, 
 we shall soon have our swords out of the scabbards." 
 
 This warlike sentiment delivered, we lost no time in making 
 our way to the far end of the apartment, where a solitary indi- 
 vidual was discovered beside a curtained doorway. He was a 
 small portly man, clad Dutch fashion, in Low Country knee- 
 breeches, and with a broad white collar round his throat. 
 
 " Is His Highness engaged ? " queried my lord of this person. 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " With whom ? " 
 
 " The merechal and the chaplain."
 
 378 M/STXESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 " Well, do you go and tell him, Van der Kempt, that I am here, 
 concerning our conversation this morning." 
 
 The little man did as he was bidden. And now numberless 
 qualms and tremors took hold of me. Sure I cannot say 
 whether 'twas the mere prospect of going into the great man's 
 presence, or the sense of his majesty, or the ice of his demean- 
 or that was responsible for this unworthy feeling, but certain 
 it is, I felt very miserable, wretched, unheroic, and dejected. 
 In half a minute the Dutchman returned, and I could have 
 wished that his alacrity had been less, for I was in no hurry to 
 make my bow to the Prince of Orange. 
 
 " Please wait a minute, my lord, then I will announce you," 
 he said. 
 
 Here the curtained door opened again, and two men, Burnet 
 the chaplain, and Merechal Schomberg, came forth together. 
 Directly afterwards Van der Kempt led the way through that 
 same door, and as he did so, my lord, with a backward glance 
 at the departing twain, whispered 
 
 " One is too nice, and t'other too garrulous for our business." 
 
 Another curtained door was opened, and as we passed through, 
 it appeared to me as though my heart was taking unwarrantable 
 liberties with my ribs. The apartment was small and simply 
 but tastefully draped and furnished. 
 
 The Prince, with two elbows on the table, was leaning over 
 a chart and tracing a line thereon with his finger. He did not 
 glance up when my lord and I were announced, but continued 
 his occupation till Van der Kempt closed the door and retired. 
 Thereupon His Highness interrogated my companion. 
 
 " Well," he asked, " and who is that gentleman ? " 
 
 He stared at me with such directness that I must have taken 
 it for rudeness in another. 
 
 " Allow me, your highness, to introduce him. Then per- 
 chance you may the better understand our visit at an hour so 
 untimely." 
 
 Thereupon he gave the Prince almost word for word the 
 narrative I in turn had given him, nor did he forget to add my 
 assurance that I was willing to do aught for the cause. 
 The Dutchman nodded his head, and methought I caught a 
 softened look in his taciturn countenance. 
 
 " Tell Van der Kempt," said he, " not to disturb us for half 
 an hour." 
 
 I slipped out of the room and informed the attendant. When 
 I came back, Danby and the Prince were talking together in 
 whispers, one each side the table, their heads nearly touching
 
 THE AUDIENCE. 379 
 
 in the middle of it. They spoke so low I could not gather a 
 word they uttered. Neither had I any desire to do, but simply 
 stood bolt upright twirling my hat in my ringers. After five 
 minutes of this their heads parted, and the Prince shot a ques- 
 tion at me. 
 
 " How is it, sir, you are willing to risk, and have risked so 
 much for our cause ? 'Tis not religion." 
 
 He looked at me with his keen eyes as though he would read 
 every thought in my heart. How did he know 'twas not re- 
 ligion ? Nevertheless he was indubitably right. 
 
 " I have suffered, your highness," I replied, marvelling at 
 mine own hardihood, for my tone was a much stronger one than 
 I thought possible to employ before him. 
 
 He raised his dark brows. 
 
 " How?" 
 
 At that question I banished unworthy qualms, and I told him 
 every word of my downfall, but not of my sins. I suppressed 
 them, yet I briefly sketched my early misfortunes of the year 
 '85. Somehow though I scarce paused to collect my breath or 
 to weigh and turn my speech, the words formed into proper 
 order and fell from my mouth distinctly, whilst my two august 
 auditors ne'er lost a word of the recital. Having finished, I 
 took breath and stood regarding the Prince with anxiety. His 
 brows relaxed ever so little, a line in his mouth appeared less 
 harsh, and there was less sharpness about his tone as he turned 
 to Danby, saying 
 
 " You have done very well," and then turning to me remarked, 
 " I believe you, Sir Edward." 
 
 I started to hear my title so suddenly applied, and from the 
 lips of such a man. 
 
 He saw that start, ay, he saw it, and with coolness asked, 
 " How does it feel, Sir Edward ? " He inflated his voice ever 
 so slightly on the " Sir," and there was a biting tinge of irony 
 in his tone. This cut me deeply, so deeply that I flushed 
 crimson. And he saw that, too, for he quietly stroked his chin, 
 and without the ghost of a smile added, " Well, well ! " and bid 
 me come close up to the table. 
 
 " Sir Edward," quoth he, " you will be useful ; " but I never 
 replied. I was hurt by his mode of treating me. His veiled 
 sarcasm set me on my mettle, and as my spirit rose I forgot 
 my qualms and nervousness. Therefore my only answer was 
 to keep my head erect, and to peer hard and straight into 
 his discerning eyes. They met mine, and I am happy to say 
 I neither quailed nor flinched. Thereat he stroked his chin,
 
 380 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIX. 
 
 repeated the words "Well, well ! " and continued to look very 
 grim. 
 
 All this time Danby had been busy with his pen. However, 
 no sooner had the Prince finished speaking to me, than the 
 earl handed him a sheet of paper half covered with writing. 
 His Highness read it carefully through, nodded his head approv- 
 ingly, sealed it with his own hands, and gave it into my custody. 
 At the same time he presented me with a second document 
 (unsealed) and a purse of gold. Still he gave me no instruc- 
 tions, and though this continued to keep me anxious as ever 
 as to what was required of me, I was mighty thankful to leave 
 his presence. Truth to tell, I was awed by him, and was afraid 
 of him into the bargain. He seemed so calm, so strong, and 
 so emotionless. His icy demeanor froze my blood, and added 
 a tinge of hatred to my fear. Yet I knew quite well that I had 
 conversed that night with a leader of men and a maker of 
 nations. 
 
 CHAPTER XLIII. 
 THE ENEMY'S CAMP. 
 
 FORTUNATELY for my peace of mind, my patron did not keep 
 me long in doubt as to what my mission was. Upon emerging 
 from the Deanery, at my lord's suggestion we walked leisurely 
 round the town, so that we might talk undisturbed. 
 
 " Thou art a lucky fellow," my lord began, " thou'rt still very 
 young, but art already on the highway to fortune. I was doubt- 
 ful at first whether the Prince would trust you in this important 
 matter, yet he hath seen fit to do so ; and he is seldom deceived 
 in any man. Verily, my friend, you have great opportunities, 
 you are young and bold, and have a head and a sword, and 
 William trusts you. And his confidence, let me tell you, is not 
 to be the least esteemed. Now listen to your instructions, for 
 this is the mission entrusted to you." 
 
 I strained my ears, and felt unduly excited as the earl began. 
 
 " My lord Churchill hath been appointed the King's Lieu- 
 tenant-general, and is now quartered together with His Majesty 
 and the Army at Salisbury. You are required to deliver this 
 sealed missive into my lord's hands. Mind, it must be done 
 secretly and carefully. And the risks you run are great, as you 
 will be obliged to penetrate into the midst of the enemy's camp. 
 This letter is signed by myself, and remember you have come
 
 THE ENEMY'S CAMP. 381 
 
 from me only. His Highness must not be known in this affair. 
 Recollect then not to mention his name. There is a matter 
 contained in the letter which will require the co-operation of 
 Churchill and yourself, and you are to carry the matter out as 
 well as you can between you. My lord will give you full par- 
 ticulars of what is required, yet I do not exaggerate when I 
 say success will assure your fortune, and the termination of the 
 campaign." 
 
 " And what of this paper of the Prince's, my lord? " I asked, 
 doubting the veracity of my hearing faculties. 
 
 " Friend, His Highness hath foreseen much, and hath there- 
 fore provided you with money. As for the document he hath 
 given you, it is a blank order for a company of men as large as 
 you may deem necessary, to assist you in the enterprise. It is 
 imperative that you should see Churchill at nightfall to-morrow, 
 therefore you must set out betimes in the morning. Personally, 
 my friend, I would advise you to take a score of picked men 
 along with you. You must have your company hidden away in 
 one of the villages just beyond the outposts, while you go alone 
 into Salisbury and confer with my lord. You cannot be too 
 careful in the execution of every detail, and do not forget what 
 I have said already success means your fortune, and certain 
 victory for our cause." 
 
 To expedite matters my companion, who was singularly eager 
 over the whole affair, went round to the officers' apartments at a 
 house behind the Deanery, and arranged with Colonel Mackay to 
 have twenty picked men, well armed, well fed, and well mounted, 
 to await me at daybreak in the morning beside the east gate of 
 the city. 
 
 Danby did not fail to thoroughly impress again upon me the 
 immense honor and confidence that had been placed in me, and 
 begged, if only for his sake, that I might show myself not un- 
 worthy of it. Though the entirety of this enterprise was not 
 revealed to me, I was continually reminded that it was one great 
 enough to startle the three kingdoms. I longed for the morn- 
 ing, that I might go forth and prove myself. I craved for 
 success, for you can well understand what it would mean to me. 
 Albeit, despite the fevered workings of my brain, whenever my 
 mind returned to the cold, calm, freezing Prince of Orange, I 
 felt suddenly chilled. And as I thought of that man I made 
 up my mind come what might, I would sooner lose my life than 
 acknowledge defeat to him. Of course there was another I 
 thought of too ; one who had said, " Go forth and win, and then 
 come back to me. "
 
 382 MIS TKL SS D OK O TH Y MA R VIN. 
 
 Yes, I would go and win ! I would set the kingdom on fire 
 with my celebrity. I would extort a word of praise from the 
 Prince, I would kindle a magnificent light in my darling's eyes ! 
 
 I was too eager and excited to swallow much breakfast, and 
 before the first streak of daylight had silvered the sky I stepped 
 out into the inn yard. The first sight that confronted me was 
 my lord Danby, ready to start with half a dozen outriders on 
 his journey to the north. Still, he had not forgotten me. No, 
 he certainly had not, for there was a beautiful and fleet sorrel 
 mare ready saddled for my use ; and 'twas due to my lord that 
 the animal had been placed at my service, in lieu of great 
 Gustavus, who was assisting the conveyance of the transports. 
 
 " Sir Edward," quoth Danby, as I was about to ride away 
 after profusely thanking him, "I go north to light a beacon, do 
 I not ? but you go east to fire the kingdom. I trust you ; the 
 Prince trusts you ; and I would I were younger and less known 
 to my enemies, for then I would go along with you. You will 
 ne'er leave my thoughts all the way to York. Thy hand, friend, 
 and also put thine ear to my mouth. I did not tell thee the 
 precise nature of thy mission last night, else thou wouldst not 
 have slept. It is to bring King James a prisoner to Prince 
 William at Exeter. Thy hand again, Sir Edward ; then go, and 
 God speed you ! " 
 
 Next moment my mare's hoofs were clattering over the 
 stones, bound for the east gate, and her rider was trembling in 
 his saddle. I could still feel the hot grip of the earl's thin 
 hands, I could still hear his voice, and that of the Prince, our 
 master. And they had both addressed me as " Sir Edward." 
 
 The troopers were waiting as I rode up, and within two 
 minutes of my arrival we were following the road to Salisbury 
 to fetch the King. The white frost lay everywhere, and imparted 
 a soothing chilliness to the air. The hills and bare hedgerows 
 were bedecked in this raiment of winter, and the roads lay hard 
 as flint at our feet. There was no sign of war in the land; 
 everywhere was peace and serene beauty. By and by the red 
 winter sun appeared, and for miles the hoar frost glistened and 
 sparkled. Nature was glorious that day, and the cold breeze 
 sent the blood of healthy creatures a-swirling through the 
 veins, and set a keen glow in their cheeks. Yet two great 
 armies were lying watching each other, less than a hundred 
 miles apart, like foxhounds in a leash, straining and crouching, 
 each ready for a spring. 
 
 The lovely west countryside was to be bathed in blood once 
 more, and as I looked at the landscape my heart did ache to
 
 THE ENEMY'S CAMP. 383 
 
 think of it. Then it flashed upon me what I was about to com- 
 pass ; and, surely, if I succeeded there would be an end of the 
 matter. And it hath since occurred to me many a time that the 
 most important man in all England that frosty morning, was 
 neither King James nor Prince William, but Ned Armstrong, 
 robber and outlaw. 
 
 But now was not the time for dreaming. A tremendous and 
 terrible work lay before me, and it soon dawned upon my 
 understanding that nature had never made me for such mighty 
 enterprises. A man at such puissant moments as this should 
 be keen-witted, cool and collected. Yet here was I, trembling 
 all the way I went. Albeit, 'twas not fear, nor the risk to my 
 neck, but the bare idea of the appalling task before me. How- 
 ever, one circumstance gave me hope, and a certain amount of 
 confidence. My lord Churchill had many brains, and was 
 sworn to the cause. Thus with an ally so powerful I might 
 hope for the best. Howbeit, the demands for the present were 
 caution and courage. 
 
 Every step took our little cavalcade nearer the enemy ; and I 
 was its sole leader. All the way I had my mind anchored to 
 one thing. It was my beacon, my guiding star, my hope of life ; 
 and that was success. Two things told much in my favor. 
 I was thoroughly acquainted with the country I had to pass 
 through ; and also had concentrated every ounce of my intelli- 
 gence on this supreme adventure. And when a man hath so 
 summoned all his mental resources, they cannot be of much 
 quality if something creditable doth not accrue for their efforts. 
 I neglected no single opportunity so far as lay in my power. I 
 was bent on success, and success I would have, though I spilt 
 every drop of my blood to procure it. 
 
 Acting according to the earl's orders, it was imperative I 
 should myself reach Salisbury that night ; but eighty miles is a 
 most arduous day's journey. We pushed on and on, always 
 well-nigh at the top of our speed. My soldiers shook their 
 heads at this rate of progress, and the oldest man of the com- 
 pany ventured to remonstrate with me, saying that if we had to 
 travel far the horses would be spent in a very short time. How- 
 ever, I knew mine own business best, which I was not slow to 
 prove to their satisfaction, for after a smart burst we came to 
 Ilminster with tired horses. And then, whilst the troopers ate 
 a mouthful of food, I sought the landlord of the inn at which 
 we halted, and struck a bargain. I paid the man ten pounds to 
 procure me twenty-one fresh, speedy horses (if so many were to 
 be had in the place). As security for their proper return, I left
 
 384 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 our own jaded beasts, all excellent animals, in his keeping, and 
 promised him more money when we came back and resumed 
 their possession. I strictly enjoined him to look to them well, 
 and to have them prepared for our use at a moment's notice. 
 Herein lay wisdom, for methought it not unlikely that we might 
 be hotly pursued on our backward course. In that event we 
 should have a fresh relay awaiting us. 'Twill thus be seen this 
 plan answered two purposes : it enabled us to advance and 
 retreat with greater expedition. 
 
 When my small command came forth, after a quarter of an 
 hour's halt, and discovered a fresh lot of animals rady saddled 
 awaiting them, I went up at a bound in their esteem. For mine 
 own part the only refreshment I partook of here was a crust and 
 a mug of ate. I was too eager and anxious to do justice to any 
 more substantial meal. 'Twas think and fast with me all that 
 day. I neither spared my head nor my body in the service. I 
 was playing for a huge stake, and, Heaven knows, I did all that 
 flesh and blood could do to win it. 
 
 Upon pressing forward again after this short halt, we soon 
 began to ride into real danger ; and 'twas then that my wits were 
 needed. We rapidly approached the King's army. As we 
 neared the Wiltshire borders, I inquired rigorously at every 
 little wayside hamlet as to the whereabouts of the enemy. Fort- 
 une certainly favored me in this matter, for I found the peasant 
 folk heart and soul for the Prince, therefore they imparted all 
 they knew. 
 
 Leaving Wincanton on the left, we crossed into Dorsetshire ; 
 a little later and we were traversing the Wiltshire roads. 'Twas 
 in this county that King James and his host were lying, thus I 
 felt that the crisis was at hand. The surrounding hills were 
 now settling into gloom, the cold, November sun had already 
 retired behind them, and the shadows were creeping along the 
 valleys, whence I knew that night and the enemy would prevent 
 much farther progress. 
 
 We tarried at a small inn at the village of Hindon to make 
 new inquiries, whereupon we learned that an outpost lay at 
 Warminster, a town eight miles distant, whither Kirke and 
 Trelawney were posted with four regiments of Irish. No trav- 
 ellers were staying at this little hostel, so by means of a guinea 
 mine host was prevailed upon to harbor our company for the 
 night, and to hold a discreet tongue in his head. But for me 
 the day's work was only beginning, and to carry it properly 
 through I had recourse to sheer boldness, which more often suc- 
 ceeds than it fails.
 
 THE ENEMY'S CAMP. 385 
 
 I had had the forethought not to don the Prince's uniform 
 upon starting from Exeter, therefore I was able to pass toler- 
 ably well as a Catholic gentleman who had hastened from his 
 country home provided with a letter of introduction to my lord 
 Churchill, Lieut.-general of the army, that he might receive an 
 appointment therein to fight for his religion. Accordingly I 
 gave my horse a short rest, took a pull at some strong water, to 
 keep out the cold, and then set out in the darkness for the 
 Stuart's headquarters. 
 
 At ordinary times 'twould have been a cold and weary journey 
 in the cheerless night, yet now I snapped my teeth upon a 
 determination to brave all weariness and danger ; and Danby's 
 missive in my pocket, I urged my horse briskly forward along 
 the bleak and wintry roads under the winking stars. I evaded 
 the enemy's outposts, and thereby escaped interrogation. Hav- 
 ing some knowledge of the country hereabouts, I pursued my 
 way along the by-paths till at last the lights of the city were 
 twinkling ahead. 
 
 As I neared the town my heart began to beat quicker than its 
 custom was, yet I still went forward, fully determined that only 
 prison bars should prevent me seeing Churchill that night. I 
 rode without hindrance into the city, for, as I was soon to dis- 
 cover, the military order was of the poorest. I entered with 
 outward confidence the first inn I came to within the town. 
 Having inquired of a roystering crew, half English and half 
 Irish soldiers, I was directed to the Bishop's Palace (the King's 
 headquarters) as being the most likely place to find my lord. 
 Thereupon I wended my way thither, having first procured a 
 lodging for my horse the while. 
 
 'Twas a large building, with a spacious interior, yet 'twas 
 nought near so crowded as the Deanery at Exeter, and the 
 cause of this required little seeking, seeing that the Stuart's 
 popularity was waning day by day, and his deserters mostly 
 found their way to the Prince. 
 
 Fortunately Churchill was still there, and to my near pleasure, 
 upon preferring a request for a private interview on the ground 
 of " important business," an attendant forthwith went in search 
 of my lord. He came back in a moment, and conducted me to 
 an empty apartment, which, though small, was warm and well 
 lighted. Thus far matters had prospered far beyond hope or 
 expectation ; indeed, the place seemed quite devoid of military 
 order and precaution. 
 
 Presently my lord appeared. He was richly attired, and I 
 have rarely seen a man with more beauty of countenance or
 
 386 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 carriage. He looked me rover every whit as keenly as when I 
 had encountered him in London ; then showed he had a rare 
 faculty for remembering faces by recalling mine with a start of 
 surprise. 
 
 " You are over bold, young sir." 
 
 " These are bold times, my lord," I answered, handing the 
 letter into his custody. 
 
 " Body o' me ! the most daring letter-carrier I know.' 
 
 He broke the seals quickly, and read the missive. His eyes 
 dilated as he scanned it ; his handsome face flushed; and then 
 he walked the room in uncontrollable excitement. 
 
 " By Heaven, it is a great scheme ! " he exclaimed at last, 
 banging his fist a tremendous thump on the little table. 
 
 Forthwith he scanned me again from head to heels with a 
 strange glare in his eyes. 
 
 " Friend, I presume you know the contents of this letter ? " 
 
 " I do, my lord," I replied, striving hard to make a show of 
 calmness. 
 
 " And you know what you and I between us are to essay ? " 
 
 " Certainly, my lord." 
 
 In great agitation of mind he quickly secured the door, and 
 turned up the lamp to its fullest light ; and all the while I could 
 see his white hands trembling. First he told me he implicitly 
 trusted me. He said he had every reason to do so, as he had 
 already a knowledge of my daring and shrewdness. However, 
 far above all personal observation, my Lord Danby had seen fit 
 to confide so great a mission to me. Thus it was Churchill, 
 with the scantiest parley, bid me assist him in devising a scheme 
 a scheme to kidnap the King ! Were I a boastful man, I 
 might enlarge at length on the strange hour I passed with the 
 most brilliant military genius of his time. First he asked what 
 assistance I could render him. 
 
 " My lord, I have a score stout fellows, well armed and well 
 mounted, lying at Hindon, under my orders ; also, I have a re- 
 lay of horses in readiness at Ilminister for the return journey 
 to Exeter." 
 
 " Good ! " 
 
 Then he became pensive, stroked his lips and wig, and after- 
 wards communed half aloud with himself. 
 
 " Let me see, there's Cartwright at Wilton. No, that's too 
 near. There's Williams at Heytesbury, and he's too thick- 
 headed. No, he'll not do. H'm ! and there's Kirke at War- 
 minster ; yes, there's Kirke at Warminster. Zounds, that settles 
 it!"
 
 THE ENEMY'S CAMP. 387 
 
 He sprang from his seat, and began pacing up and down once 
 more. With the growing of his excitement mine also increased. 
 Shortly afterwards he unfastened the door, and called out to a 
 soldier hard by 
 
 " Go seek Colonel Kirke ; and if he is anywhere to be found, 
 tell him to come hither to me on the instant." 
 
 Meanwhile I had casually glanced at the open letter on the 
 table. Perchance this did not become me then, neither doth it 
 any more become me now to set forth one clause which caught 
 my eye, and every word of which I still remember. It ran, 
 " Should this affair be executed in a proper and fitting manner, 
 I have no doubt His Highness will wot of a dukedom ready for 
 disposal." Since that hour my respect and admiration for the 
 famed Duke of Marlborough hath ever been less than that 
 borne towards him by my fellow-men. 
 
 Presently the door opened, and a big, swart, fierce-looking 
 man, in an ostentatious uniform, entered. 
 
 "Good evening, Colonel Kirke," was my lord's greeting. 
 " You have not forgotten our converse of the other day ? 
 Friend, the time to act hath now arrived." 
 
 The colonel started, and cast a look of inquiry towards me. 
 I was at this moment in the company of' the " Tangiers 
 Butcher," one of the biggest of traitors and the hardest-hearted 
 of men that was ever endowed with life. Yet 'twas neither the 
 time nor the place to cherish private sentiments, nor have I the 
 inclination to air them now. 
 
 In a few words my lord informed the soldier what had to be 
 done. Upon recovering from the first shock of his surprise, he 
 and his superior laid their heads together to devise a plan, 
 whilst I waited with ill-concealed anxiety and impatience for 
 the result of their deliberations. They carried on a low-toned 
 conversation for the best part of half an hour ; and the out- 
 come was that Churchill suddenly exclaimed 
 
 " Verily, colonel, thou hast solved the riddle that is, if thou 
 art quite sure of Trelawney. Come with me and impress the 
 King with the extreme urgency of the matter. And you, sir, 
 wait quietly here till we return, when we will lay a definite 
 proposal before you." 
 
 Thereafter the pair of conspirators went out together to seek 
 an interview with the King. I marvelled much at the audacity 
 of these two traitors ; had I been in their position I could not 
 have met the man I was betraying with the eye o"f innocence. 
 
 In the course of a quarter of an hour they returned to me,
 
 388 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 and relocked the door after them. My lord spoke, and I list- 
 ened eagerly to each word he uttered. 
 
 " D'ye know the little town of Warminster ? " 
 
 " Yes, my lord." 
 
 " And Bugley village ? " 
 
 " Yes, my lord." 
 
 " There is one hostel in the place called the Wheat Sheaf. 
 You and your men are -to be there at noon to-morrow. His 
 Majesty is to review the troops at Warminster, and will then 
 proceed with myself and Colonels Kirke and Trelawney, and a 
 company of six chosen men to reconnoitre and examine the 
 country as far as Bugley, which is two miles away. We shall 
 call at the Wheat Sheaf for a drink of cider. Have your horses 
 in good condition for a speedy flight, and keep them and your 
 men concealed from the roadway. There will be a resistance 
 offered, so have your pistols primed, with which shoot down 
 the soldiers. I and the two colonels will endeavor to drag His 
 Majesty outside to the horses, but of course we shall be out- 
 numbered and overpowered. Now do not fail to have your 
 men there before noon to-morrow. You will be in no danger 
 of discovery, as it shall be looked to that you are not disturbed 
 by our troops. You understand, I hope. Be cautious and 
 speedy, and we shall have our man under lock and key this 
 time to-morrow." 
 
 I told my lord I understood perfectly. The scheme was 
 wondrous simple, indeed, almost too simple it looked at first, 
 seeing how great the idea was, and what would be its outcome. 
 Yet its simplicity was easy of explanation. The misguided 
 Stuart, cold wretch as he was, was the most unsuspicious of 
 men. He had at this time the sublimest confidence in Churchill, 
 his right-hand man, and chief adviser. His eyes had yet to be 
 opened concerning that arch traitor, and the cool-headed rogue 
 profited by the blindness of his master. And though I knew 
 all this, I did not feel the least pity for my father's murderer, 
 neither had I regrets or scruples for the work I was myself 
 encompassing. They tell us "all is fair in love and war/' 
 whilst with me vengeance was an even greater stimulant than 
 either of them. Accordingly, my conscience was not sufficient- 
 ly delicate to give me any twinge of compunction, and I now 
 say without shame, that even in my old age it has not taught 
 me to feel it anent this matter. 
 
 'Twas after nine of the clock ere I set out for Hindon. I 
 returned thither without misadventure, never being once chal- 
 lenged within the city, for the army was far too busy wine-
 
 THE ENEMY'S CAMP. 389 
 
 guzzling and dicing to pay heed to a young man of four- 
 and-twenty, who held the future of the kingdom in the hollow 
 of his hand. 
 
 That return journey to Hindon seemed a wild dream. What 
 would William say, and how would he look when I rode in 
 with the King ? What would Danby say ? W 7 hat would the 
 Nation say? What would Mistress Dorothy say? And be it 
 distinctly understood, she was of far greater account than the 
 Nation, Prince William, and the Earl of Danby united. I could 
 scarce realize my splendid fortune. The plan was so simple 
 and certain of success, that methought nought could balk it. 
 
 I reached Hindon in safety, and found my men had been un- 
 disturbed, since none of the enemy had appeared, as the out- 
 posts lay more to the north. I did not breathe a word of the 
 mission upon which we were engaged to the company. Still 
 they obeyed me in every particular, for the army had been 
 thoroughly taught that finest of military virtues obedience to 
 superior officers. There is one thing I recollect doing that 
 night that stands boldly out in my memory. Perhaps it was 
 foolish in me to sit on the edge of my bed for an hour gazing 
 at the portrait of my darling; wondering what the morrow had 
 in store. Howbeit this veracious history bids me recount e'en 
 so slight a circumstance. 
 
 Next morning I looked to it that the horses were well fed, 
 and that the men made a hearty breakfast. Then at a steady 
 pace, and with extreme vigilance for lurking enemies, we left 
 the quiet hamlet of Hindon, and made our way northward in 
 the direction of Warminster. The frost still held, and travelling 
 was by no means irksome, despite the nipping morning air. 
 Avoiding the main highways (the enemy occupying much of 
 the countryside hereabouts), we skirted Great Ridge Wood and 
 Brixton Deverill, and within half an hour of the appointed 
 time were snugly ensconced in the parlor of the Wheat Sheaf 
 at Bugley. This is a point nearly twenty-five miles west of 
 Salisbury and two miles from Warminster. I stationed two of 
 my troopers to hold the horses in the inn yard ; who were 
 made ready for immediate service, that there might be no delay 
 upon the arrival of the conspirators and their victim. Then I 
 enlightened my men in a measure in regard to the meditated 
 trepanning. Certainly I mentioned no names, but fully in- 
 structed each man as to the nature of his* duties, and saw to it 
 that his firearm was properly loaded for instant use, if necessary. 
 
 As the appointed hour drew near, my eagerness and excite- 
 ment became intensified. Twelve o'clock midday chimed at the
 
 39 
 
 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 little church across the road; and every sound of the clock sent 
 a thrill through me. At any moment now they might arrive, 
 therefore I stationed a man on foot in the middle of the road 
 to keep a sharp look-out up the highway, and bade him in- 
 stantly come and advise me when the ten horsemen hove in 
 sight. Half an hour went by, and though they were doubtless 
 approaching, I fervently hoped their coming would not long be 
 delayed, for 'twas a great strain on my nerves. One o'clock 
 struck at the rustic church, still the man in the road made no 
 sign. I hurried out to look for myself, tho' my anxiety went 
 for nought. The bare, white road, wound ahead without a 
 speck upon it as far as the eye might scan. 
 
 I returned indoors and tossed off a cup of mulled Hollands, 
 for now I felt my courage to be steadily drooping. Two o'clock 
 sounded, whereat I grew more uneasy. I went outside again, 
 and strained my eyes on the track, yet 'twas still one long streak 
 of white. I now ordered relief for the man in the roadway and 
 the men with the horses. I was growing strangely nervous. 
 Three o'clock sounded. By this an ugly foreboding had taken 
 the place of hope and triumph. The rogue on the look-out 
 could offer no consolation, and the minutes still continued 
 monotonously to flee. I walked up and down dolefully, and 
 even more anxiously than my lord had done the night before. 
 What did it all mean ? And the stern countenance of Prince 
 William was beginning to rise in my brain. 
 
 Presently the sun began to sink, and my heart with it. What 
 could have happened ? Churchill had certainly said noon at 
 the Wheat Sheaf, Bugley. I became frightened and more 
 restless ; and my heart sank lower. Must I go back and tell 
 William I had failed ? I dared not. How I feared that man ! 
 I waited till my spirit was sore with vexation. Still the man 
 in the road could offer no consolation, and the wintry sun was 
 waning, ever waning, but no King, no Churchill, and no news ! 
 I paced about the road in a fever of agitation, and clutched 
 miserably at my hair, for His Highness, icy and cold, was be- 
 fore me. Now I was beginning to hear his voice whispering in 
 my ears. This hallucination chilled my blood. Why did they 
 not come ? Why should I be thus balked of my reward when 
 the plans had been laid so skilfully, and success had been so 
 certain? 'Twas maddening to tarry thus with the gray of the 
 twilight creeping on, shadowlike, ghostlike, with the night so 
 fast approaching, and with the frost-laden air getting keener 
 and more piercing as the moments passed. 
 
 In desperation I sought refuge in another mug of Hollands.
 
 THE AFFAIR AT THE WHEAT SHEAF, BUG LEY. 391 
 
 Yet still the shadows were closing in, and there was no cavalcade 
 of ten, no Churchill, no King, and no glory ! I stamped my feet 
 hnpotently, worked myself into an unavailing rage, and let forth 
 a stream of oaths. Then the night wind came rustling among 
 the naked hedgerows and moaned sadly over the bare and 
 silent plain, whilst the white length of road became gradually 
 blurred and indistinct. The maid of the inn was just bringing 
 lighted candles .(for the dusk was growing deeper) when the 
 watcher outside came running in, crying, " They're coming, 
 captain ! " 
 
 I ran outside, and peered eagerly into the gloom. The click 
 of hoofs sounded clear to my ears, and I could plainly see a 
 body of horsemen fast approaching. 
 
 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 THE AFFAIR AT THE WHEAT SHEAF, BUGLEY. 
 
 AT last the time had come. I rushed round to the yard ; the 
 men still held the horses. 1 gave a hasty glance at the animals, 
 and saw they were all in readiness. Next I returned indoors, 
 and as I did so could hear the coming cavalcade so plainly that 
 their talk was distinctly audible above the harsh music of their 
 horses' feet. Instantly my men were alive and eager. 
 
 A hubbub arose outside, in which stamping hoofs, champing 
 bits, and many voices were intermingled. It struck me that 
 this company of ten was showing a very small respect for its 
 King, to judge by the noise it made. The outer door was 
 pushed open, and a crowd of soldiers came scrambling in, tread- 
 ing on the heels of one another in their haste. 
 
 "Quick, my lass, a pint of ale for me! We ain't much time 
 
 to tarry, and its mighty co " " Hey, wench ! a pint for me, 
 
 and " Prithee, good mistress, a flagon o' sack " 
 
 " Quick wi' a black jack of October, wench ! " 
 
 4i Peace, gentlemen ! I cannot serve ye altogether," quoth 
 the girl with a pout. 
 
 This cold crew were not those I had expected ; though 'twas 
 evident they belonged to the King. Suddenly one of them took 
 notice of us, and cried out at the pitch of his lungs 
 
 " Holy Virgin ! those are Dutch Bill's Hollanders ! " 
 
 A mighty exclamation made the rafters echo, and the fellows 
 came crowding round us. 'Twas a desperate situation ; at such
 
 392 M '/STRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 moments a man may be pardoned many things. They instantly 
 prepared to arrest us. To judge by the babel 'twas a whole 
 regiment that had arrived. Our pieces were loaded, so I gave 
 the word to fire, and then to charge. Seventeen pistols cried 
 out together; the little room was choked with smoke, and the 
 doorway was hideously cleared. The smoking weapons were 
 discarded, and, sword in hand, my band made for the door, 
 striding over and trampling on prostrate forms in our progress. 
 The press being very thick outside, a fierce struggle ensued, 
 and blows and cries were everywhere. With our blades we 
 hewed vigorously, and in two minutes a dozen of us had sprang 
 into the saddle and were spurring for dear life out of the hos- 
 telry yard, down the road to westward over the Somersetshire 
 border. We fled with a loose rein, yet soon our enemies were 
 in full cry after us. However, we had a good start, and the 
 horses being fresh and the darkness rapidly advancing, we had 
 not many fears as to our ultimate escape. W 7 e were now thir- 
 teen in all. Thus it will be understood eight of our number 
 had failed to make their way to the yard, and had either been 
 struck down or captured. 
 
 Ere long the pursuit ceased, but the enemy being now ap- 
 prised of our presence, there was nought else for us to do but 
 to return to William's camp. By the aid of the moon we rode 
 all night, through Frome, and by way of Glastonbury and Somer- 
 ton to Ilminster. Arrived there, we knocked up the grumbling 
 landlord. Very soon we resumed the possession of our own 
 steeds, and they being fresh and well cared for, bore us towards 
 Exeter at a sprightly pace. 
 
 Oppressed, stricken, and defeated, I sate listlessly in the sad- 
 dle, my thoughts of the bitterest. Thus had ended all the 
 dreams of glory and success. I sank my head on my breast in 
 despair. God knows I had done everything within my power. 
 I had left no stone unturned ; I had striven to provide against 
 every possibility ; I had not spared myself or my command ; I 
 had pushed on without tarrying. I had seen and arranged with 
 my lord, he had passed his word that every plan was complete, 
 and here I was flying beaten before the King with the mission 
 unfulfilled, and nearly half my men left in the hands of the 
 enemy. 'Twas bitter ! bitter ! How to face the Prince after 
 such a woeful ending I knew not, nor did I dare to think. How 
 I feared the man ! I grew ominous once more at the thoughts 
 of my forthcoming interview, and shuddered at what was in 
 store. That icy countenance, that demanding eye ; how I 
 dreaded them ! Yet, even in this hour of defeat and desolation,
 
 THE AFFAIR A 7" THE WHEAT SHEAF, BUGLE Y. 393 
 
 I bethought myself of the portrait I bore in my breast-pocket, 
 and, under cover of the darkness, I drew it forth and kissed the 
 face it bore. I tried very hard to be as brave as my mistress 
 was, but was wholly unsuccessful. Again that iceberg of a man, 
 the Prince of Orange, came into my mind. And at his appari- 
 tion the fear of him completely overwhelmed me. Then it was I 
 knew my old fortitude, endurance, and courage had deserted me, 
 and that God had set the seal of a broken man upon my spirit. 
 
 Half frozen with the severity of the weather, we came to 
 Axminster towards eight of the clock in the morning. Here a 
 surprise awaited us. We had only reached the outskirts of the 
 town, when a body of our troops pulled us up curtly and de- 
 manded our business. From them we learned that the Prince 
 had marched out of Exeter the previous day, and was now 
 lying in and around Axminster, having left his headquarters 
 strongly garrisoned, under the command of Sir Edward Sey- 
 mour. Soon I was to hear something to disquiet me. 'Twas 
 that His Highness had already inquired for me, and had given 
 orders that I must repair to him as so&n as I arrived. There- 
 fore I had no alternative, other than to go and give an account 
 of my dismal failure. Straightway I made for the Prince's 
 headquarters. He was stationed at the principal inn in the 
 town. I set out thither, without even stopping to souse my 
 face, or to brush my coat, or to thaw my limbs; being desper- 
 ately anxious to get the interview done with. It almost mad- 
 dened me to brood on it, and to conjecture what the result 
 would be. Van der Kempt was in attendance outside the door 
 as usual. 
 
 "I am glad you have come," he said. " His Highness hath 
 already inquired thrice for you." 
 
 This did not tend to reassure me. At that moment I bitterly 
 repented having told so much to Danby. Then I should not 
 have had this ill-fated enterprise entrusted to me, and the nau- 
 seous pill of defeat to swallow. Van der Kempt ushered me 
 in. I strove hard to pluck up spirit and smarten my dejected 
 bearing. 
 
 As I stepped into the apartment I caught a full view of my- 
 self in a large mirror opposite the door and I gave a start as I 
 did so. My person was a mass of glistening hoar frost, my 
 face was pale and worn and haggard, and a dark stain of blood 
 ran from my forehead to my jaw, the presence of which I was 
 now aware of for the first time. - 'Twill thus be seen my ap- 
 pearance accorded very ill indeed with the presence of the 
 Prince my master.
 
 394 MISTRESS DOKOTHY MARVIN. 
 
 His Highness was seated at a table facing the doorway, and 
 had a huge mass of papers and a map before him. He looked 
 up as I entered, and presented me with a stony stare. 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 " Your highness, er I I I've " 
 
 " Failed ! " he inserted icily, then gave me another blood- 
 chilling stare. Said he, " Sir Edward, I require a verbal ac- 
 count. And don't stammer. It jars on my nerves." 
 
 By some means I told him all, tho' I can never say how. 
 Perchance it was because my finger-nails bit into the flesh, be- 
 cause my head was singing, or because I had the hot ache in 
 my toes. Anyway, I told him everything everything, even to 
 Churchill's excitement and mine own, and how I had left eight 
 troopers behind with the enemy. He listened immovable. 
 When I had uttered the last word, I folded my arms over my 
 fluttering heart, and prepared for the worst. What would it be ? 
 How I feared that stoical wretch ! How I feared that ice-cold 
 Dutchman, and how I hated him ! He said nothing. He did 
 not even glance at me again. He simply turned to his docu- 
 ments, seized a pen, and began to write, his countenance in- 
 scrutable, but very acid. He did not dismiss me. He did not 
 bid me tarry. He kept me standing there miserable, dejected, 
 pale, bleeding, with a whirling head and frozen feet, yet still 
 he wrote in silence. Once more I fell to twirling my hat. At 
 last his pen ceased. He looked up quickly and regarded me. 
 My teeth set with a snap. 
 
 " Come hither, Sir Edward," quoth he quietly. 
 
 I did as I was bidden, and as I approached him I felt the 
 power of speech come back. 
 
 " Your highness," said I, in a low tone, " I have done my 
 best. More than that no man can do. Methinks Providence 
 hath been against me." 
 
 I looked at him doggedly, sullenly, and thought myself an 
 ill-used man. As for the Prince, he returned my gaze, with a 
 cynical turn of the lip; then handed me the paper he had writ- 
 ten, and commanded me to read it. I did so, and emotion 
 nearly mastered me in the mean time ; 'twas a captain's com- 
 mission and an appointment as one of his aides-de-camp. 
 
 "You are a brave man, and r like brave men," said the 
 Prince softly. 
 
 " Your highness " I gasped, with notable lack of breath. 
 I got no farther. 
 
 "Tut, Sir Edward, that will do. Go to bed and dream of 
 your baronetcy. You are excused from duty to-day."
 
 THE NIGHT RIDE TO LONDON. 
 
 395 
 
 He smiled as he said these last words, and as I left him, 
 tho' I was not precisely sure whether I employed my head or 
 my heels to walk with, I felt exquisitely proud of myself, and 
 took out again the portrait, and passed delightful moments in 
 anticipating how my great-spirited mistress would thrill with 
 the news. 
 
 After some hunting about I found a bed of warm straw in 
 a farmer's hayloft. First I procured quills, ink, and paper ; 
 penned a tremendous epistle to Dorothy, then flung myself 
 down amongst the straw, and slept for ten hours. Yet I dis- 
 obeyed His Highness, for I dreamt of nothing at all; nay, not 
 even of his smile. 
 
 CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 THE NIGHT RIDE TO LONDON. 
 
 THE Prince remained several days i'n his present quarters, 
 and was well advised in so doing. King James was eager to 
 fight for the excellent reason that every day his own supporters 
 dwindled, and his opponent's increased. However, William 
 would not risk a battle with matters going so favorably ; hence 
 waited, but with the shrewdest eye, for passing events. 
 
 Two days after my second interview with the Prince, a mes- 
 senger came riding into the camp post-haste from the north, 
 and brought the news that my lord Danby had succeeded much 
 better than I had. He had lighted the beacon as he promised 
 he would ; he had surprised the garrison at York, had disarmed 
 it, and was now in possession of the city. A rebellion had 
 risen in the north, and was rapidly spreading to the Midlands. 
 When this news became known in our camp, there was scarce 
 aught else to be seen, but smiling faces; indeed, the cause was 
 prospering beyond expectation. As for me, the soreness be- 
 gotten by my late misfortune wore gradually away. His High- 
 ness had much astonished me by his behavior, and 'twas par- 
 ticularly congenial astonishment. Wherefore I admired him 
 more, and hated him less ; tho' I was sadly puzzled in mind as 
 to why I had failed, I could not bring my mind to believe that 
 Churchill had wittingly played me false. 
 
 Upon the morning of the twenty-fifth of November, all 
 doubts were suddenly and unexpectedly dispelled. I was in 
 the room next the Prince's apartment, which had been formed 
 into a kind of ante-room for the use of the officers. Accord-
 
 396 M1STJRESS DOKOTHY MARVIN. 
 
 ingly I, having already assumed my new dignities, was ensconced 
 herein, when a gentleman in the King's uniform entered with 
 hot haste, and inquired for His Highness. A hum of amaze- 
 ment ran through the crowded assembly, since the new-comer 
 was none other than Churchill himself in riding-dress. He 
 bowed with his usual charming grace to the company, and was 
 then conducted to the Prince. Meanwhile all of us eagerly 
 speculated on what had brought him hither. Mayhap I was 
 not so surprised at his coming as some of my comrades were, 
 for methinks no man in the kingdom was better able to gauge 
 the dark depths of the man's heart than myself. My lord and 
 the Prince were closeted together for half an hour in private, 
 and then the faithful Van der Kempt threaded his way through 
 the throng and touched my shoulder. 
 
 " His Highness wishes a moment's speech with you, captain." 
 
 I gave an exclamation of surprise, yet followed at his heels 
 on the instant. I discovered the Prince and the soldier deep 
 in conversation. Churchill, without any ado, smilingly offered 
 me his hand. And I, being loth to accept it, he said 
 
 " Confess, friend, thou art ruffled with me. You do me grievous 
 injustice. 'Twas the hand of Providence that was the marplot; 
 and, let me tell you, John Churchill is no match for Providence." 
 
 My heart went out to the fellow in spite of myself. .He was 
 so frank, and genial, and spoke with such easy grace, that I 
 accepted his hand. It appeared another mission was waiting 
 for me, and 'twas for that reason I had been summoned. Wil- 
 liam was as glum, silent, and icy as ever, though his latest 
 friend was all smiles and affability. The Prince it was, how- 
 ever, who gave me the orders, in a pointed and precise manner. 
 
 " Captain Armstrong," he said. " You will not tarry another 
 hour, but must ride post-haste to London. The Princess Anne, 
 whom I am assured is very well affected towards our enter- 
 prise, must be conveyed from Whitehall at once. Her father, 
 the King, is already in retreat, and may contemplate evil 
 towards Her Highness if she be not put out of his reach. You 
 will therefore start with all speed, and get her away before her 
 father arrives, as he hath heard of the state of her mind, and is 
 very wroth thereat. Here is another purse for your expenses 
 by the way, and, also, I give you leave of absence till our army 
 arrives in London. And, my friend, you will not have to wait 
 long for its arrival." 
 
 Those last words he spoke with the clearest confidence. 
 'Twas not boastfulness. 'Twas merely the faith he possessed 
 in his own ability and that of his command. I was in the
 
 THE NIGHT RIDE TO LONDON. 397 
 
 presence of this great man several times, yet on no occasion 
 was I so much impressed with his self-reliance as on this one. 
 I made preparations to set off at once on my journey, tho', ere 
 I started, I held a short conversation with two persons ; and 
 they were my lord Churchill and Tobe Hancock. 
 
 Ye have heard, kinsmen, of Providence, and similar vague 
 matters. And, certainly, what my lord had to say in his own 
 defence savored very strongly of its mysteries. However, it 
 appeared that his statement, strange as it was, did not overstep 
 the bounds of truth, and it hath since passed into history. It 
 seemed that at the very moment King James was stepping into 
 his coach to review his troops at Warminster (as Churchill had 
 promised me he should), he was suddenly seized with a violent 
 bleeding at the nose, which prevented him from setting forth. 
 This hemorrhage lasted three days, and thus completely baffled 
 the designs of Ned Armstrong, Danby, Prince William, and 
 those arch-traitors, Kirke and lord Churchill. I was loth to 
 believe this singular story at first, but ere long it was amply 
 corroborated. 
 
 As for Tobe, I had seen little of him of late ; therefore I 
 snatched a moment with him before starting. I confided my 
 horses to his care, for, as I was going to ride at such a pace to 
 London, I should be obliged to change horses several times 
 upon the way, and I was unwilling to trust my steeds to 
 the tender mercies of roadside hostelries. The blacksmith at 
 once fell foul of my new mission, as he had done of my former 
 one. He declared that the cause would not in any wise be ben- 
 fited by such " hole-and-corner work." He had come to fight 
 for his religion, and that being so, no amount of argument 
 could convince him that he would be doing his duty to the 
 cause by trepanning kings, or placing princesses out of danger. 
 
 I rode to Town as though the devil pursued me. I stopped 
 only to gulp food occasionally, and to obtain a fresh horse to 
 speed me on the journey. I had failed already in one en- 
 terprise entrusted to me by His Highness, but please God, I 
 would prove myself on this occasion. In my desperate anxiety 
 to be of service to him in this latest affair, I ne'er thought of 
 fatigue or the frailties of the human body. I rode all day, and 
 all night, till my coat was flecked with horses' foam, and my 
 legs were so stiff that I could scarce put them to the ground 
 without an exclamation, though in former days I had spent 
 hours in the saddle, and was a practised horseman. I set out at 
 midday on the Twenty-Fifth, and twenty-six hours later was in 
 the streets of London. 
 26
 
 398 MfSTXESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 Alas, I had come too late to be of service ! The Princess 
 had fled (none knew whither), between midnight and dawn that 
 morning. 'Twas a bitter reflection when I heard this news, to 
 think what I had gone through, only to fail again. Verily the 
 fates were set against me, and once more my heart drooped 
 when thus confronted with my non-success. And 'twas all the 
 harder to bear, as J considered I did not deserve such harsh usage. 
 
 I say that none knew whither the Princess had fled. Never- 
 theless absurd rumors were rife. Some of the ignorant stoutly 
 maintained she had not fled at all, but had been decoyed 
 away, and murdered by the bloody papists. These wretches 
 were considered capable of every crime under the sun, and 
 were treated accordingly. Never in the whole history of our 
 land had the popular mind been so incensed against the 
 Romanists. Their lives and property were not worth a 
 moment's purchase. Men called down curses upon the hapless 
 creatures, spat upon them, threatened them, robbed them, beat 
 them, and generally maltreated them in the most inexcusable 
 manner. 
 
 However, before the day was out, it was known for certain 
 that Anne had gone of her own accord, nt the earnest counsel 
 of Sarah, Lady Churchill, her trusted friend and adviser, and was 
 now fleeing northward, in high dread of her father's anger at 
 her treachery towards him. She was accompanied by my lord 
 Dorset, and, to the profound astonishment and scandal of all 
 zealous churchmen, by Bishop Compton who held the diocese of 
 London. And this spiritual lord, not content with lending the 
 episcopal presence to the affair, had actually sported riding- 
 boots and a buff coat, not to speak of pistols and a sword, 
 for the occasion ; a proceeding which for long afterwards 
 gave great offence to the sober-minded, and associated the most 
 calumnious of stories with the name of his reverence. I was 
 bitterly disappointed at this latest turn of events. So, dis- 
 gusted with myself, the world, and my luck of life, I wended 
 my way to good Master Fletcher's at the Three Crowns, where 
 a rapturous welcome awaited me (or my guineas). In no time 
 a hearty meal was laid before me. This was done ample 
 justice to ; the unfortunate Ned Armstrong having tasted but 
 the smallest portion of food during his journey. 
 
 With my legs somewhat eased by the rest, I determined to 
 take a stroll in the streets before going to bed, as my head was 
 not calm enough to entertain sleep. 
 
 An unlucky chance led me to the vicinity of Whitehall Palace. 
 'Twas growing dusk, and a mob was assembling round the
 
 THE HAND OF GOD. 399 
 
 gates. I inquired the reason of this, whereupon I was told the 
 retreating, defeated monarch was expected, and, to judge by 
 the lively epithets employed, those assembled had no sympathy 
 for him or his misfortunes. Neither had I ; yet I lingered 
 anxiously awaiting his arrival the arrival of my father's 
 murderer ! A cruel joy seized me to know that this man was 
 coming from the seat of war crushed, and fleeing from his 
 enemies. I had no mercy ; but gloated over the misfortunes of 
 the heartless wretch James Stuart. He had had no compassion 
 for hundreds of his noble misguided subjects, and, now he was 
 in need of theirs, 'twas very rightly denied him. Aye, the time 
 was fast coming for which I had longed and prayed. I did not 
 forget my hellish oath ; I did not forget my father's death ; I did 
 not forget the hideous courthouse ; 1 did not forget the first night 
 of exile. I felt the devil rising in my heart ; and one fierce 
 triumphant throb as I waited for the stricken wretch the 
 great man who had fallen. And all the while the crowd in- 
 creased till a mighty concourse surged about the palace gates. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 THE HAND OF GOD. 
 
 SUDDENLY the crowd struck up Lillibullero.* A brawny 
 rogue, with a villainous squint, who stood by my elbow, bellowed 
 horridly in my ear 
 
 " O den, broder Teague, dost hear de decree, 
 
 Lilli bullero, bullen a lah ! 
 Dat we shall have a new deputie? 
 
 Lilli bullero, bullen a lah ! 
 
 Lero, lero, lilli bullero, lero, lero, bullen a lah ! 
 Lero, lero, lilli bullero, lero, lero, bullen a lah I " 
 
 * The editor appends the following extract from Percy's " Reliques," vol. 
 ii. p. 365 : 
 
 " Lillibullero, slight and insignificant as it may now seem, had once a 
 more powerful effect than either the Philippics of Demosthenes or Cicero ; 
 and contributed not a little towards the great Revolution of 1688." 
 
 Let us hear a contemporary writer 
 
 " A foolish ballad was made at that time, treating the papists and chiefly 
 the Irish, in a very ridiculous manner, which had a burden, said to be Irish 
 words, ' Lero, lero, liliburlero,' that made an impression on the (King's) 
 army that cannot be imagined by those that saw it not. The whole army, 
 and at last the people, both in city and country, were singing it perpetually, 
 and perhaps never had so slight a thing GO great an effect." (Burnet.)
 
 400 MISTRESS DOROTHY MAR VI A?. 
 
 Hundreds of voices caught up the strange, wild, idiotic 
 " Lero, lero, lilli bullero, lero, lero, bullen a lah ! " 
 
 Meantime, above the strains of this chorus which boded the 
 greatest ill to every papist was plainly heard the rumbling of 
 carriage wheels and the howlings of the mob down the roadway. 
 
 Who can forget those tumultuous moments in the gathering 
 gloom? The hundreds chanting that baleful ditty ; the oaths, 
 the cries, the curses, the savage joy of the London multitude. 
 Then this pandemonium swelled into one great roar as a coach 
 and four horses, with postilions lashing furiously, hove into 
 sight at the bend of the road. 
 
 " The King ! " shouted the mob, and another howl broke forth 
 from the midst of it. However, the horses burst through the 
 press, but not before I had caught a glimpse of a white face, 
 paler than death's, cowering away from remorseless men. 
 
 The sight of this mockery of majesty brought up the devil 
 quicker than aught else could have done. 'Twas the first time 
 I had set eyes on the infamous king. My head began to 
 grow tempestuous. And that was the herald of coming mad- 
 ness. I know I was mad that night. Why disguise the fact ? 
 I had caught a glimpse of my arch-enemy the man who had 
 done what nought could undo. My limbs had ceased to ache, 
 my head had ceased to think. My eyes lost sight of the crowd 
 of everything but a cowering wretch in one corner of a coach, 
 whose ghastly countenance was whiter than the virgin snow, 
 whose fearful eyes held no sign of life. And then 1 did a thing 
 of which to this hour I am ashamed. Seized by a sudden gust 
 of frenzy, I picked up a large stone from the footpath and 
 hurled it through the carriage window. I do not think it struck 
 the King, but 'twas no fault of mine that it did not do so. This 
 act accorded with the brutal humor of the crowd, and it set up 
 a hoarse cheer of approbation. After this, I paced the streets 
 like an infuriated animal, and every whit as pitiless and savage. 
 I could not rid my disordered senses of the vision of the stricken 
 King cowering before his subjects. It must have been hours 
 ere I returned to the Three Crowns in the Strand. I do not 
 know what I looked like, yet am aware Master Fletcher recoiled 
 from me as though I had been a wild beast. I went to bed by 
 and by, though not till mine host had given me a soothing 
 potion, else I should ne'er have obtained _a wink of sleep. 
 
 Next morning I awoke sensible, but, alas, 'twas not an un- 
 adulterated blessing. Gradually the incidents of the previous 
 evening came back to my mind, and the pangs of remorse they
 
 THE HAND OF GOD- 401 
 
 occasioned I do not care to dwell upon at any length. I had 
 entertained the devil aforetime, yet God had spared me ; and 
 now, in gratitude, I had entertained him again, just as I had 
 begun to think the undermining monster had deserted me for- 
 ever. Besides there was a maid down in Somersetshire who 
 had said, " Go forth and win, and then come back to me ! " 
 Was I to go back to her devil-possessed, with a madman's 
 heart and a vengeful soul ? If I could have passed over that 
 hideous dream of the previous night, I would have foregone 
 my expected baronetcy ! As I lay in bed that morning, I felt 
 the most utterly weak and unworthy man on all the earth's 
 surfaces If I could but blot out last night's doings ; if I could 
 but undo that cowardly act ! I knew my father would not 
 bide better in his grave for what I had done. 
 
 I rose and dressed myself and remained indoors all day, and 
 lay mentally snivelling and repentant for hours over the hearth- 
 stone. I opine, children, ye are about heartily sick of your 
 wretched sire. Contrition is cheap coin to exchange for folly, 
 and more especially when it can be entertained without loss of 
 appetite, for T grieve to say I disposed of three slices of deer's 
 meat at dinner-time. 
 
 The candles had been alight an hour on the evening of that 
 day of humiliation, when the parlor door opened and admitted 
 a little man in a riding-coat and jack-boots. I felt a thrill of 
 pleasure ; the traveller was my friend Fetter Whipple. 
 
 " Ods, bud ! " he exclaimed with a lively grimace of recogni- 
 tion, " mine old friend ! What do you here ? " 
 
 An explanation followed, and when mine host of the King's 
 Head had divested himself of his riding attire, and had before 
 him his perennial churchwarden and black jack, a similar ques- 
 tion was put on my part. 
 
 " Business, lad," he replied, as a blue puff of smoke curled 
 up to the ceiling. " I move wi' the times, d'ye see. Bridg- 
 water is too quiet just now. There is need for a man o' brains 
 in this city. These are the times when men wi' headpieces 
 make fortunes. I have work to do here. Before I go back, I 
 doubt not my purse will be fatter by a whole year's profits." 
 
 It was a real pleasure to me to have my friend's company, as 
 I v/as seldom depressed in his presence. 
 
 Those were awful times in London. For some weeks there 
 was no real government or law in the city, whereby the place 
 was a veritable inferno. The Stuart's power was broken, and 
 in his palace at Whitehall he remained crushed, not knowing 
 whom to trust. He could offer no protection whatsoever to his
 
 4 02 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 papist friends. They were the common enemy, and victims of 
 the lawless, ay, and of the self-believing righteous, too. Their 
 property was seized, and its owners were threatened and gen- 
 erally maltreated ; their houses were burnt, and the law had 
 not sufficient power nor sufficient inclination to protect them. 
 
 Pete delivered his mind on many matters the night following 
 his arrival. 
 
 " Do you mark my words, my lad," he said, " that prince o' 
 thine will find himself in a corner yet, if he doth not be very 
 careful. Men are flocking to his standard every day, and such 
 men Jack Presbyters, Anabaptists, Independents, Churchmen, 
 Tantivies, and the deuce knows who. 'Twould take a head 
 like mine or Bob Bickers's to manage all that crew. Then he 
 hath gotten an army of Dutchmen and this country will ne'er 
 take kindly to Dutchmen. You say His Highness is a rare 
 strategist. We shall see that. I shall be able to judge him the 
 better in another fortnight." 
 
 " He will be on the Throne in another fortnight," said I. 
 
 " Will he? Then he'll be off it again in a year. If this 
 Dutchman knows his business (and methinks he doth), he will 
 not seize power greedily. Let him avoid bloodshed, and 
 calmly wait till James takes to his heels of his own accord, and 
 till the whole nation hath begged him to assume the crown. If 
 he does things in a hurry, and shows an undue eagerness, he is 
 a fool. His game now is to play the disinterested benefactor to 
 the country, and to wait awhile, till the throne is vacant, and till 
 he is invited thereto." 
 
 " But, Pete," I interrupted, " he is properly entitled to it." 
 
 " Psha ! you argue like a woman. Where's the man who gets 
 his deserts ? I'm properly entitled to a place in Heaven, but 
 I'm not there yet. Besides he hath a mighty many friends to- 
 day who are friends of the moment. They're like Bob Bickers 
 and my meritorious self, they go with the wind. Dutch Bill 
 must have no real fighting, else this nation will turn on him. 
 'Twill ne'er watch its own men whipped by a set o' schnapps- 
 sucking Dutchmen. No, sir ; if the Prince wants a firm seat on 
 the Throne, let him coax James out of the country, and then be 
 decently and duly invited to it by the voice of the nation. 
 That is the only way to wear the crown securely." 
 
 Pete abided close by his opinions, and methought them sound 
 enough. 'Twas undoubtedly the course likely to be followed 
 by a shrewd tactician, for should the Prince make a greedy grab 
 for power, then most assuredly folks would set it down to his 
 ambition, and would mistrust him in accordance. 'Twas evident
 
 THE FLIGHT OF JAMES STUART. 403 
 
 patience, watchfulness, and careful diplomacy alone would be 
 able to seat him firmly on the Throne. By that means he would 
 gain the confidence and full trust of the country at large,, 
 Still, I was not at all pleased with this plan, as it meant mud? 
 \veary waiting ere the great hopes I cherished could be 
 fulfilled. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVII. 
 
 THE FLIGHT OF JAMES STUART. 
 
 'TwAS plain that the Prince had equally as clear a perception 
 of the situation as mine host of the King's Head, Bridgwater. 
 
 The King still remained at Whitehall, tho' every day his 
 case became more hopeless, his power weakened, and his 
 friends left him in larger numbers, whilst the populace grew 
 more clamorous for William to mount the throne. 
 
 However, he did not hurry his march to the capital ; but 
 avoided anything likely to cause a conflict between his army 
 and the scattered bodies of King's troops. The days went 
 slowly by ; and the Prince marched over Salisbury plain, and 
 reached Hungerford on the sixth of December. 
 
 There were several parleyings hereabouts betwixt James and 
 William, and from them it was plainly seen, by the patient 
 manner in which the Dutchman listened to his foe, that he was 
 playing the part of " benefactor to the country." Nothing of 
 much import was the outcome of their talk, but on the tenth of 
 December London woke to discover that the Queen and her 
 infant son had fled. 
 
 The next day I overslept myself ; but was rudely aroused, 
 however, by a slap on the back from my friend Pete. 
 
 " Now then, you slugg-ardly varlet ! " I heard him say, 
 "awake and hear the news. King James hath fled ! " 
 
 " Hurrah ! " I shouted, jumping out of bed at a single bound, 
 and executing a dance barefoot in my nightshirt. 
 
 Albeit, that \vas a thoughtless dance, for now we were in the 
 throes of a terrible crisis. London was at the mercy of the 
 mob. The King had fled ; the Prince was miles away ; and 
 there was none to preserve order. Also James had sent orders 
 to my lord Feversham to disband the army. The night that 
 followed was a truly horrible one, and hath still a large place in 
 my memory. As soon as darkness fell, Master Whipple advised 
 his kinsman to bar his doors.
 
 404 MISTRESS DORO THY MAR 
 
 " If I am not mistaken," said the omniscient Pete, " we are 
 to have such a time this night as we shall ne'er forget." 
 
 He had read the signs correctly. In the busy thoroughfare 
 called the Strand ere long the noise of an immense rabble was 
 heard. An hour later Master Fletcher bid us come up into 
 his top garret, and climb from thence through the skylight onto 
 the tiled roof of the tavern. We did so, and I beheld the most 
 awful and most awe-inspiring sight I ever set eyes on. All 
 round was one lurid glare ; on every side flames leapt skywards. 
 Chapels, monasteries, mansions, dwellings were on fire, at the 
 instance of the mob, because these buildings belonged to the 
 papists. A hideous throng was gathered in the streets; and we 
 could clearly see it as we looked down from our coign of van- 
 tage. A wicked company, the pestilential scum of a great town, 
 jostled one another in the narrow way, bent on plunder and 
 destruction. Thieves, cut-purses, ring-droppers, money- 
 changers, house-breakers, and the like were mingled with 
 hundreds of foolhardy 'prentices, as they paraded the streets 
 with the booty. Some bore an ivory crucifix, others a piece of 
 rich cloth, others a picture, others rare candelabra. Yet this 
 was in one hand only, for the other held a stave or a sword ; and 
 bloody brawls were rife. 
 
 As the night advanced the howls of the mob increased with 
 the flames. Casks of beer and wine were seized from private 
 dwellings and were broached in the street below. 'Twas a 
 loathsome sight to see the wretches grovel on their knees in 
 pursuit of the liquor, and gather it in their hats. They fought 
 and screamed, plundered and sacked all night through ; whilst 
 as the hours went by the flames shot up higher and higher. On 
 every side sparks, smoke, and the leaping tongues of fire rose 
 nearer the sky. The convent at Clerkenwell, and its rich furni- 
 ture and treasury of books were reduced to ashes ; and nearly 
 all Catholic meeting-houses had only four walls left standing by 
 morning. When at last the mob had spent its fury on these 
 places, it turned recklessly on the mansions of the foreign am- 
 bassadors. Foremost among these was that of the Spanish 
 minister, Senor Ronquillo. His house, close by Lincoln's Inn 
 Fields, was burnt to the ground, his rich plate, seized by the 
 greedy hands of the multitude, and many works of art and 
 valuables destroyed. Upon the appearance of daylight the 
 thousands hied back again to their dens, with the city a wreck; 
 leaving in every street grim windowless walls blackened and 
 gaunt as a testification of their handiwork. 
 
 The day following this terrible night must not be passed
 
 THE FLIGHT OF JAMES STUART. 405 
 
 lightly over, as an event happened in the course of it which, 
 even now, sets the blood flowing the swifter through my veins 
 when I chance to recall it. Pete and I were taking a walk in 
 the vicinity of the Tower, when there slowly came towards us a 
 frantic mob. Men were fighting and howling and striving one 
 against another to reach an object in its midst. As it ap- 
 proached, we could see it was a coach they sought to attack, 
 and that it was protected by a large company of pikemen. The 
 soldiers marched around it, and presented a thick hedge of steel 
 points to the crowd to keep it back ; tho' such was the frenzy 
 of the populace that the foremost of its members came near 
 spitting themselves upon the steel. 
 
 " Poor devil ! " remarked my companion. " Some other 
 milk-livered papist, I'll bet." 
 
 'Twould have gone hard indeed with the man, whoever he 
 might have been, had they got hands upon him, for the fighting 
 throng would undoubtedly have torn him to pieces. As it 
 came up Pete and I, curious to discover the cause of this strange 
 commotion, mounted the highest steps of a house beside us, and 
 from this point were able to overlook the struggling mass be- 
 neath. The coach, the pikemen, and the maniacs passed slowly 
 by, and inside the vehicle I beheld a creature which made me a 
 maniac too. I could plainly see a grotesque object, blackened 
 and begrimed with coal-dust, in the garb of a sailor, whose eyes 
 were starting, and whose face was smeared and bedaubed with 
 blood. This creature was imploring the soldiers with clasped 
 hands not to let the mob get at him. There was no mistaking 
 the mouth and the jaw of the unhappy creature. It was Jeffreys ; 
 the man who had held life and death in the palm of his hand ; 
 the debauched, vile judge, the man whom all the nation had 
 trembled at. Despite his disguise, despite his abject terror, he 
 could not conceal that satanic countenance. Those black brows 
 had been seen too often. The mob had recognized him, and 
 the man beside Peter Whipple also. Taunton courthouse was 
 rising in my brain again. I was fascinated for a moment ; then 
 whispered hoarsely to my friend 
 
 " For the love of Heaven, Peter, lead me hence ! Take me 
 anywhere away from this." 
 
 I had not the strength to move of mine own accord. 
 
 The innkeeper did not reply ; only gave me a contemptuous 
 glance, and obtained a powerful hold on my sleeve. 
 
 Just then the crowd made one bold sweeping rush, and fought 
 the pikemen hand to hand. I could hear the screams, the 
 clash of arms, the oaths, and finally a cry of triumph. The
 
 406 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 coach was rocking, and far above the din, a voice, the arch- 
 fiend's voice, was raised in supplication. 
 
 "For Gods sake, gentlemen," it wailed, "don't let them 
 come ! Don't, don't ! They're coming ! Save me ! save me ! " 
 
 " Let me go, Pete ! " I cried, attempting to drag my arms 
 free. 
 
 The little man grinned, and tightened his grip. 
 
 " Unhand me, d'ye hear ! It's Jeffreys. Hands off, I say ! 
 I must and will go and tear him limb from limb wi' the 
 others." 
 
 Master Whipple got his two hands on my wrists like a vice ; 
 yet I struggled and besought and finally fought him in my 
 madness. Still I could not free myself. Pete and I jostled 
 desperately, but the crowd pressed on towards the rocking- 
 coach, amidst the shrieks of vengeance. A terrific struggle 
 ensued at the Tower gates. Albeit, in the end, the coach and 
 the soldiers got through, and the yelling multitude was thrust 
 back, and was thereby balked of its prey. 
 
 Whereupon Peter Whipple whispered, " You oaf ! " into my 
 ear, shifted his devil's grip from my wrists to my doublet collar, 
 and bundled me back to the Three Crowns with the peremp- 
 tory expedition of a Bow Street runner. 
 
 I felt faint and sick by the time we had returned to the inn. 
 After a while I recovered somewhat, and thanked Pete for his 
 kindly offices. That night I told him my strange story, whence 
 he understood my violence of the few hours previous. 
 
 So this was the second of my foes humbled and brought low. 
 I cannot tell whether 'twas God's judgment ; yet from that day 
 forward I have ever been inclined to regard it as a Divine mani- 
 festation. 
 
 A few weeks later my Lord Chief Justice died in the greatest 
 agony of mind in the Tower. I will not dwell upon this episode ; 
 if you have carefully followed my fortunes thus far you may 
 well understand how I was affected by it. 
 
 I doubt not, kinsmen, ye have heard the story in its entirety, 
 as to how the monster was recognized in his foul disguise in 
 a low alehouse at Wapping : how he was dragged forth by a 
 vengeful mob, who would have beaten him to death had not 
 some of the trainbands come to his rescue; how he was brought 
 before the Lord Mayor ; and how finally (as you have seen) he 
 was conveyed to a prison from which he ne'er afterwards issued 
 alive. 
 
 Another night of tumult and riot followed, and one accom- 
 panied by a fear of the lawlessness of the disbanded Irish
 
 HIS PROTESTANT MAJESTY KING WILLIAM IIL 407 
 
 troops. A rumor was launched just after nightfall to the 
 effect that a horde of them were marching on London, and 
 were slaying every Protestant man, woman, and child in its 
 progress. Of course this was a wicked lie. Some mischievous 
 scoundrel had raised it to further disturb the mind of the popu- 
 lace. 
 
 All night long the citizens paced the streets in patrols. They 
 were armed to the teeth, and were fully bent on thwarting the 
 common foe. However, no enemy appeared. 
 
 In such times as these men live fast; events sufficient for an 
 ordinary decade are crowded into a few weeks ; and so much 
 hath been said by the historians (though perhaps without any 
 over-nice regard for the truth) that I will refer you to them for 
 any fuller account. I do but simply lay before you those mat- 
 ters which most nearly affected myself in these turbulent times. 
 Bishop Burnet and Mr. John Oldmixon will tell you all about 
 the politics. I shall be quite content nay, shall e'en consider 
 my task worthily performed if I do but faithfully recount all 
 that came under my personal observation hereabouts, and for 
 the accuracy of which I myself can vouch. So much was 
 crammed into this short period that my old head is sadly con- 
 fused thereby, and so great a lapse of time hath passed since 
 then that, should any small particular differ from the printed 
 accounts, then I will be content to have it set down to a failing 
 memory sooner than be involved in any controversy with the 
 chronicles ; not, however, that I consider them any more in- 
 fallible than mvself. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVIII. 
 
 HIS PROTESTANT MAJESTY KING WILLIAM III. 
 
 As ye are aware, I have been lately discoursing at some 
 length upon the hopes, aspirations, and fortunes of kings and 
 princes, and have sadly neglected those of the humble Edward 
 Armstrong. But my tale being conceived in a homely key, I 
 shall from this point to the finish, which is happily not far dis- 
 tant, give Master Ned my best attention, and as far as practi- 
 cable leave exalted folk to the historians. 
 
 Shortly after the downfall of Jeffreys, I had a serious conver- 
 sation with Peter Whipple. I discovered him alone in the small 
 chamber Master Fletcher had placed at our service. He was 
 seated before the table counting golden guineas, and diffidently
 
 4c8 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 whistling. But when I came to his side, in immediate prox- 
 imity to the money, he suddenly changed his tune, and with 
 extraordinary haste gathered up the gold into his bag and 
 safely deposited the same into a pocket of his coat. 
 
 " It is a wise man that knows his master," said he gravely. 
 
 " I would like you to withdraw your insinuations, Pete," 
 said I, feeling hurt in my mind at his behavior. 
 
 " I insinuate nothing," he replied, with a little cough. 
 
 "Then why so insinuatingly cautious? " 
 
 " I wasn't born yesterday," he returned sweetly ; " methinks 
 I am rather old in the tooth." 
 
 " So you wish to infer that your money is not safe when I 
 am near it ? " 
 
 " Ned, my friend, you do me a wrong in your heart. I am 
 deeply grieved. Yet natheless I am mindful of a lesson I once 
 learnt from Bob Bickers. One day I was sitting, just as 1 am 
 now, counting guineas, when in he walks, and says he, clapping 
 me on the shoulder in his hearty way, ' Well, old friend, and 
 how is the old complaint ? ' Then he shook my hand as his 
 cordial fashion was, and made himself generally very affable. 
 But harkee, lad, when he was gone I found ten guineas minus. 
 Thereupon I remembered that his coat-sleeves were wide, and 
 that his reputation was just a trifle blown upon. When he 
 came next time, I made the charge direct to his face. Quoth 
 he serenely, ' Dear friend, experience hath to be bought and 
 duly paid for ; so take my advice and buy it early. You pay 
 the dancing-man to teach you how to foot the minuet, and to 
 trip the sprightly corranto. You pay the musicianer to teach 
 you how to finger the harpsichord and spinet, and to make 
 harmonious music, as Will Shakespeare hath it. Then why in 
 the world can't you pay the man who understands human 
 nature, to lay bare the malpractices and unchaste devices em- 
 ployed by your fellow-creatures?' Yes, lad, those were his 
 words. Fine, were they not ? Still, I have ne'er seen those 
 guineas since, but have kept the lesson well in mind." 
 
 " Pete," quoth I warmly, and fully determined to set him for- 
 ever right concerning a solemn resolution I had recently made, 
 " I have done with thieving and dishonesty now. Never again 
 will I stain my fingers with stolen property." 
 
 " Yes, that's highly correct," he assented with a smile. " But 
 faith, I must weep ; 'tis most touching and pathetic ! Indeed, 
 I am deeply moved. \Vhere's my handkerchief ? 'Tis the 
 devil's own thing is an emotional nature ! " 
 
 He brought forth his rag, folded it carefully to fit his eyes
 
 HIS PROTESTANT MAJESTY KING WILLIAM III. 409 
 
 with decorum, and wept with such vigor that all the while my 
 hands did itch to knock him down as flat as his own ale. 
 
 " I'm not jesting," said I shortly. 
 
 " And who said thou wert ? " he asked aggrievedly between 
 his sobs. 
 
 Here my worthy friend brushed his eyes smartly with his 
 coat-sleeve, gave one significant gulp, and looked up with a 
 watery smile. 
 
 " So you're going to start in a safer line ? " he said, then 
 sank his voice to a confidential whisper, and affecting a cat-like 
 countenance to match his purring tone, continued, " I presume, 
 my gossip, you are going to embrace the religious business. 
 I'm afeared 'tis not what it used to be ; still, methinks there's 
 room for an enterprising man. I've worked the trade wi' some 
 small success myself in my early days, and am not above giv- 
 ing a friend a hint or two. First, your demeanor must undergo 
 some alteration ; it's far too hearty, too healthy, too bucolic, and 
 too rustic. Ere you can commence in earnest, you've got to 
 make it about the length of a Cremona fiddle ; also yellowy 
 gray, and meek and smug and humble. And when ye first open 
 the shop, begin by making the responses in a loud voice, and 
 give the ' amens ' plenty o' lip, so that you'll be heard above 
 your neighbor. And when it comes to a moan, or a groan, or 
 a sigh, roll 'em out as though you meant 'em. And let your 
 singing be lusty and out o' tune, and your general demeanor 
 sinlessly pious, and you may take my word for it your chance 
 will come. The chosen will begin to notice you after a time, 
 and will see how the spirit doth fructify within you. Then 
 you'll be promoted to passing round the collection plate, and if 
 you will but keep your left arm stretched fairly over it, and ex- 
 ercise your thumb and middle finger as you ought to do, your 
 fortune's made." 
 
 " Pete ! " I broke in severely. 
 
 " ' It's a cold heart that tries to hoodwink a proven friend,' 
 said Long Bob, and, 'pon honor, I'm entirely of that way o' 
 thinking myself," he went on, giving me no chance for right- 
 eous expostulation. " But touching the highwayman business. 
 Thou hast been a creditable scholar. Not exactly a Bob Bickers 
 of course. We only have one of his kidney in a century, but 
 still pretty well for a yeoman's son. I have my doubts as to 
 whether you would have risen very high in the profession, for 
 candid, lad, betwixt man and man, your headpiece ain't of the 
 best. It's right enough for a bit o' common purse-snatching, 
 but, bless you, when it comes to the real tasty bits, the real
 
 4 1 o MISTRESS DORO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 artistic bits, then, say I, nature stinted you in the matter of 
 natural genius. Still, lad, I wish you luck and success in your 
 new undertaking." 
 
 " Thank you ! " sarcastically quoth I. 
 
 " No call to thank me," he returned, with noble pathos in his 
 voice; "I'm of a trusting and confiding turn by nature. And 
 I stick to old friends and do my little best. Methinks I'm ever 
 ready wi' kindly counsel, and with the blessed coin o' the realm 
 at a pinch. But 'tain't my style at all to blow my own trumpet." 
 So he blew his nose instead. 
 
 I took advantage of the pause thus offered, to commence a 
 tremendous retort. But the first terrific sentence fell stillborn 
 from my lips, since he withered it by the politest bow he could 
 command, and continued with sweet dignity. 
 
 " Many thanks, friend, from I that am so unworthy of your 
 kind remarks. Yet what I had to say was this. Methinks you 
 will soon find a worthy successor in the West country. If my 
 lad Tom doth but fulfil early promise, he'll make some stir be- 
 twixt Bristol and Bruton. You take a word from one who 
 knows. That boy hath more o' Long Bob Bickers' qualities 
 than any youth I've known." 
 
 At this juncture I did a wise thing; I submitted. Neither my 
 tongue nor my intellect were sufficently nimble to cope with 
 those possessed by Master Whipple. Therefore I swallowed my 
 grievances and called for two flagons of sack. My companion 
 pledged my good health, emptied the pot at one draught, and 
 called for another at my expense. Hereupon I broached the 
 subject that dwelt in mind. 
 
 " Pete, what hath brought you to Town ? " I asked as a 
 preliminary. 
 
 " Private and confidential matters. In fact, it's a family 
 reason." 
 
 And he chinked the gold in his pocket. 
 
 " Can you find time to transact a piece of important business 
 for me ? " 
 
 ' Might I inquire what it is ? " 
 
 'You know Captain Joshua Pringle, do you not? " 
 
 ' My friend, you are wasting words." 
 
 ' I want you to deliver his rascally body into my custody." 
 
 ' Terms ? " 
 
 'One hundred guineas. But mind, no violence must be 
 used." 
 
 " You had better make it two hundred, then.' 1 
 
 I remonstrated at the exorbitant demand, but he waxed so
 
 HIS PROTESTAA T T MAJESTY KING WILLIAM III. 41 1 
 
 eloquent concerning "the duty to his family ; " "the serious tax 
 upon his time ; " " and the bodily peril of the undertaking," 
 that in the end a compromise was arrived at ; and he accepted 
 one hundred and fifty. 
 
 Perchance, kinsmen, you are tempted to look upon this bold 
 offer of mine as a truly strange one. However, as a matter of 
 fact, 'twas not my offer at all. Upon the morning of this trans- 
 action, I had received a letter from Mistress Dorothy. Jt in- 
 formed me that my darling had received a small legacy left by 
 a member of her mother's family in France. She had at once 
 decided to devote this sum to the capture of her father's mur- 
 derer. Having heard of my lack of success in the matter, she 
 had commanded me to employ an expert. And who could be 
 more of an expert than Master Peter Whipple ? Verily the 
 case was hopeless if he could not manage it. None had more 
 extensive knowledge of London than he, none had keener wits, 
 and to no man was I under deeper obligations. Thus 'twill be 
 seen I had every reason to place the matter in his hands. Ever 
 since my sojourn in Town, I had been ceaseless in my exertions 
 to lay hands on the despicable little villain, but, like all the 
 other things I had undertaken in this unlucky enterprise, I had 
 failed. As for the letter that had reached me from Chilverley ; 
 when I came to peruse it, I found warm affection for me to 
 pervade almost every line. Accordingly, after I had read it 
 six times through, I cannot say which touched me most : the 
 fidelity the maiden showed towards her friends, or the hatred 
 towards her enemies. 
 
 Conceive me, kinsmen, at this moment to be like a man with 
 two mistresses ! My first mistress is Private Events, the other 
 Public Events. And one is clearly becoming jealous of the 
 other. I have been favoring the former lately, but now the 
 latter, like a very ill-mannered, ill-bred person, pokes its nose 
 in r and bids me show it more deference, by letting it sing for a 
 few minutes in a major key. So, to keep harmonious to the 
 end, I am obliged (much against my inclination) to humor it 
 somewhat; therefore listen to the tenor of its song. 
 
 Thursday, the thirteenth of December, brought with it a 
 curious rumor. 'Twas said, first suspiciously, then boldly, that 
 the King had not escaped. By nightfall the report was fully 
 confirmed that he had been captured by a body of fishermen in 
 the vicinity of Sheppey Isle, and hod been prevented from 
 crossing the water. To the disgust and disappointment of the 
 Dutchman's friends, James, being thus balked in his attempted 
 flight, returned to Whitehall. Still this event provoked no
 
 41 2 MISTRESS DORO THY MA R VI N. 
 
 spark of spirit amongst his slender, disheartened following. 
 His prospects grew hourly worse, whereas, in proportion, the 
 Prince's grew hourly better, and his friends became increasingly 
 exultant. 
 
 The Prince was now at Windsor. On Monday, the seven- 
 teenth, he called a council of his principal supporters. The 
 result of this was, that a message was drawn up, and sent to the 
 King, requesting him to withdraw from his palace to a house in 
 the country. There was nought for the stricken monarch but 
 prompt compliance, as he was now entirely at the mercy of the 
 Invader. Thus it befell, on the following morning, that His 
 Majesty bade adieu to his capital. Few men had sympathy for 
 this broken and despairing man. He had totally alienated his 
 subjects by the mercilessness of his heart and the folly and 
 bigotry of his actions. 
 
 Then came one of the finest scenes of the drama. That same 
 day William and his troops took possession of the city. 'Twould 
 be idle to attempt to describe his reception, and 'twould be 
 equally so to speak at any length upon the enthusiasm that 
 bade him welcome. The entire town seemed in a transport. 
 Bells rang for hours from every Protestant steeple. Bonfires 
 were burnt at night, and even the staidest and soberest citizens 
 were reckless and extravagant regarding the number of window 
 candles they used to celebrate the coining of their champion. 
 As for me, I employed my vocal organs so zealously and so 
 unwisely, that when I went to bed that night 1 had a goose- 
 grease plaster on my chest. It was indeed a great day for 
 England ; 'twas once more free from a tryant's yoke ; folk might 
 live henceforth in peace, comfort, and prosperity, instead of 
 being at the mercy of a malignant bigot. Mon mouth had erred. 
 He had come before the nation was ripe for this grand blow, 
 that had shattered the power of despotism. But now the seeds 
 sown by the brave West-country yokels three years agone had 
 borne fruit. 
 
 This momentous affair hath been called " The Revolution," 
 and is justly looked upon as one of the wonders of history. It 
 appears an incredible thing that so great a stake -as the Crown 
 of Great Britain should be won and lost with such small expen- 
 diture of blood. Nevertheless, scarce a score lives were for- 
 feited, and only a few score shots were fired. No battle had 
 been fought, either by land or sea ; yet the Stuart was flying 
 with his birthright left behind. 
 
 Pete took this triumph with philosophical calmness. He 
 didn't get maudlinly drunk, like the quality ; or aggressively
 
 HIS PROTESTANT MAJESTY KING WILLIAM III. 413 
 
 drunk, like the commonalty ; or even decently drunk, like Jabez 
 Fletcher and I. In fact, he didn't get drunk at all. No, he 
 received it in his cold-blooded, critical way ; and was blithe to 
 lay down the law in the morning to the effect that the country 
 was going to the devil. 
 
 I remonstrated with him for this harsh decision ; whereupon 
 I learned that a cheerful nation would be overrun with sour- 
 faced Dutchmen, who drank nought better than schnapps and 
 small beer. At that I sought to console mine host of the King's 
 Head, Bridgwater, by ordering a butt of Malmsey to be delivered 
 three months from date to Sir Edward Armstrong of Copeland 
 Hall, in the county of Somerset. 
 
 Now Pete, not knowing overmuch of my affairs, scratched 
 his wig thereat, and said, " Well, I'll be damned ! " as though 
 he meant it. But he took the order ; and, for mine own part, 
 I took unction to my soul for having mystified a man of great 
 qualities and intellect. 
 
 And now we fell upon the busiest part of this bustling time. 
 The arrival of William in the city set everybody talking politics. 
 What was to be done with the King ? Rational men, who had 
 been staunchest to the cause, wisely held their peace, and hoped 
 for the best. But those who had bided at home, with words 
 for neither side during the struggle, having seen the way the 
 cat had jumped, came forth like patriots, and gave out uneasy 
 hints concerning the year '49, and what happened to the late 
 King Charles, his gracious Majesty's father ! Of course this 
 was child's talk, and folk of sense accounted it as such. Yet, 
 in the midst of this high language, and whilst every one was 
 telling his neighbor what ought to be done, and what ought not 
 to be done, the King suddenly placed the matter beyond all 
 controversy. News was brought to Town on Sunday the 
 twenty-third that the monarch had embarked in a skiff on the 
 shores of the Medway, and had sailed for France, relinquishing 
 all claim to the Crown and the Kingdom. 
 
 William had now the game in his own hands : the Revolution 
 had been consummated ; the Throne of England was within 
 his grasp. The Council of the Nation begged him to take it ; 
 but he was such a close man in himself, and kept his private 
 mind so secret, that many had doubts at first as to whether he 
 would accept the Crown. I was among the sceptics, and the 
 suspense preyed upon me so that I could not bide content 
 whilst the matter was in abeyance. However, in the end, as all 
 the world knows, he took his uncle's place and held it honor- 
 ably and wisely till the day he died. 
 27
 
 4 1 4 M1STXESS DO ROTH Y MAR VI N. 
 
 While these final passages were pending there intervened a 
 time of weariness ; and throughout the whole of it I remained 
 in London. Till the Government had been firmly established 
 I had no chance of obtaining the patent for my freedom. And 
 you will remember I had sworn not to return without it. 
 
 During the first fortnight I had the company of my faithful 
 friends, Tobe Hancock and Peter Whipple. The latter gentle- 
 man was exceeding serious in his efforts to earn the reward 
 offered by my mistress. Still, despite the vigilance of the pair 
 of us, Joshua Pringle was more than our match. He seemed 
 to have disappeared from the earth's surface. At last, how- 
 ever, we gathered his whereabouts. We had the information 
 from a former comrade that his sins had overtaken him in 
 the form of a fever, and that he had already gone to answer for 
 them. 
 
 In my heart I was by no means sorry that the gallows had 
 been cheated ; though Pete was quite grief-stricken to hear of 
 his timely end. However, mine host's efforts in the matter did 
 not go entirely unrewarded, and this considerably mitigated 
 his distress. Shortly afterwards he and Tobias returned to the 
 West together, leaving me behind impatient, but not bereft of 
 hope. 
 
 'Twas one day in February that the Dutchman became King, 
 and had regal rights duly vested upon him. A week later I 
 secured an audience with him. I was ushered into his private 
 closet, where he was alone with a thoughtful brow and a great 
 litter of papers. 
 
 He gave me no chance of speaking ere he glanced at me 
 quickly, said, " Ah, Sir Edward ! " with something like a smile, 
 and extended his right hand towards me. 
 
 In an instant I was on one knee and had his fingers to my 
 lips. As I rose, the sun peeped over the naked trees in the park, 
 and glittered coldly on the steel buttons of His Majesty's vest ; 
 and its frosty light seemed to exactly match the King's inscru- 
 table countenance. But this time I feared him not. 'Twas 
 now I felt the dawn of hope, and for the first time for many 
 months the joy of living. His Majesty remembered perfectly 
 well my late adventures for the cause, and showed a marked 
 acquaintance with my private history. When he had the full 
 facts of it, he gave me no word of sympathy ; but upon leaving 
 his presence half an hour later, I carried with me an order for 
 the restitution of my heritage, and that of Mistress Dorothy 
 Marvin, another calling upon the Chancellor to pay me one 
 year's revenues forthwith, and a third annulling the sentence 
 of my outlawry.
 
 THE RETURN TO THE WEST. 415 
 
 CHAPTER XLIX. 
 
 THE RETURN TO THE WEST. 
 
 IT chanced that along my line of route betwixt Whitehall 
 and the Three Crowns there was a goldsmith's shop. Thither 
 I went, and made a purchase not a costly one ; simply a 
 slender band of precious metal. 
 
 Two days hence my London business had been transacted. 
 Thus I said good-bye to Master Fletcher, and turned the head 
 of great Gustavus towards the West. I rode at quite a sedate 
 pace, tho' all the way thither I ne'er ceased to think of my tide 
 of joy; nor could I keep my mind from dwelling on it. I 
 reflected on God's mercy, too, and marvelled at the fulness of 
 its revelation. 
 
 I reached the Quantocks as night was closing in, on the third 
 day of the journey. Knowing the ground, I determined to 
 push on to the farmstead in the darkness. Accordingly, as 
 the grim shadows stalked along the valleys and shrouded the 
 black summits of the hills, I set my horse briskly over the 
 frozen ground, along the hollows, through the silent ravines, 
 and across the ice-coated water-courses. 
 
 Presently I arrived at the farmstead gate. Can I ever forget 
 the crossing of the rickyard that night, and how the sight of 
 the kitchen candles thrilled me ? My feet seemed to linger 
 lovingly at every step on the familiar paths, as if to draw out 
 my joyfulness still longer. I put my horse up in the stable, 
 and then walked into the kitchen, to the cheerful fire and the 
 beautiful faces. 
 
 I trow 'tis not a seemly thing for any man to expatiate upon 
 these supreme moments in his life. Therefore, instead of exalt- 
 ing my happiness before you, I will drop the veil of discretion 
 over this joyful evening, and will only say that we did not retire 
 to rest till three of the clock in the morning. 
 
 I awoke next day with the consciousness that an irksome 
 duty was unfulfilled as yet. Being a plain man, and an inex- 
 perienced one, I had many qualms, which I believe were only 
 natural. I had also a presentiment that I should make a fool 
 of myself, unless I had some assistance from the lady, and that 
 I could by no means depend upon. 
 
 At breakfast-time I ate a poor meal, and felt ridiculously 
 nervous throughout the course of it. On the other hand, Dor-
 
 4 1 6 MIS TRESS DORO THY MAR VI N. 
 
 othy, who sat opposite, made an excellent one, and kept inno- 
 cently asking what had become of my appetite. Mother laughed 
 outright when the sly maid had propounded this question for 
 the tenth time. Natheless my mistress declared my attitude 
 towards the eatables was a direct reflection upon herself, as she 
 had made the pasties. 
 
 " Wilt have a ramble with me among the hills this lovely 
 morning, dearest?" I whispered into her ear when the meal was 
 done. 
 
 She ran to her room, and came forth presently attired in her 
 hat and gloves and walking-coat. I donned my headgear also, 
 and taking John's hazel stick, set forth with my love for com- 
 pany. But as we were crossing the threshold of the door, that 
 heavy-witted wight, John Armstrong, rose and put on his hat, 
 saying 
 
 " Bide a minute, Ned, methinks I will walk out with you. 
 'Tis a rare day for walking ; besides, the occasion is so joyful, 
 I will honor it by allowing myself a holiday." 
 
 " Nay, nay, John, not this morning," put in mother promptly. 
 " 'Tis a very throng time this week. Best have an eye to the 
 hedging and ditching. You know the men are that idle, they 
 will do no work unless there is somebody by to keep them 
 to it." 
 
 John decided on this course, though not without demur. 
 Meanwhile dear mother's face betrayed such a wealth of supe- 
 rior understanding that Dorothy blushed ; whilst I felt a fore- 
 taste of my expected foolishness, when Betty whispered to my 
 mistress 
 
 " All men are fools, but I believe our Jack is the biggest and 
 most perfect of the breed. " 
 
 I shared that sentiment.- And I have no doubt Dorothy 
 (being a woman) in her private mind was just as severe towards 
 the clumsy interloper. However we set out by our two selves 
 along the pastures, crossed the fence where our farm land bor- 
 ders the ravine, and so reached the hills, which had the white- 
 ness of winter upon them. In the beginning I found no con- 
 versation, although in my natural state I have that noble gift- 
 self-confidence. 
 
 Suddenly my mistress stopped, picked up a frozen clod of 
 turf, and threw it at a robin redbreast as it trotted over the rimy 
 heather, then fiercely turned on me. 
 
 " Oh, boy ! why so tongue-tied ? Art like a deaf mute at a, 
 funeral ! " 
 
 "Am I?" I returned abstractedly.
 
 THE RETURN TO THE WEST. 417 
 
 At that she tossed up her chin, and fell a-whistling " Lillibul- 
 lero." The mad lilt jogged my memory. 
 
 " Dorothy," said I, " I have your freedom in my pocket." 
 
 " That you have not, Sir Edward. You gave it me last night," 
 and she produced the papers with the King's seal thereon, and 
 brandished them before my eyes. 
 
 " Dear gentlemen, I can plainly see he is not used to this sort 
 of thing," she said, making capital out of my confusion. 
 
 " And if he were ? " quoth I, at last upon my mettle. 
 
 That question was more than she had bargained for. Yet 
 able tacticians are not routed by a side wind or a stray word. 
 
 " And if he were well, he is a great swordsman." 
 
 " And if he were not a great swordsman ? " 
 
 "He would simply be mine own, dear lad!" Her face 
 flushed with this sudden gust of fervor. " Ned," she continued 
 impertinently, " I would give ten guineas to tease you as I would 
 like to do. You are the very worst lover I have met. Dear 
 papa always averred that a good fighter was a good wooer, but 
 I take it thou'rt the exception that proves the rule. My Lord 
 Churchill said more pretty things to me in one five minutes than 
 you will have the wit to say in a lifetime." 
 
 "Damn Lord Churchill ! " 
 
 " 'Tis a very sedate young gentleman, I'm thinking ; " the old 
 ring of impudence was in her tone, and the old look of mock- 
 ery in her eyes, " and I am charmed to see he hath learnt to 
 conduct himself before his lady. Yes, sir, now the great work 
 is done I am your lady. You may be Sir Edward, but I'm your 
 lady, and what is more, I'll exact from you all the courtesy that 
 is due to ladies." 
 
 Methought my position was getting peculiarly irksome, so I 
 hastened to relate a piece of news that was fraught with every 
 import. 
 
 " Captain Pringle is dead," said I. 
 
 " Did he die in his bed ? " she asked. 'Twas wonderful how 
 levity gave way to eager gravity in her voice, how wild her look 
 was, and how firmly she clutched my sleeve. 
 
 " Yes. A fever sent him hence." 
 
 A cruel light sprang into her eyes, her mouth was very merci- 
 less and swift emotions lighted her splendid face. 
 
 " He deserved the gallows if ever man did," she said. " I 
 would have watched him hang with a dry eye. But perhaps 'tis 
 best as it is. You said last night, Ned, that you had tasted the 
 cup of vengeance, and that you had found it truly vile and very 
 nauseous."
 
 418 MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 
 
 " 'Tis quite true, though it took me many months to learn it," 
 I interposed with a sense of deep humiliation. 
 
 She made no answer, only murmured " Poor father ! " under 
 her breath, and turned her head away from me. 
 
 " Darling, how often hast thou thought of me during the last 
 four months ? " I asked. 
 
 " I have prayed for thee every night, and thought of thee 
 every hour of the day, dear lad." 
 
 " I shall never go forth to war again," I said. " I have done 
 with all fighting. From this day I will keep my sword sheathed. 
 My youthful spirit hath been sapped. 1 long for peace and 
 a quiet life, like one with a mortal wound longs for death. I 
 am a broken man. Art willing to take me on such terms, 
 mistress ? " 
 
 She gazed wistfully on my face, and beheld the hard lines 
 adversity had stamped upon it. 
 
 I took off my hat, saying, "I am old before my time. Dost 
 see my hair is gray ? " 
 
 " Hum ! 'twill match my complexion." 
 
 I bethought myself that minute the most injured man in the 
 universe. The exact truth of the matter was that I had traded 
 too much upon her tenderness. My dear maiden looked at me 
 with a smile broadening round her lips, till all at once she broke 
 forth with a great cry of laughter 
 
 " The miserable, mumping man ! expected me to weep, did 
 he ? This day of all days 1 will not weep. Pish ! thou'rt 
 properly paid, my master." 
 
 No doubt of that ; I was properly paid. So I put on my hat 
 very shamefacedly when I thought she was not looking. I had 
 played too much upon her feelings ; and she, ever quick to find 
 a whimsicality, had observed me cross the delicate border-line 
 betwixt pathos and bathos, and it was this indiscretion that had 
 turned her sadness into mirth. 
 
 " Sir Edward ," she continued, when I struck in with 
 
 " Why so long a title, mistress ? I prefer a shorter one." 
 
 " Oh, I must give your worship your honorable patronymic, 
 just to see how it feels. Really, Ned, it comes from my tongue 
 very fine and heroical." 
 
 " If you persist in this," quoth I severely, " I shall address 
 you as my lady." 
 
 " Yes, I shall be your lady." 
 
 "You shall be my queen," said I. 
 
 " Splendidly said, young man, splendidly said ! " she cried, 
 her face aglow with rippling smiles, though I have my doubts
 
 THE RETURN TO THE WEST. 419 
 
 as to whether her enthusiasm was not half a simulation. " Ton 
 my soul ! the lad hath brought back a London tongue." 
 
 At this I had to kiss her, she looked so saucy, and so very 
 pretty, whereupon she was blithe to add, " And I notice he hath 
 brought back London impudence to match it." 
 
 " And here is yet another thing from London," said I eagerly, 
 slipping a ring into her hand. 
 
 She put up one white finger, and tried it on, to learn whether 
 the fit was satisfactory. And having discovered that I had 
 gauged the girth of it with skill and nicety, she linked her arm 
 through mine and we went together down the hill even as we 
 were to go down the hill of life together. 
 
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