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diff --git a/old/10628-h.zip b/old/10628-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3aa4cf0 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/10628-h.zip diff --git a/old/10628-h/10628-h.htm b/old/10628-h/10628-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4f1e2da --- /dev/null +++ b/old/10628-h/10628-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4186 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content= + "text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of ANDREW GOLDING, by ANNIE E. KEELING. + </title> + +<STYLE type=text/css>BODY { + MARGIN-LEFT: 10%; MARGIN-RIGHT: 10% +} +P { + TEXT-ALIGN: justify +} +BLOCKQUOTE { + TEXT-ALIGN: justify +} +H1 { + TEXT-ALIGN: center +} +H2 { + TEXT-ALIGN: center +} +H3 { + TEXT-ALIGN: center +} +H4 { + TEXT-ALIGN: center +} +H5 { + TEXT-ALIGN: center +} +H6 { + TEXT-ALIGN: center +} +PRE { + FONT-SIZE: 0.7em +} +HR { + WIDTH: 50%; TEXT-ALIGN: center +} +UNKNOWN { + MARGIN-LEFT: 25%; WIDTH: 50%; MARGIN-RIGHT: 25% +} +HR.full { + WIDTH: 100% +} +UNKNOWN { + MARGIN-LEFT: 0%; WIDTH: 100%; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0% +} +.note { + FONT-SIZE: 0.9em; MARGIN-LEFT: 10%; MARGIN-RIGHT: 10% +} +.footnote { + FONT-SIZE: 0.9em; MARGIN-LEFT: 10%; MARGIN-RIGHT: 10% +} +.greek { + CURSOR: help +} +.poem { + MARGIN-LEFT: 10%; MARGIN-RIGHT: 10%; TEXT-ALIGN: left +} +.poem .stanza { + MARGIN: 1em 0em +} +.poem P { + PADDING-LEFT: 3em; MARGIN: 0px; TEXT-INDENT: -3em +} +.poem P.i2 { + MARGIN-LEFT: 2em +} +.poem P.i4 { + MARGIN-LEFT: 4em +} +</STYLE> + + </head> + +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Andrew Golding, by Annie E. Keeling + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Andrew Golding + A Tale of the Great Plague + +Author: Annie E. Keeling + +Release Date: January 8, 2004 [EBook #10628] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ANDREW GOLDING *** + + + + +Produced by Dave Morgan and PG Distributed Proofreaders + + + + + +</pre> + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<h1>ANDREW GOLDING:</h1> +<h2>A Tale of the Great Plague.</h2> + +<h4>By</h4> + +<h2>ANNIE E. KEELING</h2> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<h2>CONTENTS.</h2> +<br> + +<p>CHAP.</p> + +<p><a href="#INTRODUCTION.">INTRODUCTION</a>.—HOW I, LUCIA DACRE, CAME TO WRITE THIS HISTORY</p> + +<p><a href="#CHAPTER_I.">I</a>. HOW WE WERE VISITED BY TWO OF OUR KINSFOLK, OUR FATHER BEING DEAD; +AND HOW THEY BEHAVED THEMSELVES TOWARD US</p> + +<p><a href="#CHAPTER_II.">II</a>. HOW WE JOURNEYED UP TO YORKSHIRE; AND HOW WE WERE WELCOMED THERE</p> + +<p><a href="#CHAPTER_III.">III</a>. HOW MR. TRUELOCKE PREACHED HIS LAST SERMON IN WEST FAZEBY</p> + +<p><a href="#CHAPTER_IV.">IV</a>. HOW HARRY TRUELOCKE LEFT US FOR THE SEA</p> + +<p><a href="#CHAPTER_V.">V</a>. HOW ANDREW MADE ONE ENEMY, AND WAS LIKE TO HAVE ANOTHER</p> + +<p><a href="#CHAPTER_VI.">VI</a>. HOW MR. TRUELOCKE AND MRS. GOLDING LEFT US</p> + +<p><a href="#CHAPTER_VII.">VII</a>. HOW ANDREW CAME TO THE GRANGE BY NIGHT</p> + +<p><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII.">VIII</a>. HOW A STRANGE MESSENGER BROUGHT US NEWS OF ANDREW</p> + +<p><a href="#CHAPTER_IX.">IX</a>. HOW WE WENT UP TO LONDON, AND FOUND NO FRIENDS THERE</p> + +<p><a href="#CHAPTER_X.">X</a>. HOW WE DWELT IN A HOUSE THAI' WAS NOT OUR OWN</p> + +<p><a href="#CHAPTER_XI.">XI</a>. HOW THERE CAME NEW GUESTS INTO THE HOUSE</p> + +<p><a href="#CHAPTER_XII.">XII</a> HOW WE SAILED FOR FRANCE IN THE 'MARIE-ROYALE'</p> + +<p><a href="#CONCLUSION.">CONCLUSION</a>.—HOW LUCIA DWELLS IN ENGLAND, AND ALTHEA OTHERWHERE</p> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="INTRODUCTION."></a><h2>INTRODUCTION.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW I, LUCIA DACRE, CAME TO WRITE THIS HISTORY, AT THE TIME THAT I WITH +MY SISTER WAS LODGED IN A DESERTED HOUSE IN LONDON, WHEN THE GREAT +PLAGUE WAS AT ITS HEIGHT; WHICH WAS IN THE MONTHS OF JULY AND AUGUST, +ANNO SIXTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE.</p> + +<p>Now that my sister and myself are in such a strange melancholy case, and +I enforced to spend many hours daily in idleness, I find the time hang +very heavy; for I cannot, like Althea, entertain any longer the hopes +that brought us hither. She continues daily to make great exertions in +pursuing them, but does not often admit my help; and, being afraid that +I may fall into mere desperation, I have bethought me how to amuse some +hours daily by setting down the manner of our present troubles and the +beginnings that led to them. May I live to write of their happy end! but +my fears are very great, and almost forbid me to pray thus.</p> + +<p>Having thus resolved how to beguile the heavy time, I began spying about +for paper and pens and ink; and finding in a kind of lumber room a great +many sheets of coarse paper, I stitched them together; then with much +trembling I peeped into the study of the late poor master of the house, +and there found a bundle of quills and some ink; and, leaving money in +his desk to the full value of the things I took, I carried my +writing-tools into the great front parlour, and set myself to the work.</p> + +<p>Now while I sat considering how to begin, Althea comes softly behind me, +and, looking over my shoulder, asks me what I would be at; and when I +told her, 'What, child,' says she, 'art going to turn historian? Thy +spirits are more settled than mine, if thou canst sit quietly down to +such work, with sights like these daily before thine eyes,' pointing +with her hand to the window. Now I had pulled the table into a corner +well out of sight from the street, wishing not to be discerned; for as +yet but one knows of our being hidden in this house, and we would fain +keep it a secret still. But rising and following with my eyes her +pointing hand, I could behold a sight common enough, but too dismal to +be looked on without fresh apprehension each time: in the middle of the +street, which is quite grown with grass, a horse and cart standing, no +driver in sight near it, and the cart as we too well knew being that +which goes round daily to take away such as die of the Plague, though as +it then stood we could not discern if any dead person lay in it.</p> + +<p>'It is waiting for our neighbour next door,' says Althea. 'As I stood by +an open casement up-stairs I plainly heard the family bemoaning +themselves because the master is dead; I heard also how they are +devising to get away unobserved in the early morning, and escape to some +place of safety in the country. How sayest thou, Lucy? were it not well +for thee to go also in their company?'</p> + +<p>'Never I, while you stay here,' I answered.</p> + +<p>'It repents me often,' she said, 'that I discovered to you my design of +coming up hither. I would you were safe at home again.'</p> + +<p>'I have no home, but where you are,' said I.</p> + +<p>'Poor faithful little heart!' she says, sighing. 'Well, get on with thy +history-writing; I must go forth presently, when all is quiet again; +and when I return thou shalt show me what thou hast written. Tell the +tale orderly, Lucy; begin at the beginning with "Once upon a time there +lived two sisters; the elder was a fool, but the younger one loved +her"'—and before I could say a word she had slipt away.</p> + +<p>I sat awhile, too much disquieted to write, listening against my will +for the heavy sounds that told how the dead man next door was being +carried forth and laid in the cart; but the thing lumbered away at last, +its cracked bell tinkling dolefully; and I found courage to take to my +work.</p> + +<p>But to begin at the beginning is not so easy, especially for one so +unskilful with her pen as I. And who shall say what are the beginnings +of the things that befall us? Perhaps they lie far off, long before our +little life itself began.</p> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="CHAPTER_I."></a><h2>CHAPTER I.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW WE WERE VISITED BY TWO OF OUR KINSFOLK, OUR FATHER BEING DEAD; AND +HOW THEY BEHAVED THEMSELVES TOWARD US.</p> + +<p>Think, however, that the troubles that now lie upon us might not have +been ours had not our father died when he did, which was the cause of +our being taken into the house of our mother's sister, Mrs. Margaret +Golding;—a happy thing we then thought it, that she would receive us, +for we were in great straits;—so I will begin my history at that sad +period.</p> + +<p>Our father, William Dacre, was indeed a gentleman, born to a competent +estate, and married into an honest stock and to some fortune, but his +fair prospects were all blighted and our mother's money well-nigh wasted +before he died. To his great loss, he stood steadily for the king +against the Parliament all through the late Rebellion, as he would ever +call it; and, our mother's people being very stiff on the other side, +and she dying while we were little children, we were sundered from them +while our father lived. He took such care of us as he could, striving to +breed us up like gentlewomen; sometimes we lived with him in London +lodgings, sometimes were left at his manor-house of Milthorpe; but the +last two years of his life were very uneasy to him and to us.</p> + +<p>For when the young king, Charles the Second, was brought in again, five +years agone, our father was drawn up to Court by some I will not name, +who tempted him with hopes of preferments and rewards to recompense his +loyalty. He wasted his means much through the ill counsel of these false +friends, but obtained no fruit of their promises, and at last he died +suddenly; whether broken-hearted or not I leave to the judgment of God, +and to the consciences of the men who for their own ends had betrayed +him into those vain expectations. At that time Althea was barely +nineteen, and I a little past sixteen; we had no brother nor other +sister.</p> + +<p>We were then at Milthorpe; and thither our father was brought to be +buried. That was a black time for us. Though lately we had been kept +apart from our father, we loved him dearly, and we knew of no other +friend and protector. And when the funeral was over we could not tell +which way to turn; for we found our father's land must needs pass to the +next male heir, Mr. John Dacre, our distant cousin. He, I know not how, +had contrived to thrive where our father had decayed, and had gotten a +good share of favour at the new Court.</p> + +<p>My memory offers things past to me as if in separate pictures, this and +that accident that befell us showing much more clear and bright than +things quite as important which lie between. I remember but dimly all +the sad time of our father's death and burial, the grief I myself felt, +and all the bustle and stir about us, making those days cloudy to me; +but all the more plainly I remember a certain day that followed the +funeral, when Althea and I were sitting together in a little parlour +where we had been wont to sew,—I weeping on her neck, and she trying to +turn my thoughts from my grief with planning how we two should +live,—when, the door opening, some one came briskly in who called us by +our names.</p> + +<p>'What, Althea! what, Lucy! All in the dumps, and not a word to say to +your mother's own sister?' and, in great surprise, we looked up on our +aunt, whom we had seen but once since our mother died, when we were +quite little. She was looking kindly on us; her eyes were quick, black, +and sparkling, but had something very tender in them at that moment. I +noticed directly how plain she was as to her clothes, wearing a common +country-made riding-suit, all of black, and how her shape was a little +too plump for her low stature, while her comely face was tanned quite +brown with the sun; but methought the kind look she bent on us was even +sweeter because of her homely aspect. So I got up and ran to her, +holding out both my hands; but she took me into her arms, and kissed me +lovingly, saying,—</p> + +<p>'Poor lamb! poor fatherless, motherless lamb! thou shalt feel no lack of +a mother while I live.'</p> + +<p>Then, holding me in one arm, she stretched out the other hand to Althea, +who had come up more slowly, and she said,—</p> + +<p>'And you too, my fair lady-niece; I have room in my heart for the two of +you, if you will come in;' on which the water stood in Althea's eyes, +and she took our aunt's hand and kissed it, saying,—</p> + +<p>'God reward you, madam, for your goodness to us desolate orphans! I +receive it most thankfully.'</p> + +<p>'That's well,' quoth our aunt cordially. And she proceeded to tell us +how, when she got the news of our father's death, she made haste to come +down to Milthorpe. 'Not that I hoped,' said she, 'to be here in time for +the burying; but it was borne in on my mind there should be a friend of +our side of the house to stand by you. Is Mr. Dacre here?'</p> + +<p>'He came down to the funeral,' said Althea, 'and hath spoken to us on +some small business matters; but he has been constantly out of the +house, riding about the estate, and so we have seen little of him.'</p> + +<p>As she said this the door opened again, and our cousin, the new master +of Milthorpe, entered. I had scarce noted his looks, being drowned in my +grief at the time when, as Althea said, he had talked with us on +business, accounting to us for some moneys, the poor wreck of our +fortunes, which had been lodged in his hands; but I now thought what a +grand gentleman he looked in his rich mourning suit; and indeed he was +of a very graceful appearance, and smiled on us most courtly. He held +his plumed hat in his hand, and, bowing low to our aunt,—</p> + +<p>'I am much honoured,' said he, 'that Mrs. Golding should grace my poor +house with her presence before I have had time to sue for it. Will it +please you, ladies, to step into the dining-parlour and sit down with me +to a homely refection I have ordered to be spread there? I must return +to-day to town; so if Mrs. Golding will bestow half an hour of her time +on me to talk over some needful matters, I shall take it as a favour.'</p> + +<p>Mrs. Golding bent her head to him, saying, 'At your pleasure, sir;' and +we followed to the dining-room, where we found what I should have called +a plentiful dinner, but Mr. Dacre kept excusing its meanness at every +dish he offered us. This was very grating to Althea, seeming a +reflection both on our ways at Milthorpe and on our poor old faithful +servants; and Mrs. Golding liked it no better. I saw her turning very +red; and at last she said bluntly,—</p> + +<p>'The dinner is all very well, and I think Margery cook needs not so many +excuses; so will you please leave speaking of meats and drinks, and turn +to the needful matters you spoke of instead?'</p> + +<p>'I might have chosen,' says Mr. Dacre, 'to talk to you in private first +about those things; but perhaps it's as well my fair cousins should hear +at once what I have to say. I am a married man, as you know, Mrs. +Golding; and my wife loves the town, and cannot endure to hear of a +country life. I have no hope she will ever live at the Manor here. But I +will not let it; and I shall want it kept in good order against my +coming down, which will be frequent. So if my cousin, Mistress Althea, +likes to remain here as housekeeper, she will be very welcome.'</p> + +<p>'And what do you think of paying her for her services?' said our aunt.</p> + +<p>Mr. Dacre lifted his eyebrows, and looked at her as if much surprised. +'She would have meat and lodging free,' said he, 'and servants to do her +bidding. Also, if she can make anything by keeping of a dairy, or of +fowls, or selling of fruit from the gardens, or such like devices of +country dames, I shall ask no account of her gains; and if her +management pleases me, I shall find a broad piece for her from time to +time, I doubt not; so she may do very well.'</p> + +<p>'And is her sister, Mistress Lucia, to dwell in your house and receive +your bounty also?' said Mrs. Golding.</p> + +<p>'That made no part of my plans,' said he, smiling and bowing. 'I shall +hardly need two housekeepers here.'</p> + +<p>'Then it may chance you must look otherwhere for your one housekeeper,' +said Mrs. Golding. 'What sayest, Althea? Wilt be parted from thy sister +that thou mayest have the honour of keeping house for so liberal a +kinsman and master? or wilt go with Lucy and me to my farm, at West +Fazeby, where you two shall be to me as daughters? for I am a childless +widow, and will gladly cherish you young things. The choice lies before +you, Althea.'</p> + +<p>Althea was now red as any rose; and the tears' that had been in her eyes +seemed turned to sparks of fire. She rose from the table and made a deep +curtsey to Mr. Dacre.</p> + +<p>'I am exceeding grateful for your preference of me,' she said; 'but +seeing I am only a young maid, and inexpert in the management of a +house, I must beg to refuse your princely offer'—she spoke with +infinite scorn—'and betake myself instead to the home Mrs. Golding will +give me, where I may improve myself, and become fitter in time, both in +years and skill, for some such post as you would now prefer me to.' She +stopped and panted, being quite out of breath.</p> + +<p>Mr. Dacre did but lift his eyebrows again and say, 'As you will, +madam,' and then begged she would sit down and finish eating; but she +remained standing, and looked pitifully at Mrs. Golding; on which our +aunt rose also, and I doing the same,—</p> + +<p>'You go to town to-day, I think you said?' questioned Mrs. Golding; 'we +will therefore take our leave of you now, not to importune you further. +My nieces and I will endeavour to be gone from here to-morrow, so please +you to endure their presence in their father's house until then; for you +must think it will ask a few hours for them to remove their apparel and +other goods.'</p> + +<p>'Assuredly, madam; they have full liberty,' said Mr. Dacre, rising and +bowing, and, for a wonder, looking a little abashed.</p> + +<p>'And I think it were well we lost no time,' continued our aunt.</p> + +<p>So we took our leave of him gladly enough, and I think he was full as +glad to have us go; and we went back to the little parlour.</p> + +<p>'I guessed what sort of kindness John Dacre would show you,' said our +aunt, looking at us with a smile. 'Your father, my sweet maidens, of +whom you have a heavy loss indeed, was of a much nobler nature than +this his kinsman; and it's doubtless for that reason that one of them +has thriven in the bad air where the other could not thrive, but +perished;' and then came tears into her lively black eyes, and she was +fain to sit down and weep awhile, in which we bore her company.</p> + +<p>Then Althea wiped her eyes, and said, with a trembling voice,—</p> + +<p>'I cannot think, however, why our cousin should make so strange a +proffer to me—one so unfitting for a well-taught maiden to accept.'</p> + +<p>'He made it that you might refuse it, child,' said our aunt. 'Now he can +truly say he was willing to do somewhat for you, and that you would none +of it, but thought scorn of his goodwill. It hath ever been his way to +get much credit for little goodness. Well, Lucy, child, what art +thinking of?'</p> + +<p>'I was thinking,' stammered I, surprised with her question,—'I was +thinking that the day is not so far spent but we could get away from +Milthorpe before night. I wish not to sleep under Mr. Dacre's roof +again.'</p> + +<p>'That might be managed,' said Mrs. Golding; 'I left my horses and my men +at the little inn in your village, where I had some thought of sleeping +myself. And yet it's but a little inn; nor should I care to turn Andrew +out of his lodging even to please thee, pretty Lucy. No, child; put thy +hand to some work and thy pride in thy pocket, and submit even to spend +one night in the house of an unkind kinsman. He will not be in it, thou +knowest; see where he rides out of the gate.'</p> + +<p>So I looked and saw Mr. Dacre riding off, a very grand gentleman on his +tall black horse, with his men, also well mounted, following him.</p> + +<p>'He will be in town before nightfall,' quoth Mrs. Golding.</p> + +<p>It did not seem so insupportable to stay one more night in our old home, +now its new master had left it; but I was in haste to be gone for all +that, and Althea too; so we fell to work with great eagerness, gathering +all our own possessions together and packing them for removal; while +Mrs. Golding helped us with her hands and her counsel; and so well we +worked that the sun had not gone down before we had all in readiness for +our departure in the early morning; for it was the height of summer, and +the days therefore long. Then Mrs. Golding would have us take her into +the garden and show us what used to be our mother's favourite walks and +alcoves; there was a good prospect of the house from one of them, and +she stood some time regarding it.</p> + +<p>'It's a stately place,' said she,—'a very noble house indeed, and a +fair garden too. Your mother had a pride in it once, I know; and there +was a time when it would have grieved her sore to think how her children +should leave it. But what signifies that to her now?—a happy, glorified +spirit, who may scorn the transitory riches and joys of this poor world, +which are far outvalued by one ray shining on us from the Father of +Lights. At His right hand are pleasures for evermore.'</p> + +<p>Althea and I looked on each other surprised, for we had then heard +little of that kind of talk; and, our aunt espying it,—</p> + +<p>'Ah, children,' she said, 'I have learnt a new language since I saw you, +and I see you know it not; but your mother could speak it before I +could. I think thou art most like her, Lucy; there is more of your poor +father about Althea.'</p> + +<p>I looked at Althea and thought Mrs. Golding was not much mistaken; for +if I were to write my sister's description, it would need but the change +of a word or two to make it pass for a portrait of my father. Like him, +she is tall and slender and well-shaped; her complexion pale and clear, +her hair almost black, very thick, softer than the finest silk, and +curling in loose rings at the ends; her brows and eyelashes black also, +but her eyes a blue-grey, appearing black when she is much moved or in +deep thought; and she moves with admirable grace, showing a kind of +nobleness in all her carriage. Myself am of low stature, and of shape +nothing like so slender; indeed one hath told me I am dark and round as +a blackheart cherry; so I could well think that at Mrs. Golding's years +I should be very like her, though perhaps less comely.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Golding was still comparing us with each other and speaking of our +parents, when I was aware of a tall man coming up to the garden gate; +and my aunt, turning as she heard the latch clink, cried,—</p> + +<p>'Ah, here is Andrew! he will have come to have my orders for the night; +I think we may welcome him in, nieces.' So she stepped to him, and +taking him by the hand led him to us. 'This,' quoth she, 'is my +husband's nephew and mine, but he is something more—he is my steward +and my heir. I hold him for my son; I were but a lost woman without him. +He would not hear of my coming to Milthorpe with no company but that of +my serving-men, but must needs be my conductor himself; so precious a +jewel as I was sure to be lost in the hedges otherwise;' and she laughed +cordially. 'And, Andrew, these are two poor fatherless girls, Althea and +Lucia Dacre by name; fatherless, I say, but not motherless, for I am +their mother from this day forth, and so they are your sisters; see you +use them kindly.'</p> + +<p>Andrew coloured up to his hair, and bowed to us, with some confused +words about the honour of being as a brother to such gentle ladies; then +he turned to her and they talked of our morrow's journey, and how our +mails should be conveyed; and Mrs. Golding, telling him she would sleep +at the Manor, bade him be early at the gate with horses for us; 'for we +have many a mile to go,' she said to us; 'and make what speed we may, we +shall be a day or two on the road.'</p> + +<p>And Althea spoke very prettily to Mr. Golding, praying him to sup with +us; but he excused himself, still in a confused and disturbed way, and +went away.</p> + +<p>While he stood and talked I was able to take note of his aspect, and I +thought he looked a very homely youth indeed, after Mr. Dacre, though he +was taller and of a better shape, and I believe a better face too; +though burnt with the sun, and ruddy like a country-man, he had +well-cut features and a full mild eye, with a right pleasant smile. But +his garb was so ordinary, being of some dark cloth, and cut very +plainly, and his hat with no feather in it, that though I had little +cause to love Mr. Dacre, yet I wished our new friend was more like him +outwardly, and thought I should then have been prouder to ride in his +company. And Mrs. Golding praising him to us, and saying how good he +was, and wise beyond his years, I thought it was pity such good people +as he and she did not go handsomer; so little I knew of what belonged to +goodness.</p> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="CHAPTER_II."></a><h2>CHAPTER II.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW WE JOURNEYED UP TO YORKSHIRE; AND HOW WE WERE WELCOMED THERE.</p> + +<img src="noisy_t.jpg" align="left" hspace="20" alt="A noisy rabblement of people came running up"> + +<p>Though I remember so plainly what passed on our last day in Milthorpe +Manor-house, I am not very clear about our journey up to Yorkshire, +which was tedious enough. We kept to the king's highway, and yet were +sometimes put in much fear of thieves, but happily we fell in with none; +the only notable thing that befell us was in leaving a little market +town, I cannot call to mind its name, where we had stopped to dine. We +had ridden but a little way forth of the town when we heard a great din +of shouting and hooting behind us, which made us women afraid; and +presently a noisy rabblement of people came running up. They were +chiefly of the baser sort, both men and women, some very ragged, and +some red-faced and half tipsy; one or two gentlemen in laced coats rode +among them. I thought at first they had some spite at us, but it proved +not so. We drew to the wayside to let them pass, and they went by, very +disorderly, yelling and swearing, the women not less than the men, +pushing and hauling some poor creature dragged along in their midst. I +looked earnestly to see who it might be, and presently discerned the +person—a tall thin man, in a kind of loose garment girded about him, +and I think it was made of some hempen stuff, a kind of sacking. This +man was very pale, with longish dark hair hanging about his face, which, +as I say, was pale indeed, but not dismayed; I think he even smiled when +one struck him on the head, and another, pushing him, bade him, with a +curse, go faster. I saw the blood trickling a little from the blow that +had alighted on his head, as they hurried him past.</p> + +<p>Andrew, who saw all this as well as I did, looked full of horror. He +caught one of the hindmost of the rabble by the sleeve and asked him +harshly, 'What has this man done, and whither are you taking him?' At +which the man, turning towards us his red, jovial face, replies,—</p> + +<p>'It's a mad Quaker, that took upon him this noon to stand up in our +market-place, it being market day and every one mighty busy, and he +tells us all to our face we were a set of cheating rogues, that he had +marked our doings and seen how bad they were, and that he had a +commission from God to bid us repent and amend, or a sudden dreadful +judgment should fall on us. Didst ever hear of such a fool?'</p> + +<p>'And what more did he,' says Andrew, 'to make you handle him so +roughly?' at which the man stared and said,—</p> + +<p>'Nay, what more needed there? Matters are come to a pretty pass if free +Englishmen, who are pleased to cheat and be cheated according to the +fashion of this world, mayn't do so neighbourly and kindly without some +canting rogue starting up to control them. We bade him hold his peace +for a mad ass, but he would not. So we judged his frenzy to be something +too hot, and that a cold bath were good to cure it; and Squire, riding +up and seeing the bustle we were in, offered us his own duck-pond for +the ducking of our preacher. Stay me no longer! I shall lose the best +sport;' and Andrew snatching at him again to make him stay, he broke +from him and ran as hard as he could after the crowd, that was now got +some way from us.</p> + +<p>'You hear and see this, Mrs. Golding?' says Andrew, turning to her, his +mild countenance grown dark with anger. 'There may be murder done yet, +let me ride after and see what I can do to hinder it;' and setting spurs +to his horse he galloped off after the rabble. We saw him pressing in +among them, riding close up to the chief horseman, talking earnestly to +him; then we saw no more of them, they going round the turn of the road; +and Mrs. Golding, half frowning, half smiling, says,—</p> + +<p>'It's ever so with Andrew! he cannot see mischief a-foot but he is all +afire to stop it. I like it in the lad, but I wish yon poor fanatic had +been content to stay at home and mind his own business, instead of +crossing us so unluckily here.' She looked anxiously.</p> + +<p>Presently Andrew comes back to us, riding pretty quickly, and Mrs. +Golding called to him,—</p> + +<p>'Now, my lad, hast not gone on a fool's errand this time also?' but he +said smiling,—</p> + +<p>'That is as you take it, good mother. Yon Squire has some humanity in +him, and some wit; for when I began vehemently to urge how sinful were +the murdering of yon poor man, he smiled and let me know his proffer of +the duck-pond was but to get the man out of the hands of his +ill-wishers, for he meant to draw the Quaker within his gates and then +have them shut as if by mistake on the rabble, who were already growing +aweary with the length of the way, and so were dropping off by twos and +threes.'</p> + +<p>'So thou hast had thy labour for thy pains?' says Mrs. Golding, smiling +as one well pleased.</p> + +<p>'Not altogether,' said Andrew, 'for the Squire wills us to turn into the +byway here, and keep from the high road awhile, lest we meet the baser +rascals coming back, in all their fury and disappointment.'</p> + +<p>'Good counsel,' said Mrs. Golding; 'we will take it.' And so we kept to +that byway for a mile or so; and it was rough uneasy riding, though a +pretty green lane enough.</p> + +<p>Althea said to me half aside, 'We had had none of these discomforts, if +we had ridden as we were wont with our father, in a good coach like +gentlewomen, and not a-horseback in the country fashion;' the first +discontented word she had said, and Mrs. Golding hearing it,—</p> + +<p>'Child,' said she, 'I cannot away with these coaches, they are proud +lazy inventions, and nothing like so wholesome as this our old country +fashion of travelling;' at which Althea blushed and said nothing more, +and Mrs. Golding began pleasantly to chide Andrew for his hazarding of +our safety as he had done, which had put Althea into these discontents; +and he hung his head, smiling, and had not a word to say for himself. I +should scarce have remembered this accident, or Andrew's behaviour on +it, had it not been for things that befell after.</p> + +<p>I was heartily weary of journeying by the time we got to West Fazeby; +the way was long, the manner of travelling new to me, I had not so much +as slept at an inn before, our former home being no great distance from +town; and my company was not such as to shorten the way, for Aunt +Golding was the only frank and cheerful-spoken person in our party, +Althea behaving, as I told her, like an enchanted princess in a fairy +tale, so melancholy, proud, and silent, and Andrew being so dashed with +her stately ways that the poor youth was not less tongue-tied than she. +So I was glad indeed when we rode out of York one fine morning, and Mrs. +Golding told us we must reach her house before the day was out; in which +she said no more than truth.</p> + +<p>She having always talked of it as a poor farmhouse, our surprise was not +little when we saw it at last. It stands a little away from the +village; it is no great house, but is a right fair one to my thinking, +built of red brick, with a great deal of wood, handsomely carved, about +the gables and the porch; it is much grown with ivy, at which our aunt +would often rail, but I think for all that she loved it, seeing it makes +the house green and pleasant even in winter. And at the back, looking +into the gardens and orchards, was a pleasant porch, a very large one, +grown with roses as well as ivy, wherein Althea and I have spent many a +happy hour in summer-time, sitting there with our needlework or our +lutes. I can see it in fancy, and would very fain be in it, looking on +our lily beds and green walks and arbours, instead of these hot and +dreary streets. But it's too likely I shall never see West Fazeby or any +other pleasant place on earth again.</p> + +<p>A good comely man and woman, plainly habited like serving folks, came +forth to greet Mrs. Golding, and she commended us to them much as she +had done to Andrew, saying to us, 'These are Matthew Standfast and his +wife Grace; good, kind souls, who look well to my house when I cannot do +it. And how doth little Patience?' she went on to ask Dame Standfast; +'and have you seen aught of Mr. Truelocke while I have been gone?' and +so chatting she led us into the hall, where we found a table ready +covered, and the little Patience Standfast ready to attend us at it, a +pretty child, fair-haired and blue-eyed, very civil and modest. We were +not long in finding that she and her parents, with a serving-man or two, +made all my aunt's household; and that she did very much work with her +own hands, and would expect the like of us; a thing which displeased +Althea not a little, but she said nothing of it, only to me, when we +were got to our own chamber.</p> + +<p>'And it is an odd thing,' she continued, when I did not reply, 'that +Mrs. Golding should sit and should take her meals in the open hall, when +there are one or two fair parlours more fitting for her occupation.'</p> + +<p>'But the hall is a pleasant place,' I said; and indeed it was so to me, +I hardly know why, being a very plain apartment, with a checkered +pavement of blue and white stones, and furnished only with bright oaken +tables and settles, and a great chair or two; also the great fireplace +was well garnished with green boughs and flowers, it being summer. I +looked all about it that evening as we sat in it chatting with our aunt, +and was thinking I should always like it, plain as it was, when I was +aware of two persons coming into the porch, one walking feebly like an +old man, and one stepping firmly and strongly; and Mrs. Golding, +springing up, ran forward to greet them, saying,—</p> + +<p>'Welcome! welcome, good Mr. Truelocke! this is a greater kindness than I +had hoped for;' so she drew into the light of our candles a reverend old +gentleman, clad in a black gown; he had white hair hanging about his +face, and in his hand a stout staff on which he leaned as he walked. +There came at his side a young, strongly-framed man, in a seaman's +habit, who, I thought, looked something like him, having the same strong +features, but a clear, merry blue eye and brown curling hair; he was +very watchful over the old gentleman, who seemed to move feebly. Our +aunt greeted him kindly by the name of 'Master Harry,' and said, 'It's +good of you to bring your father up so soon to welcome me,' whereon the +young man smiled and said,—</p> + +<p>'Nay, it is he that hath brought me; there was no holding him when he +had heard of your return. I would gladly have kept him within doors, +fearing the night damps for him;' and our aunt laughed also, and said to +us,—</p> + +<p>'Come, Althea, come, Lucy, and speak to my best friend, who was a good +friend to your mother also; it is the parson of this parish, Mr. +Truelocke, and this his son Harry, newly come home from the seas;' so +we came up and greeted the old gentleman reverently, and his son as +kindly as we might; and Mrs. Golding put Mr. Truelocke into a great +armed chair, and sat looking at him with vast contentment. He looked at +her and smiled a wonderfully sweet smile.</p> + +<p>'Had you brought these young maids home a month or two later, Mrs. +Golding,' says he, 'you could not truly tell them I was the parson of +this parish or of any other. But we'll let that pass;' and turning to us +he began to speak to us kindly and fatherly, pitying our afflictions, +and bidding us praise and thank God, who had raised up so good a friend +to help us. I was glad to hear his words, though they brought the tears +into mine eyes; but our aunt sat impatiently, and presently broke in on +his discourse, saying,—</p> + +<p>'What mean you, sir, by telling me in a month or two you will be no +parson of this parish? is there anything new?'</p> + +<p>'Nothing, but the falling of a full-ripe fruit, that began to blossom +two years agone,' says the old gentleman cheerfully; 'it hath been long +a-ripening, 'twas time it should fall.'</p> + +<p>'Give me none of your parables, good friend; I want plain speech,' +cries our aunt; and Master Harry said bluntly,—</p> + +<p>'Madam, it's all along of the new Act for Uniformity which was printed +and set forth this last May. You were too full at that time of your +apprehensions for these young ladies to be curious to read that +mischievous Act; but, since it touches my father nearly, he mastered its +meaning with great pains, and has thought of little else for many days; +and the upshot of all this is, that next Bartholomew-tide he will go +forth, like Abraham of old, to wander he knows not whither;' at which +words Mrs. Golding sighed deeply, and sat as one amazed.</p> + +<p>'It is even so, my kind friend,' said Mr. Truelocke, smiling.</p> + +<p>'Well, I can't tell what you may think here of the matter,' went on +Master Harry; 'but in my conscience, I think my father's conscience +something too tender.'</p> + +<p>'You speak like a man of this world, Harry,' says Andrew, who had come +in, and was looking at the young man with frowning brows and angry eyes.</p> + +<p>'How else would you have me speak?' says Harry. 'I am but a plain +sailor, and I pretend not to know any world but this work-a-day world +that I have to get my bread in. I leave the new worlds in the moon, or +beyond it, to poets and madmen; and I'll tell you my mind of the matter, +if you will hear me.</p> + +<p>He stopped, and Mrs. Golding said, 'Speak your mind, Master Harry, it's +ever an honest mind, and full of goodwill.'</p> + +<p>'I will venture then,' said he, 'and do you bear with me, Andrew, and +father too. I take it the Church of this country is a good ship that has +to sail whither her owners will. A while since they were all for +steering her straight to the Presbyterian port; now that voyage likes +them not, and they would have her make for Prelacy. It's pity that the +good ship has owners of such inconstant minds; but why should not the +crew obey orders, and sail the ship as they are bid?'</p> + +<p>'Wrong, all wrong, all wrong, Harry, my boy,' said the old man, with a +groan; 'thou hast no spiritual sense of these things. How dare Christ's +liegemen take their orders from the carnal rulers of this or any other +country? Have I not seen the government of England change like the moon, +ay, and more strangely? and shall I follow the changing moon as doth the +faithless sea, ebbing and flowing in my zeal for truth like the tide? +Nay verily! what was God's truth in Oliver's days is the truth of God +still; and I will cleave to it.'</p> + +<p>As I gazed at the old man's face, pale and wrinkled and awful, I thought +that so might have looked the prophet Moses when he brake the tables of +the Law. Mr. Truelocke's deepset dark eyes flashed fire under his long +white eyebrows, which themselves seemed to stir and to rise and fall, as +he spoke with great passion, and he struck his staff against the floor.</p> + +<p>Althea was looking from one to another, something puzzled; presently her +silver voice broke the silence that had fallen upon us; she said, 'All +that you say is so dark to me, it makes me feel like a fool for my lack +of comprehension; will you, madam, tell me in a few words what it is +that troubles you and Mr. Truelocke?'</p> + +<p>'It's our new masters, dear heart, who have been making of new laws,' +said Mrs. Golding; and Andrew added instantly,—</p> + +<p>'Our pastors, madam, must consent to renounce the Covenant, and must use +the Common Prayer-Book as newly set forth by authority of King Charles +the Second and his Parliament; or they must leave to preach and to pray +in the churches called of England, and must renounce their livings too; +and this by the twenty-fourth of August next, which the Papists and +such-like cattle call St. Bartholomew's Day. That is the story in little +of the doings which afflict our good mother and our reverend friend.'</p> + +<p>'It's a dry short setting forth of the matter, friend Andrew,' said the +old man.</p> + +<p>'But is it a true one?' asked Althea.</p> + +<p>'Yea,' said he, 'too true, this is the new law; but I shall, as I think, +follow after the footsteps of godly Mr. Baxter; he hath already ceased +preaching, that his weaker brethren, such as I, may be in no manner of +doubt as to what he thinketh. I shall not change my mind twice, once +having seen the great error of my early prelatical opinions,—as your +good aunt knoweth I have seen it.'</p> + +<p>'Well,' said Mrs. Golding, sighing heavily, 'we will pray you may have +illumination from above. I cannot tell how we shall do, bereft of our +father in Christ. But I dare not urge any man against his conscience. +And now am I ashamed that you have been so long within my doors and I +have yet set nothing before you. Lucy, Althea, come help me;' and she +bustled about, and presently with our help had set a dish of +strawberries and cream, with nuts and cakes and wine, before our guests. +Mr. Truelocke ate but little, which grieved my aunt; and he would drink +nothing but spring water. But Harry was gay enough for two. We could get +him to touch nothing until he had both of us girls served, he saying we +were greater strangers than he. And since I chose to eat nuts, he would +do the same, and would crack all mine for me. He had a clever way of +doing this with his hands only, which were small, but like iron for +strength; I made a cup of my hands that he might pour the sweet kernels +into it, and so doing we scattered some on the floor, and both dropt on +our knees to pick them up, when I, being nimbler than he, had them all +snatched up before he could touch one; then we both laughed heartily. I +was startled to hear myself laughing, and looked at Althea; and she +seemed to be regarding me with scorn as if she despised me perfectly, so +I checked my laughing and sat down quite crestfallen.</p> + +<p>Then Harry, sitting by me, half whispered, 'Now, sweet madam, if you did +but know what music a heart-free laugh is to mine ears, you would not +stop yours in the middle. I have no quarrel with my father's nor your +aunt's piety, but there's too little laughing in it.'</p> + +<p>'It's not piety that checks me now,' I said; 'do not credit me with +more than I have; but a new-made orphan like me might well feel it +something heartless to be very mirthful.'</p> + +<p>'That's it, is it?' said he, looking comically from me to Althea, and +then at me again. 'Now tell me, sweet lady, if you know any good reason +why mirth should be a thing forbid to those who have had a cruel loss? +If in the middle of a winter voyage, when the stormy winds do blow, we +mariners should have one fair sunshine day, we don't spend it in +bemoaning the black days that went before and the black days that will +come after.'</p> + +<p>'And what has that to do with me and my griefs?' asked I.</p> + +<p>'Only this,' said he, 'that you should not be less wise than a sailor +lad; think no shame to be glad when your heart bids you, whatever +sorrows lie before or behind you. And I'll keep you in countenance, +whenever I see your fair mournful sister reproving your gaiety with her +eyes; but you must do the same by me with my father and your aunt. Is it +a bargain? strike hands on it!'</p> + +<p>He held out his hand, and I put mine into it—I could not help it; +though I stole a look at Althea, but her attention was drawn away by +Andrew, who was half timidly urging her to eat some more of Mrs. +Golding's dainties; she would not, however; and presently Mr. Truelocke, +who had been talking apart with Mrs. Golding, got up and would be going; +so when he and Harry were withdrawn, we all went shortly to our beds, +being very weary; and for my part I felt that I was in a new world I +could not half understand; but there seemed some pleasant things in it.</p> + +<p>I liked it better still as the days ran on. Country life at West Fazeby +was more to my mind than ever it had been at Milthorpe. There we were +waited on dutifully by kind old servants, and might not soil our fingers +by any coarse work. Here I was taken into the dairy and the still-room, +and instructed in their mysteries, and in many another useful household +art; I might feed the pigeons and the other pretty feathered folk in the +barnyard, and I got no reproof for my coarse tastes when I was found +learning from Grace Standfast how to milk a cow, and making acquaintance +with young foals and calves. There were prettier works too; gathering +and making conserve of roses, and sharing in the pleasant harvest of the +strawberry beds and the cherry orchard, or tossing of hay in the +meadows. I will not deny that all these things were more pleasant to me +that year than they have ever been since; partly because I was so new +to them, and partly because Harry Truelocke often took part in them +also. My merry and kind playfellow, I wonder if you have yet any heart +for such simple pleasures? or if, in the midst of miseries and perils, +you can still jest and laugh?</p> + +<p>Althea went with me and shared in these occupations, except in the +haymaking and the milking; but she did so with a grave and serious air, +seeming to give her whole mind to the work, as if it were a task she had +to learn, whereas I thought it but a delightful pastime that I loved in +spite of its being profitable.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Golding took no note, as it seemed, of Althea's sad and steadfast +ways; but Andrew marked them, I could see, though, being daily busy with +out-door matters and cares of our aunt's estate, he was but little in +our company. When he was with us, he surrounded Althea with a careful, +watchful kindness, treating her so reverently as if she were some sacred +thing, and indeed never venturing to say much to her unless she spoke +first; all which she never appeared to notice.</p> + +<p>Now it is a strange thing that in this pretty peaceful time the +stormiest day and the fruitfullest of future mischiefs should have been +a certain Lord's Day, only a week or two after our coming. It was from +Mr. Truelocke that I learnt to say 'the Lord's Day,' Sunday, said he, +being a heathenish, idolatrous word, nor would he allow of the fashion +of calling the day of rest 'the Sabbath.' 'We keep not holy,' said he, +'the seventh-day Sabbath of the people of Israel, but the first day made +holy for us by the resurrection of our Lord;' and I saying idly to him, +out of the poet Shakespeare, whom my father loved,—</p> + +<span style="layout-flow: horizontal; margin-left: 0.5em;">'What's in a name? that which we call a rose</span><br> +<span style="layout-flow: horizontal; margin-left: 0.5em;">By any other name would smell as sweet,'—</span><br> + +<p>he looked sternly, almost angrily on me, and said, 'Madam, what have +ends of stage-plays, and the idle talk of a lovesick girl about her +lover's name and the names of flowers,—I say, what have these vanities +to do with a glorious divine thing like the Christian's Day of Rest? And +believe me, there is much in names, too much in names. What a spell to +conjure with is the name of King! and the name of Priest may make wild +work in our poor England yet.'</p> + +<p>I was dumb when he reproved me thus; and thinking of it after, I began +to have some glimmering why this good man should resolve to give up his +all, rather than use a Prayer-Book he deemed not according to right +doctrine, since he was so earnest about the right name for one holy day. +I found it to be a strong point with him, some of his flock murmuring at +him about it, and saying how could we appeal to the Fourth Commandment +if our holy day might not be called the Sabbath? But he cared not for +their words; no, nor for king, nor for Parliament, compared with what he +deemed right.</p> + +<p>I used to wonder if his heart would have been so stout had he had wife +and children to care for; but he had been many years widowed, and Harry, +his only child, had carved his own way in the world, being now part +owner of the ship he sailed himself.</p> + +<p>But by whatever name folks called it, the Lord's Day in West Fazeby was +then a sweet, religious, holy day, and I loved it. Alas, to think of the +changes wicked men have made!</p> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="CHAPTER_III."></a><h2>CHAPTER III.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW MR. TRUELOCKE PREACHED HIS LAST SERMON IN WEST FAZEBY.</p> + +<p>On that Lord's Day of which I spoke, the weather was fair and bright +when we went to worship in the church where Mr. Truelocke still +ministered. Week after week more people came to hear him, for the time +was growing short, and he was much loved; so this day the church was +thronged, and we had some ado to get to our own places. As I said, the +day was fair enough when we set forth, a little too hot, indeed; but we +had not been long at our prayers before there came a gloom and a +darkness, making the church full of shadows; and I saw the sky through +the windows of a strange greenish and coppery colour.</p> + +<p>We were singing the hymn before the sermon, when I was aware of a tall +man in a whitish garment standing directly below the pulpit, still as a +stone; it seemed to me I had seen him once before. When the singing was +done, and we were all in readiness to hear the sermon, this man suddenly +stood up on the bench, so that even in the dusky light every one could +see his tall white figure, and, looking up to Mr. Truelocke in the +pulpit, he said,—</p> + +<p>'May I have liberty to speak a few words to this people?'</p> + +<p>'You have liberty,' said Mr. Truelocke; then, folding his arms on the +desk, he leaned forward and looked very intently on the man, who had +turned himself to face the people. They were all rustling and stirring +in their places, very uneasy at the interruption. He stretched out his +arms in the form of a cross, and began to speak in a full and rich +voice, very musical, with strange changes in it; and always the sky grew +darker in the great window behind him while he spoke.</p> + +<p>'Friends,' said he, 'I have listened earnestly to your singing; and now +I am constrained to speak to you and tell you the words you sang were +very unsuitable to your state. For the words were those of holy, humble +souls, who are athirst after God; and how many of you be there that +could truly answer Yea, if one should ask whether you are come here +because you hunger and thirst after righteousness? Is it not true that +the best of you only take delight in the preaching of the man who stands +in yon pulpit, because it is to you as a very lovely song of one that +can play on a pleasant instrument? but you hear his words, and do them +not. And there be some of you that only come here to display your gay +apparel, caring not how foul you are within, if you are but fair +without; and some of you appear here weekly, because it is a decent and +seemly thing to be here, and you desire the praise of men, though you +care not for pleasing God. Your religious worships and ways are vain, +for they are made up only of speaking and singing other men's words, +which are not yours, nor do ye mean them truly. You were better to sit +in humble silence before God, waiting till His Spirit, that enlighteneth +every man, should speak in secret to your spirit.</p> + +<p>'And I have a word to thee, Emanuel Truelocke,' he continued, suddenly +turning, lifting his long right arm and pointing his long finger towards +Mr. Truelocke, whose pale countenance, framed in his long white hair, +could still be seen looking quietly at him. 'I desire to speak to thee +in love, and show thee the secret of thy ill success in thy ministerings +to this worldly people, who have not the excellent spirit that I gladly +acknowledge in thyself. The canker of gold has been on these +ministerings of thine, for thou hast yearly taken hire for them; and +therefore it is that so many of these people are cold and sickly in +divine things. But the Lord hath had mercy on thee, and will take away +from thee the mammon whereby thou hast been deceived; and for thy sake I +rejoice in thy coming downfall'—</p> + +<p>Here there began a mighty hubbub in the place. Men stood up on benches, +shaking their sticks and clenched fists against the speaker; women +cried, 'Shame on him! pull him down! have him away!' and many rushed +upon him, struck him, dragged him down, and would soon have trampled him +under their feet, but Mr. Truelocke spoke with a voice that rang like a +trumpet, and said,—</p> + +<p>'Do the man no harm; for shame, my brethren! Did not I tell him he had +liberty to speak? Make me not a liar by your violence!' and then I saw +several men, Andrew and Harry being foremost, raising up the stranger, +for he had been felled to his knees pushing off those who were striking +him, and leading him forth of the church. Then a mighty flash of +lightning glared through the building, and a great peal of thunder +roared and echoed after it, and the rain rushing down like a torrent +drove and beat against the windows. The stranger, who had been got to +the door, now turned round, crying,—</p> + +<p>'Hearken, O people, to the voice of the Lord bearing witness against +your madness!' with which words he vanished, friendly hands pulling him +out of sight against his will.</p> + +<p>A great silence seemed at once to fall upon the people, while the storm +blazed and thundered on; and in the midst of it Mr. Truelocke began his +discourse.</p> + +<p>'My brethren,' said he, 'I did not think to have been so cruelly put to +shame as I have been by you this day. Long have I toiled to make you +follow His righteousness, who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; +long have I trusted that you were indeed partakers of that Spirit whose +fruits are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness. Alas! +what longsuffering, what peace, what gentleness have you shown to-day? +Ye have well-nigh done a man to death in the very house of God, and +before the eyes of me your pastor. I stand rebuked here, a teacher +whose teaching is proved useless and fruitless. From this day forth I +will preach to you no more, but will lay down, a little before the law +takes it from me, the office I have so ill discharged. Now hearken to me +once more, and once only; and let not my last sermon prove so idle as +those I have preached to you before.'</p> + +<p>With this preamble, which struck every one into awe, he began to preach +with an uncommon fervour, as one who was all on fire to have men turn +from their sins, and to close with the offers of God's mercy while yet +it was time; and this earnestness of his, and a certain passionate +tenderness in his looks and tones, something more than ordinary, would +not let us forget the resolve he had expressed. His text was, 'How shall +we escape if we neglect so great salvation?' and having enlarged on it +with such piercing eloquence as I have spoken of, and come to an end of +his discourse, he made a little pause, and then said,—</p> + +<p>'Little as I like to mingle any private matters of mine own with the +message I stand here to deliver, I had determined, when I should come +before you for the last time, to say something of the reasons why I +cannot comply with what our rulers require of us. I will not depart +from that determination because a strange cause has moved me to lay down +mine office some few days sooner than law requires.' He stopped a +moment, looking troubled; then he resumed: 'Not my own humour, nor the +pride of a vain consistency, holds me back from compliance. I have +sought in prayer, and in study, and in discourse with my brethren, for +light on this matter; but in my mind is something still unsatisfied that +bids me persevere in my fixed opinion, so long adopted; I can do no +other. Therefore, submitting patiently to leave my church and my flock, +I pray your pardon for any fault I make in this resolution; of God's +pardon I am assured.'</p> + +<p>Having said thus, he bowed his fatherly head, praying inwardly, and all +the congregation wept and prayed with him, though many of them +afterwards showed themselves highly displeased with the way he had taken +of rebuking their violence; also great efforts were used to make him +break his resolve of preaching there no more, it wanting more than a +week or two of the appointed day in August when he must needs desist; +but he would not yield to do more than pray publicly; and the pulpit was +for a season supplied by other men.</p> + +<p>I am wandering away, however, from that day and its doings, of which I +have not finished the account. While Mr. Truelocke was preaching, the +storm drew off and died away in distant mutterings, so that it was in a +very great stillness that he spoke his last words. However, the rain was +still falling, though without violence, when we came out of the church; +so we waited awhile in the porch till the clouds had rolled away, many +others who did not love a wetting doing the same as we, and there was +much talking.</p> + +<p>None of our party said aught, till Mrs. Bonithorne, one of the +wealthiest farmers' wives in the parish, turned herself to Aunt Golding, +saying,—</p> + +<p>'Heard you ever anything so strange, neighbour, as yon awful +thunder-clap coming close on the malicious words of the brawling Quaker? +He ought to have quaked and trembled indeed at the voice of Heaven +rebuking his madness.'</p> + +<p>'But that he did not, mistress,' said I, something too pertly, I fear; +'for he bade the people hearken to the voice of God bearing witness +against <i>them</i>.'</p> + +<p>'Did he so?' cried she; 'the more was his impudence to wrest the +heavenly sign in his favour. But what make you then of the passing away +of the storm when Mr. Truelocke began to preach, and of the sweet calm +that had fallen on all things when he ended? was that a witness in +favour of Quaker madness?'</p> + +<p>'Nay, I make nothing of it,' said I; and Aunt Golding added,—</p> + +<p>'You would not interpret it as a sign of approval granted to Mr. +Truelocke for his hasty resolve never to preach to us again? For my +part, I hope he will be persuaded otherwise.'</p> + +<p>'Truly I hope so,' said Dame Bonithorne, her ruddy colour deepening; +'for it's too cruel an affront he puts on us poor people;' and I know +not how much more she might have said, but for Harry Truelocke, who now +came up to the porch, and, beckoning Aunt Golding forth, whispered to +her how Andrew had carried the Quaker to the Grange, and now desired her +presence; at which we all set forth together, the rain having ceased; +and on the road Harry tells us, what sore disquieted Aunt Golding, that +the man had only come to West Fazeby on Andrew's account.</p> + +<p>'It seems,' said he, 'you met him on your road hither, when he was in +the hands of some base fellows that had a mind to maul him—do you +remember such a matter?' and Aunt Golding saying how she remembered it +very well, Harry went on to say that the man, having noted Andrew's +willingness to serve him, had ever since 'had a concern on his mind for +the good youth,'—that was his phrase,—and had been led to our village, +and to the very church, being assured he would see Andrew there. 'It's a +strange, mad story,' quoth Harry.</p> + +<p>Althea had given earnest heed to this tale, and now she asked, 'And what +says Master Andrew to such wild talk? I suppose he will use the poor +deluded wretch gently and kindly, that's his nature; but sure he will +scorn his ravings?'</p> + +<p>'I cannot tell what Andrew may think in his heart,' says Harry moodily; +'but he uses the man as if he thought him a saint or a martyr, or both. +I wish harm may not come of this day's doings;' and he fell into a +gloomy silence.</p> + +<p>I had never seen him look so nearly angry before. We were now got to the +Parsonage, and Harry arousing himself to take leave of us, our aunt says +to him,—</p> + +<p>'I shall ask you to do me a great good turn, by bringing your father to +sup with us at the Grange. I would have him reason peaceably with yon +poor distraught man, and convince him of his folly; so he may do a +service to my Andrew also, if he has indeed a leaning to such +delusions.'</p> + +<p>'Well, madam, I will do it for you,' said Harry; 'but there is only one +other person in the world to please whom I would bring my father into +such odd company as yon man's;' and he went in, looking but half +pleased; and as we took our way to the Grange I was musing who that +other person might be Harry was so fain to please.</p> + +<p>When we got into the hall we saw Andrew sitting there and talking with +the stranger, who was now clothed like any other man. His face had been +bruised and his hair torn by the violence of the people; but, for all +these disfigurements, I, looking earnestly at him, could see he was the +very one the sight of whose ill-usage had so moved Andrew on our +journey; there was the same composed look, and the same strange inward +light in his eye.</p> + +<p>He rose when he saw Aunt Golding come in, saluting her with the words, +'Peace be to thee!' on which she, gravely smiling, said,—</p> + +<p>'You did not bring peace with you to our place of worship, sir; but I +trust no one will break your peace in my house, where you are welcome to +rest and refresh you this day.'</p> + +<p>'No man can break my peace,' said he, 'my soul being ever at rest in +the Holy City, the New Jerusalem.'</p> + +<p>'That's a good resting-place indeed,' said our aunt. 'Will you tell me +by what name I am to call you while you stay here? I think no one in our +village knows who you are.'</p> + +<p>'Not every one can know my name, but they that have the Light,' said the +man; 'and the world can never know it.'</p> + +<p>'But sure, man, you have a name of your own by which the world does know +you,' said our aunt a little impatiently.</p> + +<p>'I wish not to deny it,' he replied; 'therefore fret not thyself, good +friend,—my worldly name is James Westrop. And I will tell thee what +thou askest not, that my errand hither is to this young man, Andrew +Golding. I have now told him my message, so I am free to depart; and if +thou likest not of my talk or my ways, I refuse not to leave thy house +and protection this hour.'</p> + +<p>'But I will not have you go,' said she, 'till you are refreshed and +rested. And, in good time, here comes the Vicar, whom I have desired to +sup with us and to reason with you. You will not refuse his company? He +scorns not yours.'</p> + +<p>'I will not refuse it,' said Westrop gravely; and Mr. Truelocke coming +in at that moment with Harry, we all went presently to table.</p> + +<p>I marvelled greatly during the meal at Mr. Truelocke's courtesy, so +kindly did he speak to the Quaker; and he strove to excuse to him the +mad behaviour of the people, ascribing it to their regard for their +ancient pastor, now about to leave them. 'I pray you,' he said, 'to +pardon them for my sake.'</p> + +<p>'Friend,' said James Westrop, 'I had pardoned them before they offended. +But thou art deceived if thou thinkest it was love to thee which moved +them. They could not endure my word, because their own spirits were +foul. My word was to them as the shining of a candle into a dark, dirty +place, and the sight of their foulness made them mad against me. But in +thee I perceive purity of intention; and I will gladly reason with thee +of the things of the Spirit, according to this good woman's desire.'</p> + +<p>So after supper Aunt Golding showed the Quaker and Mr. Truelocke into a +parlour, and herself with Andrew went in to hear their reasonings; but +Althea whispered me, and said, 'Let us go and walk in the garden; I +cannot stay and hear the man's insolent talk.' So we stepped out, and +began to pace up and down one of the walks, the moon being just risen, +and the evening very sweet and calm—a pleasant change it was after the +heats and storms of that afternoon's work. Presently Harry joined us, +and said at once, 'Well, sweet ladies, so you have no mind to turn +Quakers?'</p> + +<p>'As soon shall this rose turn nettle,' said Althea, plucking a white +rose off a bush and giving it to him. 'Keep it, I pray you; and when you +find it will sting you to touch it, then conclude Althea Dacre has +turned Quaker.'</p> + +<p>'Give me your rose too, Mistress Lucia,' said Harry.</p> + +<p>So I gathered one, and put it in his hand; but I felt obliged to say,—</p> + +<p>'I cannot speak so confidently as my sister; I know nothing of these +people and their doctrines.'</p> + +<p>'You see their doings,' said Althea indignantly; 'that should be enough. +Mr. Truelocke, Lucia and I were bred up true Churchwomen, and so I will +continue to my dying day. I love not all these sects that spring up like +weeds in the ruined places of the Church; I am for those who are +building up her walls again, and making them stronger.'</p> + +<p>'And is this your mind too, Mistress Lucia?' says Harry. 'I fear me, if +it is, you will not approve my good father either;' at which Althea went +red and went pale, for she had not thought how her words might hit Mr. +Truelocke; but since she did not speak, I said,—</p> + +<p>'Being so ignorant about these things, I don't like to say much, except +that I hate these new harsh laws,—axes, I think them, lopping off from +our Church her true, faithful members as if they were diseased limbs. I +fear me the poor trunk that is left will be like a headless, handless +corpse without them.'</p> + +<p>'Well, God mend all!' said Harry, drawing a long breath. 'For my part, +all I know is, that I would these great folks who rule us now had let my +father end his days in peace, without pestering him about surplices and +Prayer-Books and the sign of the cross, all which he holds for rank +Papistry, I suppose; and I cannot wish him to lie, even about such +foolish trifles as these things appear to me. But what profits wishing?'</p> + +<p>'Very little,' said Althea, sighing softly. 'I might wish too, all in +vain, that I had not spoken with such needless warmth even now;' and she +began entreating him to believe she had meant no disrespect to his +father; but he cut her short, assuring her he knew it already.</p> + +<p>'My father is not in all your thoughts,' said he; 'but he is seldom out +of mine. I am ever longing to see him settled in some peaceful shelter +before I go to sea;' and he looked more downcast than I had ever seen +him.</p> + +<p>We were got into the orchard now, winding in and out among the trees, +and Althea went musing by herself; but I could not help lingering beside +Harry, to say some comfortable words about how all folks loved Mr. +Truelocke, my aunt especially, and I knew it was in her mind to have the +old gentleman make his home at the Grange with her, if he only would.</p> + +<p>'Ay,' says Harry; 'that's a larger "if" than you wot of, sweet Lucy. But +would it please you, as well as Mrs. Golding, to have the old man living +under this roof?' and I answered hastily,—</p> + +<p>'Nothing could like me better than to have so kind and fatherly a man +dwelling with us, not to say that his holiness and piety would bring +down Heaven's blessing on any house that sheltered him; and I promise +you,' I went on, 'that I, for my part, would show him all a daughter's +love and duty,'—'and so will Althea,'—I would fain have added, had not +Harry cut my speech short, saying,—</p> + +<p>'That's a charming word on your lips when you speak of my father—the +word of daughter. I hope you consider what it may mean to me.'</p> + +<p>'Sure,' I said, 'I am very willing to take you for my brother, if that +is what you aim at.'</p> + +<p>'No, no, Lucy,' said he; 'I wish not to be your brother. I refuse +altogether to let you think of me as such; but I have nothing to say +against Mistress Althea as a sister. Think well of my words, will you?' +and, taking my hand, he put it to his lips. And it was not the first +time, in truth, that such a courtesy had been shown me; but with a fine +gentleman it seems such a matter of course. It was not so with the frank +and blunt sailor, who had had a kind of Puritan bringing-up too; so I +suppose that was the reason it made me tremble so strangely, or perhaps +the look on his face was the cause. I was therefore not sorry to see +Althea coming up to us again.</p> + +<p>'We had better keep nearer the house; their conference may be over, and +Mrs. Golding will not know where to find us,' she said; so we turned +back, and all three paced up and down the terrace under the windows for +a while, then we went into the hall, and sat there awaiting the end of +the disputation.</p> + +<p>At last we saw Mr. Truelocke, Mrs. Golding. James Westrop, and Andrew, +all issuing forth together, and all but one seeming mightily disturbed. +Mr. Truelocke looked stern and sad, and Mrs. Golding had been weeping; +Andrew gazed on the Quaker with much anxiety, but with such reverence as +if he saw in him an angel of God. As for James Westrop, there was no +change in him, only his usual composure seemed a little exalted, if I +may so phrase it. He walked straight to the hall door, Andrew keeping by +him. There he made a stand, and, raising his hands as if in blessing,—</p> + +<p>'Peace be to this house!' he said; 'I have been well entreated in it, +though it approves me not. Friend Andrew, thou and I will meet again; +but now follow me not. I may not sleep under this roof, having many +miles to go before the sun rises;' and with that he turned and walked +out of the door, which he shut after him; and Andrew, who had stopped at +his word, came slowly back to us. Althea now rose from her place and +went towards him; her eyes were very bright, and there was unusual +colour in her cheeks; indeed she seemed carried quite out of herself, +yet she kept her queenly look and gait withal.</p> + +<p>'Mr. Golding, said she, putting her hands on his arm, 'what means that +man by his farewell to you? Sure you are not befooled and led away by +his deceiving words to believe such madness as he speaks?'</p> + +<p>Andrew started at her touch, like a man waking from a dream. He then +looked seriously at her, and said,—</p> + +<p>'Madam, I cannot say yet how much I believe of yon good man's doctrine; +but I will not rest till I know more of it. If I find it to be as +heavenly true as it hath seemed to me this day, not all the joys and +glories of the world should hold me back from embracing it; at which +Althea, letting her hands fall from his arm, stood as if she were turned +into stone, her eyes remaining fixed on him sorrowfully. I suppose he +could not endure that look; for he turned away sharply and went out of +the hall.</p> + +<p>'I feared this,' said Mr. Truelocke. He looked quite weary and spent. +'These men have a strange eloquence; and I cannot wonder that such +youths as our Andrew should think their words are indeed set off by some +superior Power,—the more, since none can deny that they preach what +they practise. I would I could have imbued all my hearers with a like +burning sincerity.'</p> + +<p>This was nearly all I heard about that long conference of theirs; for +after some more lamentations over its ill result, which, Harry whispered +me, they might have expected, Mr. Truelocke departed with his son, and +Aunt Golding remained so troubled that I did not like to question her +about what had passed. But all the more was I curious to know what the +man's doctrine was; and on the first fair occasion I found, I began to +ask Andrew to describe it to me. Poor youth! he was mightily pleased +with my inquiry, thinking, doubtless, that it sprang from a real thirst +for truth like his own; and to the best of his power he complied with my +wish. I found he had not been altogether ignorant of this new teaching +for some months back.</p> + +<p>'We English Christians,' said he, 'have fallen into many hurtful snares +by our lack of faith in God's great gift of the Holy Spirit, the mighty +boon which the risen Saviour promised to His followers, and which truly +came according to His word. I have often wondered,' said he, 'that we +all profess and say, as often as we repeat the Creed, "I believe in the +Holy Ghost," yet we act and think as if we believed not in Him.' And +from this point he went on to tell me how George Fox, first of all, and +many others after him, had been going about the country endeavouring to +make people alive to the high privilege they had so long slighted, to +their own exceeding hurt; 'also,' said he, 'these men, in obedience to +the inward Voice that instructs them, strive to bring people off from +their formal man-made religions to the primitive purity of Christ's +religion, which consists not in rites and ceremonies, repeating of forms +of prayer, singing of hymns, and ringing of bells, but in a holy and +harmless life;' and he quoted many things out of the Sermon on the +Mount, 'which,' said he, 'the common run of Christians never dream of +obeying; but the poor Friends practise them most strictly.'</p> + +<p>All this was most alluring to Andrew, for, as I have often noticed, he +detested nothing so much as false professions, and a show of goodness +where none was. I asked him curiously why the Friends behaved themselves +in such strange fashion in public places and churches; when he answered +me by referring to the bold speeches of ancient prophets in rebuke of +sin, and asked me if I could think that a man might now-a-days refuse to +carry God's message to sinners because it might bring him into bodily +peril? 'It were far worse,' said he, 'to disobey the Divine Voice, that +still small Voice that is heard by the restful soul, than to endure a +little pain at men's hands, or even the death of the body.' Well, I +could not wonder that he was charmed with such teachings, for while I +listened to him my own heart was moved strangely; but it evermore ended +with my resolving to keep to the opinions of my aunt and Mr. Truelocke; +I thought they were both too good to be far mistaken. But Andrew now +began to be often away from home, and he made no secret that he went to +meet with Westrop and other Friends, from whom he often had letters +also. He was never at West Fazeby on the Lord's Day; and Aunt Golding +and Althea also showed themselves mightily afflicted thereat.</p> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="CHAPTER_IV."></a><h2>CHAPTER IV.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW HARRY TRUELOCKE LEFT US FOR THE SEA.</p> + +<p>And now came fast upon us that black day, the twenty-fourth of August, +1662, when such numbers of faithful ministers were stript of their +offices and livings because they would not go against their consciences; +and our own Mr. Truelocke among them. I think he was more stiffly set +than ever in his opinion of the unlawfulness of conformity, since he had +that talk with James Westrop; at least Aunt Golding thought so. But on +other points he showed himself mild and persuadable, so that there was +nothing like the difficulty Harry and all of us had looked for in +winning him to come and dwell at the Grange, for a season at least; and +he agreed to make the change before the fatal day should come.</p> + +<p>So we had all a busy time of it that last week, in getting his many +books and his simple household stuff removed from the Parsonage house, +and in bestowing them suitably at the Grange, where Aunt Golding had +prepared two fair rooms for his particular use. And however bad the +occasion for our doing this work, some of us found pleasure in it.</p> + +<p>I must own I myself always loved a busy, bustling time, when there +seemed a little more to be done in each day than we could crowd into it; +which was our case now, wheat harvest having begun. And I was gladder +than common of the stir and the bustle, for it helped to stupefy and +dull a pain there was at my heart whenever the thought crossed me how +soon Harry would be gone. He was to depart on a long voyage to the East +Indies, and would indeed have sailed already but for his loving care +about his father, which made him resolute to tarry until he saw the old +gentleman in a manner provided for.</p> + +<p>Some perverse whimsy of mine had made me careful never to be left alone +in Harry's company since that talk with him by moonlight in the orchard. +It's no wonder that I so perfectly recollect all the sayings and doings +of that day, for it was a fateful day indeed to some of our little +company. But the things that dwelt most constantly in my memory, to the +shutting out of weightier matters, were Harry's looks and words on my +saying I would be as a daughter to Mr. Truelocke. There was small need +to bid me think well of them; I thought of them whether I would or no, +all the while telling myself that I was a poor fool for brooding over +such airy trifles; that I had not known aught of Harry, nor he of me, +six months before; and that I deserved whipping for fancying he could +mean anything serious. And so, between a kind of fear and a good deal of +pride, I tried, as I have said, to avoid any private talk with him; and +I succeeded pretty well. But Harry's blunt, plain-spoken ways +overmatched me after all.</p> + +<p>The first evening after Mr. Truelocke had come to the Grange—I cannot +say, after we had him settled there, for he was mightily unsettled—he +was not able to rest in the room we had fitted for his study, and so +came to sit among us in the hall, seeming to please himself with +watching our occupations, as he sat in his great chair. Andrew was +writing somewhat at his desk; Althea had some sewing; and I was having a +lesson from Aunt Golding in the right use of the little flax-wheel; for +I had taken an extraordinary fancy for spinning, and our aunt encouraged +me in it, and took pains to teach me, saying I was an apt scholar. Thus +we were busied when Harry came in and sat down among us.</p> + +<p>'You all look peaceful and content, methinks,' quoth he. 'I wish I were +a skilful painter, then might I make a picture of this pretty scene to +carry with me and cheer my heart in distant seas. But since I cannot do +that, I must try for some other comfort to take away with me.'</p> + +<p>Here he stopt, and Aunt Golding said kindly, 'What is in my power to do +for you, Master Harry, I will do as freely as your father could.'</p> + +<p>'Thanks, madam,' said Harry; 'there's much you and my father can do for +me; I know only one other person who can do more. Father, I looked for +you in your study even now; but I am not sorry to find you here instead, +hardly any one here but has some interest in my business with you. I +want your consent and Mrs. Golding's to my seeking Mistress Lucy here +for my wife.'</p> + +<p>I heard the words plainly, and I suppose their sense reached me; but if +they had been so many blows of an axe upon my head they could not have +left me more stupid. So I sat helpless, hearing Aunt Golding cry out,—</p> + +<p>'Here is hasty work, indeed! do you speak seriously, Master Harry?'</p> + +<p>'Never more seriously,' said he; 'if they were the last words I should +speak I could not mean them more truly and heartily. And I hope you have +a good answer for me.'</p> + +<p>'I don't say no,' she replied; 'but there are others to be consulted +beside me.'</p> + +<p>So Harry, looking at Mr. Truelocke, said, 'Father, call your thoughts +off from your unkind Mother Church, and bestow some of them on your +dutiful son. Will you give me your sanction and your blessing, if I can +win this lady to say she will be mine?'</p> + +<p>'I can never refuse thee my blessing, Harry, and that thou knowest,' +said the old man. 'But it's fitting that I should think of the lady too, +and bid her consider what she does.'</p> + +<p>He turned to me, which troubled me greatly, and, looking sadly and +kindly at me, said,—</p> + +<p>'If you take this boy of mine, madam,' said he, 'you take the son of a +poor, despised, aged man, who can give you and him nothing but a +father's blessing, coupled with his burdensome infirmity to care for +and tend, till death remove it;' words which loosed my tongue +straightway to say I should deem such an office a pride and honour.</p> + +<p>'That is not all,' said Mr. Truelocke. 'Harry hath chosen to embrace a +dangerous wandering way of life, neither very glorious nor very +profitable. And his bride will have to spend many a sad lonely hour, +while her husband is tossing on the seas, and she sitting trembling at +home, deprived of his protection and doubtful of his fate.'</p> + +<p>'That's a very odd way of recommending my suit, father,' said Harry, a +little uneasily.</p> + +<p>'Nay, I have not done my recommendation,' replied Mr. Truelocke; 'let me +say all. You should further consider, Mistress Lucy, that this son of +mine is so light of spirit and careless of speech, that some will say he +has no constancy of disposition. I will not so far slander him, for I +know him better; but this I must say, for it is truth, that he has not +yet that confirmed and settled piety I should desire in the husband of +mine own daughter, if I had one. Now I have laid before you all the +disadvantages of the match, it is for you to say if you will have it.'</p> + +<p>I wonder if ever a love-suit was so urged before? It made me heartily +angry to hear poor Harry so disparaged to his face, and to see him sit +so downcast, a cloud of angry colour mounting to his very forehead. I +suppose pity for him killed all my bashfulness, for I stood up, and said +passionately, I thought no worse of a man for having the bold +adventurous nature which loved seafaring; that was a noble trade, I +said, and our mariners the very flower of England; and as for light +spirit and merry speech, they were but flowers covering a rock, for +steadfast as a rock was the heart under that gay show.</p> + +<p>'And if you speak of piety,' I wound up, 'I am sure Harry hath as much +of it as I have, at least; he has some faith, some love, and so I hope +have I; but we will help each other up to better things; and here is my +hand on it if he will take it.' With that I held out my hand to him, and +he sprang up and grasped it in both his, looking exultingly at his +father; it was a pleasure to see how his face had changed all in a +moment. Mr. Truelocke smiled, but he shook his head too, saying,—</p> + +<p>'Well, children, I blame you not. The Lord will surely teach you and +lead you, it may be in ways you will not like; for it is on my mind that +you both have much to learn and much to suffer before your marriage day +shall dawn.'</p> + +<p>And now Aunt Golding, who loved Harry, and never could endure to have +him crossed, began to laugh outright.</p> + +<p>'I will own,' she said, 'I thought you very unmerciful to your good son, +Mr. Truelocke, while you continued to run him down so shamefully; but +now I see you took the right way to advance his cause. It's wonderful +what a spice of contradiction will do with a woman! Lucy, you would +never have made this bold, open confession without some such +provocation'—words which abashed me much, for they were true.</p> + +<p>And now, no one present having a word more to say against it, Harry and +I exchanged rings; and Mr. Truelocke in a few pathetic words besought +Heaven's blessing on our contract. I do believe Harry would not have +been sorry could he have called me wife before he went away; but, every +one frowning on this fancy of his when he distantly hinted it, he did +not urge it; and truly the time was too short.</p> + +<p>I was a little afraid of Althea, lest she should think I had every way +demeaned myself; but she never has owned that she thought so.</p> + +<p>'These things go by destiny, little Lucy,' she said once. 'I am not +strong enough to control fate, and certainly you are not; so why should +I blame you? Were not all our follies written in the stars when we were +born?' I could not tell then what to make of her mocking words, knowing +how she despised what people call astrology.</p> + +<p>As for Andrew, he could talk cheerfully of nothing at this time; and the +hopefullest word he could find for Harry and me was that though in these +evil days there could be no love-thoughts or marriage-thoughts for such +as him, he would not say they were forbidden to others; and he wished us +all the happiness we could get; poor cold words; but Harry said 'twas +wonderful Andrew could say as much on any worldly matter.</p> + +<p>This was the manner of our betrothing; and, were it not for Harry's ring +still shining on my finger, and also for the odd unusual fashion of the +whole thing, which is what I never could have dreamt, I should be sadly +apt to think of it as a dream too pleasant to be true.</p> + +<p>For within a day or two Harry had left us and gone to Hull, from which +port he sailed. I have never seen him since; also it is now a full +twelve-month since any letter from him reached us. Yet I cannot believe +he is dead; and if he is living, I know he is true; and living or dead, +I have a strong persuasion that my little ruby ring, which was my +mother's once, is on his finger still.</p> + +<p>But many a time have I thought on Mr. Truelocke's words, how we both +should have much to learn and much to suffer before our marriage day. I +think the words be true.</p> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="CHAPTER_V."></a><h2>CHAPTER V.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW ANDREW MADE ONE ENEMY, AND WAS LIKE TO HAVE ANOTHER.</p> + +<p>And now my happy time was over; its story is all told so far; and I must +write of darker days that came after.</p> + +<p>The living of West Fazeby, left vacant because of Mr. Truelocke's +sturdiness in his opinion, did not wait long for an incumbent, but was +quickly bestowed on a Mr. Lambert; a man not troubled with awkward +scruples, for he had been a strong Presbyterian under the Commonwealth, +and now was become as strong a Churchman; but an honest man as the world +goes now, and not hard-hearted. He had another better living where he +resided; so our parish was served by his curate, a Mr. Poole, a young +man of shallow capacity and but little learning. Mr. Truelocke, +however, went to hear him preach;—a strange sight it was to see so +reverend, saintly, and able a minister sitting humbly as a listener, +while that weak-headed lad spoke from the pulpit;—and he said the youth +preached true doctrine; so he continued going to hear him, and +encouraged our household to do the like, which they all did, except +Andrew. That Mr. Truelocke himself did not join in the new formal +prayers was not noticed, his presence at sermon-time seeming to give +mighty satisfaction to Mr. Poole, who would often walk up to the Grange +of a Lord's Day evening, to ask Mr. Truelocke's opinion of his handling +of a text, and would even beg to hear his exposition of the same; when +several of our neighbours would also come in and listen thankfully to +their old pastor's words; neither we nor they dreaming that such +practices could be deemed unlawful, as they soon were, being stigmatized +as conventicles, and heavily punished. But this did not happen in Mr. +Poole's time.</p> + +<p>There were other things much less agreeable to us under the new order of +things. A monstrous new Maypole was set up on the village green, by +command of a gentleman very powerful in the parish, whom I shall soon +have to name, and we were told the old heathen May-games would be +observed at the right season,—as indeed they were when the time came; +meantime the one or two taverns in West Fazeby began to stand open on a +Sunday, and were much more frequented than they used to be, men who had +formerly been very careful to shun them now going to them boldly in open +day; which plainly discovered their former decent carriage to have been +a hollow show. Althea and I chanced one day to be passing the Royal Oak, +as the chief inn of the village had been new christened, just as there +reeled out of it a young gentleman whom every one had deemed a most +hopeful pious youth, Mr. Truelocke in particular having a great opinion +of him, though I never liked his demure looks for my part, nor his stiff +way of dressing himself. He was called Ralph Lacy, and was son and heir +to old Mr. Lacy of Lacy Manor, a worthy old gentleman, though somewhat +austere, who was lately dead; which I suppose partly accounted for the +mighty change in his son, who was now clad in silk and velvet, scarlet +and gold; and, as I have said, could not walk too straight at that +moment.</p> + +<p>He stood still, leering foolishly on us, just in our way; I could not +bear to look at him, and would have slipt on one side; but Althea +looked sternly at him, and said bitterly,—</p> + +<p>'Shame on you, Ralph Lacy! You mourn for your father in a very vile +manner; a swine could do no worse.'</p> + +<p>'Ah, sweet Mistress Dacre,' said he, 'do you think then the grim, +sour-visaged saints are reigning still? Nay, their day is over! we have +a right good fellow for a king now, and this shall be Merry England +again, I can tell thee.' (He was growing more familiar at every word.) +'I will soon show thee what the ways are at Whitehall now;' and he was +coming much nearer to her than was pleasant, when Andrew, who came up +with us at that moment, flung him out of our path with such goodwill +that Master Lacy measured his length on the ground; and there we left +him lying. Althea thanked Andrew warmly and cordially; but Andrew, who +had been all glowing with just wrath at first, seemed to shrink into +himself at her praise.</p> + +<p>'It was a temptation,' he said, 'and I have fallen. I could have taken +you out of yon fool's way without laying a finger on him.'</p> + +<p>'It's something of a disgrace indeed to have touched the beast—an oaken +staff had been fitter than your hand,' she replied. 'Merry England, +quotha! drunken England, I suppose he meant.'</p> + +<p>'There is too much indeed of the unclean spirit of riot abroad now,' +answered Andrew; 'but it is not with violent hands that we can cast it +out. I sinfully forgot our Lord's word, "Resist not evil;"' and nothing +could brighten him, though Althea did her best all the way home.</p> + +<p>There came the day when I rued Andrew's angry action as much as he did, +though not for the same reason. Ralph Lacy was not too drunk to be +unaware who had flung him aside into the dust; he never forgave it; and +his hand was plainly seen afterwards in the troubles that came upon us. +Another man also contributed something to them, though more innocently.</p> + +<p>Mr. Poole now came very much about us, and would often talk about the +good family he belonged to and his hopes of speedy preferment; and +another favourite topic of his was the gay suits he had worn in his +secular days; he would dwell very fondly on the cut and trimmings of +these clothes. I think nothing misliked him in his profession but the +gravity of dress required from a clerical person; and I was often +tempted to ask, had his father been a tailor? He made the most of his +sober apparel, and loved to show a white, smooth, fat hand, with a fine +diamond on one finger; but he was unhappy in an insignificant person and +a foolish face, both of them something fatter than is graceful.</p> + +<p>I do not know what first made me guess that all his boastings and +paradings were intended to advance him in Althea's good graces; but she +refused to believe me when I said so.</p> + +<p>'Poor harmless wretch!' said she; 'he is but practising with me; he +would fain perfect himself in the airs and graces of a thriving wooer, +before laying siege in earnest to some fair lady, with the heavy purse, +that I lack, at her girdle.'</p> + +<p>'That's a far-fetched fancy indeed,' said I. 'Why should he single you +out alone for such practisings?'</p> + +<p>'Well,' quoth Althea idly, 'he may deem me the fittest person to +rehearse with, seeing I have at least the breeding of a gentlewoman, and +am contracted to no one else. He will think that if his ways and words +please me, they may answer with richer women of my sort as well.'</p> + +<p>'But sure they do not please you!' I cried; 'nor should you let him +think they do; 'tis not fair usage.'</p> + +<p>'Nay, he diverts me hugely,' said she; 'and I need diversion, for my +heart is heavy as lead, Lucy;'—all at once there were tears in her +eyes;—'if I can forget my griefs while I watch a mannikin bowing and +grimacing before me, don't grudge me the poor pastime. I assure thee, +child, there's nothing more in it;' and with that she left me hastily.</p> + +<p>I was used to think Althea much wiser than myself, but the evening of +the very day when we had this talk proved that in this matter her +judgment was more at fault than mine. For about sunset Mr. Poole came up +to the Grange, which was a rare thing for him to do, seeing he did not +love to be abroad when it was dark. He seemed mightily puffed up about +something; and, not being one of those who can keep their own counsel +long, he soon imparted to Althea and me, whom he found sitting by the +parlour fire, how his promotion now seemed very near. There was a living +of which he had long had hopes to get the reversion; and the actual +incumbent was fallen sick of a strange fever, with little prospect of +recovery.</p> + +<p>'And you are troubled because of the poor man's grievous case,' says +Althea demurely. 'I guessed something was disturbing you. It's +melancholy news indeed, Mr. Poole, for one would guess by it that the +place must be unhealthy, so it may be your luck to sicken in like manner +when it is your turn to live there.'</p> + +<p>I thought Althea cruel thus to tease the poor man, imputing to him a +tender concern for the sufferer of which he had never dreamed; besides, +he was chicken-hearted about contagious disorders, and that she knew. I +pitied him then, but found it hard to forbear laughing, his aspect was +so comical; therefore I feigned an errand out of the room, and, having +stayed away long enough to compose my countenance, I returned to the +parlour, where I found poor Mr. Poole on his knees to Althea, urging his +suit for her hand with a great deal more passion than one could have +expected in him. 'Twas in vain she spoke of her orphanhood and poverty, +and told him he should look higher; and at last she had to speak +sharply, and say, however she might esteem the honour he would do her, +wife of his she would never be; 'so quit that unbecoming posture at my +feet,' she added; on which he rose indeed, but said half-frantically,—</p> + +<p>'Give me at least, madam; the comfort of hearing you say you are +heart-free, that you love none other better than you do me;' on which +first her eyes flashed angry fire, and then changed and softened, her +whole face and even her neck going rosy-red, and she said almost +kindly,—</p> + +<p>'I will give you no such assurance, sir, to hold you in vain hopes; but +I wish you a happier fate than marriage with me might prove.' With that +she was gone from the room, like a shadow; and Mr. Poole and I were left +foolishly staring at each other. Presently he said hoarsely,—</p> + +<p>'Who is it that your sister loves, madam? for whom does she disdain me? +Sure,' he went on, with growing heat, 'it cannot be your cousin—he that +is infected with the Quaker heresy! say it is not he, madam.'</p> + +<p>Well, I was tempted to lie, and say it was not our cousin; for Andrew +was nothing akin to us; but I resisted the tempter, and said I could say +nothing, but that I was heartily sorry,—'and I am sure, so is my +sister,' I said, 'that you should have fixed your affections so +unluckily.' Then I told him Andrew had no thoughts of marriage with +Althea or any one; and I reminded him of the many rich and fair women +who would be sure to look kindly on him; at which he smiled again, and +presently went away in no unfriendly mood. So I acquit him of meaning +the harm which he afterwards did us, poor youth, with his prattling +tongue. He did not wait long for his promotion, the poor man whom he +hoped to succeed dying indeed of the fever that had seized him; so we +lost our curate. But it seems he prated to his patron about the fair +young lady he had hoped should share his preferment, lamenting her +silliness in preferring a moonstruck Quaker youth; also he complained of +Mrs. Golding for not discouraging such follies, and he even deplored Mr. +Truelocke's obstinate heresies as to church discipline.</p> + +<p>I think even he had held his peace, if he had known into how greedy an +ear he poured these tales. This patron of his, one Sir Edward Fane, had +much land and not a little power in our parish, though he resided in +another neighbourhood; he was a bitter hater of all Nonconformists, and +in especial of the Quakers; men said this was because of some encounter +he had had with Fox himself, by whose sharp tongue and ready wit our +gentleman was put to open shame, where he had hoped to make himself +sport out of Quaker enthusiasm. However that might be, it was commonly +said this Sir Edward loved Quaker-baiting, as it was called, beyond all +other of the cruel, inhuman sports, the bull-baitings and bear-baitings, +in which too many men of condition now take pleasure; and it was not +long before we found a powerful enemy was raised up against our harmless +friends.</p> + +<p>'Twas a wonder to me that any would lift a hand against them; Mr. +Truelocke being so venerable and so peaceable a man, and Andrew of life +so irreproachable. Also, since the youth had cast in his lot with the +Friends, he had shown a singular zeal in good works. He sought out those +who were in distress or necessity, and laboured to make their hard lot +easy, not merely giving them alms, but comforting them as a loving +brother might do; and such as had fallen into want through folly or sin +he toiled hard to lift up again, and to put them into an honest way of +living. By this means some few were led to embrace his way of religion, +it is true; and what wonder? My wonder was that so many were vilely +ungrateful to him, at which <i>he</i> never showed any vexation. 'We are +bidden,' he said, 'to do good to the unthankful and the evil,' which +seemed enough for him.</p> + +<p>But it being contrary to his conscience to attend the church, I suppose +all his other graces did but lay him more open to injury, and we were +soon warned of mischief hatching against us and him, and that by one +from whom we never expected it.</p> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="CHAPTER_VI."></a><h2>CHAPTER VI.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW MR. TRUELOCKE AND MRS. GOLDING LEFT US.</p> + +<p>Mr. Poole being gone, there came in his place as curate an oldish man, +grey-haired and meagre; a great adorer of Archbishop Laud and of King +Charles the First, 'the Royal Martyr,' as he would say; but for all his +half Popish notions, he was blameless, nay, austere in his life; and he +had thriven so ill in the gay new world of London, that he deemed it +great good luck to have the curate's place at West Fazeby.</p> + +<p>We had half feared that this poor Mr. Stokes would feel bound in +conscience to torment and harass Mr. Truelocke into conformity; so when +he came to the Grange one day, very earnest to see Aunt Golding and the +former Vicar, and that in private, we were on thorns while he stayed; +and when we heard the door shut after him, we hurried to our aunt, +asking what his errand had been.</p> + +<p>She answered us not directly, but, gazing after Mr. Stokes, whom Mr. +Truelocke was conducting out through the garden, 'Well, my girls,' said +she, 'if the tree may be known by its fruits, yon is a right honest man +and a true Christian;' and she went on to say how he had only come to +warn her and hers of evil that was designed against them. 'I fear,' she +said, smiling, 'the good man's conscience pulled him two ways; yet his +heart has proved wiser than his head. I am right glad now that Andrew is +away, though I was vexed before; yet I knew his was a charitable +journey.'</p> + +<p>Then she told us of new crueller devices intended against the Friends, +and, indeed, against all Nonconforming folks. 'And there be some,' she +said, 'who have spoken very evil things of us here at the Grange. I +warrant you it will not be long that we shall be suffered to have family +worship if our labouring men share in it as they are used to do; nor can +Mr. Truelocke so much as expound a Psalm to us and them, but it shall +straight be said we hold a conventicle here.'</p> + +<p>'Surely,' says Althea, very pale, 'the gentlemen who now rule the +country are too proud-spirited, too noble, to intermeddle with such +matters; what is it to them how we say our prayers in our own houses? +Abroad, there may be need of a decent face of uniformity, and some open +outrageous follies may require to be put down strongly'—She stopped, +and Aunt Golding said,—</p> + +<p>'Ah, child, thou little knowest. I have not yet heard of any outrageous +follies that our poor Andrew has run into; yet I am told, and I fear +it's true, that if he were to show his face openly in West Fazeby +to-morrow, his next lodging might be in York Castle, where he should lie +in the foulest den they could find for him, and have the worst company +to boot. Nor will it be very safe here for our good Mr. Truelocke, who +now talks of taking his journey to certain worthy kinsfolk of his that +are farmers in the Dale country, there he may live in a peaceful +obscurity; but his chief aim is to avoid bringing troubles on our +house.'</p> + +<p>It struck me cruelly to think of Harry's father leaving us, but I had no +time to dwell on the thought, for now Althea sank down at my feet, +helpless and senseless like one who was dead indeed; and much ado we +had to bring her out of her swoon, which was very long, and she very +feeble when she was recovered from it. We got her to her room, and +persuaded her to lie down and sleep; and when we came away, Aunt Golding +turns to me with a puzzled look, saying,—</p> + +<p>'What means this, Lucy? I never thought your sister one of those fine +ladies who swoon for every trifle;—what is it, think you?'</p> + +<p>'Andrew,' says I, 'and the image of his danger; you made a frightful +picture of it, dear madam, do you know?'</p> + +<p>'Ah, set a thief to catch a thief!' says Aunt Golding, and I felt glad +to hear her laugh once more; 'my love-passages are of too ancient a date +to serve me, it seems, but yours are fresh and new, my Lucy. But what of +Andrew? is Althea dear to him?'</p> + +<p>'More dear than he knows, or she guesses,' quoth I; at which our good +aunt laughed again, but then said,—</p> + +<p>'It's a thing that would have pleased me well, had I been told that it +would happen a year ago, but now I see nothing but trouble in it. There +would be no equal yoke there, my Lucy. Whatever extravagances Andrew +hath fallen into, the love of Christ runs through all he does and +thinks. And canst thou say the like of thy sister?'</p> + +<p>'Not yet,' I murmured, but Aunt Golding heard me, and said,—</p> + +<p>'Ay, well spoken, Lucy; we will remember that when we pray.'</p> + +<p>After this, Aunt Golding had a long conference with Matthew Standfast, +whom she despatched in pursuit of Andrew, that he might furnish him with +money and warn him to keep away from the Grange for a season. And after +much trouble, Matthew found him, somewhere on the road to York; when it +cost him still more pains to lead his young master into compliance with +the prudent courses enjoined on him.</p> + +<p>'He talked much,' said Matthew, 'of the honour of suffering for the +truth, and how he must not be the vile coward to refuse it. And I had +never been able to beat him away from that, but for the excellent +counsel of one that was riding with him; I think he was a Quaker also, +for he could talk with Master Andrew in his own dialect.'</p> + +<p>'What manner of man was he?' said our aunt.</p> + +<p>'I can hardly tell,' said Matthew; 'he had a piercing eye, I wot, and a +voice as clear as a bell; very neat and seemly he was in his attire, and +yet he might have been a ruffling cavalier if one judged by his hair, +which he wore long and curled.'</p> + +<p>'That is much how George Fox himself has been described to me,' said +Aunt Golding.</p> + +<p>'Nay, I cannot think it was any such man,' said Matthew, 'for he talked +very reasonably, plain sense and plain words, such as a simple man like +me could not choose but understand; and one told me how George Fox +should be in Lancashire about this time.'</p> + +<p>'Well, what said he to persuade my poor lad?' asked aunt.</p> + +<p>'Why, he bade him remember certain works of mercy he had already in +hand, which should not be neglected to gratify a mad fancy of thrusting +his head in the lion's mouth whenever it was opened against him. So +Master Andrew was ashamed of his rashness, and was persuaded to take +himself away for a time; and we parted very lovingly. He says it shall +not be long ere you hear from him, mistress.'</p> + +<p>I believe, in spite of Matthew's contrary opinion, that Andrew's +counsellor was no other than the famous man whom our aunt had named. But +I have no proof of this, only mine own strong persuasion.</p> + +<p>Not many days hereafter, we had proof that Mr. Stokes had been very +honest in his warning to us. There came constables to the Grange, who +showed a warrant to seize the body of Andrew Golding, charged with many +strange misdemeanours, but especially with refusing the Oaths of +Supremacy and Allegiance. I do not believe the poor youth ever had +refused them; but this was the common trap set for the Friends, who were +known to decline all oath-taking, because of that saying of our Lord's, +'Swear not at all,'—a harmless scruple at the worst, which never ought +to be used, as I think, against honest and peaceable subjects.</p> + +<p>We were now heartily glad that Andrew was absent, and that we could +truly say, we knew not where he was; nor were the constables much +grieved at it. One of them found an occasion of whispering to Aunt +Golding, 'If you can get word to the young man, let him know this air is +unwholesome for him just now;' after which they went hastily away.</p> + +<p>And now we began to be haunted with spies, our steps seeming to be +dogged even in our own garden, where we were aware of people moving +about behind trees and bushes, as if hearkening after our talk; or we +caught sight of faces peering in at the windows when we were at evening +prayer. Also our friends and neighbours began to shun us as if we had +the plague, and no one more than Mrs. Bonithorne, who had been a great +worshipper of Mr. Truelocke, but now, as we heard, blamed him openly for +his lack of true obedience to the powers that be, 'which are ordained of +God,' she would often add. It was her husband who told us this as a good +jest; but it hurt Mr. Truelocke, and he became more set on his design of +leaving the Grange, and betaking himself to his kinsfolk in Cumberland, +where among the waste and lonely mountains he might linger out his days +without offence to any. I could not hear him talk of this plan without +tears, which he perceiving tried to stop.</p> + +<p>'Seest thou, dear child,' he would say, 'all these discomforts come upon +this house because of my abode in it; for as for poor Andrew, he is +known to be elsewhere, and however peaceably I may behave myself, you +will be allowed no peace till I am either gone out of sight like him, or +lodged in gaol for some fancied offence. Which were best, thinkest thou, +Lucy?' and when I had no answer but weeping, he would leave that point +and begin to talk of Harry's ship, the <i>Good Hope</i>, of which we had got +some news, and would speak hopefully of the joyful meeting we should +have when that ship came home.</p> + +<p>Alas, I fear he was no prophet! But he was not to be turned from his +intention; and presently he was gone indeed, in the company of Mr. +Bonithorne, who had business in the north country, and who undertook +with a great deal of satisfaction to let no one, and especially not his +wife, into the mystery of his having this reverend travelling companion.</p> + +<p>And now the Grange seemed a sad lonely house indeed; for every day and +all day long we missed that noble white head, that kindly presence, that +voice still musical and tender in spite of seventy years of service. +Those spyings and watchings of us, which had helped to drive away our +fatherly friend, were a little intermitted when he was gone; but the +poor benefit was counterpoised with a heavy trouble, for now our Aunt +Golding began to decline, falling into a strange lingering kind of +fever, which the doctors could not understand. I think it was nothing +but trouble of heart which caused it, for she was mightily disquieted +about Andrew. There was reason to think it would be as unsafe as ever +for him to return home, and letters from him were very rare; he could +not often find a messenger whom he would trust, and this difficulty was +increased by his wandering about the country as he did, which yet was +deemed the best way for him to live.</p> + +<p>So being often a prey to anxious thoughts, the poor lady pined and faded +away, and presently catching a cold, she began to be troubled with +difficulty in breathing, and her sleep went from her. It was now that we +learned the worth of Grace Standfast, who fairly took us poor silly +girls in hand as her pupils, setting us tasks to do both in the house +and the sick chamber, and keeping us in heart with cheerful words and +looks. But for all her skill and her cheerfulness, our patient visibly +grew worse and worse, and as the year wore into winter, we saw that we +should lose her.</p> + +<p>And now there befell a strange thing, which I will tell just as it +happened, and I think there can be no superstition in dwelling on it so +far.</p> + +<p>Aunt Golding's sickness had now become so sore, that it was needful for +one of us always to watch with her; and on the night I speak of it was +my turn to do so. She was very uneasy the first part of my watch, but +about midnight she fell into a deep sleep, and continued so for an hour, +when, hearing no sound, I went to look on her, and saw such heavenly +peace on her sleeping countenance, that I could have thought a light +shone from it like the glory about a saint's head in a picture. I do not +know how long I had stood gazing on her, when all at once she woke, and, +smiling at me,—</p> + +<p>'Is it thou, Lucy?' said she; 'that is well. I have good news for thee;' +at which I began to fear she was light-headed, for how should she have +news that I knew not? But presently she went on, with many pauses +because of her difficult breathing.</p> + +<p>'Thou hast grieved much, Lucy, thinking thy sailor would never come home +to thee again; be at peace, he shall come home, a better man,—and find +thee a holier woman for all the troubles thou shalt have seen.'</p> + +<p>'How do you know? how can you tell?' I cried.</p> + +<p>'I cannot tell thee now,' she said, 'but I do know. And thou hast seen, +dear heart, how I have grieved over my Andrew—my heart's child, the +comfort of my old age; I have thought he was clean gone out of the right +way, for all his sincerity. It has been shown me in my sleep, that I had +no need thus to grieve. His rashness may bring him sharp trials, but +even through those shall he enter in. The light that leads him is the +true Light. And though he and his fellows are but erring men,—like all +others,—yet even their trivial errors shall have their use; in days to +come men shall say that these despised and persecuted believers have +done nobly—for their country and for the world.'</p> + +<p>'Then, do you think,' I said, in some trouble, 'that we are all wrong, +and only Andrew and those like-minded in the right?'</p> + +<p>'Nay, dear heart,' said she, 'I think not so. The paths are many—but +the Guide is one. Let us only follow His voice,—and He will bring us +to His Father's house in safety. I have comfort about thy sister too,' +she added presently, 'though I fear it is not such as she can value yet. +Do not forget, dear child, to have Mr. Stokes sent for to-morrow; I wish +to receive the most comfortable Sacrament of the Lord's Supper once +more—with you all, before I go hence.' As she said the last words, her +voice sank away, and I saw that she was sleeping once more.</p> + +<p>The next day we did as she had bidden, in sending for Mr. Stokes, who +accordingly came, and gave the Communion to all our household, as well +as to our poor aunt. I never liked him better than on that day.</p> + +<p>But a sad day it proved to us, for we all saw plainly how our second +mother was now a dying woman. I think she hardly said twenty words to +one of us thereafter, but quietly slept and dreamed her life away, and +on the third day she was gone. This was last winter, the winter of 1664; +and I remember how all that melancholy time the people were greatly +disturbed about the comet that was to be seen, wondering what mischiefs +it should betoken; I saw it myself, but so full was my mind of my +private griefs, I cared not much about ill omens to the State. Indeed, +one thing that soon happened was very distressing to us, and I shall +shortly relate what it was.</p> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="CHAPTER_VII."></a><h2>CHAPTER VII.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW ANDREW CAME TO THE GRANGE BY NIGHT.</p> + +<p>It was about a ten days after Mrs. Golding's death, and we were +beginning to feel as if our desolation was a thing that had always been +and always would be, for so I think it often seems when a grief is new. +However desolate we were, we were not destitute; she who was gone had +cared for that, and we found a modest dower secured to each of us, +without injury to Andrew's rightful inheritance of the Grange and the +lands belonging thereto; also we were to continue dwelling in the Grange +till its new master should come home and make such dispositions as +pleased him. But for all this we were greatly perplexed; we had been +long without news of Andrew, and could not tell how to get word to him +of Mrs. Golding's death.</p> + +<p>On the day I speak of, we had been teased by a visit from Mrs. +Bonithorne, who, professing great sorrow for our loss, and her own loss +of one whom she called her oldest friend, soon fell to talking of +Andrew, and how his unlucky doings were all owing to our good aunt's +foolishness in entertaining so pestilent a heretic as James Westrop +under her roof.</p> + +<p>'I warned her of it,' quoth she; 'I said to her, "You will rue it yet, +Margaret; with such an one you should have no dealings, no, not so much +as to eat," and now see what has come of her perverseness!' and +such-like stuff she said, which moved Grace Standfast to say +disdainfully, when our visitor was gone, 'Yon woman surely owes us a +little grudge, that 'twas our house and not hers which entertained so +rare a monster as a wandering Quaker; she asked me twenty questions +about him the day after, I remember it well; but we hardly had heart to +laugh, though we were sure enough she had given no such warnings as she +spake of. Althea only sighed and said, ''twas an evil day for her when +she first saw that man;' and as she told me, his two appearances to us +haunted her as she went to rest, and mingled themselves with her dreams. +She woke at last sharply and suddenly, thinking she heard the hail +rattling against the windows as it did when Mr. Truelocke preached his +last sermon in our church; but it was not hail that rattled, it was some +one throwing sand and pebbles up at her window to wake her, and then a +voice calling on her name. She sprang up, and, hurrying on some clothes, +she ran down-stairs; for, as she told me, she had no more doubt of its +being Andrew who called, than if it had been broad daylight, and she +could see him standing below the window; and, being too impatient to +unlock any door, she undid the hasp of the nearest casement and climbed +out; and at the same moment hearing a voice again calling softly, +'Althea,' she ran in the direction of the sound, and came upon a man +whom in the starlight she saw to be Andrew indeed; she spoke his name, +holding out both her hands, and he turning at once grasped them in both +his, and so they stood gazing at each other awhile. Then she said, half +sobbing,—</p> + +<p>'You come strangely, Andrew—but you come to your own house, and I am +glad that it falls to me to welcome you to it; it lacks a master sadly;' +and she tried to draw him towards the door, telling him she would set +it open if he would tarry a few minutes while she herself climbed in to +do it.</p> + +<p>'Alas!' he said, resisting her efforts; 'what do you mean by calling +this my house? is our aunt indeed gone? I had hoped that part of the +message might be a delusion.'</p> + +<p>'What message? I sent none, for I knew not where to send, nor did any of +us,' she replied; 'but it is too true that Mrs. Golding is dead these +ten days; and all things are at a stand for lack of your presence. Come +in; do not keep me here in the darkness and the cold.'</p> + +<p>'I will not keep thee long,' he said sadly; 'fear it not, Althea. But I +may not come under this roof which thou sayest is mine. I saw the dim +light in your window,' he went on, like one talking in a dream, 'and I +could not bear to pass by and make no sign, as I ought to have done. For +I love thee too well, Althea Dacre, as thou knowest.'</p> + +<p>'How can it be too well,' she answered boldly, 'if you do not love me +better than I do you? and therefore come in to your own home, or I will +not believe there is any love in you at all.'</p> + +<p>'That's a foolish jest,' said he half angrily. 'I may not cross the +doorstone of this house to-day, Althea; I am forbidden; so hear me say +what I came to say. There is a heavy burden laid on me. For seven nights +together I saw in vision a dark terrible angel, having his wings +outspread and holding in his hand a half-drawn glittering sword; he was +hovering over this land of England; and it was shown me that he was a +messenger of wrath bidden to smite the land with a pestilence. Now there +be those far holier than I who have seen the like vision; but to me came +the word that I must go up to London, where this year the plague shall +be very sore, and as I go I must warn all men, that they may repent and +amend, before this judgment fall on them.'</p> + +<p>There was that in his voice and words that made Althea tremble like a +leaf; she did not disbelieve in his visions while she heard him; but she +strove against the impression, and cried out, when she could find her +voice, that this was indeed madness.</p> + +<p>'You have no right,' she said, 'to desert your natural and lawful +duties, and your poor kinswomen too, who are desolate; you will break +our hearts, you will ruin yourself, and all for a delusion.'</p> + +<p>'It is no delusion,' said he; 'your own words, Althea, have confirmed +to me the truth of my mission. For it was said to me, "This shall be a +sign to thee, that Margaret, the widow of thy father's brother, lies +sick even to death; and thou shalt see her face no more, nor come under +her roof." And is it not so? for her face is buried out of our +sight,'—his voice shook,—'so dost not see, Althea, I may not come in +as thou wouldst have me? Furthermore, I believe my earthly pilgrimage +shall come to its end in London; I cannot be sure; but, I think, I +return no more alive. That is why I hungered so for one last look at +thee, Althea; also I wished as a dying man to entreat thee not to +despise the Lord's poor people any more. Now I must go; farewell, dear +heart, for ever;' and with these words he assayed to go; but, as she +told me afterwards, she clutched at his coat, passionately protesting he +should never go; and when he unlocked her hands, and besought her not to +hinder him, she dropt on the ground at his feet, clasped him round the +knees, and called on me with all her might.</p> + +<p>'Help, Lucia! help, sister!' were the words that woke me, and sent me +flying with breathless speed to the place whence the call came. I +climbed through the window which I found open, and ran to the spot where +I could discern that a struggle was going on; but as I came up Andrew +had got himself loosed; and, saying low and thickly to me,—</p> + +<img src="sister_t.jpg" align="left" hspace="20"alt="Look to your sister, take her in instantly."> + +<p>'Look to your sister, take her in instantly,' he turned and fled as a +man might flee for his life, while Althea threw herself on the cold +ground, moaning and sobbing like a creature mortally hurt. I took her in +my arms and raised her up, asking her, all amazed, was that indeed +Andrew? but she did nothing but wring her hands and implore me to follow +him and fetch him back; and I had much trouble to persuade her that was +useless and hopeless for us at that hour of the night. At last she was +won to rise and return to the house; and we both found it a difficult +matter to get in where we had got out easily enough; which Mr. +Truelocke, I doubt not, would have moralized in his pleasant way into a +sort of holy parable. But I have not that gift, and I suppose 'twas the +hope in Althea's breast and the fear in mine which had raised our powers +for a moment and made a hard thing easy.</p> + +<p>When we had recovered a little, and had got safely to my room, Althea +recollected herself and told me every word that had passed; and we both +agreed that Andrew was running himself into new and strange dangers in +pursuance of what he held as a Divine call. I noted it as a new thing +in Althea, that she could no longer scoff at this belief of his in the +inward heavenly voice that must be obeyed; but this matter was very +terrible to us; and we talked of it till daylight, without coming to any +conclusion as to what we were best to do about it.</p> + +<br clear="all"> + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="CHAPTER_VIII."></a><h2>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW A STRANGE MESSENGER BROUGHT US NEWS OF ANDREW.</p> + +<p>And now we had a time of unceasing disquiet. It was soon noised abroad +that the heir to the Grange was missing, and his house and lands left +masterless; and there presently appeared first one and then another of +the Goldings, far-off kinsmen of Andrew; these persons came to the house +to examine it, and talked much with the Standfasts; also they tried to +find out what my sister and I knew of Andrew's doings; some of them went +to York to talk with Aunt Golding's lawyer; and it was not hard to see +that they would have been glad to get certain news of Andrew's death. +This made their coming hateful to us; but the house not being our own, +we could not shut them out. We did what we could to get news of Andrew; +but there was small comfort in the scanty intelligence we could glean, +since it all pointed to his having indeed gone up to London, and having +preached woe and judgment on his way thither.</p> + +<p>And had it not been that we sometimes got comfortable letters from Mr. +Truelocke, telling of his quiet untroubled life in the Dale country, I +had now been unhappy enough; for we were ever hearing tales of the evil +handling of all kinds of Dissenters; even young maidens and little +children being pelted, whipped, and chained for the crime of being of +Quaker parentage and belief, while hundreds of Nonconformists of that +sort and other sorts were thrown into prison and left there. I suppose +it was the mad doings of the Fifth Monarchy men, as folks called them, +which stirred up such a persecuting spirit; so at least said the people +of our village, who now began to come about us again, with some show of +former kindness; but they proved very Job's comforters to us, by reason +of the frightful stories they loved to retail.</p> + +<p>There was one good soul whom I loved well to see, who yet gave me many a +heart-quake; it was a Mrs. Ashford, wife to a small farmer near us; a +lad of hers had sailed with my Harry, and thus she would often come to +talk over the hopes and fears we had in common, and to exchange with me +whatever scraps of sea-news we could pick up. So one day, as we sat +talking,—</p> + +<p>'It may be,' says she, 'we shall see things as terrible here in England, +as any that can befall our darlings at sea;' and I asking what she +meant, she told me she had learnt from certain poor seamen that the +Plague was assuredly on its way to us, having been creeping nearer and +nearer for a year and a half.</p> + +<p>'A Dutch ship from Argier in Africa,' says she, 'brought it first to +Amsterdam, where it grows more and more; and 'tis certain, in another +Dutch ship, a great one, all hands died of the Plague, the ship driving +ashore and being found full of dead corpses, to the great horror and +destruction of the people there; which makes our people tremble, because +of our nearness to Holland and our traffic with it.'</p> + +<p>'I heard something of this,' I said, 'last summer, but it seemed an idle +tale only, that died away of itself.'</p> + +<p>'It is no idle tale,' answered she; 'see you not, sweet lady, the +infection itself died away somewhat in the cold winter; but now that +spring comes on so fast, the sickness and people's fears of it revive +together. You will see.'</p> + +<p>Well, this news was frightful to me for Harry's sake. I began to tremble +lest perchance the <i>Good Hope</i> should be visited like that Dutch ship; +but I did not breathe such a fear to Mrs. Ashford. And as the spring +drew on, and war with the Dutch was in every mouth, we had a new terror; +for now if our sailors came safe home, they could scarce escape being +impressed for the king's service; so we knew not what to wish for.</p> + +<p>The spring being more than ordinarily hot, doubled the apprehensions of +the Plague; and some time in April, as I think, news came down that it +had broken out indeed in London. 'Twas said it came in a bale of silk, +brought from some infected city, and the fear of it increased mightily; +and we, remembering Andrew's strange vision, were not less in terror +than our neighbours.</p> + +<p>About that time I was busy one morning in the front garden, when a +gentleman in black came in at the gate, and was making up to the hall +door, when, espying me, he stopped, beckoning with his hand, and seeming +to want speech with me. He was muffled in a cloak, and his hat pulled +over his brows, so I could not tell who he was; yet I went to meet him, +and when I was near enough,—</p> + +<p>'I think, madam,' says he, in an odd husky voice, 'you have a kinsman +who took his way up to town some weeks ago? I bring news of him;' on +which I begged he would come in and tell it to my sister also; but he +said,—</p> + +<p>'There is much sickness in town; I am newly come from it; it were more +prudent for me to speak with you here;' on which I ran and fetched +Althea out; and the man said, 'I do not pretend, madam, that my news is +good news. Your kinsman demeaned himself strangely on his coming up, +denouncing wrath and woe against the poor citizens, speaking much evil +of both Court and City; I am told his civillest name for one was Sodom, +and for the other Gomorrah.'</p> + +<p>Here Althea said scornfully, if all tales were true, those names were +fit enough; and the stranger replied, that might be, but civil speech +was best.</p> + +<p>'People took your kinsman's preachings very unkindly,' he continued; +'the more so when the Plague he prophesied of began to show itself; then +he was called a sorcerer; and to make a long story short, he was taken +up for a pestilent mad Quaker, and clapt into gaol. I looked on him +there; and in gaol he lies still, and may lie for me.'</p> + +<p>With that he plucked his cloak away from his face, and, lifting his hat, +made us a deep, mocking bow, and we saw it was Ralph Lacy; but such a +ghastly change I never saw on any man. His face was livid, his eyes, +deep sunk in his head, glared like coals of fire; and when he began to +laugh, his look was altogether devilish.</p> + +<p>'You did not know me, pretty one,' he said to Althea, 'did you? When I +had seen Golding laid in gaol, I swore none but I should bring you the +joyful news; and I can tell you he is worse lodged than even his great +prophet, Fox himself, at whose lodging in Lancaster Castle I looked this +year with great pleasure—very smoky, and wet, and foul it is.'</p> + +<p>'Wretch!' said Althea; 'do you exult over the sufferings of harmless, +peaceable men?'</p> + +<p>'Harmless and peaceable, quotha?' said he; 'it was one of these +peaceable creatures flung me into the dust like a worm; but the worm +turns, you know. I took much pains to requite that kindness, and now I +cry quits with Master Andrew.'</p> + +<p>'Your wickedness shall return on your own head! I pray God it may!' +cries Althea, trembling with indignation.</p> + +<p>'Past praying for, madam,' said the reckless wretch, 'for I have the +Plague upon me. I stayed too long up in town, out of love to your friend +and mine. I shall be a dead corpse to-morrow; and why should not you +have the sickness as well as I?'</p> + +<p>With that he came towards her, as if to embrace her, when we both +shrieked aloud, and turned to fly; and Matthew Standfast, coming +suddenly between us with a spade uplifted in his hand, bade the +miserable man keep his distance, and asked what he wanted. On which Lacy +said wildly,—</p> + +<p>'A grave, man—I want nothing but a grave, and any ditch will furnish me +that,' with which he went away.</p> + +<p>Matthew, good man, was troubled when we told him Lacy's words.</p> + +<p>'If the wretched fellow have the sickness indeed,' he said, 'he might +die in a ditch for all his own people care;' and that same night he went +to Lacy Manor, inquiring after its master.</p> + +<p>It proved that, on leaving the Grange, the man went straight home, and +up-stairs to bed, saying he was weary, and must not be disturbed for an +hour or two; and there he now lay dead. None of the servants had +guessed what ailed him, and they were taken with such a fear they would +not stay to see him buried, but fled, and laid that charge on poor, good +Mr. Stokes, who discharged it with true Christian courage; after which +the Manor was shut up for many a day, till the next heir's covetousness +got the better of his fears. This matter caused great terror; but the +Plague spread no further in our parish, and so the people forgot it +somewhat after a time.</p> + +<p>But Althea could not forget Lacy's words about Andrew, nor could I +persuade her they were false tales spoken in pure despite; she brooded +over them, remembering all the tales we had heard of good men's +sufferings in poisonous infected dungeons; and at last she said to me,—</p> + +<p>'I wish Lacy had but said in what prison he saw our Andrew; however, it +was in London, Lucy? sure he said London?'</p> + +<p>'Ay,' said I, 'that's what he said, if you can pin any faith on the +raving talk of a plague-stricken man.'</p> + +<p>'He spoke truth,' said she; 'I am too sure of it. Now there will not be +so many gaols in London town, Lucy, but I can find out where Andrew +lies; and if I cannot have him out, I can supply his wants at least.'</p> + +<p>'Althea, Althea, you do not dream of going up?' I cried; 'it were sinful +madness! By all accounts the sickness increases there from day to day; +the poor people die like flies.'</p> + +<p>'I care not,' says she; and I found her immoveably set on taking this +journey speedily. She was getting together all the money she could, and +her jewels too, intending to turn them into money if needful; and she +was packing some clothes in very small compass, so as to carry them +herself as she journeyed.</p> + +<p>'It is not likely,' she said, 'that I shall find companions on such a +journey. I must learn to be my own servant.'</p> + +<p>But I had soon resolved that one companion she should have, and that +should be myself; so, after a few more vain efforts to shake her +resolution, I acquainted her with mine; and with incredible trouble I +got her to agree to it, for I said at last that the roads were as free +to me as to her; if she so disliked my company as she said, she might +take the right side of the way and I would take the left. 'But where +thou goest,' said I, 'there will I go, Althea.'</p> + +<p>'Take heed,' she replied instantly, 'that it be not "Where thou diest I +will die, and there will I be buried."'</p> + +<p>'So let it be,' I said, 'if it is Heaven's will; but you go not up +alone;' upon which she yielded, saying she had not thought I had so much +sturdiness.</p> + +<p>I cannot deny I thought it a mad expedition, though I dreamed not of the +straits into which we have since been driven. But I had prayed again and +again for guidance, and always it grew clearer to me that I must cleave +to my sister. So I made haste to get ready for our wild journey; and +after Althea's example, I sewed certain moneys and jewels into the +clothes I wore, and put a competent sum in my purse. Then came the +telling the Standfasts of our intent. They opposed it at first with all +their might, and no wonder; then, their anxiety about Andrew making them +yield a little, Matthew took his stand on this, that we must have some +protector.</p> + +<p>'A man-servant you have at least, or you do not stir,' quoth he.</p> + +<p>'But you cannot be spared from this place,' we urged; 'and who else is +there faithful and bold enough for such a service?'</p> + +<p>'Leave me alone for that,' said he.</p> + +<p>And the evening before our departure he brought to us a strange +attendant indeed, but one who proved most trusty. It was a poor fellow +of the village, who had once been in service at Lacy Manor; but the +young Squire hated him, and got him turned away in disgrace, after which +no man would employ him, and he fell into great wretchedness. But Andrew +came across him, and not only relieved his distress, for he was almost +dead for hunger, but put him in a way of living on his own land. So, +partly for love of Andrew, and partly from true conviction, poor Will +Simpson, so he was called, turned to the Quaker way of thinking. I do +not know if he was acknowledged as a proved Friend, he had some odd +notions of his own. But he showed himself a peaceable, industrious +fellow, and he loved Andrew as a dog might love a kind master that had +saved it from drowning. Indeed there was something very dog-like about +honest Will. Without having any piercing wit, he had a strange sagacity +at the service of those he loved; and his dull heavy face sometimes +showed a great warmth of affection, making it seem almost noble. When +Matthew told him wherefore he was wanted, he was all on fire to go. He +left his hut, and work, and woodman's garb, Matthew having got him a +plain serving-man's suit, in which he looked still a little uncouth; and +thus he came eagerly to us and begged to be taken with us. Then with no +escort but this poor fellow, who, however, knew the road well, and was +strong and sturdy, we set forth on our way up to London, bidding adieu +to none in West Fazeby, as the Standfasts had advised. I believe it was +supposed in the village that we were gone to Mr. Truelocke.</p> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="CHAPTER_IX."></a><h2>CHAPTER IX.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW WE WENT UP TO LONDON, AND FOUND NO FRIENDS THERE.</p> + +<p>I hoped little from the first plan on which Althea relied for obtaining +Andrew's release. Her trust was in Mr. Dacre, since he was a great +courtier, and she thought his influence might avail to get one poor +Quaker set free.</p> + +<p>'I shall not get his help for nothing,' said she; 'that were an idle +hope. But I know his expenses to be very great, out of proportion to his +means; so if I bring a heavy purse in my hand to interpret between him +and me, I am sure of a kind and favourable hearing.' She was almost gay +while she dwelt on this plan, and it furnished the most of our talk on +the first day or two of our journey.</p> + +<p>It was very hot summer weather, a little sultry; yet travelling would +have been pleasant enough had our minds been easy, which they could not +be. It was hard to go fast enough for Althea, Will having to make her +understand it was small wisdom to hurry our horses beyond their +strength; then she went sighing out,—</p> + +<p>'Oh for a horse with wings! or could one only ride on the speed of fire! +It will be a week, I dare swear, before we see St. Paul's,' and she +grudged herself time to eat and sleep.</p> + +<p>There was nothing very noticeable on the way, but the vast amazement +expressed by all who found that we were going up to London. And as we +got nearer our journey's end, we began to find that the inn-keepers +distrusted us not a little, suspecting us of escaping out of the town, +and making only a false pretence of journeying up to it. Will, however, +was so plainly a blunt, simple fellow, that his word was taken where +ours was doubted.</p> + +<p>Now and then we heard news of the war: first there was talk of a great +victory at sea over the Dutch, won the third day of June, at which the +Court and City were rejoicing mightily, half forgetting their home +perils; then came contrary news, how this victory was no victory, but +rather a disgrace to us, and that our ships were shamefully commanded, +which I believe was the truer tale; so my thoughts flew at once to my +Harry and his father. I had writ to Mr. Truelocke about our journey, but +there had been no time for an answer; and I fell to musing what those +two would think of our wild adventure, and wondering if Harry had been +seized for the king's service, like many others; but all was vain +conjecture, and I had to resign them and myself up to God's guidance; +the safest and most blessed way, as I was fast learning; for since Aunt +Golding's death I think a change had come over me; I had learned a true +hate of mine own sins, and had found One in whose sufficiency I could +trust to save me from them, and to guide me in all things. I will not +enlarge on this now, however.</p> + +<p>So with hopes and fears, despairing and trusting, the days of travel +wore away; and late in a sultry summer evening we came into London. We +put up for the night at a decent inn, kept by some people named Bell, +which our father had sometimes used when we were with him; the people +remembered him, and were civil to us. My poor sister could scarce sleep +all that night; and the landlady coming herself to wait on us at +breakfast, Althea took occasion to ask her, did she know Mr. John Dacre? +and finding she did, she got from her particular information about his +house, and the way to it, and the hours when he was to be found there; +all which the good woman imparted cheerfully, but could not help pitying +our rashness in coming up to town.</p> + +<p>'I live a dying life,' she said, 'for terror of the contagion; I would +never have run into it;' which words we passed over at that time, but +had to call them to mind after.</p> + +<p>According to her information, Mr. Dacre rarely stirred from home before +noon; so we set off betimes to find him. Will, walking behind us, looked +about in amaze at the half empty streets, the many closed shops, and +houses uninhabited, and at last, fetching a great sigh, he said,—</p> + +<p>'Methinks, mistresses, this whole town looks like a gaol, and the folk +go about like condemned prisoners.'</p> + +<p>'Ay,' says Althea; 'but there are worse gaols within this gaol, Will. +Here, the sun shines and the wind blows on us; not so where your master +lies;' and she hastened her steps, which were swift before.</p> + +<p>Mr. Dacre's house proved to be a very stately and fair one, towards the +west end of the town; it stood in a broad, very quiet street; too quiet, +I thought. Althea bade Will knock boldly at the door; 'We will not be +too humble,' says she; and he knocked loudly enough, once, twice, +thrice; but no one came to open to us, and our knocking seemed to echo +and re-echo strangely through the house.</p> + +<p>'Sure,' says Althea, 'all the folks cannot be asleep; 'tis past ten +o'clock,' and she knocked once more.</p> + +<p>There was a gentleman come out of a neighbouring house, who had looked +curiously at us; he now drew near, and, standing a little way off, +called out, 'It is little use to knock at that door, ladies—the master +is dead a week since, and the house stands empty;' at which Althea +turned a deadly pale face to him, saying,—</p> + +<p>'Do not mock us—sure, it cannot be so.'</p> + +<p>The man, looking compassionately at her, now came up to us and said, +'Nay, my words are too true, madam. Have you any interest in this Mr. +Dacre?'</p> + +<p>'I am his cousin,' said Althea, 'and I am come up from the North on +great occasion, to see my kinsman and claim his help.'</p> + +<p>'Alas!' said the gentleman; 'he is past rendering help to any. It was +mightily suspected,' said he whisperingly, 'that he died of the Plague; +but your great rich folks can smother these matters up. This is certain, +that he had secret and hasty burial, and all his family are fled and +gone, without so much as locking the door behind them, as it is said; +but I think none have been so bold as to try that; men love their lives +too well to venture within; nor would I advise you to do it.'</p> + +<p>'No, no,' said Althea a little wildly; 'I will not take the Plague and +die—not yet; I have work to do;' at which the man smiled pityingly, and +added,—</p> + +<p>'You would not find Mr. Dacre here now, were he in life—he designed to +follow the Court, which is removed to Salisbury for safety; but he +lingered about some money matters, which have cost him very dear, as I +think;' and bowing to us he walked hastily away.</p> + +<p>Well, we knew not what to do now, and so returned to our inn, where we +sat the rest of the day in the room we had hired, talking over our few +acquaintance in town, but unable to hit on one who would have will and +power to help us much. Our good hostess served us again at supper, and +asked how we sped in our search for Mr. Dacre; so unthinkingly we told +her the whole tale; at which her colour changed and she left the room +without saying a word in answer. That night we slept heavily for very +trouble; so we were not aware of a great stir there was in the night; +for Mrs. Bell, the poor landlady, was taken very ill about midnight, the +maids were called up, and a physician sent for; they had some trouble to +find one; but when he came he told them plainly that her disorder, which +they and she too had feared was the Plague, was nothing but pure terror; +our careless words about Mr. Dacre's death having struck such a fear in +her as to throw her into a kind of fever.</p> + +<p>Will told us this news in the morning, and we were grieved at our +foolishness, and wondered at hers; but we had little time for lamenting, +as we were setting forth to visit a distant kinswoman of our father's, +who, being rich and well reputed, we thought might be able to help us. +But here we fared no better,—not that the lady was dead; but she had +gone out of town on the first alarm of the sickness, leaving her house +locked up and empty, as the neighbours told us. So we went back to our +inn yet more cast down; but there we stayed not long, for we were scarce +got to our room when the landlord came to us, very angry, and said, had +he known we had been visiting an infected house, we had never come into +his; and he bade us to pack up and be gone within the hour, that he +might have every place purified where we had come. Our horses, he said, +might stand in his stable; but we saying we would remove them, he spoke +more plainly, and said he should keep them as security for what we owed. +'I will take no money from you,' he said; 'you may have the Plague in +your purses for all I know;' and he left us, saying if we went not +quickly we should be put out by force.</p> + +<p>This brutal usage dismayed me; but Althea said, 'Poor wretch! he is half +crazed with fear; that makes mean men cruel; care not for him;' and when +we were ready, giving our packages to Will, she led the way out with a +determined aspect, having, as I soon found, embraced a strange—nay, a +desperate resolution. For Will asking her, 'Which way will ye turn now, +mistress? In <i>this</i> street no inn will open to us, for sure;' she +replied,—</p> + +<p>'We will not seek any inn; we will betake ourselves to our cousin's +empty house.'</p> + +<p>'You mean not Mr. Dacre's?' I cried.</p> + +<p>'But I do,' said she. 'We have a right to shelter there; and the door +is open.'</p> + +<p>I exclaimed against this as a tempting of Providence, persuading her +first to try some other house of entertainment; and at last she agreed. +Now, whether our great distraction of mind gave us a haggard and sickly +aspect, or whether 'twas merely the suspicion and hardness of heart bred +in all people by terror, I cannot tell; but no one would take us in, +some saying flatly they would receive no lodgers they did not know, and +know to be sound. The day wearing fast away in these vain applications, +Althea says to me,—</p> + +<p>'You see we must try my plan at last. I bid you think scorn, my Lucy, of +yielding to such base fears as make folk turn us from their doors.'</p> + +<p>'It is not that I fear infection as they do,' said I; 'but I shrink from +dwelling in a house not our own, and lying open to any thief.'</p> + +<p>'Baby fears, Lucy,' she said, smiling. 'We will do our cousins a better +turn than they merit; we will keep their doors fast against thieves, and +their household stuff from moth and mould and rust. For the infection, +we run as little risk in that house as out of it.' So she bore me down +with her will, the more easily since we had no choice but either to +lodge in that house or in the open street.</p> + +<p>But Will said sturdily, 'Mistresses, you may do as you will; I will +neither eat nor sleep in that evil house. There is a scent of death and +sin breathing from it; I perceived it as we stood at the door.'</p> + +<p>'And will you desert us then, Will?' said Althea. 'Have you come so far, +to forsake us now?'</p> + +<p>'Who spoke of forsaking?' growled Will. 'I can find some balk, some +cobbler's stall, without the house, to sleep on, if you will lodge +within. The watch-dog lies not in the house, I trow? But if you must +lodge there, enter not openly, nor let it be known you are within; you +may be suspected for thieves or worse.'</p> + +<p>'Yours is no fool's advice,' said Althea shortly.</p> + +<p>So we lingered out the time till nightfall in buying some needful +things,—bread and meat and candles,—having to walk far before we found +shops open; then, as night thickened, we stole into the desolate house, +and groped our way to a room at the back, where we lit our candles and +looked about us. 'Twas a richly furnished withdrawing-room, with windows +open on a garden.</p> + +<p>'There will I sleep,' said Will. 'I had rather have the free sky over +me than this roof; so give me but a hunch of bread to sup on, and let me +go.'</p> + +<p>There was little use in crossing him, so we gave him some meat and +bread; but we prayed his help first to make all the doors fast, which he +willingly did; then he showed us how to secure the window after him, and +so slipt out into the night.</p> + +<p>Now we looked at one another, and felt desolate and dismayed for a +moment. Then I said, 'Let us commend our cause to God, sister; He will +hear us;' and we knelt down together and implored the Divine protection; +after which we felt at peace, and so took courage to sup on the food we +had brought. Then we made fast our door on the inside, and lay down to +sleep on the floor, with our mantles for coverlets and our bundles for +pillows. I never slept in such rude fashion, nor ever more sweetly and +soundly.</p> + +<p>Early in the morning there came a tapping at the window that wakened me; +so I rose and drew back the curtain, and saw that Will was moving about +in the garden. We let him in shortly, and gave him some food, which he +carried with him out of doors; then, coming back, he excused his +incivility of the night before. 'But I cannot eat nor sleep here,' said +he. 'In all other matters I am your servant.'</p> + +<p>He had lodged for the night in an empty dog-kennel, which he showed us, +close against a side-door that led out to the street.</p> + +<p>'There,' said he, 'I can do you better watchman's service than if I lay +within; and by that door you may come and go unespied of any gossips.'</p> + +<p>Althea smiled, and commended his thoughtfulness. Then she said,—</p> + +<p>'You will come with us now, Will? We must examine this house;' so he +stepped in, shuddering, and looking round almost with horror.</p> + +<p>However rich the room, it was in great disorder; and when we went +up-stairs we found matters no better—beds half stript, chests and +cabinets left open, floors strewed with things pulled forth in haste and +left there. We pitched on one sleeping-room to the back, to use +ourselves; and, having satisfied ourselves that no evil-disposed person +lay hid in any room, we shut them all up (the keys being left in the +locks) except that sleeping-room, the parlour we had first entered, the +kitchen, and one great room looking to the front, agreeing to use no +other apartments; and to this rule we kept, except when, as I have told, +I went a-hunting for means to write this history.</p> + +<p>That work of examining the house was terrible to me, especially when we +looked into Mr. Dacre's own chamber. There we found a mighty rich bed, +with hangings of silk and silver, and all the toilet furniture in silver +also; with couches and cushions richly wrought, and certain splendid +garments, with a jewelled sword, left flung upon them, as if the owner +had just put them off; but all was disordered wildly, as if by the dying +struggles of a madman, and the gorgeousness seemed to add to the horror +of it. I trembled as I looked at the glimmering mirror and thought of +what it might have reflected; our cousin's image seemed to rise up in +all his pride and bravery as I last saw him, but with the ghastly face +of death; so I hurried out and flung the door to behind us, and Althea +turned the key in the lock. After which we avoided passing that way; for +the place was not less dreadful to her than to me; she acknowledged it +made her remember what we had heard of the great burying-pit in Aldgate, +and the dishonoured corpses that were flung into it, heaps upon heaps.</p> + +<p>'He may have gone to that grave from this splendid chamber—it's a +hideous mockery,' she said.</p> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="CHAPTER_X."></a><h2>CHAPTER X.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW WE DWELT IN A HOUSE THAT WAS NOT OUR OWN.</p> + +<p>And now Althea began her search after Andrew, with none to help her but +poor me and honest Will. Our chief care being not to be seen going out +or coming in, she chose to steal forth of the back door early in the +mornings; sometimes I with her, sometimes Will, but one of us always +staying in the house to watch it, and to open at nightfall to the +others. Althea went to such shops as she could find open and bought +things, sometimes mere trifles, sometimes food and other necessaries, +but always spending much time over it, and both listening to the talk of +other folk, and drawing the shop-people into talk herself; when she +contrived to work round to the prisons, and the poor souls in them, and +how they fared in these bad times. Once or twice she took a boat and +went up the river, and then was wondrous affable to the watermen, +setting them talking also on the same matters; and thus she did with +every one whom she could draw to speak with her, not disdaining even +beggars, nor fearing the watchmen who guarded houses supposed to be +infected, and therefore shut up. I confess that these last were people I +would gladly have shunned, there being something so awful to me in the +locked doors (marked with a great red cross, and 'Lord, have mercy on +us' writ large upon them) by which the poor fellows sat. But Althea +seemed to have said a long good-bye to fear. And with questioning and +listening, and piecing things together by little and little, she assured +herself that Andrew must be in Newgate, if he lay in any London prison. +She had tried to find out by artful inquiries if any man had shown +himself in London, announcing a coming judgment, and warning people to +avoid it, as Andrew had proposed to do; on which people informed her of +several such persons, but their descriptions answered not to our poor +friend.</p> + +<p>One man had cried up and down the streets, 'Yet forty days, and London +shall be destroyed,' after the fashion of the prophet Jonah; and another +had run about by day and by night, naked to the waist, and crying, 'Oh! +the great and dreadful God!' and no other words; which struck a great +terror into all who saw and heard him; and yet a third, who was said to +be a Quaker, acted more strangely; but he was known by name to those who +told about him. Also in all these tales there was something frantic and +unreasonable, not like Andrew, nor like the way he had designed to act.</p> + +<p>I think I myself saw one of these strange creatures. It was my turn to +be housekeeper, Althea wanting Will's help to carry her purchases home +that day. Such a solitary day was very dismal and heart-sinking to me; +and had it not been for my plan of writing this history, I know not how +I could have borne it. When it grew dusk I ventured to look out at a +front window to see if my friends were coming; but what I saw was the +light of torches coming up the street, which was the sign of a funeral, +it being ordered that people should only bury at night; and presently +came by a coffin borne of four, and a great many people following; for +it was wonderful how people crowded to funerals at this time, as if +desperate of their lives. They stopt suddenly, to my terror, right in +front of my window; but it was because of another crowd meeting them, +and in its midst a tall man, moving very swiftly, and going straight +before him. He was stript to the waist; and I thought at first that the +hair of his head was all in a flame of fire, but it was a chafing-dish +of burning brimstone that he had set upon his head, and which glared +through the darkness. As he met the coffin he made a stand, and looked +upon it.</p> + +<img src="creature_t.jpg" align="left" hspace="20" alt="I think I myself saw one of these strange creatures."> + +<p>'Yet one more,' he said, in a deep hoarse voice,—'one more has fallen +in his sins! but ye do not repent. Woe, woe, woe to this unfaithful +city!' and he went on again directly, but continued to cry 'Woe, woe!' +as long as I could hear him; the people running after and around him +could scarce keep up with his swift pace. Those who were bearing and +following the coffin had seemed struck with horror; but now they got +into order again; and I heard one near the window bidding them +sneeringly never to heed a mad Quaker, while another said aloud, 'I +marvel such an evil-boding fool is left at large, when far quieter folks +of his sort lie rotting in prison;' words which made me fain to hear +more; but the men all moved off, and I had scarce seen their torches go +twinkling away into darkness, when I heard the signal at the back door, +and hurried joyfully to let in my friends, who had been delayed by +meeting the funeral; but they had missed the other strange spectacle.</p> + +<p>As I remember, this was the second Saturday we spent in town; and here I +may say that almost every Lord's Day which found us in our dismal abode, +we two made our way to some church at a good distance, and there joined +in worship.</p> + +<p>I never saw churches more crowded, worshippers more devout, ministers +more fervent. We understood by what we heard that not a few clergymen +were dead of the Plague, and others fled for terror; because of which +certain of the silenced ministers were called on to fill those vacant +pulpits; and they did so while the Plague lasted, with great zeal and +boldness, no man saying them nay. But neither the courage of these men, +nor the fervency with which they preached and visited among the sick and +dying, could so far recommend them to Will that he would set foot in +what he called the steeple-houses; so on the Lord's Day we had to +dispense with his attendance, and this troubled me; but on the other +hand there was comfort in seeing how my poor sister rejoiced in the +ministerings of these faithful men. A great change showed itself in +her; she was full of a new tenderness to me, and was most mild and +patient with poor Will and his odd ways; and as for him, I believe he +would have died for her, or done anything that she desired, except +lodging in Mr. Dacre's house, or worshipping in a church.</p> + +<p>Now when Althea had assured herself she must look for Andrew in Newgate +and in no other prison, she set herself to get admission there. 'No lock +so hard,' she said to me, 'but will go with a golden key.'</p> + +<p>So she put money enough in her purse. She took Will with her, clad in a +suit fit for a plain country gentleman, for she wished it to be thought +he was one who had power to protect her; and, having found out the +keeper of Newgate, she bought from him at a great price leave to visit +his gloomy wicked kingdom, and to relieve poor creatures lying in it for +conscience sake.</p> + +<p>Now, had she relieved all who professed that they were such as she +sought, she might have spent the wealth of both Indies; for it was +shocking how many utter reprobates pressed up to her and to Will, +claiming that they were imprisoned for matters of religion; but their +brazen countenances, that bore the deep impress of their wickedness, +witnessed against them. With great trouble she found out at last a few +of the sort she wanted, and then began to ask for Andrew by name; but no +one seemed to know aught of him; the keeper too professed ignorance of +any such person. But her belief was strong that he lay within those +walls, and she went again and again on the same errand.</p> + +<p>Now I could never get her leave to go with her to Newgate. She said at +first that Will, being a man, was more useful to her than I could be; +but afterwards she owned that the prison was so vile and hideous a place +she could not endure I should see it.</p> + +<p>'There is no need,' she said, 'for more than one of us to behold such +monstrous evil. 'Tis a society of fiends, Lucy, a training-school for +all vice, and the keeper is worthy of it. I think it is not less than +acted blasphemy to throw good men into it; as well send them alive into +hell. The Lord look upon it, and require it.'</p> + +<p>'Are there any of the Friends shut up there?' I asked.</p> + +<p>'There have been hundreds, I am told,' she said; 'even now there are too +many, but they die daily of fever and misery;' and she stopped short, +presently saying, 'If I find him not, I will not repent of my search. I +have fed some starving saints already.' So she continued her visits and +her inquiries.</p> + +<p>But I began to find it an almost unbearable penance to stay within doors +alone in her absence; I prayed and struggled for composure, but could +not attain it, and at last I said I must go out sometimes to breathe the +air. She warned me of perils awaiting me if I walked abroad by myself, +but I got some poor coarse black clothes that I put on, and a hood to +hide my face; and I sometimes added to these a cloth tied about my neck, +such as I had seen on poor creatures who had sores. It was an artifice, +but I hope not a sinful one; for in this disguise, and contriving to +behave like a sick languishing person, I was more terrible to disorderly +people than they to me, and they kept at a good distance from me. Thus I +took many a walk about the streets; but my chief comfort was only to see +a variety of dismal objects. The street where we dwelt was quite +grass-grown and empty; I do not think there were above two inhabited +houses in it, nor would you see above half a dozen people go through it, +in all the length of the summer's day. Of the passengers that I met +elsewhere, I think two out of every three were poor sickly objects with +sores and plasters upon them; and sometimes it was my luck to meet +coffins of those dead of the sickness; for now there could be no strict +observing of the rule to bury them by night, the number of such funerals +increasing at a frightful rate.</p> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="CHAPTER_XI."></a><h2>CHAPTER XI.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW THERE CAME NEW GUESTS INTO THE HOUSE.</p> + +<p>The last day that I ventured out in this foolhardy manner I had a +terrible fright which even now it is distasteful to remember. I was +hurrying to get home, being warned by the darkening light that it was +drawing near Althea's time to return, and, chancing to look behind me as +I turned a corner, I was aware that not many paces from me was a man, +tall and sturdy, who seemed to be following me, his eyes being fixed on +me; and when I turned it seemed to give him a kind of start, for he +looked away, and made as if he would cross to the other side. This +alarmed me, and I quickened my pace from a walk almost into a run, +resolving meanwhile not to look round again; yet I could not resist the +fancy that I heard steps coming after me; and glancing over my shoulder +I was aware of some one at no great distance off; on which I dared look +no more; and, being now very near home, I darted round to the back +entrance; and having got in and made the door fast, I sat down +trembling, to get my breath.</p> + +<p>I was still much disquieted, when I heard the joyful sound of Althea's +signal at the back door; I flew to open to her, my hands trembling so I +could hardly withdraw the bolts. But when I got the door open, it was +not Althea who stood without, but that very man whom I had tried to +escape; he stood with his back to the sky, which was red and glowing, +for it was just past sunset; and I saw him to be tall and powerful and +roughly clad, so sunburnt that he might have been a Moor; and a long +scar that ran from his eyebrow half across his cheek gave a strange +fierceness to his look. This was all I could see, his back being to the +light, such as it was. I gave a smothered shriek, and would have shut +the door on him; but he said,—</p> + +<p>'Not so hasty, mistress—look at me again, and you will not turn me +away, I think.'</p> + +<p>But I still held the door in my hand, and said hastily, 'I can admit no +stranger—you should know this house is infected—what do you seek?' at +which the man's eyes, which I saw to be blue and bright, began to +twinkle, and he said,—</p> + +<p>'You will think it odd, madam, but I am come seeking my true love—Lucia +Dacre is her name; do you know aught of her?' with which words he +smiled, and all his face changed in that smile into the face of my own +Harry.</p> + +<p>My heart sprang up in sudden rapture; I think, as the play says, it +'leaped to be gone into his bosom,' for there I found myself the next +moment, clasped tight in his arms, and holding him tight enough too, +while I laughed and sobbed, crying out, 'Are you indeed my Harry? am I +so blest beyond all other women? have you come back to me, alive from +the dead?'</p> + +<p>'You may say indeed, sweetheart, that I am alive from the dead,' he said +seriously; 'in a double sense I was dead and am alive again. But my tale +must wait for a better time. I am sent before, dear love, to tell you +your sister is coming, and not coming alone.'</p> + +<p>'Who is coming with her? any one beside Will? have you come to say she +hath found Andrew? has she indeed?' I cried.</p> + +<p>'Ay,' said Harry, 'he is found; but I fear we may lose him again. Have +you here a place, Lucy, here a dying man may lie softly and easily, the +little time he has left? If not, make one ready quickly—but no stairs +for him, remember. I would help you, dear heart,' he said tenderly, +'were it not that I must keep watch here for their coming.'</p> + +<p>I turned my lips to his hand, as I unclasped my arms from him; then I +flew to do as he had bidden. I dragged the coverings off our own bed and +hastily spread a couch in that room where we commonly sat; I set lights, +food, cordials in readiness on the table; then I ran back to the door, +half afraid my Harry would have vanished like a dream; but there he was, +watching yet; so I took my place beside him, and loaded him with +questions about the finding of Andrew. I learned he had a large share in +it.</p> + +<p>'A poor seaman who loved me,' he said, 'met me this morning when I +landed at Woolwich; and he testified such extravagant joy on seeing me +that I own I half thought him mad.'</p> + +<p>'Then what can you think of me?' I put in; at which Harry said,—</p> + +<p>'Nay, Lucy, you were ice compared to this poor fellow. He is one that +hath tasted Andrew's bounty, and that not long since; for his wife +sickened of the Plague, and our Andrew at his own cost provided a +physician for her, and many other comforts; and 'tis owing to that, the +man thinks, that she is now sound and well.'</p> + +<p>'Where was this?' I said, wondering.</p> + +<p>'Here, in London,' said Harry. 'Now close on this woman's recovery came +the seizing of Andrew, and 'tis but lately that the poor grateful sailor +discovered how his benefactor had been lying long in Newgate, where he +was thrown by one Ralph Lacy's procurement.'</p> + +<p>'Ah!' I said, 'that wretch! but he has paid for it, Harry. But why could +Althea never find Andrew before?'</p> + +<p>'I cannot tell by what devilish prompting it was,' he said, 'that Lacy +bore Andrew and every one else down, that his true name was not Golding, +but Dewsbury—William Dewsbury, as I think; and that he had shifted his +name to avoid prosecution, having been once imprisoned already; and +what our poor friend said to the contrary being slighted as a lie, his +true name has never been given him. So inquiry after him has been +crippled; and not by this means only.'</p> + +<p>'But if this sailor be so grateful, why did he not come to our poor +friend's help?' I said indignantly; but Harry said, sighing,—</p> + +<p>'A destitute seaman! why, there be throngs of them and their wives +starving in the streets, and cursing the navy officers because they +cannot get their own hard wages. And this was why my poor fellow showed +such frantic joy on seeing me—'twas for love of Andrew; he hurried his +tidings on me, and bade me hasten to the gaol and relieve my friend; +himself going there with me, else I had not sped so well.'</p> + +<p>Now how Harry sped at the prison I learnt afterwards; for at this point +his tale was cut short; but I will put the story here, where it seems +fittest.</p> + +<p>By great good fortune Althea encountered with Harry and the seaman Ned +Giles at the very gate of the prison, and she soon bought leave to visit +the prisoner called William Dewsbury, who lay under lock and key in a +very filthy cell, and had latterly been denied even bread and water, +because his money being spent he could not satisfy his gaoler's demands. +They found him lying on a heap of mouldy straw; he was miserably wasted, +and to all seeming lifeless; yet they knew him at once for Andrew; and +Harry perceived there was life yet in him. Althea, however, seeing him +lie as if dead, rose into fiery indignation; she turned to the gaoler, +saying, in a terrible voice,—</p> + +<p>'See there, murderer! that is your work—the blood of this man shall lie +on your soul for ever—it shall drown you in perdition!' at which he +cowered and shrank ('and well he might,' said Harry), stammering out +'twas an oversight, a pure accident; and she going on to threaten him +with law and vengeance, he asked hurriedly, would not the lady like to +remove the poor man, and give him honourable burial? at which Harry +whispered her, 'Take his offer quickly; say not a word more of revenge;' +and Althea, guessing his meaning, softened her tone a little, and +consented to the man's proposal. 'Get me only a coach,' said she, 'and I +will have this poor lifeless body to mine own home; and I will not +charge you with the murder.'</p> + +<p>So they fetched a coach; but the driver, seeing as he thought a dead man +brought out and laid in it, flung down the reins and refused to drive +them.</p> + +<p>'I am well used to drive sick folks,' he said (indeed that was now the +chief use of hackney coaches), 'but a corpse I never drove and never +will.'</p> + +<p>Althea, however, stepped in herself, and bade Will get on the box and +take the reins; then whispering to Harry, she told him where to find me, +and begged he would prepare me for her coming. 'I shall soon master this +knave's scruples,' she said; 'he is but bringing them to market, and I +am ready to buy them;' and as I suppose, she paid a heavy price for the +use of that coach for an hour, saying her man should drive it to her +house and then return it empty to the coachman.</p> + +<p>For while Harry and I stood talking at the door, his tale was broken by +the rumbling of wheels; and the coach coming lumbering up, we perceived +Will to be the driver.</p> + +<p>'That is well,' said Harry; 'it will not be known where you dwell.' As +he spoke the coach stopped, and Althea put aside the close-drawn +curtains. She called Harry to her, and said softly,—</p> + +<p>'Now help me to lift him, good friend—but be very gentle; he lives, he +speaks, but he is deadly weak;' and with infinite care she and Harry +lifted out a poor shrunken figure that seemed light as an infant in +their arms; and I leading the way they brought it in and laid it on the +couch I had got ready; there Althea, sitting down, drew Andrew's head on +to her bosom, supporting him with her arms, and murmuring tender words +in his ear. Harry stayed to speak a word to Will before he drove off, +and then returning he stood by me a moment and gazed with me at those +two; 'twas a sight to chain one's eyes fast, to see Althea's face, still +heavenly fair in spite of her anguish, bending over Andrew's, which was +livid in colour, all but fleshless, and the eyes deep sunk in their +sockets; yet he smiled, a smile full of a strange radiance; and he moved +his colourless lips, saying something which Althea bent her head very +low to hear; then looking up wildly and seeing Harry,—</p> + +<p>'Have you brought a physician?' she cried; 'there is no time to +lose—he is dying for lack of help.'</p> + +<p>'That he shall not,' said Harry, who was now knelt beside Andrew, and +offering a cordial to his lips; 'here is no disease but hunger, dear +lady—I have learnt by sharp experience how to minister to that;' and in +two hasty words he bade me go and warm some broth, of which luckily I +had told him; so I went quickly.</p> + +<p>Now when I came back I saw there was more company in the room; for Will +had come in, and with him a man and woman; but I did not note them much, +for it seemed to me that Andrew was swooning, his eyes being closed. But +Harry took the broth from me and began to feed Andrew with it; and at +the warm scent of the food he revived a little. It charmed me to see the +tender skill which my Harry showed in his ministerings. As I stood +looking on, the woman came up to me, and with a sort of simple grace let +me know who she was; 'twas Mary, the wife of Ned Giles, the seaman, and +the man with her was Giles himself.</p> + +<p>'You will forgive us, madam,' she said, 'for thrusting our company on +you unbidden; it's for love of this your kinsman we come, Mr. Truelocke +having sent us word we could be useful about him.'</p> + +<p>'Kay,' I said, 'never ask forgiveness for such goodness; do you know +this house is reputed to be infected?' but she said, smiling,—</p> + +<p>'Madam, I who was all but dead of the Plague not long since have little +fear of it left.'</p> + +<p>While she spoke I saw that Harry was urging something on Althea, who was +still sitting at Andrew's head; she answered at last, 'As you will. I +may not gainsay you;' and yielded up her place to that good woman, who +came eagerly to take it when Harry called her.</p> + +<p>'Now go and rest awhile till we call you—you have need,' Harry said to +us; but Althea, as if she heard him not, stood looking down on Andrew +and his nurse.</p> + +<p>'Does God forget His own?' she muttered; 'is this the reward of His +servants? chains, cruelty, starvation?'</p> + +<p>Andrew must have caught her words, for he half raised his head, and his +languid eye brightened.</p> + +<p>'Dear heart,' he said feebly, 'thou knowest little yet. Thou hast seen +my prison, thou didst not see the Heavenly Guest who made it a heaven +to me; thou hast seen me lacking bread, thou knowest nought of the +angels' food with which He fed me.'</p> + +<p>As he said this he sank down again, but Mary Giles caught him in her +arms; and Harry said imperiously to Althea and me,—</p> + +<p>'Leave him to us; it is best he should not speak; get you to your own +rest, you need to renew your strength; so we went meekly enough, Althea +saying when we were in our sleeping-room,—</p> + +<p>'Harry hath got the trick of command very perfect, that's certain; and I +may say, Lucy, I am weary at last of ruling over you and Will; it's not +amiss there is one here who has a mind to rule me instead.'</p> + +<p>Then we knelt down together and gave thanks for the great mercy of the +day; and we implored passionately that the life of Andrew should be +given back to us. Althea at the end of our prayer still remained +kneeling; then beginning to weep she sobbed out, 'I think, I hope, I can +say, "His will be done," but oh, 'tis hard, Lucy!' And she was so torn +and shaken with her passion that I thought she would take no rest that +night. But in five minutes after our heads touched the pillow we were +both sleeping soundly: and we woke not till there came a knocking at our +door, very early in the morning, and Will's voice praying us to descend +and take some food.</p> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="CHAPTER_XII."></a><h2>CHAPTER XII.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW WE SAILED FOR FRANCE IN THE 'MARIE-ROYALE.'</p> + +<p>We found our friends where we had left them; the grey dawn glimmering in +at the window showed us Andrew lying in a quiet slumber; and he looked +nothing so death-like as the night before. But the others appeared +haggard and weary, as well they might; for none of them had slept a wink +the night through. Yet joy spoke from the poor wan faces of Mary Giles +and her husband. They had helped in the tending of Andrew with wonderful +skill and care, and now they were rejoicing in a good hope that he would +yet recover.</p> + +<p>There was a meal spread, of which they had already partaken; and we were +now bidden to sit and eat also, as quickly as we might. It was Harry who +gave us these orders, with a stern anxious look, which daunted me a +little. When we had eaten,—</p> + +<p>'Now leave us with our friend, ladies,' he said, 'and gather all +together in readiness to depart; this house shall not hold us another +hour;' and Althea hesitating, and saying Andrew was hardly in case to +depart, 'That knave gaoler,' he said, 'who had hid Andrew from you so +long, had strong reasons for doing it; is there no fear, think you, that +he may suspect there was life in the dead man whom we removed? Would you +have our practice detected and the prisoner seized again?'</p> + +<p>It did not need more to set wings to Althea's feet; so we made haste and +gathered up all our belongings, and came down again with our bundles +packed and our travelling suits donned, long ere the hour was passed.</p> + +<p>Yet for all our haste, we found they had made better speed than we. +There stood a coach waiting, into which they had already lifted Andrew; +he was muffled in a long cloak that I had flung off the night before. +The two Gileses had him in their care, and Will was again acting as +driver (I believe 'twas the very coach of the previous night); he was +taking Harry's orders as to driving at a very soft pace to the nearest +stairs, 'where,' said Harry, 'we will meet you; these ladies will walk +with me.'</p> + +<p>We saw them drive off; then I made fast the outer door, and Harry took +the key from me, and flung it over the wall into the garden.</p> + +<p>'Let any find it who list,' said he. 'I thank God we are quit of the +hideous place. How you have endured to dwell there day and night passes +my comprehension.'</p> + +<p>'Why,' said I, 'is it not a glorious rich house?'</p> + +<p>'A house of sin and pride and death,' said he, 'I grant you.'</p> + +<p>'You are of Will's mind,' says Althea; 'he never would eat or sleep in +it.'</p> + +<p>'If that be Will's mind,' said he, 'I approve his wisdom. And now, hey +for Father Thames and his silver streams, and the sweet salt air of the +sea! Here, take my arm, fair lady,' he said to Althea as we went along; +'I have my doubts of your obedience—Lucy I can trust to come with me of +free will.' So she took his arm, and said, smiling faintly,—</p> + +<p>'At least indulge me so far as to tell us whither we are bound?'</p> + +<p>'You heard me say,' he answered, stepping on briskly, 'to the nearest +stairs; I have a boat ready there, and we will slip down the river to a +ship I wot of that lies near Woolwich. I own,' he went on, 'it's a +mighty risk to run, with Andrew in such a feeble case; yet I see no +better way.' And in hasty words he told us how poor was our chance of +getting clear away from the plague-stricken city by land.</p> + +<p>'London is something of a mouse-trap now,' said he, 'or a lion's den, if +you like a statelier image; the way in is easy enough, but the way out +is more difficult than the steep and thorny path to heaven. Every town +and village we should come to would rise against us with hue and cry, +and drive us back to the city, to perish there; so cruel are men become +through fear of the contagion.'</p> + +<p>Althea's pale cheek grew paler as she listened; and she said, 'Alas, my +Lucy! into what a snare have I brought you! and all through pride and +self-will.'</p> + +<p>'Nay, sweet sister,' said I, 'do not miscall your compassion, and the +daring of your spirit, which led you here.'</p> + +<p>'There was pride and wilfulness in it too,' said she; 'and look what a +rebuke Heaven gives me! it is not I that rescue Andrew; it is Harry and +poor Giles.'</p> + +<p>'Tut, tut!' said Harry; 'do not abuse yourself overmuch. You had found +Andrew long since, but for the evil mind of Ralph Lacy, who had bought +yon keeper with a mighty bribe, and commanded that Andrew should be kept +out of sight, if ever you made inquiry after him.'</p> + +<p>This piece of intelligence struck us silent till we got to the stairs, +going down which we found a roomy boat awaiting us, in which were +already the rest of our little company, except Will; and he appearing +before we were well settled in our places, sprang in after us, and said +joyfully, as he took an oar,—</p> + +<p>'That coachman had fain learnt from me who it was I had carried down to +the river; but I can be deaf upon occasion;' from which I gathered that +he had been commissioned to restore the coach to its owner.</p> + +<p>The sun came up as we began to glide down the stream, and a million +little sparkling waves flashed back his reflection as we rowed on; which +was the only cheerful part of the scene, I thought; for all our company +were grave and silent, and Andrew, though the calmest of us, looked so +like death that I could find no pleasure in his peaceful aspect.</p> + +<p>And the river itself, which I had formerly seen so gay with all kinds of +craft, watermen plying up and down constantly, and great sea-going ships +coming and going, and lesser vessels crowding the noble stream, now +seemed as desolate as the town that lay on its banks; only as we went on +we came to many ships lying at anchor, by two and two; sometimes two or +three lines of these ships lay in the breadth of the river, and as we +threaded our way between them, men, women, and children came and looked +over the sides at us.</p> + +<p>I was glad to break the silence that had settled on us, and I asked what +was the reason of these long rows of ships being thus moored idly near +the shores? on which the good Mary Giles, who had again the office of +supporting Andrew, speaking softly, told me how they were the refuge of +many hundreds of families, fled out of London, who hoped in this way to +escape the contagion.</p> + +<p>'I do not know,' she said however, 'that they do always escape as they +hope. Many a device did I practise myself to keep myself whole and +sound, and some mighty foolish ones; but it pleased the Lord to drive me +from all those refuges of lies, and to show me that He only can kill and +make alive. To my thinking, a fearless, believing heart is the best +charm against the Plague.'</p> + +<p>'Ay,' says Harry; 'that is the best charm doubtless. But we shall find +it not amiss to keep our dwellings cleaner and sweeter here in England; +with faith and courage and cleanliness, we might defy the foul fiend +Pestilence. You shall not find that it makes so great ravages, even +among the Dutch.' With that he bit his lip, as though a secret had +escaped him; however no one but myself noted him; and the others now +began to talk more freely; and Mrs. Giles from time to time bestirred +herself about nourishment for Andrew, which Harry had been careful to +provide; he said a man so nigh dead of hunger must have food often, but +in small quantities. So our party grew cheerfuller, ever as the stream +grew broader, and we began to breathe the salt breeze that blew inland.</p> + +<p>We ventured to question Harry about the ship that would receive us; and +he said she was a French merchant-ship, and the captain a great friend +of his, a good Protestant, who was willing to take on board any company +he should bring.</p> + +<p>'I hoped,' said I, 'it might have been the <i>Good Hope</i>.'</p> + +<p>'Alas for my poor <i>Good Hope</i>!' said he; 'she went to pieces in a mighty +storm, on the hard-hearted coasts of Africa; and such of my brave +fellows as were not drowned were seized for slaves by the barbarous +people of Algiers.'</p> + +<p>'And you, Harry, what was your lot?' I cried.</p> + +<p>'The lot of a slave for many a day,' said he briefly. 'It is thanks to +my good friend Captain Maret, who will soon receive us, that I have ever +seen my country again.'</p> + +<p>I would gladly have asked more, but I saw he was little inclined to +talk; and after he had said, 'The ship we are going to board is called +the <i>Marie-Royale</i>,' he fell again into a silence; but the rest of us +continued to keep up some sort of talk, till we got down by Woolwich; +and this seemed to help our courage a little,—I mean Althea's and mine, +especially when Andrew would say a few words, as he began to do, in a +way that showed reviving strength.</p> + +<p>Now I had never gone by sea anywhere, and all my sailing had been in +wherries on the Thames; so I was not free from some childish fear when +we came beside the <i>Marie-Royale</i>, and saw her black sides rising high +and steep above us; but joy sat on every other face in our little +company; and Harry's voice was gay once more as he shouted an answer to +Captain Maret, who came and hailed us from above. 'Twas a matter of some +difficulty to get Andrew safely hoisted on deck; yet they did it without +giving too rude a shock to his enfeebled frame. I confess, when it came +to my turn to mount, I shut my eyes for fear, and never opened them till +I found Harry's arm about me, and a firm footing under me; and I heard +his voice merrily mocking me for a poor little fool, who was ready to +swoon at fancied perils, and was reckless of real ones. So then I looked +abroad again, and seeing myself encircled with all our company, who +were smiling at my terrors, while the dark, kindly face of the captain +beamed a welcome on me,—I laughed first, and then wept; and then +clasping my hands began to thank and praise God for our good +deliverance, as if I were in an ecstasy; but now no one laughed at me, +but heads were uncovered, and eyes cast down in thankful prayer also, +all around me; the French sailors who had helped us to come aboard +showing themselves not less reverent than our handful of English, and +indeed appearing to be much moved. Then Andrew, who stood supported by +the arms of Ned and Mary Giles, looked smiling at me, and said, in his +feeble voice,—</p> + +<p>'Thou shamest me much, my sister Lucy; I who was deepest in peril ought +to have been foremost in praise;' and Harry replied bluntly,—</p> + +<p>'Till you know something of the dangers these ladies have run, you need +not be more grateful than they; but your further thanks must be rendered +in your cabin, where I long to have you lodged before we get under +weigh.'</p> + +<p>'That shall be soon,' said the captain. 'We have but stayed for your +coming; and see! the wind has shifted since we sighted you, and blows +fair for our departing.'</p> + +<p>He moved away as he spoke and began giving his orders; while Harry +marshalled us down to our cabins, saying gaily, 'Ay, the merry wind +blows from the land now; 'twas against us as we rowed, and I had my +fears; but all's well that ends well—the Lord be praised therefor!'</p> + +<p>'Tell us whither this kind wind is to blow us?' I asked, and he saying, +'So it is not enough for you to be with me where I go?' I answered +boldly, 'By no means;' on which, laughing, he said, 'I will talk with +you soon, sweetheart, on that point and many others; but now let us look +to Andrew.' So I and my curiosity had to wait awhile; for when Andrew +and his faithful nurses were settled below, Harry went on deck; and I +sat by Althea, something sick at heart for all my joy, while, with many +strange noises of rattling and creaking and trampling overhead, our ship +shook out her great wings and spread them for flight. But at last the +water slipping past our cabin windows showed we were standing out to +sea; and then came Harry and sat down beside us. Andrew had fallen +asleep, and Giles and his wife sat watching him a little way off; so +there was nothing to break in on Harry's story.</p> + +<p>'Now first of all, my Lucy,' said he, 'you must know whither we are +bound; 'tis to Calais, for there is Captain Maret due, and over-due, +having come to Woolwich only for my sake, and yours, as it hath proved. +Then at Calais I have intelligence that we shall find a ship bound for +Hull, by which we may go thither, and so home to our father in the +Dales.'</p> + +<p>'Do you know,' I said, 'I suspected your design to be for Holland?'</p> + +<p>'Well,' said he, 'I had such a thought for Andrew. There be friends in +that country, with whom he might be sheltered till England should be +safe for him once more. But it dislikes me to have dealings with any +country at war with mine own—mad and wicked though the war be on our +part.'</p> + +<p>'All England is gone mad and wicked, I think,' said Althea; 'for my +share I care not much if I never see it more.'</p> + +<p>'You will change that thought, I hope,' said he. 'But now, my Lucy, I +have a request and a petition to you. Captain Maret will bring us at +Calais to a clergyman of the English Church whom he knows there; will +you consent for the good man to join our hands? 'tis long since our +hearts were knit, I trow.'</p> + +<p>'What are you asking of her?' said Althea; 'should not such a marriage +be celebrated on English ground?'</p> + +<p>'So it shall,' said he; 'for we will be wedded on board the ship that +shall take us to Hull; and her planks, being those of an English vessel, +are reckoned English ground. Now, what says my dear heart?' and as I +blushed and stammered, 'I warrant you,' said he, 'Lucy is struck dumb at +my presumption in talking of wedlock, my good ship being gone to wreck, +and I myself newly loosed from slavery.'</p> + +<p>'Harry!' I cried, 'how dare you think so meanly of me? I who have been +delighting in the thought of pouring all my little wealth at your feet, +and bidding you freight a new ship with it; but perhaps you are too +proud—you will refuse it?'</p> + +<p>'Nay, I refuse neither it nor thee, my Lucy,' he said, 'the less because +I can counterpoise my darling's little purse with something weightier.' +And he told us briefly how in his captivity he had risen very high in +his Moorish master's favour, having had the good fortune to save the +man's life at the risk of his own.</p> + +<p>'There were two rascals set on my master to murder him, for certain +precious jewels that he wore,' said he; 'and I had the luck to lay them +both low, though I got this little remembrance first from the fiercest +of them,' touching as he spoke the scar upon his cheek. 'And with that +stroke,' he went on, 'I purchased my freedom, and something more; for +the Moor conferred on me freely those gems that the thieves had coveted; +they are worth a little fortune. After this my only care was to find a +ship to bring me home; of which I was almost in despair, when the good +Maret came to my rescue, which he effected with great skill and +boldness. Nor do I know how I could have got you clear of London, but +for his readiness to help me once again.'</p> + +<p>This was Harry's history, which he made very dry and short; for he hates +to dwell on his own doings or sufferings. I have got from him since many +particulars of the story, and I think it were more worthy of pen and +ink than this poor tale of our homely joys and sorrows, but he thinks +not so; and it is at his bidding I have written all this last part, +telling how he brought us safely out of London.</p> + + + +<br><br><hr style="width: 65%;"><br><br> +<a name="CONCLUSION."></a><h2>CONCLUSION.</h2> +<br> + +<p>HOW LUCIA DWELLS IN ENGLAND, AND ALTHEA OTHERWHERE.</p> + +<p>There is little more to write now. I did not care to cross Harry's wish +in the matter of our wedding, to which both the good Mary Giles and +Althea herself urged me to consent; only I had always hoped that my +father Truelocke himself should join our hands; and when I whispered +this to Harry, he said, 'If you cannot be content without it, +sweetheart, my father shall marry us over again when we get to +Dent-dale. But I will not go back to England till I can call you wife.'</p> + +<p>So my last defence fell; and wedded we were on board the <i>Diamond</i>, a +good English ship that we found lying at Calais, according to Harry's +intelligence. I did not forget that promise of his, and in due time I +held him to it; but before I wind up mine own story I will relate that +of my sister; for our lives, that have run so long in one channel, are +divided now, since Althea sailed not with us to England; and I will show +the reason presently.</p> + +<p>That imagination which Harry had once entertained of Andrew's passing +into Holland and being safe there as an exile proved to be no impossible +device, in spite of the war between the English and the Dutch. For while +we still lay at Calais in the <i>Marie-Royale</i> (I must ever admire her +captain's courage in taking us poor fugitives on board, even though +Harry was warrant for our soundness), there came letters from certain +Friends called Derricks, of the Dutch nation. They had heard of Andrew's +strange escape from prison, I wot not by what means; for the Friends +have their own ways of learning news of one another. These good people +willed him to go make his home under their roof in Amsterdam; and he was +very fain to seek that shelter, being exceedingly weary in spirit, as +one half spent with toil and grief; only two things held him back. The +one was his love for our dear and cruel country England, which made him +shrink from dwelling in a land at enmity with her; and the other was my +sister. Now the first scruple Harry overcame thus.</p> + +<p>'You needs must dwell in some foreign land,' he said, 'for England is +altogether unsafe for you. Should you choose France, as Captain Maret +would have you, you choose a land chiefly Papist, and now full of +oppression; and my life on it, there will be war between France and +England this very winter,' a saying which proved too true. 'So the +balance must dip in favour of Holland, a Protestant country, where you +shall live under just laws and among faithful friends who believe as you +do. Is not this worth weighing, brother?' and Andrew said, 'It is,' but +yet he hesitated; and I needed not the sight of his questioning look at +Althea, nor of her dropt eyelids and whitening cheek, to guess the +reason of his hesitation.</p> + +<p>The next morning after we had this talk, Harry, Althea, and I were sat +idly on deck, basking in the sunshine, and drinking the sweet air, while +we watched the sailors at work; when we saw Andrew come feebly towards +us, at which we sprang up surprised, for he had not heretofore risen so +early, because of his great weakness. Althea would have had him rest on +the cushions from which we had risen, but saying, 'I would rather stand +awhile,' he leaned on Harry's shoulder for support; and indeed he looked +deathly when his white and wasted face was seen beside Harry's +countenance, all bronzed with sun and wind, and glowing with health and +life.</p> + +<p>'Althea Dacre,' he said, looking steadily at her, 'I have sought all +night long for a light on the path I must now take; and a word is ever +in my ears, "Speak to the maiden thou lovest, her word shall lead thee!" +Thou knowest I were loth to part from thee, who hast sought me and spent +thyself for me—and more loth to think that we are parted in spirit. Yet +if thy heart be not as my heart towards God, we must be parted now and +ever. I implore thee, speak the perfect truth to me, and do not colour +or change it.'</p> + +<p>'And I will speak truth,' she said proudly, 'as if I stood before an +angel of God; and it shall not grieve you. Andrew Golding, thy people +shall be my people, and thy God my God. The Church that I dreamed of, +the Church I would have died for, was not a Church stained with innocent +blood. I will cast in my lot, now and for ever, with the only Christian +people that have never persecuted another—the only one, I verily +believe, that follow whithersoever the Master leads.'</p> + +<p>At this Andrew's pallid face glowed as if a clear flame shone through +it; he stretched out his hands to Althea, and she gave him both hers, +continuing to say,—</p> + +<p>'And what is my native land to me? it is filled with violence and +madness; I fear 'tis accursed of God; I am willing to find my fatherland +wherever you find a home.'</p> + +<p>She turned with a defying look towards us; at which Harry began to +laugh, and said, 'How about the rose I had one night from Mistress +Althea Dacre? it is a rose yet—dry and faded truly; but it has not +turned into a nettle.'</p> + +<p>'Be generous,' she said, blushing; 'do not remind me of that; I spoke of +it in the days of my folly. I have been taught the plague of my own +heart since, by many a sharp lesson.'</p> + +<p>'Well,' said Harry, 'I may truly say the same of myself. It hath pleased +God,' he said reverently, 'to bring me to Himself through suffering. I +trusted overmuch to my own heart; and not till I was stript of all, a +beggar and a slave, did I learn mine own vileness and weakness, and +Christ's all-sufficiency. I thank Him for the teaching. And I think my +Lucy hath gone through the same school; is it not so, sweetheart?' and +I murmured an assent.</p> + +<p>'Not one of you,' said Andrew, 'has been so poor a pupil at that +learning as I; but I think my many stripes have surely beaten it into my +hard heart at last, and that I have mastered my task once and for ever.'</p> + +<p>'Then,' quoth Harry, 'we are all on one footing so far, and we may thank +Heaven for it. But I cannot fall in with you in your condemning of other +Churches, and the Church of England chiefly. She is not disowned of God, +not quite gone astray from Him; there is in her, I must think, a seed of +life and holiness.'</p> + +<p>'Your father went out from her notwithstanding,' says Althea; 'and in my +mind he did well, though I was fool enough to condemn him at the time.'</p> + +<p>'With your leave,' says Harry, 'I think he was driven out, because of +those nice and subtle points of doctrine, that our rulers cruelly +enforced, and he could not honestly assent to. But I have heard him say, +'tis his firm persuasion that out of this misgoverned English Church +there shall yet rise great good, and marvellous blessings, to the land +and the world. And in that hope I shall cleave to it with all its +faults; and so I trust will my wife;' to which I had nothing to say but +blushing. Andrew, however, was troubled.</p> + +<p>'I fear thou art in perilous error, kind and good Harry,' said he. 'But +let every one be fully persuaded in his own mind.'</p> + +<p>'That am I,' said Althea promptly, on which he smiled again; and the two +falling into talk about their own concerns, we charitably left them to +it; for now it was well understood among us that they would wed at the +earliest opportunity.</p> + +<p>It was a pretty sight to see the new humility they practised towards +each other. Andrew, being now fully acquainted with my sister's efforts +on his behalf, seemed to look on her as a protecting angel; but she, +regarding him as a saint and a martyr, knew not how to show enough +reverence to him. Also her high courage failed her sometimes, and she +would cling to the good Mary Giles like a timid child to its mother; +Mary on her part showing the same tenderness for her that her husband +displayed to Andrew. These good people, with Will, kept them company +when they departed for Amsterdam, which thing was a marvellous comfort +to Harry and me; and shortly we had news how the lovers were married, +after the Quaker fashion, and were in a happy way to be settled in that +city. They dwell there still. The good honest Standfasts have power from +Andrew to manage his lands for him, which they do faithfully; and the +moneys due to him therefrom being privily conveyed to him, maintain him +and his wife in comfort, nor them alone, but many poor and pious souls +who are their pensioners.</p> + +<p>And now, our companions being gone, it might have been thought that I +should feel a great lack of them, especially when the <i>Diamond</i> loosed +from port and bore us away with her. But I could feel nothing save joy +and gratitude, more especially when I thought of the heavy and dreadful +summer that lay behind me; and I was possessed with a great longing to +see my father Truelocke once more. Harry had got word conveyed to him of +his safety, and of our approaching journey; and sure I am his thoughts +flew to meet our thoughts on the way, as we drew nearer and nearer. But +I want words to express the tenderness of our meeting together, when at +last my Harry and I beheld that venerable face again. There are some +joys that cannot be told.</p> + +<p>We have made our home with him in Dent-dale; for there Harry hath bought +a little farm, with a pretty odd farmhouse belonging thereto; and our +father lives with us, well content, and in great peace. For no +squabblings about ecclesiastical matters ever trouble the quiet of our +sweet mountain solitude. There is a little lonely church in the Dale, +where a good simple-hearted pastor ministers; and there can we worship +in a homely and hearty fashion; nor does the pastor take it ill that Mr. +Truelocke keeps aloof from the prayers, but respects his scruples, and +reveres his character. For proof thereof, I did not cease urging on +Harry his careless promise, that our union should have our father's +blessing on it; and the good pastor falling in with my whim, prevailed +on Mr. Truelocke to remarry us very privately in the little church I +spoke of, he himself assisting. 'Twas a foolish fancy, I wot, but I was +not easy till I had it gratified. And it is now my constant hope that +Harry will never put to sea again, but will be content to plough the +kindly earth and gather in her fruits, instead of furrowing the barren +cruel waves; sure he has had enough of strange adventures. Yet I fear +him sometimes, when little work is stirring; then he is so restless that +even in his dreams he will talk of seafaring; I think, however, he will +wander no more, so long as our father lives.</p> + +<p>We get letters from Althea and her husband, at rare intervals indeed; +but then they are long and ample. And it is a marvel how stiffly Althea +now stands for all the points of the Quaker doctrine, which formerly she +so abhorred and contemned.</p> + +<p>Not many days since there reached me a long letter from her, in which +she told me indeed a great deal of news, and also expressed a wonderful +sisterly affection; but the burden of it was her disquietude because of +my religious errors. She was very earnest with me upon the sin and +danger of conforming to the world, in dress, and speech, and deportment.</p> + +<p>There were things in this letter which really troubled me, so I carried +it to Mr. Truelocke; and when he had read it, I asked his opinion, +whether Christian folk were bound to observe such strictness as Althea +now advocates and practises? at which, softly smiling, he said,—</p> + +<p>'"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To +visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself +unspotted from the world." I think thou art not far from exemplifying +that pure religion in thine own life, daughter; so I trust does thy +sister; but I think her not more free from world-spots than thee, +because she perchance goes clad in grey, and thou in scarlet;' for I had +a new red cloak and hood upon me. 'This,' he said, touching the cloak +lightly, 'is no stain of scarlet sin, 'tis honest dye-stuff, Lucy.'</p> + +<p>'It might make me vain and proud to go gaily, might it not?' I said.</p> + +<p>'When it has that effect, child, renounce it as a snare,' he replied. 'I +think thou art not over gay as yet, for a young wife, with a true-love +husband to please.'</p> + +<p>'But besides these things,' I said, 'there are others more serious. See +how my sister cries out against all set forms of worship, even to the +singing of hymns; and how she accounts even the outward visible forms of +the two great sacraments as having something of the nature of an idol +that we sinfully adore. All should be spiritual and inward, according to +her, and to other Friends; and I do not myself understand how that can +be.'</p> + +<p>''Tis a great truth that they uphold,' said he musingly, 'yet I cannot +see that it includes all truth. For my own share, I still hold fast to +my opinions; they commend themselves to my reason as strongly as ever. I +should lie, did I deny them. And yet from my very heart I agree with +the Friends in prizing the spirit above the letter. And I hope, my +daughter,' he went on, while a smile trembled on his lips, 'that a day +will yet dawn when all Christian men shall agree so heartily as touching +the deep and vital truths of their faith, that they may be content to +differ as to the visible ceremonial garment that their faith may wear. +But that will not be in my day, Lucy, nor, I fear much, in thine. Let us +hope and pray for its coming; and let us rejoice meanwhile and give +thanks for our safety here from the strife of tongues, for the peace and +rest we are allowed to share in this corner of the earth; so far are we +happy above many.'</p> + +<p>And I am only too glad to obey his word, and to fare like a bird of the +air that is fed by God's daily bounty, without care for the morrow. Nor +will I trouble myself any more about this nice point of doctrine and +that, laying on myself a burden that God never gave me. Has He not given +me His own peace; and with it more of earthly bliss than ever my heart +dared hope for? And were I even less happy in my lot, I ought all my +life to praise Him for His hand over us for good, while we dwelt in that +City of the Plague. I have heard with infinite satisfaction, how, since +this cold winter weather came on, the sickness is mightily abated, and +men hope it is passing away. But it hath swept off, say they, not less +than a hundred thousand souls in one fatal year; and what were we, that +we should escape? It is all of the Lord's goodness, and His pity to our +rashness.</p> +<br> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Andrew Golding, by Annie E. Keeling + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ANDREW GOLDING *** + +***** This file should be named 10628-h.htm or 10628-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/6/2/10628/ + +Produced by Dave Morgan and PG Distributed Proofreaders + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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For +example an eBook of filename 10234 would be found at: + + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/2/3/10234 + +or filename 24689 would be found at: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/6/8/24689 + +An alternative method of locating eBooks: + https://www.gutenberg.org/GUTINDEX.ALL + + + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> + diff --git a/old/10628-h/creature_t.jpg b/old/10628-h/creature_t.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..774992c --- /dev/null +++ b/old/10628-h/creature_t.jpg diff --git a/old/10628-h/noisy_t.jpg b/old/10628-h/noisy_t.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..6a59abe --- /dev/null +++ b/old/10628-h/noisy_t.jpg diff --git a/old/10628-h/sister_t.jpg b/old/10628-h/sister_t.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3049eb9 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/10628-h/sister_t.jpg diff --git a/old/10628.txt b/old/10628.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ea4c73b --- /dev/null +++ b/old/10628.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4082 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Andrew Golding, by Annie E. Keeling + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Andrew Golding + A Tale of the Great Plague + +Author: Annie E. Keeling + +Release Date: January 8, 2004 [EBook #10628] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ANDREW GOLDING *** + + + + +Produced by Dave Morgan and PG Distributed Proofreaders + + + + +[Illustration: A noisy rabblement of people came running up] + + + + +ANDREW GOLDING: A Tale of the Great Plague. + +By + +ANNIE E. KEELING + + + + +CONTENTS. + + +CHAP. + +INTRODUCTION.--HOW I, LUCIA DACRE, CAME TO WRITE THIS HISTORY + +I. HOW WE WERE VISITED BY TWO OF OUR KINSFOLK, OUR FATHER BEING DEAD; +AND HOW THEY BEHAVED THEMSELVES TOWARD US + +II. HOW WE JOURNEYED UP TO YORKSHIRE; AND HOW WE WERE WELCOMED THERE + +III. HOW MR. TRUELOCKE PREACHED HIS LAST SERMON IN WEST FAZEBY + +IV. HOW HARRY TRUELOCKE LEFT US FOR THE SEA + +V. HOW ANDREW MADE ONE ENEMY, AND WAS LIKE TO HAVE ANOTHER + +VI. HOW MR. TRUELOCKE AND MRS. GOLDING LEFT US + +VII. HOW ANDREW CAME TO THE GRANGE BY NIGHT + +VIII. HOW A STRANGE MESSENGER BROUGHT US NEWS OF ANDREW + +IX. HOW WE WENT UP TO LONDON, AND FOUND NO FRIENDS THERE + +X. HOW WE DWELT IN A HOUSE THAI' WAS NOT OUR OWN + +XI. HOW THERE CAME NEW GUESTS INTO THE HOUSE + +XII. HOW WE SAILED FOR FRANCE IN THE 'MARIE-ROYALE' + +CONCLUSION.--HOW LUCIA DWELLS IN ENGLAND, AND ALTHEA OTHERWHERE + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + +HOW I, LUCIA DACRE, CAME TO WRITE THIS HISTORY, AT THE TIME THAT I WITH +MY SISTER WAS LODGED IN A DESERTED HOUSE IN LONDON, WHEN THE GREAT +PLAGUE WAS AT ITS HEIGHT; WHICH WAS IN THE MONTHS OF JULY AND AUGUST, +ANNO SIXTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE. + +Now that my sister and myself are in such a strange melancholy case, and +I enforced to spend many hours daily in idleness, I find the time hang +very heavy; for I cannot, like Althea, entertain any longer the hopes +that brought us hither. She continues daily to make great exertions in +pursuing them, but does not often admit my help; and, being afraid that +I may fall into mere desperation, I have bethought me how to amuse some +hours daily by setting down the manner of our present troubles and the +beginnings that led to them. May I live to write of their happy end! but +my fears are very great, and almost forbid me to pray thus. + +Having thus resolved how to beguile the heavy time, I began spying about +for paper and pens and ink; and finding in a kind of lumber room a great +many sheets of coarse paper, I stitched them together; then with much +trembling I peeped into the study of the late poor master of the house, +and there found a bundle of quills and some ink; and, leaving money in +his desk to the full value of the things I took, I carried my +writing-tools into the great front parlour, and set myself to the work. + +Now while I sat considering how to begin, Althea comes softly behind me, +and, looking over my shoulder, asks me what I would be at; and when I +told her, 'What, child,' says she, 'art going to turn historian? Thy +spirits are more settled than mine, if thou canst sit quietly down to +such work, with sights like these daily before thine eyes,' pointing +with her hand to the window. Now I had pulled the table into a corner +well out of sight from the street, wishing not to be discerned; for as +yet but one knows of our being hidden in this house, and we would fain +keep it a secret still. But rising and following with my eyes her +pointing hand, I could behold a sight common enough, but too dismal to +be looked on without fresh apprehension each time: in the middle of the +street, which is quite grown with grass, a horse and cart standing, no +driver in sight near it, and the cart as we too well knew being that +which goes round daily to take away such as die of the Plague, though as +it then stood we could not discern if any dead person lay in it. + +'It is waiting for our neighbour next door,' says Althea. 'As I stood by +an open casement up-stairs I plainly heard the family bemoaning +themselves because the master is dead; I heard also how they are +devising to get away unobserved in the early morning, and escape to some +place of safety in the country. How sayest thou, Lucy? were it not well +for thee to go also in their company?' + +'Never I, while you stay here,' I answered. + +'It repents me often,' she said, 'that I discovered to you my design of +coming up hither. I would you were safe at home again.' + +'I have no home, but where you are,' said I. + +'Poor faithful little heart!' she says, sighing. 'Well, get on with thy +history-writing; I must go forth presently, when all is quiet again; +and when I return thou shalt show me what thou hast written. Tell the +tale orderly, Lucy; begin at the beginning with "Once upon a time there +lived two sisters; the elder was a fool, but the younger one loved +her"'--and before I could say a word she had slipt away. + +I sat awhile, too much disquieted to write, listening against my will +for the heavy sounds that told how the dead man next door was being +carried forth and laid in the cart; but the thing lumbered away at last, +its cracked bell tinkling dolefully; and I found courage to take to my +work. + +But to begin at the beginning is not so easy, especially for one so +unskilful with her pen as I. And who shall say what are the beginnings +of the things that befall us? Perhaps they lie far off, long before our +little life itself began. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + +HOW WE WERE VISITED BY TWO OF OUR KINSFOLK, OUR FATHER BEING DEAD; AND +HOW THEY BEHAVED THEMSELVES TOWARD US. + +Think, however, that the troubles that now lie upon us might not have +been ours had not our father died when he did, which was the cause of +our being taken into the house of our mother's sister, Mrs. Margaret +Golding;--a happy thing we then thought it, that she would receive us, +for we were in great straits;--so I will begin my history at that sad +period. + +Our father, William Dacre, was indeed a gentleman, born to a competent +estate, and married into an honest stock and to some fortune, but his +fair prospects were all blighted and our mother's money well-nigh wasted +before he died. To his great loss, he stood steadily for the king +against the Parliament all through the late Rebellion, as he would ever +call it; and, our mother's people being very stiff on the other side, +and she dying while we were little children, we were sundered from them +while our father lived. He took such care of us as he could, striving to +breed us up like gentlewomen; sometimes we lived with him in London +lodgings, sometimes were left at his manor-house of Milthorpe; but the +last two years of his life were very uneasy to him and to us. + +For when the young king, Charles the Second, was brought in again, five +years agone, our father was drawn up to Court by some I will not name, +who tempted him with hopes of preferments and rewards to recompense his +loyalty. He wasted his means much through the ill counsel of these false +friends, but obtained no fruit of their promises, and at last he died +suddenly; whether broken-hearted or not I leave to the judgment of God, +and to the consciences of the men who for their own ends had betrayed +him into those vain expectations. At that time Althea was barely +nineteen, and I a little past sixteen; we had no brother nor other +sister. + +We were then at Milthorpe; and thither our father was brought to be +buried. That was a black time for us. Though lately we had been kept +apart from our father, we loved him dearly, and we knew of no other +friend and protector. And when the funeral was over we could not tell +which way to turn; for we found our father's land must needs pass to the +next male heir, Mr. John Dacre, our distant cousin. He, I know not how, +had contrived to thrive where our father had decayed, and had gotten a +good share of favour at the new Court. + +My memory offers things past to me as if in separate pictures, this and +that accident that befell us showing much more clear and bright than +things quite as important which lie between. I remember but dimly all +the sad time of our father's death and burial, the grief I myself felt, +and all the bustle and stir about us, making those days cloudy to me; +but all the more plainly I remember a certain day that followed the +funeral, when Althea and I were sitting together in a little parlour +where we had been wont to sew,--I weeping on her neck, and she trying to +turn my thoughts from my grief with planning how we two should +live,--when, the door opening, some one came briskly in who called us by +our names. + +'What, Althea! what, Lucy! All in the dumps, and not a word to say to +your mother's own sister?' and, in great surprise, we looked up on our +aunt, whom we had seen but once since our mother died, when we were +quite little. She was looking kindly on us; her eyes were quick, black, +and sparkling, but had something very tender in them at that moment. I +noticed directly how plain she was as to her clothes, wearing a common +country-made riding-suit, all of black, and how her shape was a little +too plump for her low stature, while her comely face was tanned quite +brown with the sun; but methought the kind look she bent on us was even +sweeter because of her homely aspect. So I got up and ran to her, +holding out both my hands; but she took me into her arms, and kissed me +lovingly, saying,-- + +'Poor lamb! poor fatherless, motherless lamb! thou shalt feel no lack of +a mother while I live.' + +Then, holding me in one arm, she stretched out the other hand to Althea, +who had come up more slowly, and she said,-- + +'And you too, my fair lady-niece; I have room in my heart for the two of +you, if you will come in;' on which the water stood in Althea's eyes, +and she took our aunt's hand and kissed it, saying,-- + +'God reward you, madam, for your goodness to us desolate orphans! I +receive it most thankfully.' + +'That's well,' quoth our aunt cordially. And she proceeded to tell us +how, when she got the news of our father's death, she made haste to come +down to Milthorpe. 'Not that I hoped,' said she, 'to be here in time for +the burying; but it was borne in on my mind there should be a friend of +our side of the house to stand by you. Is Mr. Dacre here?' + +'He came down to the funeral,' said Althea, 'and hath spoken to us on +some small business matters; but he has been constantly out of the +house, riding about the estate, and so we have seen little of him.' + +As she said this the door opened again, and our cousin, the new master +of Milthorpe, entered. I had scarce noted his looks, being drowned in my +grief at the time when, as Althea said, he had talked with us on +business, accounting to us for some moneys, the poor wreck of our +fortunes, which had been lodged in his hands; but I now thought what a +grand gentleman he looked in his rich mourning suit; and indeed he was +of a very graceful appearance, and smiled on us most courtly. He held +his plumed hat in his hand, and, bowing low to our aunt,-- + +'I am much honoured,' said he, 'that Mrs. Golding should grace my poor +house with her presence before I have had time to sue for it. Will it +please you, ladies, to step into the dining-parlour and sit down with me +to a homely refection I have ordered to be spread there? I must return +to-day to town; so if Mrs. Golding will bestow half an hour of her time +on me to talk over some needful matters, I shall take it as a favour.' + +Mrs. Golding bent her head to him, saying, 'At your pleasure, sir;' and +we followed to the dining-room, where we found what I should have called +a plentiful dinner, but Mr. Dacre kept excusing its meanness at every +dish he offered us. This was very grating to Althea, seeming a +reflection both on our ways at Milthorpe and on our poor old faithful +servants; and Mrs. Golding liked it no better. I saw her turning very +red; and at last she said bluntly,-- + +'The dinner is all very well, and I think Margery cook needs not so many +excuses; so will you please leave speaking of meats and drinks, and turn +to the needful matters you spoke of instead?' + +'I might have chosen,' says Mr. Dacre, 'to talk to you in private first +about those things; but perhaps it's as well my fair cousins should hear +at once what I have to say. I am a married man, as you know, Mrs. +Golding; and my wife loves the town, and cannot endure to hear of a +country life. I have no hope she will ever live at the Manor here. But I +will not let it; and I shall want it kept in good order against my +coming down, which will be frequent. So if my cousin, Mistress Althea, +likes to remain here as housekeeper, she will be very welcome.' + +'And what do you think of paying her for her services?' said our aunt. + +Mr. Dacre lifted his eyebrows, and looked at her as if much surprised. +'She would have meat and lodging free,' said he, 'and servants to do her +bidding. Also, if she can make anything by keeping of a dairy, or of +fowls, or selling of fruit from the gardens, or such like devices of +country dames, I shall ask no account of her gains; and if her +management pleases me, I shall find a broad piece for her from time to +time, I doubt not; so she may do very well.' + +'And is her sister, Mistress Lucia, to dwell in your house and receive +your bounty also?' said Mrs. Golding. + +'That made no part of my plans,' said he, smiling and bowing. 'I shall +hardly need two housekeepers here.' + +'Then it may chance you must look otherwhere for your one housekeeper,' +said Mrs. Golding. 'What sayest, Althea? Wilt be parted from thy sister +that thou mayest have the honour of keeping house for so liberal a +kinsman and master? or wilt go with Lucy and me to my farm, at West +Fazeby, where you two shall be to me as daughters? for I am a childless +widow, and will gladly cherish you young things. The choice lies before +you, Althea.' + +Althea was now red as any rose; and the tears' that had been in her eyes +seemed turned to sparks of fire. She rose from the table and made a deep +curtsey to Mr. Dacre. + +'I am exceeding grateful for your preference of me,' she said; 'but +seeing I am only a young maid, and inexpert in the management of a +house, I must beg to refuse your princely offer'--she spoke with +infinite scorn--'and betake myself instead to the home Mrs. Golding will +give me, where I may improve myself, and become fitter in time, both in +years and skill, for some such post as you would now prefer me to.' She +stopped and panted, being quite out of breath. + +Mr. Dacre did but lift his eyebrows again and say, 'As you will, +madam,' and then begged she would sit down and finish eating; but she +remained standing, and looked pitifully at Mrs. Golding; on which our +aunt rose also, and I doing the same,-- + +'You go to town to-day, I think you said?' questioned Mrs. Golding; 'we +will therefore take our leave of you now, not to importune you further. +My nieces and I will endeavour to be gone from here to-morrow, so please +you to endure their presence in their father's house until then; for you +must think it will ask a few hours for them to remove their apparel and +other goods.' + +'Assuredly, madam; they have full liberty,' said Mr. Dacre, rising and +bowing, and, for a wonder, looking a little abashed. + +'And I think it were well we lost no time,' continued our aunt. + +So we took our leave of him gladly enough, and I think he was full as +glad to have us go; and we went back to the little parlour. + +'I guessed what sort of kindness John Dacre would show you,' said our +aunt, looking at us with a smile. 'Your father, my sweet maidens, of +whom you have a heavy loss indeed, was of a much nobler nature than +this his kinsman; and it's doubtless for that reason that one of them +has thriven in the bad air where the other could not thrive, but +perished;' and then came tears into her lively black eyes, and she was +fain to sit down and weep awhile, in which we bore her company. + +Then Althea wiped her eyes, and said, with a trembling voice,-- + +'I cannot think, however, why our cousin should make so strange a +proffer to me--one so unfitting for a well-taught maiden to accept.' + +'He made it that you might refuse it, child,' said our aunt. 'Now he can +truly say he was willing to do somewhat for you, and that you would none +of it, but thought scorn of his goodwill. It hath ever been his way to +get much credit for little goodness. Well, Lucy, child, what art +thinking of?' + +'I was thinking,' stammered I, surprised with her question,--'I was +thinking that the day is not so far spent but we could get away from +Milthorpe before night. I wish not to sleep under Mr. Dacre's roof +again.' + +'That might be managed,' said Mrs. Golding; 'I left my horses and my men +at the little inn in your village, where I had some thought of sleeping +myself. And yet it's but a little inn; nor should I care to turn Andrew +out of his lodging even to please thee, pretty Lucy. No, child; put thy +hand to some work and thy pride in thy pocket, and submit even to spend +one night in the house of an unkind kinsman. He will not be in it, thou +knowest; see where he rides out of the gate.' + +So I looked and saw Mr. Dacre riding off, a very grand gentleman on his +tall black horse, with his men, also well mounted, following him. + +'He will be in town before nightfall,' quoth Mrs. Golding. + +It did not seem so insupportable to stay one more night in our old home, +now its new master had left it; but I was in haste to be gone for all +that, and Althea too; so we fell to work with great eagerness, gathering +all our own possessions together and packing them for removal; while +Mrs. Golding helped us with her hands and her counsel; and so well we +worked that the sun had not gone down before we had all in readiness for +our departure in the early morning; for it was the height of summer, and +the days therefore long. Then Mrs. Golding would have us take her into +the garden and show us what used to be our mother's favourite walks and +alcoves; there was a good prospect of the house from one of them, and +she stood some time regarding it. + +'It's a stately place,' said she,--'a very noble house indeed, and a +fair garden too. Your mother had a pride in it once, I know; and there +was a time when it would have grieved her sore to think how her children +should leave it. But what signifies that to her now?--a happy, glorified +spirit, who may scorn the transitory riches and joys of this poor world, +which are far outvalued by one ray shining on us from the Father of +Lights. At His right hand are pleasures for evermore.' + +Althea and I looked on each other surprised, for we had then heard +little of that kind of talk; and, our aunt espying it,-- + +'Ah, children,' she said, 'I have learnt a new language since I saw you, +and I see you know it not; but your mother could speak it before I +could. I think thou art most like her, Lucy; there is more of your poor +father about Althea.' + +I looked at Althea and thought Mrs. Golding was not much mistaken; for +if I were to write my sister's description, it would need but the change +of a word or two to make it pass for a portrait of my father. Like him, +she is tall and slender and well-shaped; her complexion pale and clear, +her hair almost black, very thick, softer than the finest silk, and +curling in loose rings at the ends; her brows and eyelashes black also, +but her eyes a blue-grey, appearing black when she is much moved or in +deep thought; and she moves with admirable grace, showing a kind of +nobleness in all her carriage. Myself am of low stature, and of shape +nothing like so slender; indeed one hath told me I am dark and round as +a blackheart cherry; so I could well think that at Mrs. Golding's years +I should be very like her, though perhaps less comely. + +Mrs. Golding was still comparing us with each other and speaking of our +parents, when I was aware of a tall man coming up to the garden gate; +and my aunt, turning as she heard the latch clink, cried,-- + +'Ah, here is Andrew! he will have come to have my orders for the night; +I think we may welcome him in, nieces.' So she stepped to him, and +taking him by the hand led him to us. 'This,' quoth she, 'is my +husband's nephew and mine, but he is something more--he is my steward +and my heir. I hold him for my son; I were but a lost woman without him. +He would not hear of my coming to Milthorpe with no company but that of +my serving-men, but must needs be my conductor himself; so precious a +jewel as I was sure to be lost in the hedges otherwise;' and she laughed +cordially. 'And, Andrew, these are two poor fatherless girls, Althea and +Lucia Dacre by name; fatherless, I say, but not motherless, for I am +their mother from this day forth, and so they are your sisters; see you +use them kindly.' + +Andrew coloured up to his hair, and bowed to us, with some confused +words about the honour of being as a brother to such gentle ladies; then +he turned to her and they talked of our morrow's journey, and how our +mails should be conveyed; and Mrs. Golding, telling him she would sleep +at the Manor, bade him be early at the gate with horses for us; 'for we +have many a mile to go,' she said to us; 'and make what speed we may, we +shall be a day or two on the road.' + +And Althea spoke very prettily to Mr. Golding, praying him to sup with +us; but he excused himself, still in a confused and disturbed way, and +went away. + +While he stood and talked I was able to take note of his aspect, and I +thought he looked a very homely youth indeed, after Mr. Dacre, though he +was taller and of a better shape, and I believe a better face too; +though burnt with the sun, and ruddy like a country-man, he had +well-cut features and a full mild eye, with a right pleasant smile. But +his garb was so ordinary, being of some dark cloth, and cut very +plainly, and his hat with no feather in it, that though I had little +cause to love Mr. Dacre, yet I wished our new friend was more like him +outwardly, and thought I should then have been prouder to ride in his +company. And Mrs. Golding praising him to us, and saying how good he +was, and wise beyond his years, I thought it was pity such good people +as he and she did not go handsomer; so little I knew of what belonged to +goodness. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +HOW WE JOURNEYED UP TO YORKSHIRE; AND HOW WE WERE WELCOMED THERE. + +Though I remember so plainly what passed on our last day in Milthorpe +Manor-house, I am not very clear about our journey up to Yorkshire, +which was tedious enough. We kept to the king's highway, and yet were +sometimes put in much fear of thieves, but happily we fell in with none; +the only notable thing that befell us was in leaving a little market +town, I cannot call to mind its name, where we had stopped to dine. We +had ridden but a little way forth of the town when we heard a great din +of shouting and hooting behind us, which made us women afraid; and +presently a noisy rabblement of people came running up. They were +chiefly of the baser sort, both men and women, some very ragged, and +some red-faced and half tipsy; one or two gentlemen in laced coats rode +among them. I thought at first they had some spite at us, but it proved +not so. We drew to the wayside to let them pass, and they went by, very +disorderly, yelling and swearing, the women not less than the men, +pushing and hauling some poor creature dragged along in their midst. I +looked earnestly to see who it might be, and presently discerned the +person--a tall thin man, in a kind of loose garment girded about him, +and I think it was made of some hempen stuff, a kind of sacking. This +man was very pale, with longish dark hair hanging about his face, which, +as I say, was pale indeed, but not dismayed; I think he even smiled when +one struck him on the head, and another, pushing him, bade him, with a +curse, go faster. I saw the blood trickling a little from the blow that +had alighted on his head, as they hurried him past. + +Andrew, who saw all this as well as I did, looked full of horror. He +caught one of the hindmost of the rabble by the sleeve and asked him +harshly, 'What has this man done, and whither are you taking him?' At +which the man, turning towards us his red, jovial face, replies,-- + +'It's a mad Quaker, that took upon him this noon to stand up in our +market-place, it being market day and every one mighty busy, and he +tells us all to our face we were a set of cheating rogues, that he had +marked our doings and seen how bad they were, and that he had a +commission from God to bid us repent and amend, or a sudden dreadful +judgment should fall on us. Didst ever hear of such a fool?' + +'And what more did he,' says Andrew, 'to make you handle him so +roughly?' at which the man stared and said,-- + +'Nay, what more needed there? Matters are come to a pretty pass if free +Englishmen, who are pleased to cheat and be cheated according to the +fashion of this world, mayn't do so neighbourly and kindly without some +canting rogue starting up to control them. We bade him hold his peace +for a mad ass, but he would not. So we judged his frenzy to be something +too hot, and that a cold bath were good to cure it; and Squire, riding +up and seeing the bustle we were in, offered us his own duck-pond for +the ducking of our preacher. Stay me no longer! I shall lose the best +sport;' and Andrew snatching at him again to make him stay, he broke +from him and ran as hard as he could after the crowd, that was now got +some way from us. + +'You hear and see this, Mrs. Golding?' says Andrew, turning to her, his +mild countenance grown dark with anger. 'There may be murder done yet, +let me ride after and see what I can do to hinder it;' and setting spurs +to his horse he galloped off after the rabble. We saw him pressing in +among them, riding close up to the chief horseman, talking earnestly to +him; then we saw no more of them, they going round the turn of the road; +and Mrs. Golding, half frowning, half smiling, says,-- + +'It's ever so with Andrew! he cannot see mischief a-foot but he is all +afire to stop it. I like it in the lad, but I wish yon poor fanatic had +been content to stay at home and mind his own business, instead of +crossing us so unluckily here.' She looked anxiously. + +Presently Andrew comes back to us, riding pretty quickly, and Mrs. +Golding called to him,-- + +'Now, my lad, hast not gone on a fool's errand this time also?' but he +said smiling,-- + +'That is as you take it, good mother. Yon Squire has some humanity in +him, and some wit; for when I began vehemently to urge how sinful were +the murdering of yon poor man, he smiled and let me know his proffer of +the duck-pond was but to get the man out of the hands of his +ill-wishers, for he meant to draw the Quaker within his gates and then +have them shut as if by mistake on the rabble, who were already growing +aweary with the length of the way, and so were dropping off by twos and +threes.' + +'So thou hast had thy labour for thy pains?' says Mrs. Golding, smiling +as one well pleased. + +'Not altogether,' said Andrew, 'for the Squire wills us to turn into the +byway here, and keep from the high road awhile, lest we meet the baser +rascals coming back, in all their fury and disappointment.' + +'Good counsel,' said Mrs. Golding; 'we will take it.' And so we kept to +that byway for a mile or so; and it was rough uneasy riding, though a +pretty green lane enough. + +Althea said to me half aside, 'We had had none of these discomforts, if +we had ridden as we were wont with our father, in a good coach like +gentlewomen, and not a-horseback in the country fashion;' the first +discontented word she had said, and Mrs. Golding hearing it,-- + +'Child,' said she, 'I cannot away with these coaches, they are proud +lazy inventions, and nothing like so wholesome as this our old country +fashion of travelling;' at which Althea blushed and said nothing more, +and Mrs. Golding began pleasantly to chide Andrew for his hazarding of +our safety as he had done, which had put Althea into these discontents; +and he hung his head, smiling, and had not a word to say for himself. I +should scarce have remembered this accident, or Andrew's behaviour on +it, had it not been for things that befell after. + +I was heartily weary of journeying by the time we got to West Fazeby; +the way was long, the manner of travelling new to me, I had not so much +as slept at an inn before, our former home being no great distance from +town; and my company was not such as to shorten the way, for Aunt +Golding was the only frank and cheerful-spoken person in our party, +Althea behaving, as I told her, like an enchanted princess in a fairy +tale, so melancholy, proud, and silent, and Andrew being so dashed with +her stately ways that the poor youth was not less tongue-tied than she. +So I was glad indeed when we rode out of York one fine morning, and Mrs. +Golding told us we must reach her house before the day was out; in which +she said no more than truth. + +She having always talked of it as a poor farmhouse, our surprise was not +little when we saw it at last. It stands a little away from the +village; it is no great house, but is a right fair one to my thinking, +built of red brick, with a great deal of wood, handsomely carved, about +the gables and the porch; it is much grown with ivy, at which our aunt +would often rail, but I think for all that she loved it, seeing it makes +the house green and pleasant even in winter. And at the back, looking +into the gardens and orchards, was a pleasant porch, a very large one, +grown with roses as well as ivy, wherein Althea and I have spent many a +happy hour in summer-time, sitting there with our needlework or our +lutes. I can see it in fancy, and would very fain be in it, looking on +our lily beds and green walks and arbours, instead of these hot and +dreary streets. But it's too likely I shall never see West Fazeby or any +other pleasant place on earth again. + +A good comely man and woman, plainly habited like serving folks, came +forth to greet Mrs. Golding, and she commended us to them much as she +had done to Andrew, saying to us, 'These are Matthew Standfast and his +wife Grace; good, kind souls, who look well to my house when I cannot do +it. And how doth little Patience?' she went on to ask Dame Standfast; +'and have you seen aught of Mr. Truelocke while I have been gone?' and +so chatting she led us into the hall, where we found a table ready +covered, and the little Patience Standfast ready to attend us at it, a +pretty child, fair-haired and blue-eyed, very civil and modest. We were +not long in finding that she and her parents, with a serving-man or two, +made all my aunt's household; and that she did very much work with her +own hands, and would expect the like of us; a thing which displeased +Althea not a little, but she said nothing of it, only to me, when we +were got to our own chamber. + +'And it is an odd thing,' she continued, when I did not reply, 'that +Mrs. Golding should sit and should take her meals in the open hall, when +there are one or two fair parlours more fitting for her occupation.' + +'But the hall is a pleasant place,' I said; and indeed it was so to me, +I hardly know why, being a very plain apartment, with a checkered +pavement of blue and white stones, and furnished only with bright oaken +tables and settles, and a great chair or two; also the great fireplace +was well garnished with green boughs and flowers, it being summer. I +looked all about it that evening as we sat in it chatting with our aunt, +and was thinking I should always like it, plain as it was, when I was +aware of two persons coming into the porch, one walking feebly like an +old man, and one stepping firmly and strongly; and Mrs. Golding, +springing up, ran forward to greet them, saying,-- + +'Welcome! welcome, good Mr. Truelocke! this is a greater kindness than I +had hoped for;' so she drew into the light of our candles a reverend old +gentleman, clad in a black gown; he had white hair hanging about his +face, and in his hand a stout staff on which he leaned as he walked. +There came at his side a young, strongly-framed man, in a seaman's +habit, who, I thought, looked something like him, having the same strong +features, but a clear, merry blue eye and brown curling hair; he was +very watchful over the old gentleman, who seemed to move feebly. Our +aunt greeted him kindly by the name of 'Master Harry,' and said, 'It's +good of you to bring your father up so soon to welcome me,' whereon the +young man smiled and said,-- + +'Nay, it is he that hath brought me; there was no holding him when he +had heard of your return. I would gladly have kept him within doors, +fearing the night damps for him;' and our aunt laughed also, and said to +us,-- + +'Come, Althea, come, Lucy, and speak to my best friend, who was a good +friend to your mother also; it is the parson of this parish, Mr. +Truelocke, and this his son Harry, newly come home from the seas;' so +we came up and greeted the old gentleman reverently, and his son as +kindly as we might; and Mrs. Golding put Mr. Truelocke into a great +armed chair, and sat looking at him with vast contentment. He looked at +her and smiled a wonderfully sweet smile. + +'Had you brought these young maids home a month or two later, Mrs. +Golding,' says he, 'you could not truly tell them I was the parson of +this parish or of any other. But we'll let that pass;' and turning to us +he began to speak to us kindly and fatherly, pitying our afflictions, +and bidding us praise and thank God, who had raised up so good a friend +to help us. I was glad to hear his words, though they brought the tears +into mine eyes; but our aunt sat impatiently, and presently broke in on +his discourse, saying,-- + +'What mean you, sir, by telling me in a month or two you will be no +parson of this parish? is there anything new?' + +'Nothing, but the falling of a full-ripe fruit, that began to blossom +two years agone,' says the old gentleman cheerfully; 'it hath been long +a-ripening, 'twas time it should fall.' + +'Give me none of your parables, good friend; I want plain speech,' +cries our aunt; and Master Harry said bluntly,-- + +'Madam, it's all along of the new Act for Uniformity which was printed +and set forth this last May. You were too full at that time of your +apprehensions for these young ladies to be curious to read that +mischievous Act; but, since it touches my father nearly, he mastered its +meaning with great pains, and has thought of little else for many days; +and the upshot of all this is, that next Bartholomew-tide he will go +forth, like Abraham of old, to wander he knows not whither;' at which +words Mrs. Golding sighed deeply, and sat as one amazed. + +'It is even so, my kind friend,' said Mr. Truelocke, smiling. + +'Well, I can't tell what you may think here of the matter,' went on +Master Harry; 'but in my conscience, I think my father's conscience +something too tender.' + +'You speak like a man of this world, Harry,' says Andrew, who had come +in, and was looking at the young man with frowning brows and angry eyes. + +'How else would you have me speak?' says Harry. 'I am but a plain +sailor, and I pretend not to know any world but this work-a-day world +that I have to get my bread in. I leave the new worlds in the moon, or +beyond it, to poets and madmen; and I'll tell you my mind of the matter, +if you will hear me. + +He stopped, and Mrs. Golding said, 'Speak your mind, Master Harry, it's +ever an honest mind, and full of goodwill.' + +'I will venture then,' said he, 'and do you bear with me, Andrew, and +father too. I take it the Church of this country is a good ship that has +to sail whither her owners will. A while since they were all for +steering her straight to the Presbyterian port; now that voyage likes +them not, and they would have her make for Prelacy. It's pity that the +good ship has owners of such inconstant minds; but why should not the +crew obey orders, and sail the ship as they are bid?' + +'Wrong, all wrong, all wrong, Harry, my boy,' said the old man, with a +groan; 'thou hast no spiritual sense of these things. How dare Christ's +liegemen take their orders from the carnal rulers of this or any other +country? Have I not seen the government of England change like the moon, +ay, and more strangely? and shall I follow the changing moon as doth the +faithless sea, ebbing and flowing in my zeal for truth like the tide? +Nay verily! what was God's truth in Oliver's days is the truth of God +still; and I will cleave to it.' + +As I gazed at the old man's face, pale and wrinkled and awful, I thought +that so might have looked the prophet Moses when he brake the tables of +the Law. Mr. Truelocke's deepset dark eyes flashed fire under his long +white eyebrows, which themselves seemed to stir and to rise and fall, as +he spoke with great passion, and he struck his staff against the floor. + +Althea was looking from one to another, something puzzled; presently her +silver voice broke the silence that had fallen upon us; she said, 'All +that you say is so dark to me, it makes me feel like a fool for my lack +of comprehension; will you, madam, tell me in a few words what it is +that troubles you and Mr. Truelocke?' + +'It's our new masters, dear heart, who have been making of new laws,' +said Mrs. Golding; and Andrew added instantly,-- + +'Our pastors, madam, must consent to renounce the Covenant, and must use +the Common Prayer-Book as newly set forth by authority of King Charles +the Second and his Parliament; or they must leave to preach and to pray +in the churches called of England, and must renounce their livings too; +and this by the twenty-fourth of August next, which the Papists and +such-like cattle call St. Bartholomew's Day. That is the story in little +of the doings which afflict our good mother and our reverend friend.' + +'It's a dry short setting forth of the matter, friend Andrew,' said the +old man. + +'But is it a true one?' asked Althea. + +'Yea,' said he, 'too true, this is the new law; but I shall, as I think, +follow after the footsteps of godly Mr. Baxter; he hath already ceased +preaching, that his weaker brethren, such as I, may be in no manner of +doubt as to what he thinketh. I shall not change my mind twice, once +having seen the great error of my early prelatical opinions,--as your +good aunt knoweth I have seen it.' + +'Well,' said Mrs. Golding, sighing heavily, 'we will pray you may have +illumination from above. I cannot tell how we shall do, bereft of our +father in Christ. But I dare not urge any man against his conscience. +And now am I ashamed that you have been so long within my doors and I +have yet set nothing before you. Lucy, Althea, come help me;' and she +bustled about, and presently with our help had set a dish of +strawberries and cream, with nuts and cakes and wine, before our guests. +Mr. Truelocke ate but little, which grieved my aunt; and he would drink +nothing but spring water. But Harry was gay enough for two. We could get +him to touch nothing until he had both of us girls served, he saying we +were greater strangers than he. And since I chose to eat nuts, he would +do the same, and would crack all mine for me. He had a clever way of +doing this with his hands only, which were small, but like iron for +strength; I made a cup of my hands that he might pour the sweet kernels +into it, and so doing we scattered some on the floor, and both dropt on +our knees to pick them up, when I, being nimbler than he, had them all +snatched up before he could touch one; then we both laughed heartily. I +was startled to hear myself laughing, and looked at Althea; and she +seemed to be regarding me with scorn as if she despised me perfectly, so +I checked my laughing and sat down quite crestfallen. + +Then Harry, sitting by me, half whispered, 'Now, sweet madam, if you did +but know what music a heart-free laugh is to mine ears, you would not +stop yours in the middle. I have no quarrel with my father's nor your +aunt's piety, but there's too little laughing in it.' + +'It's not piety that checks me now,' I said; 'do not credit me with +more than I have; but a new-made orphan like me might well feel it +something heartless to be very mirthful.' + +'That's it, is it?' said he, looking comically from me to Althea, and +then at me again. 'Now tell me, sweet lady, if you know any good reason +why mirth should be a thing forbid to those who have had a cruel loss? +If in the middle of a winter voyage, when the stormy winds do blow, we +mariners should have one fair sunshine day, we don't spend it in +bemoaning the black days that went before and the black days that will +come after.' + +'And what has that to do with me and my griefs?' asked I. + +'Only this,' said he, 'that you should not be less wise than a sailor +lad; think no shame to be glad when your heart bids you, whatever +sorrows lie before or behind you. And I'll keep you in countenance, +whenever I see your fair mournful sister reproving your gaiety with her +eyes; but you must do the same by me with my father and your aunt. Is it +a bargain? strike hands on it!' + +He held out his hand, and I put mine into it--I could not help it; +though I stole a look at Althea, but her attention was drawn away by +Andrew, who was half timidly urging her to eat some more of Mrs. +Golding's dainties; she would not, however; and presently Mr. Truelocke, +who had been talking apart with Mrs. Golding, got up and would be going; +so when he and Harry were withdrawn, we all went shortly to our beds, +being very weary; and for my part I felt that I was in a new world I +could not half understand; but there seemed some pleasant things in it. + +I liked it better still as the days ran on. Country life at West Fazeby +was more to my mind than ever it had been at Milthorpe. There we were +waited on dutifully by kind old servants, and might not soil our fingers +by any coarse work. Here I was taken into the dairy and the still-room, +and instructed in their mysteries, and in many another useful household +art; I might feed the pigeons and the other pretty feathered folk in the +barnyard, and I got no reproof for my coarse tastes when I was found +learning from Grace Standfast how to milk a cow, and making acquaintance +with young foals and calves. There were prettier works too; gathering +and making conserve of roses, and sharing in the pleasant harvest of the +strawberry beds and the cherry orchard, or tossing of hay in the +meadows. I will not deny that all these things were more pleasant to me +that year than they have ever been since; partly because I was so new +to them, and partly because Harry Truelocke often took part in them +also. My merry and kind playfellow, I wonder if you have yet any heart +for such simple pleasures? or if, in the midst of miseries and perils, +you can still jest and laugh? + +Althea went with me and shared in these occupations, except in the +haymaking and the milking; but she did so with a grave and serious air, +seeming to give her whole mind to the work, as if it were a task she had +to learn, whereas I thought it but a delightful pastime that I loved in +spite of its being profitable. + +Mrs. Golding took no note, as it seemed, of Althea's sad and steadfast +ways; but Andrew marked them, I could see, though, being daily busy with +out-door matters and cares of our aunt's estate, he was but little in +our company. When he was with us, he surrounded Althea with a careful, +watchful kindness, treating her so reverently as if she were some sacred +thing, and indeed never venturing to say much to her unless she spoke +first; all which she never appeared to notice. + +Now it is a strange thing that in this pretty peaceful time the +stormiest day and the fruitfullest of future mischiefs should have been +a certain Lord's Day, only a week or two after our coming. It was from +Mr. Truelocke that I learnt to say 'the Lord's Day,' Sunday, said he, +being a heathenish, idolatrous word, nor would he allow of the fashion +of calling the day of rest 'the Sabbath.' 'We keep not holy,' said he, +'the seventh-day Sabbath of the people of Israel, but the first day made +holy for us by the resurrection of our Lord;' and I saying idly to him, +out of the poet Shakespeare, whom my father loved,-- + + 'What's in a name? that which we call a rose + By any other name would smell as sweet,'-- + +he looked sternly, almost angrily on me, and said, 'Madam, what have +ends of stage-plays, and the idle talk of a lovesick girl about her +lover's name and the names of flowers,--I say, what have these vanities +to do with a glorious divine thing like the Christian's Day of Rest? And +believe me, there is much in names, too much in names. What a spell to +conjure with is the name of King! and the name of Priest may make wild +work in our poor England yet.' + +I was dumb when he reproved me thus; and thinking of it after, I began +to have some glimmering why this good man should resolve to give up his +all, rather than use a Prayer-Book he deemed not according to right +doctrine, since he was so earnest about the right name for one holy day. +I found it to be a strong point with him, some of his flock murmuring at +him about it, and saying how could we appeal to the Fourth Commandment +if our holy day might not be called the Sabbath? But he cared not for +their words; no, nor for king, nor for Parliament, compared with what he +deemed right. + +I used to wonder if his heart would have been so stout had he had wife +and children to care for; but he had been many years widowed, and Harry, +his only child, had carved his own way in the world, being now part +owner of the ship he sailed himself. + +But by whatever name folks called it, the Lord's Day in West Fazeby was +then a sweet, religious, holy day, and I loved it. Alas, to think of the +changes wicked men have made! + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +HOW MR. TRUELOCKE PREACHED HIS LAST SERMON IN WEST FAZEBY. + +On that Lord's Day of which I spoke, the weather was fair and bright +when we went to worship in the church where Mr. Truelocke still +ministered. Week after week more people came to hear him, for the time +was growing short, and he was much loved; so this day the church was +thronged, and we had some ado to get to our own places. As I said, the +day was fair enough when we set forth, a little too hot, indeed; but we +had not been long at our prayers before there came a gloom and a +darkness, making the church full of shadows; and I saw the sky through +the windows of a strange greenish and coppery colour. + +We were singing the hymn before the sermon, when I was aware of a tall +man in a whitish garment standing directly below the pulpit, still as a +stone; it seemed to me I had seen him once before. When the singing was +done, and we were all in readiness to hear the sermon, this man suddenly +stood up on the bench, so that even in the dusky light every one could +see his tall white figure, and, looking up to Mr. Truelocke in the +pulpit, he said,-- + +'May I have liberty to speak a few words to this people?' + +'You have liberty,' said Mr. Truelocke; then, folding his arms on the +desk, he leaned forward and looked very intently on the man, who had +turned himself to face the people. They were all rustling and stirring +in their places, very uneasy at the interruption. He stretched out his +arms in the form of a cross, and began to speak in a full and rich +voice, very musical, with strange changes in it; and always the sky grew +darker in the great window behind him while he spoke. + +'Friends,' said he, 'I have listened earnestly to your singing; and now +I am constrained to speak to you and tell you the words you sang were +very unsuitable to your state. For the words were those of holy, humble +souls, who are athirst after God; and how many of you be there that +could truly answer Yea, if one should ask whether you are come here +because you hunger and thirst after righteousness? Is it not true that +the best of you only take delight in the preaching of the man who stands +in yon pulpit, because it is to you as a very lovely song of one that +can play on a pleasant instrument? but you hear his words, and do them +not. And there be some of you that only come here to display your gay +apparel, caring not how foul you are within, if you are but fair +without; and some of you appear here weekly, because it is a decent and +seemly thing to be here, and you desire the praise of men, though you +care not for pleasing God. Your religious worships and ways are vain, +for they are made up only of speaking and singing other men's words, +which are not yours, nor do ye mean them truly. You were better to sit +in humble silence before God, waiting till His Spirit, that enlighteneth +every man, should speak in secret to your spirit. + +'And I have a word to thee, Emanuel Truelocke,' he continued, suddenly +turning, lifting his long right arm and pointing his long finger towards +Mr. Truelocke, whose pale countenance, framed in his long white hair, +could still be seen looking quietly at him. 'I desire to speak to thee +in love, and show thee the secret of thy ill success in thy ministerings +to this worldly people, who have not the excellent spirit that I gladly +acknowledge in thyself. The canker of gold has been on these +ministerings of thine, for thou hast yearly taken hire for them; and +therefore it is that so many of these people are cold and sickly in +divine things. But the Lord hath had mercy on thee, and will take away +from thee the mammon whereby thou hast been deceived; and for thy sake I +rejoice in thy coming downfall'-- + +Here there began a mighty hubbub in the place. Men stood up on benches, +shaking their sticks and clenched fists against the speaker; women +cried, 'Shame on him! pull him down! have him away!' and many rushed +upon him, struck him, dragged him down, and would soon have trampled him +under their feet, but Mr. Truelocke spoke with a voice that rang like a +trumpet, and said,-- + +'Do the man no harm; for shame, my brethren! Did not I tell him he had +liberty to speak? Make me not a liar by your violence!' and then I saw +several men, Andrew and Harry being foremost, raising up the stranger, +for he had been felled to his knees pushing off those who were striking +him, and leading him forth of the church. Then a mighty flash of +lightning glared through the building, and a great peal of thunder +roared and echoed after it, and the rain rushing down like a torrent +drove and beat against the windows. The stranger, who had been got to +the door, now turned round, crying,-- + +'Hearken, O people, to the voice of the Lord bearing witness against +your madness!' with which words he vanished, friendly hands pulling him +out of sight against his will. + +A great silence seemed at once to fall upon the people, while the storm +blazed and thundered on; and in the midst of it Mr. Truelocke began his +discourse. + +'My brethren,' said he, 'I did not think to have been so cruelly put to +shame as I have been by you this day. Long have I toiled to make you +follow His righteousness, who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; +long have I trusted that you were indeed partakers of that Spirit whose +fruits are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness. Alas! +what longsuffering, what peace, what gentleness have you shown to-day? +Ye have well-nigh done a man to death in the very house of God, and +before the eyes of me your pastor. I stand rebuked here, a teacher +whose teaching is proved useless and fruitless. From this day forth I +will preach to you no more, but will lay down, a little before the law +takes it from me, the office I have so ill discharged. Now hearken to me +once more, and once only; and let not my last sermon prove so idle as +those I have preached to you before.' + +With this preamble, which struck every one into awe, he began to preach +with an uncommon fervour, as one who was all on fire to have men turn +from their sins, and to close with the offers of God's mercy while yet +it was time; and this earnestness of his, and a certain passionate +tenderness in his looks and tones, something more than ordinary, would +not let us forget the resolve he had expressed. His text was, 'How shall +we escape if we neglect so great salvation?' and having enlarged on it +with such piercing eloquence as I have spoken of, and come to an end of +his discourse, he made a little pause, and then said,-- + +'Little as I like to mingle any private matters of mine own with the +message I stand here to deliver, I had determined, when I should come +before you for the last time, to say something of the reasons why I +cannot comply with what our rulers require of us. I will not depart +from that determination because a strange cause has moved me to lay down +mine office some few days sooner than law requires.' He stopped a +moment, looking troubled; then he resumed: 'Not my own humour, nor the +pride of a vain consistency, holds me back from compliance. I have +sought in prayer, and in study, and in discourse with my brethren, for +light on this matter; but in my mind is something still unsatisfied that +bids me persevere in my fixed opinion, so long adopted; I can do no +other. Therefore, submitting patiently to leave my church and my flock, +I pray your pardon for any fault I make in this resolution; of God's +pardon I am assured.' + +Having said thus, he bowed his fatherly head, praying inwardly, and all +the congregation wept and prayed with him, though many of them +afterwards showed themselves highly displeased with the way he had taken +of rebuking their violence; also great efforts were used to make him +break his resolve of preaching there no more, it wanting more than a +week or two of the appointed day in August when he must needs desist; +but he would not yield to do more than pray publicly; and the pulpit was +for a season supplied by other men. + +I am wandering away, however, from that day and its doings, of which I +have not finished the account. While Mr. Truelocke was preaching, the +storm drew off and died away in distant mutterings, so that it was in a +very great stillness that he spoke his last words. However, the rain was +still falling, though without violence, when we came out of the church; +so we waited awhile in the porch till the clouds had rolled away, many +others who did not love a wetting doing the same as we, and there was +much talking. + +None of our party said aught, till Mrs. Bonithorne, one of the +wealthiest farmers' wives in the parish, turned herself to Aunt Golding, +saying,-- + +'Heard you ever anything so strange, neighbour, as yon awful +thunder-clap coming close on the malicious words of the brawling Quaker? +He ought to have quaked and trembled indeed at the voice of Heaven +rebuking his madness.' + +'But that he did not, mistress,' said I, something too pertly, I fear; +'for he bade the people hearken to the voice of God bearing witness +against _them_.' + +'Did he so?' cried she; 'the more was his impudence to wrest the +heavenly sign in his favour. But what make you then of the passing away +of the storm when Mr. Truelocke began to preach, and of the sweet calm +that had fallen on all things when he ended? was that a witness in +favour of Quaker madness?' + +'Nay, I make nothing of it,' said I; and Aunt Golding added,-- + +'You would not interpret it as a sign of approval granted to Mr. +Truelocke for his hasty resolve never to preach to us again? For my +part, I hope he will be persuaded otherwise.' + +'Truly I hope so,' said Dame Bonithorne, her ruddy colour deepening; +'for it's too cruel an affront he puts on us poor people;' and I know +not how much more she might have said, but for Harry Truelocke, who now +came up to the porch, and, beckoning Aunt Golding forth, whispered to +her how Andrew had carried the Quaker to the Grange, and now desired her +presence; at which we all set forth together, the rain having ceased; +and on the road Harry tells us, what sore disquieted Aunt Golding, that +the man had only come to West Fazeby on Andrew's account. + +'It seems,' said he, 'you met him on your road hither, when he was in +the hands of some base fellows that had a mind to maul him--do you +remember such a matter?' and Aunt Golding saying how she remembered it +very well, Harry went on to say that the man, having noted Andrew's +willingness to serve him, had ever since 'had a concern on his mind for +the good youth,'--that was his phrase,--and had been led to our village, +and to the very church, being assured he would see Andrew there. 'It's a +strange, mad story,' quoth Harry. + +Althea had given earnest heed to this tale, and now she asked, 'And what +says Master Andrew to such wild talk? I suppose he will use the poor +deluded wretch gently and kindly, that's his nature; but sure he will +scorn his ravings?' + +'I cannot tell what Andrew may think in his heart,' says Harry moodily; +'but he uses the man as if he thought him a saint or a martyr, or both. +I wish harm may not come of this day's doings;' and he fell into a +gloomy silence. + +I had never seen him look so nearly angry before. We were now got to the +Parsonage, and Harry arousing himself to take leave of us, our aunt says +to him,-- + +'I shall ask you to do me a great good turn, by bringing your father to +sup with us at the Grange. I would have him reason peaceably with yon +poor distraught man, and convince him of his folly; so he may do a +service to my Andrew also, if he has indeed a leaning to such +delusions.' + +'Well, madam, I will do it for you,' said Harry; 'but there is only one +other person in the world to please whom I would bring my father into +such odd company as yon man's;' and he went in, looking but half +pleased; and as we took our way to the Grange I was musing who that +other person might be Harry was so fain to please. + +When we got into the hall we saw Andrew sitting there and talking with +the stranger, who was now clothed like any other man. His face had been +bruised and his hair torn by the violence of the people; but, for all +these disfigurements, I, looking earnestly at him, could see he was the +very one the sight of whose ill-usage had so moved Andrew on our +journey; there was the same composed look, and the same strange inward +light in his eye. + +He rose when he saw Aunt Golding come in, saluting her with the words, +'Peace be to thee!' on which she, gravely smiling, said,-- + +'You did not bring peace with you to our place of worship, sir; but I +trust no one will break your peace in my house, where you are welcome to +rest and refresh you this day.' + +'No man can break my peace,' said he, 'my soul being ever at rest in +the Holy City, the New Jerusalem.' + +'That's a good resting-place indeed,' said our aunt. 'Will you tell me +by what name I am to call you while you stay here? I think no one in our +village knows who you are.' + +'Not every one can know my name, but they that have the Light,' said the +man; 'and the world can never know it.' + +'But sure, man, you have a name of your own by which the world does know +you,' said our aunt a little impatiently. + +'I wish not to deny it,' he replied; 'therefore fret not thyself, good +friend,--my worldly name is James Westrop. And I will tell thee what +thou askest not, that my errand hither is to this young man, Andrew +Golding. I have now told him my message, so I am free to depart; and if +thou likest not of my talk or my ways, I refuse not to leave thy house +and protection this hour.' + +'But I will not have you go,' said she, 'till you are refreshed and +rested. And, in good time, here comes the Vicar, whom I have desired to +sup with us and to reason with you. You will not refuse his company? He +scorns not yours.' + +'I will not refuse it,' said Westrop gravely; and Mr. Truelocke coming +in at that moment with Harry, we all went presently to table. + +I marvelled greatly during the meal at Mr. Truelocke's courtesy, so +kindly did he speak to the Quaker; and he strove to excuse to him the +mad behaviour of the people, ascribing it to their regard for their +ancient pastor, now about to leave them. 'I pray you,' he said, 'to +pardon them for my sake.' + +'Friend,' said James Westrop, 'I had pardoned them before they offended. +But thou art deceived if thou thinkest it was love to thee which moved +them. They could not endure my word, because their own spirits were +foul. My word was to them as the shining of a candle into a dark, dirty +place, and the sight of their foulness made them mad against me. But in +thee I perceive purity of intention; and I will gladly reason with thee +of the things of the Spirit, according to this good woman's desire.' + +So after supper Aunt Golding showed the Quaker and Mr. Truelocke into a +parlour, and herself with Andrew went in to hear their reasonings; but +Althea whispered me, and said, 'Let us go and walk in the garden; I +cannot stay and hear the man's insolent talk.' So we stepped out, and +began to pace up and down one of the walks, the moon being just risen, +and the evening very sweet and calm--a pleasant change it was after the +heats and storms of that afternoon's work. Presently Harry joined us, +and said at once, 'Well, sweet ladies, so you have no mind to turn +Quakers?' + +'As soon shall this rose turn nettle,' said Althea, plucking a white +rose off a bush and giving it to him. 'Keep it, I pray you; and when you +find it will sting you to touch it, then conclude Althea Dacre has +turned Quaker.' + +'Give me your rose too, Mistress Lucia,' said Harry. + +So I gathered one, and put it in his hand; but I felt obliged to say,-- + +'I cannot speak so confidently as my sister; I know nothing of these +people and their doctrines.' + +'You see their doings,' said Althea indignantly; 'that should be enough. +Mr. Truelocke, Lucia and I were bred up true Churchwomen, and so I will +continue to my dying day. I love not all these sects that spring up like +weeds in the ruined places of the Church; I am for those who are +building up her walls again, and making them stronger.' + +'And is this your mind too, Mistress Lucia?' says Harry. 'I fear me, if +it is, you will not approve my good father either;' at which Althea went +red and went pale, for she had not thought how her words might hit Mr. +Truelocke; but since she did not speak, I said,-- + +'Being so ignorant about these things, I don't like to say much, except +that I hate these new harsh laws,--axes, I think them, lopping off from +our Church her true, faithful members as if they were diseased limbs. I +fear me the poor trunk that is left will be like a headless, handless +corpse without them.' + +'Well, God mend all!' said Harry, drawing a long breath. 'For my part, +all I know is, that I would these great folks who rule us now had let my +father end his days in peace, without pestering him about surplices and +Prayer-Books and the sign of the cross, all which he holds for rank +Papistry, I suppose; and I cannot wish him to lie, even about such +foolish trifles as these things appear to me. But what profits wishing?' + +'Very little,' said Althea, sighing softly. 'I might wish too, all in +vain, that I had not spoken with such needless warmth even now;' and she +began entreating him to believe she had meant no disrespect to his +father; but he cut her short, assuring her he knew it already. + +'My father is not in all your thoughts,' said he; 'but he is seldom out +of mine. I am ever longing to see him settled in some peaceful shelter +before I go to sea;' and he looked more downcast than I had ever seen +him. + +We were got into the orchard now, winding in and out among the trees, +and Althea went musing by herself; but I could not help lingering beside +Harry, to say some comfortable words about how all folks loved Mr. +Truelocke, my aunt especially, and I knew it was in her mind to have the +old gentleman make his home at the Grange with her, if he only would. + +'Ay,' says Harry; 'that's a larger "if" than you wot of, sweet Lucy. But +would it please you, as well as Mrs. Golding, to have the old man living +under this roof?' and I answered hastily,-- + +'Nothing could like me better than to have so kind and fatherly a man +dwelling with us, not to say that his holiness and piety would bring +down Heaven's blessing on any house that sheltered him; and I promise +you,' I went on, 'that I, for my part, would show him all a daughter's +love and duty,'--'and so will Althea,'--I would fain have added, had not +Harry cut my speech short, saying,-- + +'That's a charming word on your lips when you speak of my father--the +word of daughter. I hope you consider what it may mean to me.' + +'Sure,' I said, 'I am very willing to take you for my brother, if that +is what you aim at.' + +'No, no, Lucy,' said he; 'I wish not to be your brother. I refuse +altogether to let you think of me as such; but I have nothing to say +against Mistress Althea as a sister. Think well of my words, will you?' +and, taking my hand, he put it to his lips. And it was not the first +time, in truth, that such a courtesy had been shown me; but with a fine +gentleman it seems such a matter of course. It was not so with the frank +and blunt sailor, who had had a kind of Puritan bringing-up too; so I +suppose that was the reason it made me tremble so strangely, or perhaps +the look on his face was the cause. I was therefore not sorry to see +Althea coming up to us again. + +'We had better keep nearer the house; their conference may be over, and +Mrs. Golding will not know where to find us,' she said; so we turned +back, and all three paced up and down the terrace under the windows for +a while, then we went into the hall, and sat there awaiting the end of +the disputation. + +At last we saw Mr. Truelocke, Mrs. Golding. James Westrop, and Andrew, +all issuing forth together, and all but one seeming mightily disturbed. +Mr. Truelocke looked stern and sad, and Mrs. Golding had been weeping; +Andrew gazed on the Quaker with much anxiety, but with such reverence as +if he saw in him an angel of God. As for James Westrop, there was no +change in him, only his usual composure seemed a little exalted, if I +may so phrase it. He walked straight to the hall door, Andrew keeping by +him. There he made a stand, and, raising his hands as if in blessing,-- + +'Peace be to this house!' he said; 'I have been well entreated in it, +though it approves me not. Friend Andrew, thou and I will meet again; +but now follow me not. I may not sleep under this roof, having many +miles to go before the sun rises;' and with that he turned and walked +out of the door, which he shut after him; and Andrew, who had stopped at +his word, came slowly back to us. Althea now rose from her place and +went towards him; her eyes were very bright, and there was unusual +colour in her cheeks; indeed she seemed carried quite out of herself, +yet she kept her queenly look and gait withal. + +'Mr. Golding, said she, putting her hands on his arm, 'what means that +man by his farewell to you? Sure you are not befooled and led away by +his deceiving words to believe such madness as he speaks?' + +Andrew started at her touch, like a man waking from a dream. He then +looked seriously at her, and said,-- + +'Madam, I cannot say yet how much I believe of yon good man's doctrine; +but I will not rest till I know more of it. If I find it to be as +heavenly true as it hath seemed to me this day, not all the joys and +glories of the world should hold me back from embracing it; at which +Althea, letting her hands fall from his arm, stood as if she were turned +into stone, her eyes remaining fixed on him sorrowfully. I suppose he +could not endure that look; for he turned away sharply and went out of +the hall. + +'I feared this,' said Mr. Truelocke. He looked quite weary and spent. +'These men have a strange eloquence; and I cannot wonder that such +youths as our Andrew should think their words are indeed set off by some +superior Power,--the more, since none can deny that they preach what +they practise. I would I could have imbued all my hearers with a like +burning sincerity.' + +This was nearly all I heard about that long conference of theirs; for +after some more lamentations over its ill result, which, Harry whispered +me, they might have expected, Mr. Truelocke departed with his son, and +Aunt Golding remained so troubled that I did not like to question her +about what had passed. But all the more was I curious to know what the +man's doctrine was; and on the first fair occasion I found, I began to +ask Andrew to describe it to me. Poor youth! he was mightily pleased +with my inquiry, thinking, doubtless, that it sprang from a real thirst +for truth like his own; and to the best of his power he complied with my +wish. I found he had not been altogether ignorant of this new teaching +for some months back. + +'We English Christians,' said he, 'have fallen into many hurtful snares +by our lack of faith in God's great gift of the Holy Spirit, the mighty +boon which the risen Saviour promised to His followers, and which truly +came according to His word. I have often wondered,' said he, 'that we +all profess and say, as often as we repeat the Creed, "I believe in the +Holy Ghost," yet we act and think as if we believed not in Him.' And +from this point he went on to tell me how George Fox, first of all, and +many others after him, had been going about the country endeavouring to +make people alive to the high privilege they had so long slighted, to +their own exceeding hurt; 'also,' said he, 'these men, in obedience to +the inward Voice that instructs them, strive to bring people off from +their formal man-made religions to the primitive purity of Christ's +religion, which consists not in rites and ceremonies, repeating of forms +of prayer, singing of hymns, and ringing of bells, but in a holy and +harmless life;' and he quoted many things out of the Sermon on the +Mount, 'which,' said he, 'the common run of Christians never dream of +obeying; but the poor Friends practise them most strictly.' + +All this was most alluring to Andrew, for, as I have often noticed, he +detested nothing so much as false professions, and a show of goodness +where none was. I asked him curiously why the Friends behaved themselves +in such strange fashion in public places and churches; when he answered +me by referring to the bold speeches of ancient prophets in rebuke of +sin, and asked me if I could think that a man might now-a-days refuse to +carry God's message to sinners because it might bring him into bodily +peril? 'It were far worse,' said he, 'to disobey the Divine Voice, that +still small Voice that is heard by the restful soul, than to endure a +little pain at men's hands, or even the death of the body.' Well, I +could not wonder that he was charmed with such teachings, for while I +listened to him my own heart was moved strangely; but it evermore ended +with my resolving to keep to the opinions of my aunt and Mr. Truelocke; +I thought they were both too good to be far mistaken. But Andrew now +began to be often away from home, and he made no secret that he went to +meet with Westrop and other Friends, from whom he often had letters +also. He was never at West Fazeby on the Lord's Day; and Aunt Golding +and Althea also showed themselves mightily afflicted thereat. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +HOW HARRY TRUELOCKE LEFT US FOR THE SEA. + +And now came fast upon us that black day, the twenty-fourth of August, +1662, when such numbers of faithful ministers were stript of their +offices and livings because they would not go against their consciences; +and our own Mr. Truelocke among them. I think he was more stiffly set +than ever in his opinion of the unlawfulness of conformity, since he had +that talk with James Westrop; at least Aunt Golding thought so. But on +other points he showed himself mild and persuadable, so that there was +nothing like the difficulty Harry and all of us had looked for in +winning him to come and dwell at the Grange, for a season at least; and +he agreed to make the change before the fatal day should come. + +So we had all a busy time of it that last week, in getting his many +books and his simple household stuff removed from the Parsonage house, +and in bestowing them suitably at the Grange, where Aunt Golding had +prepared two fair rooms for his particular use. And however bad the +occasion for our doing this work, some of us found pleasure in it. + +I must own I myself always loved a busy, bustling time, when there +seemed a little more to be done in each day than we could crowd into it; +which was our case now, wheat harvest having begun. And I was gladder +than common of the stir and the bustle, for it helped to stupefy and +dull a pain there was at my heart whenever the thought crossed me how +soon Harry would be gone. He was to depart on a long voyage to the East +Indies, and would indeed have sailed already but for his loving care +about his father, which made him resolute to tarry until he saw the old +gentleman in a manner provided for. + +Some perverse whimsy of mine had made me careful never to be left alone +in Harry's company since that talk with him by moonlight in the orchard. +It's no wonder that I so perfectly recollect all the sayings and doings +of that day, for it was a fateful day indeed to some of our little +company. But the things that dwelt most constantly in my memory, to the +shutting out of weightier matters, were Harry's looks and words on my +saying I would be as a daughter to Mr. Truelocke. There was small need +to bid me think well of them; I thought of them whether I would or no, +all the while telling myself that I was a poor fool for brooding over +such airy trifles; that I had not known aught of Harry, nor he of me, +six months before; and that I deserved whipping for fancying he could +mean anything serious. And so, between a kind of fear and a good deal of +pride, I tried, as I have said, to avoid any private talk with him; and +I succeeded pretty well. But Harry's blunt, plain-spoken ways +overmatched me after all. + +The first evening after Mr. Truelocke had come to the Grange--I cannot +say, after we had him settled there, for he was mightily unsettled--he +was not able to rest in the room we had fitted for his study, and so +came to sit among us in the hall, seeming to please himself with +watching our occupations, as he sat in his great chair. Andrew was +writing somewhat at his desk; Althea had some sewing; and I was having a +lesson from Aunt Golding in the right use of the little flax-wheel; for +I had taken an extraordinary fancy for spinning, and our aunt encouraged +me in it, and took pains to teach me, saying I was an apt scholar. Thus +we were busied when Harry came in and sat down among us. + +'You all look peaceful and content, methinks,' quoth he. 'I wish I were +a skilful painter, then might I make a picture of this pretty scene to +carry with me and cheer my heart in distant seas. But since I cannot do +that, I must try for some other comfort to take away with me.' + +Here he stopt, and Aunt Golding said kindly, 'What is in my power to do +for you, Master Harry, I will do as freely as your father could.' + +'Thanks, madam,' said Harry; 'there's much you and my father can do for +me; I know only one other person who can do more. Father, I looked for +you in your study even now; but I am not sorry to find you here instead, +hardly any one here but has some interest in my business with you. I +want your consent and Mrs. Golding's to my seeking Mistress Lucy here +for my wife.' + +I heard the words plainly, and I suppose their sense reached me; but if +they had been so many blows of an axe upon my head they could not have +left me more stupid. So I sat helpless, hearing Aunt Golding cry out,-- + +'Here is hasty work, indeed! do you speak seriously, Master Harry?' + +'Never more seriously,' said he; 'if they were the last words I should +speak I could not mean them more truly and heartily. And I hope you have +a good answer for me.' + +'I don't say no,' she replied; 'but there are others to be consulted +beside me.' + +So Harry, looking at Mr. Truelocke, said, 'Father, call your thoughts +off from your unkind Mother Church, and bestow some of them on your +dutiful son. Will you give me your sanction and your blessing, if I can +win this lady to say she will be mine?' + +'I can never refuse thee my blessing, Harry, and that thou knowest,' +said the old man. 'But it's fitting that I should think of the lady too, +and bid her consider what she does.' + +He turned to me, which troubled me greatly, and, looking sadly and +kindly at me, said,-- + +'If you take this boy of mine, madam,' said he, 'you take the son of a +poor, despised, aged man, who can give you and him nothing but a +father's blessing, coupled with his burdensome infirmity to care for +and tend, till death remove it;' words which loosed my tongue +straightway to say I should deem such an office a pride and honour. + +'That is not all,' said Mr. Truelocke. 'Harry hath chosen to embrace a +dangerous wandering way of life, neither very glorious nor very +profitable. And his bride will have to spend many a sad lonely hour, +while her husband is tossing on the seas, and she sitting trembling at +home, deprived of his protection and doubtful of his fate.' + +'That's a very odd way of recommending my suit, father,' said Harry, a +little uneasily. + +'Nay, I have not done my recommendation,' replied Mr. Truelocke; 'let me +say all. You should further consider, Mistress Lucy, that this son of +mine is so light of spirit and careless of speech, that some will say he +has no constancy of disposition. I will not so far slander him, for I +know him better; but this I must say, for it is truth, that he has not +yet that confirmed and settled piety I should desire in the husband of +mine own daughter, if I had one. Now I have laid before you all the +disadvantages of the match, it is for you to say if you will have it.' + +I wonder if ever a love-suit was so urged before? It made me heartily +angry to hear poor Harry so disparaged to his face, and to see him sit +so downcast, a cloud of angry colour mounting to his very forehead. I +suppose pity for him killed all my bashfulness, for I stood up, and said +passionately, I thought no worse of a man for having the bold +adventurous nature which loved seafaring; that was a noble trade, I +said, and our mariners the very flower of England; and as for light +spirit and merry speech, they were but flowers covering a rock, for +steadfast as a rock was the heart under that gay show. + +'And if you speak of piety,' I wound up, 'I am sure Harry hath as much +of it as I have, at least; he has some faith, some love, and so I hope +have I; but we will help each other up to better things; and here is my +hand on it if he will take it.' With that I held out my hand to him, and +he sprang up and grasped it in both his, looking exultingly at his +father; it was a pleasure to see how his face had changed all in a +moment. Mr. Truelocke smiled, but he shook his head too, saying,-- + +'Well, children, I blame you not. The Lord will surely teach you and +lead you, it may be in ways you will not like; for it is on my mind that +you both have much to learn and much to suffer before your marriage day +shall dawn.' + +And now Aunt Golding, who loved Harry, and never could endure to have +him crossed, began to laugh outright. + +'I will own,' she said, 'I thought you very unmerciful to your good son, +Mr. Truelocke, while you continued to run him down so shamefully; but +now I see you took the right way to advance his cause. It's wonderful +what a spice of contradiction will do with a woman! Lucy, you would +never have made this bold, open confession without some such +provocation'--words which abashed me much, for they were true. + +And now, no one present having a word more to say against it, Harry and +I exchanged rings; and Mr. Truelocke in a few pathetic words besought +Heaven's blessing on our contract. I do believe Harry would not have +been sorry could he have called me wife before he went away; but, every +one frowning on this fancy of his when he distantly hinted it, he did +not urge it; and truly the time was too short. + +I was a little afraid of Althea, lest she should think I had every way +demeaned myself; but she never has owned that she thought so. + +'These things go by destiny, little Lucy,' she said once. 'I am not +strong enough to control fate, and certainly you are not; so why should +I blame you? Were not all our follies written in the stars when we were +born?' I could not tell then what to make of her mocking words, knowing +how she despised what people call astrology. + +As for Andrew, he could talk cheerfully of nothing at this time; and the +hopefullest word he could find for Harry and me was that though in these +evil days there could be no love-thoughts or marriage-thoughts for such +as him, he would not say they were forbidden to others; and he wished us +all the happiness we could get; poor cold words; but Harry said 'twas +wonderful Andrew could say as much on any worldly matter. + +This was the manner of our betrothing; and, were it not for Harry's ring +still shining on my finger, and also for the odd unusual fashion of the +whole thing, which is what I never could have dreamt, I should be sadly +apt to think of it as a dream too pleasant to be true. + +For within a day or two Harry had left us and gone to Hull, from which +port he sailed. I have never seen him since; also it is now a full +twelve-month since any letter from him reached us. Yet I cannot believe +he is dead; and if he is living, I know he is true; and living or dead, +I have a strong persuasion that my little ruby ring, which was my +mother's once, is on his finger still. + +But many a time have I thought on Mr. Truelocke's words, how we both +should have much to learn and much to suffer before our marriage day. I +think the words be true. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +HOW ANDREW MADE ONE ENEMY, AND WAS LIKE TO HAVE ANOTHER. + +And now my happy time was over; its story is all told so far; and I must +write of darker days that came after. + +The living of West Fazeby, left vacant because of Mr. Truelocke's +sturdiness in his opinion, did not wait long for an incumbent, but was +quickly bestowed on a Mr. Lambert; a man not troubled with awkward +scruples, for he had been a strong Presbyterian under the Commonwealth, +and now was become as strong a Churchman; but an honest man as the world +goes now, and not hard-hearted. He had another better living where he +resided; so our parish was served by his curate, a Mr. Poole, a young +man of shallow capacity and but little learning. Mr. Truelocke, +however, went to hear him preach;--a strange sight it was to see so +reverend, saintly, and able a minister sitting humbly as a listener, +while that weak-headed lad spoke from the pulpit;--and he said the youth +preached true doctrine; so he continued going to hear him, and +encouraged our household to do the like, which they all did, except +Andrew. That Mr. Truelocke himself did not join in the new formal +prayers was not noticed, his presence at sermon-time seeming to give +mighty satisfaction to Mr. Poole, who would often walk up to the Grange +of a Lord's Day evening, to ask Mr. Truelocke's opinion of his handling +of a text, and would even beg to hear his exposition of the same; when +several of our neighbours would also come in and listen thankfully to +their old pastor's words; neither we nor they dreaming that such +practices could be deemed unlawful, as they soon were, being stigmatized +as conventicles, and heavily punished. But this did not happen in Mr. +Poole's time. + +There were other things much less agreeable to us under the new order of +things. A monstrous new Maypole was set up on the village green, by +command of a gentleman very powerful in the parish, whom I shall soon +have to name, and we were told the old heathen May-games would be +observed at the right season,--as indeed they were when the time came; +meantime the one or two taverns in West Fazeby began to stand open on a +Sunday, and were much more frequented than they used to be, men who had +formerly been very careful to shun them now going to them boldly in open +day; which plainly discovered their former decent carriage to have been +a hollow show. Althea and I chanced one day to be passing the Royal Oak, +as the chief inn of the village had been new christened, just as there +reeled out of it a young gentleman whom every one had deemed a most +hopeful pious youth, Mr. Truelocke in particular having a great opinion +of him, though I never liked his demure looks for my part, nor his stiff +way of dressing himself. He was called Ralph Lacy, and was son and heir +to old Mr. Lacy of Lacy Manor, a worthy old gentleman, though somewhat +austere, who was lately dead; which I suppose partly accounted for the +mighty change in his son, who was now clad in silk and velvet, scarlet +and gold; and, as I have said, could not walk too straight at that +moment. + +He stood still, leering foolishly on us, just in our way; I could not +bear to look at him, and would have slipt on one side; but Althea +looked sternly at him, and said bitterly,-- + +'Shame on you, Ralph Lacy! You mourn for your father in a very vile +manner; a swine could do no worse.' + +'Ah, sweet Mistress Dacre,' said he, 'do you think then the grim, +sour-visaged saints are reigning still? Nay, their day is over! we have +a right good fellow for a king now, and this shall be Merry England +again, I can tell thee.' (He was growing more familiar at every word.) +'I will soon show thee what the ways are at Whitehall now;' and he was +coming much nearer to her than was pleasant, when Andrew, who came up +with us at that moment, flung him out of our path with such goodwill +that Master Lacy measured his length on the ground; and there we left +him lying. Althea thanked Andrew warmly and cordially; but Andrew, who +had been all glowing with just wrath at first, seemed to shrink into +himself at her praise. + +'It was a temptation,' he said, 'and I have fallen. I could have taken +you out of yon fool's way without laying a finger on him.' + +'It's something of a disgrace indeed to have touched the beast--an oaken +staff had been fitter than your hand,' she replied. 'Merry England, +quotha! drunken England, I suppose he meant.' + +'There is too much indeed of the unclean spirit of riot abroad now,' +answered Andrew; 'but it is not with violent hands that we can cast it +out. I sinfully forgot our Lord's word, "Resist not evil;"' and nothing +could brighten him, though Althea did her best all the way home. + +There came the day when I rued Andrew's angry action as much as he did, +though not for the same reason. Ralph Lacy was not too drunk to be +unaware who had flung him aside into the dust; he never forgave it; and +his hand was plainly seen afterwards in the troubles that came upon us. +Another man also contributed something to them, though more innocently. + +Mr. Poole now came very much about us, and would often talk about the +good family he belonged to and his hopes of speedy preferment; and +another favourite topic of his was the gay suits he had worn in his +secular days; he would dwell very fondly on the cut and trimmings of +these clothes. I think nothing misliked him in his profession but the +gravity of dress required from a clerical person; and I was often +tempted to ask, had his father been a tailor? He made the most of his +sober apparel, and loved to show a white, smooth, fat hand, with a fine +diamond on one finger; but he was unhappy in an insignificant person and +a foolish face, both of them something fatter than is graceful. + +I do not know what first made me guess that all his boastings and +paradings were intended to advance him in Althea's good graces; but she +refused to believe me when I said so. + +'Poor harmless wretch!' said she; 'he is but practising with me; he +would fain perfect himself in the airs and graces of a thriving wooer, +before laying siege in earnest to some fair lady, with the heavy purse, +that I lack, at her girdle.' + +'That's a far-fetched fancy indeed,' said I. 'Why should he single you +out alone for such practisings?' + +'Well,' quoth Althea idly, 'he may deem me the fittest person to +rehearse with, seeing I have at least the breeding of a gentlewoman, and +am contracted to no one else. He will think that if his ways and words +please me, they may answer with richer women of my sort as well.' + +'But sure they do not please you!' I cried; 'nor should you let him +think they do; 'tis not fair usage.' + +'Nay, he diverts me hugely,' said she; 'and I need diversion, for my +heart is heavy as lead, Lucy;'--all at once there were tears in her +eyes;--'if I can forget my griefs while I watch a mannikin bowing and +grimacing before me, don't grudge me the poor pastime. I assure thee, +child, there's nothing more in it;' and with that she left me hastily. + +I was used to think Althea much wiser than myself, but the evening of +the very day when we had this talk proved that in this matter her +judgment was more at fault than mine. For about sunset Mr. Poole came up +to the Grange, which was a rare thing for him to do, seeing he did not +love to be abroad when it was dark. He seemed mightily puffed up about +something; and, not being one of those who can keep their own counsel +long, he soon imparted to Althea and me, whom he found sitting by the +parlour fire, how his promotion now seemed very near. There was a living +of which he had long had hopes to get the reversion; and the actual +incumbent was fallen sick of a strange fever, with little prospect of +recovery. + +'And you are troubled because of the poor man's grievous case,' says +Althea demurely. 'I guessed something was disturbing you. It's +melancholy news indeed, Mr. Poole, for one would guess by it that the +place must be unhealthy, so it may be your luck to sicken in like manner +when it is your turn to live there.' + +I thought Althea cruel thus to tease the poor man, imputing to him a +tender concern for the sufferer of which he had never dreamed; besides, +he was chicken-hearted about contagious disorders, and that she knew. I +pitied him then, but found it hard to forbear laughing, his aspect was +so comical; therefore I feigned an errand out of the room, and, having +stayed away long enough to compose my countenance, I returned to the +parlour, where I found poor Mr. Poole on his knees to Althea, urging his +suit for her hand with a great deal more passion than one could have +expected in him. 'Twas in vain she spoke of her orphanhood and poverty, +and told him he should look higher; and at last she had to speak +sharply, and say, however she might esteem the honour he would do her, +wife of his she would never be; 'so quit that unbecoming posture at my +feet,' she added; on which he rose indeed, but said half-frantically,-- + +'Give me at least, madam; the comfort of hearing you say you are +heart-free, that you love none other better than you do me;' on which +first her eyes flashed angry fire, and then changed and softened, her +whole face and even her neck going rosy-red, and she said almost +kindly,-- + +'I will give you no such assurance, sir, to hold you in vain hopes; but +I wish you a happier fate than marriage with me might prove.' With that +she was gone from the room, like a shadow; and Mr. Poole and I were left +foolishly staring at each other. Presently he said hoarsely,-- + +'Who is it that your sister loves, madam? for whom does she disdain me? +Sure,' he went on, with growing heat, 'it cannot be your cousin--he that +is infected with the Quaker heresy! say it is not he, madam.' + +Well, I was tempted to lie, and say it was not our cousin; for Andrew +was nothing akin to us; but I resisted the tempter, and said I could say +nothing, but that I was heartily sorry,--'and I am sure, so is my +sister,' I said, 'that you should have fixed your affections so +unluckily.' Then I told him Andrew had no thoughts of marriage with +Althea or any one; and I reminded him of the many rich and fair women +who would be sure to look kindly on him; at which he smiled again, and +presently went away in no unfriendly mood. So I acquit him of meaning +the harm which he afterwards did us, poor youth, with his prattling +tongue. He did not wait long for his promotion, the poor man whom he +hoped to succeed dying indeed of the fever that had seized him; so we +lost our curate. But it seems he prated to his patron about the fair +young lady he had hoped should share his preferment, lamenting her +silliness in preferring a moonstruck Quaker youth; also he complained of +Mrs. Golding for not discouraging such follies, and he even deplored Mr. +Truelocke's obstinate heresies as to church discipline. + +I think even he had held his peace, if he had known into how greedy an +ear he poured these tales. This patron of his, one Sir Edward Fane, had +much land and not a little power in our parish, though he resided in +another neighbourhood; he was a bitter hater of all Nonconformists, and +in especial of the Quakers; men said this was because of some encounter +he had had with Fox himself, by whose sharp tongue and ready wit our +gentleman was put to open shame, where he had hoped to make himself +sport out of Quaker enthusiasm. However that might be, it was commonly +said this Sir Edward loved Quaker-baiting, as it was called, beyond all +other of the cruel, inhuman sports, the bull-baitings and bear-baitings, +in which too many men of condition now take pleasure; and it was not +long before we found a powerful enemy was raised up against our harmless +friends. + +'Twas a wonder to me that any would lift a hand against them; Mr. +Truelocke being so venerable and so peaceable a man, and Andrew of life +so irreproachable. Also, since the youth had cast in his lot with the +Friends, he had shown a singular zeal in good works. He sought out those +who were in distress or necessity, and laboured to make their hard lot +easy, not merely giving them alms, but comforting them as a loving +brother might do; and such as had fallen into want through folly or sin +he toiled hard to lift up again, and to put them into an honest way of +living. By this means some few were led to embrace his way of religion, +it is true; and what wonder? My wonder was that so many were vilely +ungrateful to him, at which _he_ never showed any vexation. 'We are +bidden,' he said, 'to do good to the unthankful and the evil,' which +seemed enough for him. + +But it being contrary to his conscience to attend the church, I suppose +all his other graces did but lay him more open to injury, and we were +soon warned of mischief hatching against us and him, and that by one +from whom we never expected it. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + +HOW MR. TRUELOCKE AND MRS. GOLDING LEFT US. + +Mr. Poole being gone, there came in his place as curate an oldish man, +grey-haired and meagre; a great adorer of Archbishop Laud and of King +Charles the First, 'the Royal Martyr,' as he would say; but for all his +half Popish notions, he was blameless, nay, austere in his life; and he +had thriven so ill in the gay new world of London, that he deemed it +great good luck to have the curate's place at West Fazeby. + +We had half feared that this poor Mr. Stokes would feel bound in +conscience to torment and harass Mr. Truelocke into conformity; so when +he came to the Grange one day, very earnest to see Aunt Golding and the +former Vicar, and that in private, we were on thorns while he stayed; +and when we heard the door shut after him, we hurried to our aunt, +asking what his errand had been. + +She answered us not directly, but, gazing after Mr. Stokes, whom Mr. +Truelocke was conducting out through the garden, 'Well, my girls,' said +she, 'if the tree may be known by its fruits, yon is a right honest man +and a true Christian;' and she went on to say how he had only come to +warn her and hers of evil that was designed against them. 'I fear,' she +said, smiling, 'the good man's conscience pulled him two ways; yet his +heart has proved wiser than his head. I am right glad now that Andrew is +away, though I was vexed before; yet I knew his was a charitable +journey.' + +Then she told us of new crueller devices intended against the Friends, +and, indeed, against all Nonconforming folks. 'And there be some,' she +said, 'who have spoken very evil things of us here at the Grange. I +warrant you it will not be long that we shall be suffered to have family +worship if our labouring men share in it as they are used to do; nor can +Mr. Truelocke so much as expound a Psalm to us and them, but it shall +straight be said we hold a conventicle here.' + +'Surely,' says Althea, very pale, 'the gentlemen who now rule the +country are too proud-spirited, too noble, to intermeddle with such +matters; what is it to them how we say our prayers in our own houses? +Abroad, there may be need of a decent face of uniformity, and some open +outrageous follies may require to be put down strongly'--She stopped, +and Aunt Golding said,-- + +'Ah, child, thou little knowest. I have not yet heard of any outrageous +follies that our poor Andrew has run into; yet I am told, and I fear +it's true, that if he were to show his face openly in West Fazeby +to-morrow, his next lodging might be in York Castle, where he should lie +in the foulest den they could find for him, and have the worst company +to boot. Nor will it be very safe here for our good Mr. Truelocke, who +now talks of taking his journey to certain worthy kinsfolk of his that +are farmers in the Dale country, there he may live in a peaceful +obscurity; but his chief aim is to avoid bringing troubles on our +house.' + +It struck me cruelly to think of Harry's father leaving us, but I had no +time to dwell on the thought, for now Althea sank down at my feet, +helpless and senseless like one who was dead indeed; and much ado we +had to bring her out of her swoon, which was very long, and she very +feeble when she was recovered from it. We got her to her room, and +persuaded her to lie down and sleep; and when we came away, Aunt Golding +turns to me with a puzzled look, saying,-- + +'What means this, Lucy? I never thought your sister one of those fine +ladies who swoon for every trifle;--what is it, think you?' + +'Andrew,' says I, 'and the image of his danger; you made a frightful +picture of it, dear madam, do you know?' + +'Ah, set a thief to catch a thief!' says Aunt Golding, and I felt glad +to hear her laugh once more; 'my love-passages are of too ancient a date +to serve me, it seems, but yours are fresh and new, my Lucy. But what of +Andrew? is Althea dear to him?' + +'More dear than he knows, or she guesses,' quoth I; at which our good +aunt laughed again, but then said,-- + +'It's a thing that would have pleased me well, had I been told that it +would happen a year ago, but now I see nothing but trouble in it. There +would be no equal yoke there, my Lucy. Whatever extravagances Andrew +hath fallen into, the love of Christ runs through all he does and +thinks. And canst thou say the like of thy sister?' + +'Not yet,' I murmured, but Aunt Golding heard me, and said,-- + +'Ay, well spoken, Lucy; we will remember that when we pray.' + +After this, Aunt Golding had a long conference with Matthew Standfast, +whom she despatched in pursuit of Andrew, that he might furnish him with +money and warn him to keep away from the Grange for a season. And after +much trouble, Matthew found him, somewhere on the road to York; when it +cost him still more pains to lead his young master into compliance with +the prudent courses enjoined on him. + +'He talked much,' said Matthew, 'of the honour of suffering for the +truth, and how he must not be the vile coward to refuse it. And I had +never been able to beat him away from that, but for the excellent +counsel of one that was riding with him; I think he was a Quaker also, +for he could talk with Master Andrew in his own dialect.' + +'What manner of man was he?' said our aunt. + +'I can hardly tell,' said Matthew; 'he had a piercing eye, I wot, and a +voice as clear as a bell; very neat and seemly he was in his attire, and +yet he might have been a ruffling cavalier if one judged by his hair, +which he wore long and curled.' + +'That is much how George Fox himself has been described to me,' said +Aunt Golding. + +'Nay, I cannot think it was any such man,' said Matthew, 'for he talked +very reasonably, plain sense and plain words, such as a simple man like +me could not choose but understand; and one told me how George Fox +should be in Lancashire about this time.' + +'Well, what said he to persuade my poor lad?' asked aunt. + +'Why, he bade him remember certain works of mercy he had already in +hand, which should not be neglected to gratify a mad fancy of thrusting +his head in the lion's mouth whenever it was opened against him. So +Master Andrew was ashamed of his rashness, and was persuaded to take +himself away for a time; and we parted very lovingly. He says it shall +not be long ere you hear from him, mistress.' + +I believe, in spite of Matthew's contrary opinion, that Andrew's +counsellor was no other than the famous man whom our aunt had named. But +I have no proof of this, only mine own strong persuasion. + +Not many days hereafter, we had proof that Mr. Stokes had been very +honest in his warning to us. There came constables to the Grange, who +showed a warrant to seize the body of Andrew Golding, charged with many +strange misdemeanours, but especially with refusing the Oaths of +Supremacy and Allegiance. I do not believe the poor youth ever had +refused them; but this was the common trap set for the Friends, who were +known to decline all oath-taking, because of that saying of our Lord's, +'Swear not at all,'--a harmless scruple at the worst, which never ought +to be used, as I think, against honest and peaceable subjects. + +We were now heartily glad that Andrew was absent, and that we could +truly say, we knew not where he was; nor were the constables much +grieved at it. One of them found an occasion of whispering to Aunt +Golding, 'If you can get word to the young man, let him know this air is +unwholesome for him just now;' after which they went hastily away. + +And now we began to be haunted with spies, our steps seeming to be +dogged even in our own garden, where we were aware of people moving +about behind trees and bushes, as if hearkening after our talk; or we +caught sight of faces peering in at the windows when we were at evening +prayer. Also our friends and neighbours began to shun us as if we had +the plague, and no one more than Mrs. Bonithorne, who had been a great +worshipper of Mr. Truelocke, but now, as we heard, blamed him openly for +his lack of true obedience to the powers that be, 'which are ordained of +God,' she would often add. It was her husband who told us this as a good +jest; but it hurt Mr. Truelocke, and he became more set on his design of +leaving the Grange, and betaking himself to his kinsfolk in Cumberland, +where among the waste and lonely mountains he might linger out his days +without offence to any. I could not hear him talk of this plan without +tears, which he perceiving tried to stop. + +'Seest thou, dear child,' he would say, 'all these discomforts come upon +this house because of my abode in it; for as for poor Andrew, he is +known to be elsewhere, and however peaceably I may behave myself, you +will be allowed no peace till I am either gone out of sight like him, or +lodged in gaol for some fancied offence. Which were best, thinkest thou, +Lucy?' and when I had no answer but weeping, he would leave that point +and begin to talk of Harry's ship, the _Good Hope_, of which we had got +some news, and would speak hopefully of the joyful meeting we should +have when that ship came home. + +Alas, I fear he was no prophet! But he was not to be turned from his +intention; and presently he was gone indeed, in the company of Mr. +Bonithorne, who had business in the north country, and who undertook +with a great deal of satisfaction to let no one, and especially not his +wife, into the mystery of his having this reverend travelling companion. + +And now the Grange seemed a sad lonely house indeed; for every day and +all day long we missed that noble white head, that kindly presence, that +voice still musical and tender in spite of seventy years of service. +Those spyings and watchings of us, which had helped to drive away our +fatherly friend, were a little intermitted when he was gone; but the +poor benefit was counterpoised with a heavy trouble, for now our Aunt +Golding began to decline, falling into a strange lingering kind of +fever, which the doctors could not understand. I think it was nothing +but trouble of heart which caused it, for she was mightily disquieted +about Andrew. There was reason to think it would be as unsafe as ever +for him to return home, and letters from him were very rare; he could +not often find a messenger whom he would trust, and this difficulty was +increased by his wandering about the country as he did, which yet was +deemed the best way for him to live. + +So being often a prey to anxious thoughts, the poor lady pined and faded +away, and presently catching a cold, she began to be troubled with +difficulty in breathing, and her sleep went from her. It was now that we +learned the worth of Grace Standfast, who fairly took us poor silly +girls in hand as her pupils, setting us tasks to do both in the house +and the sick chamber, and keeping us in heart with cheerful words and +looks. But for all her skill and her cheerfulness, our patient visibly +grew worse and worse, and as the year wore into winter, we saw that we +should lose her. + +And now there befell a strange thing, which I will tell just as it +happened, and I think there can be no superstition in dwelling on it so +far. + +Aunt Golding's sickness had now become so sore, that it was needful for +one of us always to watch with her; and on the night I speak of it was +my turn to do so. She was very uneasy the first part of my watch, but +about midnight she fell into a deep sleep, and continued so for an hour, +when, hearing no sound, I went to look on her, and saw such heavenly +peace on her sleeping countenance, that I could have thought a light +shone from it like the glory about a saint's head in a picture. I do not +know how long I had stood gazing on her, when all at once she woke, and, +smiling at me,-- + +'Is it thou, Lucy?' said she; 'that is well. I have good news for thee;' +at which I began to fear she was light-headed, for how should she have +news that I knew not? But presently she went on, with many pauses +because of her difficult breathing. + +'Thou hast grieved much, Lucy, thinking thy sailor would never come home +to thee again; be at peace, he shall come home, a better man,--and find +thee a holier woman for all the troubles thou shalt have seen.' + +'How do you know? how can you tell?' I cried. + +'I cannot tell thee now,' she said, 'but I do know. And thou hast seen, +dear heart, how I have grieved over my Andrew--my heart's child, the +comfort of my old age; I have thought he was clean gone out of the right +way, for all his sincerity. It has been shown me in my sleep, that I had +no need thus to grieve. His rashness may bring him sharp trials, but +even through those shall he enter in. The light that leads him is the +true Light. And though he and his fellows are but erring men,--like all +others,--yet even their trivial errors shall have their use; in days to +come men shall say that these despised and persecuted believers have +done nobly--for their country and for the world.' + +'Then, do you think,' I said, in some trouble, 'that we are all wrong, +and only Andrew and those like-minded in the right?' + +'Nay, dear heart,' said she, 'I think not so. The paths are many--but +the Guide is one. Let us only follow His voice,--and He will bring us +to His Father's house in safety. I have comfort about thy sister too,' +she added presently, 'though I fear it is not such as she can value yet. +Do not forget, dear child, to have Mr. Stokes sent for to-morrow; I wish +to receive the most comfortable Sacrament of the Lord's Supper once +more--with you all, before I go hence.' As she said the last words, her +voice sank away, and I saw that she was sleeping once more. + +The next day we did as she had bidden, in sending for Mr. Stokes, who +accordingly came, and gave the Communion to all our household, as well +as to our poor aunt. I never liked him better than on that day. + +But a sad day it proved to us, for we all saw plainly how our second +mother was now a dying woman. I think she hardly said twenty words to +one of us thereafter, but quietly slept and dreamed her life away, and +on the third day she was gone. This was last winter, the winter of 1664; +and I remember how all that melancholy time the people were greatly +disturbed about the comet that was to be seen, wondering what mischiefs +it should betoken; I saw it myself, but so full was my mind of my +private griefs, I cared not much about ill omens to the State. Indeed, +one thing that soon happened was very distressing to us, and I shall +shortly relate what it was. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + +HOW ANDREW CAME TO THE GRANGE BY NIGHT. + +It was about a ten days after Mrs. Golding's death, and we were +beginning to feel as if our desolation was a thing that had always been +and always would be, for so I think it often seems when a grief is new. +However desolate we were, we were not destitute; she who was gone had +cared for that, and we found a modest dower secured to each of us, +without injury to Andrew's rightful inheritance of the Grange and the +lands belonging thereto; also we were to continue dwelling in the Grange +till its new master should come home and make such dispositions as +pleased him. But for all this we were greatly perplexed; we had been +long without news of Andrew, and could not tell how to get word to him +of Mrs. Golding's death. + +On the day I speak of, we had been teased by a visit from Mrs. +Bonithorne, who, professing great sorrow for our loss, and her own loss +of one whom she called her oldest friend, soon fell to talking of +Andrew, and how his unlucky doings were all owing to our good aunt's +foolishness in entertaining so pestilent a heretic as James Westrop +under her roof. + +'I warned her of it,' quoth she; 'I said to her, "You will rue it yet, +Margaret; with such an one you should have no dealings, no, not so much +as to eat," and now see what has come of her perverseness!' and +such-like stuff she said, which moved Grace Standfast to say +disdainfully, when our visitor was gone, 'Yon woman surely owes us a +little grudge, that 'twas our house and not hers which entertained so +rare a monster as a wandering Quaker; she asked me twenty questions +about him the day after, I remember it well; but we hardly had heart to +laugh, though we were sure enough she had given no such warnings as she +spake of. Althea only sighed and said, ''twas an evil day for her when +she first saw that man;' and as she told me, his two appearances to us +haunted her as she went to rest, and mingled themselves with her dreams. +She woke at last sharply and suddenly, thinking she heard the hail +rattling against the windows as it did when Mr. Truelocke preached his +last sermon in our church; but it was not hail that rattled, it was some +one throwing sand and pebbles up at her window to wake her, and then a +voice calling on her name. She sprang up, and, hurrying on some clothes, +she ran down-stairs; for, as she told me, she had no more doubt of its +being Andrew who called, than if it had been broad daylight, and she +could see him standing below the window; and, being too impatient to +unlock any door, she undid the hasp of the nearest casement and climbed +out; and at the same moment hearing a voice again calling softly, +'Althea,' she ran in the direction of the sound, and came upon a man +whom in the starlight she saw to be Andrew indeed; she spoke his name, +holding out both her hands, and he turning at once grasped them in both +his, and so they stood gazing at each other awhile. Then she said, half +sobbing,-- + +'You come strangely, Andrew--but you come to your own house, and I am +glad that it falls to me to welcome you to it; it lacks a master sadly;' +and she tried to draw him towards the door, telling him she would set +it open if he would tarry a few minutes while she herself climbed in to +do it. + +'Alas!' he said, resisting her efforts; 'what do you mean by calling +this my house? is our aunt indeed gone? I had hoped that part of the +message might be a delusion.' + +'What message? I sent none, for I knew not where to send, nor did any of +us,' she replied; 'but it is too true that Mrs. Golding is dead these +ten days; and all things are at a stand for lack of your presence. Come +in; do not keep me here in the darkness and the cold.' + +'I will not keep thee long,' he said sadly; 'fear it not, Althea. But I +may not come under this roof which thou sayest is mine. I saw the dim +light in your window,' he went on, like one talking in a dream, 'and I +could not bear to pass by and make no sign, as I ought to have done. For +I love thee too well, Althea Dacre, as thou knowest.' + +'How can it be too well,' she answered boldly, 'if you do not love me +better than I do you? and therefore come in to your own home, or I will +not believe there is any love in you at all.' + +'That's a foolish jest,' said he half angrily. 'I may not cross the +doorstone of this house to-day, Althea; I am forbidden; so hear me say +what I came to say. There is a heavy burden laid on me. For seven nights +together I saw in vision a dark terrible angel, having his wings +outspread and holding in his hand a half-drawn glittering sword; he was +hovering over this land of England; and it was shown me that he was a +messenger of wrath bidden to smite the land with a pestilence. Now there +be those far holier than I who have seen the like vision; but to me came +the word that I must go up to London, where this year the plague shall +be very sore, and as I go I must warn all men, that they may repent and +amend, before this judgment fall on them.' + +There was that in his voice and words that made Althea tremble like a +leaf; she did not disbelieve in his visions while she heard him; but she +strove against the impression, and cried out, when she could find her +voice, that this was indeed madness. + +'You have no right,' she said, 'to desert your natural and lawful +duties, and your poor kinswomen too, who are desolate; you will break +our hearts, you will ruin yourself, and all for a delusion.' + +'It is no delusion,' said he; 'your own words, Althea, have confirmed +to me the truth of my mission. For it was said to me, "This shall be a +sign to thee, that Margaret, the widow of thy father's brother, lies +sick even to death; and thou shalt see her face no more, nor come under +her roof." And is it not so? for her face is buried out of our +sight,'--his voice shook,--'so dost not see, Althea, I may not come in +as thou wouldst have me? Furthermore, I believe my earthly pilgrimage +shall come to its end in London; I cannot be sure; but, I think, I +return no more alive. That is why I hungered so for one last look at +thee, Althea; also I wished as a dying man to entreat thee not to +despise the Lord's poor people any more. Now I must go; farewell, dear +heart, for ever;' and with these words he assayed to go; but, as she +told me afterwards, she clutched at his coat, passionately protesting he +should never go; and when he unlocked her hands, and besought her not to +hinder him, she dropt on the ground at his feet, clasped him round the +knees, and called on me with all her might. + +'Help, Lucia! help, sister!' were the words that woke me, and sent me +flying with breathless speed to the place whence the call came. I +climbed through the window which I found open, and ran to the spot where +I could discern that a struggle was going on; but as I came up Andrew +had got himself loosed; and, saying low and thickly to me,-- + +'Look to your sister, take her in instantly,' he turned and fled as a +man might flee for his life, while Althea threw herself on the cold +ground, moaning and sobbing like a creature mortally hurt. I took her in +my arms and raised her up, asking her, all amazed, was that indeed +Andrew? but she did nothing but wring her hands and implore me to follow +him and fetch him back; and I had much trouble to persuade her that was +useless and hopeless for us at that hour of the night. At last she was +won to rise and return to the house; and we both found it a difficult +matter to get in where we had got out easily enough; which Mr. +Truelocke, I doubt not, would have moralized in his pleasant way into a +sort of holy parable. But I have not that gift, and I suppose 'twas the +hope in Althea's breast and the fear in mine which had raised our powers +for a moment and made a hard thing easy. + +[Illustration: 'Look to your sister, take her in instantly.'] + +When we had recovered a little, and had got safely to my room, Althea +recollected herself and told me every word that had passed; and we both +agreed that Andrew was running himself into new and strange dangers in +pursuance of what he held as a Divine call. I noted it as a new thing +in Althea, that she could no longer scoff at this belief of his in the +inward heavenly voice that must be obeyed; but this matter was very +terrible to us; and we talked of it till daylight, without coming to any +conclusion as to what we were best to do about it. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +HOW A STRANGE MESSENGER BROUGHT US NEWS OF ANDREW. + +And now we had a time of unceasing disquiet. It was soon noised abroad +that the heir to the Grange was missing, and his house and lands left +masterless; and there presently appeared first one and then another of +the Goldings, far-off kinsmen of Andrew; these persons came to the house +to examine it, and talked much with the Standfasts; also they tried to +find out what my sister and I knew of Andrew's doings; some of them went +to York to talk with Aunt Golding's lawyer; and it was not hard to see +that they would have been glad to get certain news of Andrew's death. +This made their coming hateful to us; but the house not being our own, +we could not shut them out. We did what we could to get news of Andrew; +but there was small comfort in the scanty intelligence we could glean, +since it all pointed to his having indeed gone up to London, and having +preached woe and judgment on his way thither. + +And had it not been that we sometimes got comfortable letters from Mr. +Truelocke, telling of his quiet untroubled life in the Dale country, I +had now been unhappy enough; for we were ever hearing tales of the evil +handling of all kinds of Dissenters; even young maidens and little +children being pelted, whipped, and chained for the crime of being of +Quaker parentage and belief, while hundreds of Nonconformists of that +sort and other sorts were thrown into prison and left there. I suppose +it was the mad doings of the Fifth Monarchy men, as folks called them, +which stirred up such a persecuting spirit; so at least said the people +of our village, who now began to come about us again, with some show of +former kindness; but they proved very Job's comforters to us, by reason +of the frightful stories they loved to retail. + +There was one good soul whom I loved well to see, who yet gave me many a +heart-quake; it was a Mrs. Ashford, wife to a small farmer near us; a +lad of hers had sailed with my Harry, and thus she would often come to +talk over the hopes and fears we had in common, and to exchange with me +whatever scraps of sea-news we could pick up. So one day, as we sat +talking,-- + +'It may be,' says she, 'we shall see things as terrible here in England, +as any that can befall our darlings at sea;' and I asking what she +meant, she told me she had learnt from certain poor seamen that the +Plague was assuredly on its way to us, having been creeping nearer and +nearer for a year and a half. + +'A Dutch ship from Argier in Africa,' says she, 'brought it first to +Amsterdam, where it grows more and more; and 'tis certain, in another +Dutch ship, a great one, all hands died of the Plague, the ship driving +ashore and being found full of dead corpses, to the great horror and +destruction of the people there; which makes our people tremble, because +of our nearness to Holland and our traffic with it.' + +'I heard something of this,' I said, 'last summer, but it seemed an idle +tale only, that died away of itself.' + +'It is no idle tale,' answered she; 'see you not, sweet lady, the +infection itself died away somewhat in the cold winter; but now that +spring comes on so fast, the sickness and people's fears of it revive +together. You will see.' + +Well, this news was frightful to me for Harry's sake. I began to tremble +lest perchance the _Good Hope_ should be visited like that Dutch ship; +but I did not breathe such a fear to Mrs. Ashford. And as the spring +drew on, and war with the Dutch was in every mouth, we had a new terror; +for now if our sailors came safe home, they could scarce escape being +impressed for the king's service; so we knew not what to wish for. + +The spring being more than ordinarily hot, doubled the apprehensions of +the Plague; and some time in April, as I think, news came down that it +had broken out indeed in London. 'Twas said it came in a bale of silk, +brought from some infected city, and the fear of it increased mightily; +and we, remembering Andrew's strange vision, were not less in terror +than our neighbours. + +About that time I was busy one morning in the front garden, when a +gentleman in black came in at the gate, and was making up to the hall +door, when, espying me, he stopped, beckoning with his hand, and seeming +to want speech with me. He was muffled in a cloak, and his hat pulled +over his brows, so I could not tell who he was; yet I went to meet him, +and when I was near enough,-- + +'I think, madam,' says he, in an odd husky voice, 'you have a kinsman +who took his way up to town some weeks ago? I bring news of him;' on +which I begged he would come in and tell it to my sister also; but he +said,-- + +'There is much sickness in town; I am newly come from it; it were more +prudent for me to speak with you here;' on which I ran and fetched +Althea out; and the man said, 'I do not pretend, madam, that my news is +good news. Your kinsman demeaned himself strangely on his coming up, +denouncing wrath and woe against the poor citizens, speaking much evil +of both Court and City; I am told his civillest name for one was Sodom, +and for the other Gomorrah.' + +Here Althea said scornfully, if all tales were true, those names were +fit enough; and the stranger replied, that might be, but civil speech +was best. + +'People took your kinsman's preachings very unkindly,' he continued; +'the more so when the Plague he prophesied of began to show itself; then +he was called a sorcerer; and to make a long story short, he was taken +up for a pestilent mad Quaker, and clapt into gaol. I looked on him +there; and in gaol he lies still, and may lie for me.' + +With that he plucked his cloak away from his face, and, lifting his hat, +made us a deep, mocking bow, and we saw it was Ralph Lacy; but such a +ghastly change I never saw on any man. His face was livid, his eyes, +deep sunk in his head, glared like coals of fire; and when he began to +laugh, his look was altogether devilish. + +'You did not know me, pretty one,' he said to Althea, 'did you? When I +had seen Golding laid in gaol, I swore none but I should bring you the +joyful news; and I can tell you he is worse lodged than even his great +prophet, Fox himself, at whose lodging in Lancaster Castle I looked this +year with great pleasure--very smoky, and wet, and foul it is.' + +'Wretch!' said Althea; 'do you exult over the sufferings of harmless, +peaceable men?' + +'Harmless and peaceable, quotha?' said he; 'it was one of these +peaceable creatures flung me into the dust like a worm; but the worm +turns, you know. I took much pains to requite that kindness, and now I +cry quits with Master Andrew.' + +'Your wickedness shall return on your own head! I pray God it may!' +cries Althea, trembling with indignation. + +'Past praying for, madam,' said the reckless wretch, 'for I have the +Plague upon me. I stayed too long up in town, out of love to your friend +and mine. I shall be a dead corpse to-morrow; and why should not you +have the sickness as well as I?' + +With that he came towards her, as if to embrace her, when we both +shrieked aloud, and turned to fly; and Matthew Standfast, coming +suddenly between us with a spade uplifted in his hand, bade the +miserable man keep his distance, and asked what he wanted. On which Lacy +said wildly,-- + +'A grave, man--I want nothing but a grave, and any ditch will furnish me +that,' with which he went away. + +Matthew, good man, was troubled when we told him Lacy's words. + +'If the wretched fellow have the sickness indeed,' he said, 'he might +die in a ditch for all his own people care;' and that same night he went +to Lacy Manor, inquiring after its master. + +It proved that, on leaving the Grange, the man went straight home, and +up-stairs to bed, saying he was weary, and must not be disturbed for an +hour or two; and there he now lay dead. None of the servants had +guessed what ailed him, and they were taken with such a fear they would +not stay to see him buried, but fled, and laid that charge on poor, good +Mr. Stokes, who discharged it with true Christian courage; after which +the Manor was shut up for many a day, till the next heir's covetousness +got the better of his fears. This matter caused great terror; but the +Plague spread no further in our parish, and so the people forgot it +somewhat after a time. + +But Althea could not forget Lacy's words about Andrew, nor could I +persuade her they were false tales spoken in pure despite; she brooded +over them, remembering all the tales we had heard of good men's +sufferings in poisonous infected dungeons; and at last she said to me,-- + +'I wish Lacy had but said in what prison he saw our Andrew; however, it +was in London, Lucy? sure he said London?' + +'Ay,' said I, 'that's what he said, if you can pin any faith on the +raving talk of a plague-stricken man.' + +'He spoke truth,' said she; 'I am too sure of it. Now there will not be +so many gaols in London town, Lucy, but I can find out where Andrew +lies; and if I cannot have him out, I can supply his wants at least.' + +'Althea, Althea, you do not dream of going up?' I cried; 'it were sinful +madness! By all accounts the sickness increases there from day to day; +the poor people die like flies.' + +'I care not,' says she; and I found her immoveably set on taking this +journey speedily. She was getting together all the money she could, and +her jewels too, intending to turn them into money if needful; and she +was packing some clothes in very small compass, so as to carry them +herself as she journeyed. + +'It is not likely,' she said, 'that I shall find companions on such a +journey. I must learn to be my own servant.' + +But I had soon resolved that one companion she should have, and that +should be myself; so, after a few more vain efforts to shake her +resolution, I acquainted her with mine; and with incredible trouble I +got her to agree to it, for I said at last that the roads were as free +to me as to her; if she so disliked my company as she said, she might +take the right side of the way and I would take the left. 'But where +thou goest,' said I, 'there will I go, Althea.' + +'Take heed,' she replied instantly, 'that it be not "Where thou diest I +will die, and there will I be buried."' + +'So let it be,' I said, 'if it is Heaven's will; but you go not up +alone;' upon which she yielded, saying she had not thought I had so much +sturdiness. + +I cannot deny I thought it a mad expedition, though I dreamed not of the +straits into which we have since been driven. But I had prayed again and +again for guidance, and always it grew clearer to me that I must cleave +to my sister. So I made haste to get ready for our wild journey; and +after Althea's example, I sewed certain moneys and jewels into the +clothes I wore, and put a competent sum in my purse. Then came the +telling the Standfasts of our intent. They opposed it at first with all +their might, and no wonder; then, their anxiety about Andrew making them +yield a little, Matthew took his stand on this, that we must have some +protector. + +'A man-servant you have at least, or you do not stir,' quoth he. + +'But you cannot be spared from this place,' we urged; 'and who else is +there faithful and bold enough for such a service?' + +'Leave me alone for that,' said he. + +And the evening before our departure he brought to us a strange +attendant indeed, but one who proved most trusty. It was a poor fellow +of the village, who had once been in service at Lacy Manor; but the +young Squire hated him, and got him turned away in disgrace, after which +no man would employ him, and he fell into great wretchedness. But Andrew +came across him, and not only relieved his distress, for he was almost +dead for hunger, but put him in a way of living on his own land. So, +partly for love of Andrew, and partly from true conviction, poor Will +Simpson, so he was called, turned to the Quaker way of thinking. I do +not know if he was acknowledged as a proved Friend, he had some odd +notions of his own. But he showed himself a peaceable, industrious +fellow, and he loved Andrew as a dog might love a kind master that had +saved it from drowning. Indeed there was something very dog-like about +honest Will. Without having any piercing wit, he had a strange sagacity +at the service of those he loved; and his dull heavy face sometimes +showed a great warmth of affection, making it seem almost noble. When +Matthew told him wherefore he was wanted, he was all on fire to go. He +left his hut, and work, and woodman's garb, Matthew having got him a +plain serving-man's suit, in which he looked still a little uncouth; and +thus he came eagerly to us and begged to be taken with us. Then with no +escort but this poor fellow, who, however, knew the road well, and was +strong and sturdy, we set forth on our way up to London, bidding adieu +to none in West Fazeby, as the Standfasts had advised. I believe it was +supposed in the village that we were gone to Mr. Truelocke. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + +HOW WE WENT UP TO LONDON, AND FOUND NO FRIENDS THERE. + +I hoped little from the first plan on which Althea relied for obtaining +Andrew's release. Her trust was in Mr. Dacre, since he was a great +courtier, and she thought his influence might avail to get one poor +Quaker set free. + +'I shall not get his help for nothing,' said she; 'that were an idle +hope. But I know his expenses to be very great, out of proportion to his +means; so if I bring a heavy purse in my hand to interpret between him +and me, I am sure of a kind and favourable hearing.' She was almost gay +while she dwelt on this plan, and it furnished the most of our talk on +the first day or two of our journey. + +It was very hot summer weather, a little sultry; yet travelling would +have been pleasant enough had our minds been easy, which they could not +be. It was hard to go fast enough for Althea, Will having to make her +understand it was small wisdom to hurry our horses beyond their +strength; then she went sighing out,-- + +'Oh for a horse with wings! or could one only ride on the speed of fire! +It will be a week, I dare swear, before we see St. Paul's,' and she +grudged herself time to eat and sleep. + +There was nothing very noticeable on the way, but the vast amazement +expressed by all who found that we were going up to London. And as we +got nearer our journey's end, we began to find that the inn-keepers +distrusted us not a little, suspecting us of escaping out of the town, +and making only a false pretence of journeying up to it. Will, however, +was so plainly a blunt, simple fellow, that his word was taken where +ours was doubted. + +Now and then we heard news of the war: first there was talk of a great +victory at sea over the Dutch, won the third day of June, at which the +Court and City were rejoicing mightily, half forgetting their home +perils; then came contrary news, how this victory was no victory, but +rather a disgrace to us, and that our ships were shamefully commanded, +which I believe was the truer tale; so my thoughts flew at once to my +Harry and his father. I had writ to Mr. Truelocke about our journey, but +there had been no time for an answer; and I fell to musing what those +two would think of our wild adventure, and wondering if Harry had been +seized for the king's service, like many others; but all was vain +conjecture, and I had to resign them and myself up to God's guidance; +the safest and most blessed way, as I was fast learning; for since Aunt +Golding's death I think a change had come over me; I had learned a true +hate of mine own sins, and had found One in whose sufficiency I could +trust to save me from them, and to guide me in all things. I will not +enlarge on this now, however. + +So with hopes and fears, despairing and trusting, the days of travel +wore away; and late in a sultry summer evening we came into London. We +put up for the night at a decent inn, kept by some people named Bell, +which our father had sometimes used when we were with him; the people +remembered him, and were civil to us. My poor sister could scarce sleep +all that night; and the landlady coming herself to wait on us at +breakfast, Althea took occasion to ask her, did she know Mr. John Dacre? +and finding she did, she got from her particular information about his +house, and the way to it, and the hours when he was to be found there; +all which the good woman imparted cheerfully, but could not help pitying +our rashness in coming up to town. + +'I live a dying life,' she said, 'for terror of the contagion; I would +never have run into it;' which words we passed over at that time, but +had to call them to mind after. + +According to her information, Mr. Dacre rarely stirred from home before +noon; so we set off betimes to find him. Will, walking behind us, looked +about in amaze at the half empty streets, the many closed shops, and +houses uninhabited, and at last, fetching a great sigh, he said,-- + +'Methinks, mistresses, this whole town looks like a gaol, and the folk +go about like condemned prisoners.' + +'Ay,' says Althea; 'but there are worse gaols within this gaol, Will. +Here, the sun shines and the wind blows on us; not so where your master +lies;' and she hastened her steps, which were swift before. + +Mr. Dacre's house proved to be a very stately and fair one, towards the +west end of the town; it stood in a broad, very quiet street; too quiet, +I thought. Althea bade Will knock boldly at the door; 'We will not be +too humble,' says she; and he knocked loudly enough, once, twice, +thrice; but no one came to open to us, and our knocking seemed to echo +and re-echo strangely through the house. + +'Sure,' says Althea, 'all the folks cannot be asleep; 'tis past ten +o'clock,' and she knocked once more. + +There was a gentleman come out of a neighbouring house, who had looked +curiously at us; he now drew near, and, standing a little way off, +called out, 'It is little use to knock at that door, ladies--the master +is dead a week since, and the house stands empty;' at which Althea +turned a deadly pale face to him, saying,-- + +'Do not mock us--sure, it cannot be so.' + +The man, looking compassionately at her, now came up to us and said, +'Nay, my words are too true, madam. Have you any interest in this Mr. +Dacre?' + +'I am his cousin,' said Althea, 'and I am come up from the North on +great occasion, to see my kinsman and claim his help.' + +'Alas!' said the gentleman; 'he is past rendering help to any. It was +mightily suspected,' said he whisperingly, 'that he died of the Plague; +but your great rich folks can smother these matters up. This is certain, +that he had secret and hasty burial, and all his family are fled and +gone, without so much as locking the door behind them, as it is said; +but I think none have been so bold as to try that; men love their lives +too well to venture within; nor would I advise you to do it.' + +'No, no,' said Althea a little wildly; 'I will not take the Plague and +die--not yet; I have work to do;' at which the man smiled pityingly, and +added,-- + +'You would not find Mr. Dacre here now, were he in life--he designed to +follow the Court, which is removed to Salisbury for safety; but he +lingered about some money matters, which have cost him very dear, as I +think;' and bowing to us he walked hastily away. + +Well, we knew not what to do now, and so returned to our inn, where we +sat the rest of the day in the room we had hired, talking over our few +acquaintance in town, but unable to hit on one who would have will and +power to help us much. Our good hostess served us again at supper, and +asked how we sped in our search for Mr. Dacre; so unthinkingly we told +her the whole tale; at which her colour changed and she left the room +without saying a word in answer. That night we slept heavily for very +trouble; so we were not aware of a great stir there was in the night; +for Mrs. Bell, the poor landlady, was taken very ill about midnight, the +maids were called up, and a physician sent for; they had some trouble to +find one; but when he came he told them plainly that her disorder, which +they and she too had feared was the Plague, was nothing but pure terror; +our careless words about Mr. Dacre's death having struck such a fear in +her as to throw her into a kind of fever. + +Will told us this news in the morning, and we were grieved at our +foolishness, and wondered at hers; but we had little time for lamenting, +as we were setting forth to visit a distant kinswoman of our father's, +who, being rich and well reputed, we thought might be able to help us. +But here we fared no better,--not that the lady was dead; but she had +gone out of town on the first alarm of the sickness, leaving her house +locked up and empty, as the neighbours told us. So we went back to our +inn yet more cast down; but there we stayed not long, for we were scarce +got to our room when the landlord came to us, very angry, and said, had +he known we had been visiting an infected house, we had never come into +his; and he bade us to pack up and be gone within the hour, that he +might have every place purified where we had come. Our horses, he said, +might stand in his stable; but we saying we would remove them, he spoke +more plainly, and said he should keep them as security for what we owed. +'I will take no money from you,' he said; 'you may have the Plague in +your purses for all I know;' and he left us, saying if we went not +quickly we should be put out by force. + +This brutal usage dismayed me; but Althea said, 'Poor wretch! he is half +crazed with fear; that makes mean men cruel; care not for him;' and when +we were ready, giving our packages to Will, she led the way out with a +determined aspect, having, as I soon found, embraced a strange--nay, a +desperate resolution. For Will asking her, 'Which way will ye turn now, +mistress? In _this_ street no inn will open to us, for sure;' she +replied,-- + +'We will not seek any inn; we will betake ourselves to our cousin's +empty house.' + +'You mean not Mr. Dacre's?' I cried. + +'But I do,' said she. 'We have a right to shelter there; and the door +is open.' + +I exclaimed against this as a tempting of Providence, persuading her +first to try some other house of entertainment; and at last she agreed. +Now, whether our great distraction of mind gave us a haggard and sickly +aspect, or whether 'twas merely the suspicion and hardness of heart bred +in all people by terror, I cannot tell; but no one would take us in, +some saying flatly they would receive no lodgers they did not know, and +know to be sound. The day wearing fast away in these vain applications, +Althea says to me,-- + +'You see we must try my plan at last. I bid you think scorn, my Lucy, of +yielding to such base fears as make folk turn us from their doors.' + +'It is not that I fear infection as they do,' said I; 'but I shrink from +dwelling in a house not our own, and lying open to any thief.' + +'Baby fears, Lucy,' she said, smiling. 'We will do our cousins a better +turn than they merit; we will keep their doors fast against thieves, and +their household stuff from moth and mould and rust. For the infection, +we run as little risk in that house as out of it.' So she bore me down +with her will, the more easily since we had no choice but either to +lodge in that house or in the open street. + +But Will said sturdily, 'Mistresses, you may do as you will; I will +neither eat nor sleep in that evil house. There is a scent of death and +sin breathing from it; I perceived it as we stood at the door.' + +'And will you desert us then, Will?' said Althea. 'Have you come so far, +to forsake us now?' + +'Who spoke of forsaking?' growled Will. 'I can find some balk, some +cobbler's stall, without the house, to sleep on, if you will lodge +within. The watch-dog lies not in the house, I trow? But if you must +lodge there, enter not openly, nor let it be known you are within; you +may be suspected for thieves or worse.' + +'Yours is no fool's advice,' said Althea shortly. + +So we lingered out the time till nightfall in buying some needful +things,--bread and meat and candles,--having to walk far before we found +shops open; then, as night thickened, we stole into the desolate house, +and groped our way to a room at the back, where we lit our candles and +looked about us. 'Twas a richly furnished withdrawing-room, with windows +open on a garden. + +'There will I sleep,' said Will. 'I had rather have the free sky over +me than this roof; so give me but a hunch of bread to sup on, and let me +go.' + +There was little use in crossing him, so we gave him some meat and +bread; but we prayed his help first to make all the doors fast, which he +willingly did; then he showed us how to secure the window after him, and +so slipt out into the night. + +Now we looked at one another, and felt desolate and dismayed for a +moment. Then I said, 'Let us commend our cause to God, sister; He will +hear us;' and we knelt down together and implored the Divine protection; +after which we felt at peace, and so took courage to sup on the food we +had brought. Then we made fast our door on the inside, and lay down to +sleep on the floor, with our mantles for coverlets and our bundles for +pillows. I never slept in such rude fashion, nor ever more sweetly and +soundly. + +Early in the morning there came a tapping at the window that wakened me; +so I rose and drew back the curtain, and saw that Will was moving about +in the garden. We let him in shortly, and gave him some food, which he +carried with him out of doors; then, coming back, he excused his +incivility of the night before. 'But I cannot eat nor sleep here,' said +he. 'In all other matters I am your servant.' + +He had lodged for the night in an empty dog-kennel, which he showed us, +close against a side-door that led out to the street. + +'There,' said he, 'I can do you better watchman's service than if I lay +within; and by that door you may come and go unespied of any gossips.' + +Althea smiled, and commended his thoughtfulness. Then she said,-- + +'You will come with us now, Will? We must examine this house;' so he +stepped in, shuddering, and looking round almost with horror. + +However rich the room, it was in great disorder; and when we went +up-stairs we found matters no better--beds half stript, chests and +cabinets left open, floors strewed with things pulled forth in haste and +left there. We pitched on one sleeping-room to the back, to use +ourselves; and, having satisfied ourselves that no evil-disposed person +lay hid in any room, we shut them all up (the keys being left in the +locks) except that sleeping-room, the parlour we had first entered, the +kitchen, and one great room looking to the front, agreeing to use no +other apartments; and to this rule we kept, except when, as I have told, +I went a-hunting for means to write this history. + +That work of examining the house was terrible to me, especially when we +looked into Mr. Dacre's own chamber. There we found a mighty rich bed, +with hangings of silk and silver, and all the toilet furniture in silver +also; with couches and cushions richly wrought, and certain splendid +garments, with a jewelled sword, left flung upon them, as if the owner +had just put them off; but all was disordered wildly, as if by the dying +struggles of a madman, and the gorgeousness seemed to add to the horror +of it. I trembled as I looked at the glimmering mirror and thought of +what it might have reflected; our cousin's image seemed to rise up in +all his pride and bravery as I last saw him, but with the ghastly face +of death; so I hurried out and flung the door to behind us, and Althea +turned the key in the lock. After which we avoided passing that way; for +the place was not less dreadful to her than to me; she acknowledged it +made her remember what we had heard of the great burying-pit in Aldgate, +and the dishonoured corpses that were flung into it, heaps upon heaps. + +'He may have gone to that grave from this splendid chamber--it's a +hideous mockery,' she said. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + + +HOW WE DWELT IN A HOUSE THAT WAS NOT OUR OWN. + +And now Althea began her search after Andrew, with none to help her but +poor me and honest Will. Our chief care being not to be seen going out +or coming in, she chose to steal forth of the back door early in the +mornings; sometimes I with her, sometimes Will, but one of us always +staying in the house to watch it, and to open at nightfall to the +others. Althea went to such shops as she could find open and bought +things, sometimes mere trifles, sometimes food and other necessaries, +but always spending much time over it, and both listening to the talk of +other folk, and drawing the shop-people into talk herself; when she +contrived to work round to the prisons, and the poor souls in them, and +how they fared in these bad times. Once or twice she took a boat and +went up the river, and then was wondrous affable to the watermen, +setting them talking also on the same matters; and thus she did with +every one whom she could draw to speak with her, not disdaining even +beggars, nor fearing the watchmen who guarded houses supposed to be +infected, and therefore shut up. I confess that these last were people I +would gladly have shunned, there being something so awful to me in the +locked doors (marked with a great red cross, and 'Lord, have mercy on +us' writ large upon them) by which the poor fellows sat. But Althea +seemed to have said a long good-bye to fear. And with questioning and +listening, and piecing things together by little and little, she assured +herself that Andrew must be in Newgate, if he lay in any London prison. +She had tried to find out by artful inquiries if any man had shown +himself in London, announcing a coming judgment, and warning people to +avoid it, as Andrew had proposed to do; on which people informed her of +several such persons, but their descriptions answered not to our poor +friend. + +One man had cried up and down the streets, 'Yet forty days, and London +shall be destroyed,' after the fashion of the prophet Jonah; and another +had run about by day and by night, naked to the waist, and crying, 'Oh! +the great and dreadful God!' and no other words; which struck a great +terror into all who saw and heard him; and yet a third, who was said to +be a Quaker, acted more strangely; but he was known by name to those who +told about him. Also in all these tales there was something frantic and +unreasonable, not like Andrew, nor like the way he had designed to act. + +I think I myself saw one of these strange creatures. It was my turn to +be housekeeper, Althea wanting Will's help to carry her purchases home +that day. Such a solitary day was very dismal and heart-sinking to me; +and had it not been for my plan of writing this history, I know not how +I could have borne it. When it grew dusk I ventured to look out at a +front window to see if my friends were coming; but what I saw was the +light of torches coming up the street, which was the sign of a funeral, +it being ordered that people should only bury at night; and presently +came by a coffin borne of four, and a great many people following; for +it was wonderful how people crowded to funerals at this time, as if +desperate of their lives. They stopt suddenly, to my terror, right in +front of my window; but it was because of another crowd meeting them, +and in its midst a tall man, moving very swiftly, and going straight +before him. He was stript to the waist; and I thought at first that the +hair of his head was all in a flame of fire, but it was a chafing-dish +of burning brimstone that he had set upon his head, and which glared +through the darkness. As he met the coffin he made a stand, and looked +upon it. + +[Illustration: 'I think I myself saw one of these strange creatures.'] + +'Yet one more,' he said, in a deep hoarse voice,--'one more has fallen +in his sins! but ye do not repent. Woe, woe, woe to this unfaithful +city!' and he went on again directly, but continued to cry 'Woe, woe!' +as long as I could hear him; the people running after and around him +could scarce keep up with his swift pace. Those who were bearing and +following the coffin had seemed struck with horror; but now they got +into order again; and I heard one near the window bidding them +sneeringly never to heed a mad Quaker, while another said aloud, 'I +marvel such an evil-boding fool is left at large, when far quieter folks +of his sort lie rotting in prison;' words which made me fain to hear +more; but the men all moved off, and I had scarce seen their torches go +twinkling away into darkness, when I heard the signal at the back door, +and hurried joyfully to let in my friends, who had been delayed by +meeting the funeral; but they had missed the other strange spectacle. + +As I remember, this was the second Saturday we spent in town; and here I +may say that almost every Lord's Day which found us in our dismal abode, +we two made our way to some church at a good distance, and there joined +in worship. + +I never saw churches more crowded, worshippers more devout, ministers +more fervent. We understood by what we heard that not a few clergymen +were dead of the Plague, and others fled for terror; because of which +certain of the silenced ministers were called on to fill those vacant +pulpits; and they did so while the Plague lasted, with great zeal and +boldness, no man saying them nay. But neither the courage of these men, +nor the fervency with which they preached and visited among the sick and +dying, could so far recommend them to Will that he would set foot in +what he called the steeple-houses; so on the Lord's Day we had to +dispense with his attendance, and this troubled me; but on the other +hand there was comfort in seeing how my poor sister rejoiced in the +ministerings of these faithful men. A great change showed itself in +her; she was full of a new tenderness to me, and was most mild and +patient with poor Will and his odd ways; and as for him, I believe he +would have died for her, or done anything that she desired, except +lodging in Mr. Dacre's house, or worshipping in a church. + +Now when Althea had assured herself she must look for Andrew in Newgate +and in no other prison, she set herself to get admission there. 'No lock +so hard,' she said to me, 'but will go with a golden key.' + +So she put money enough in her purse. She took Will with her, clad in a +suit fit for a plain country gentleman, for she wished it to be thought +he was one who had power to protect her; and, having found out the +keeper of Newgate, she bought from him at a great price leave to visit +his gloomy wicked kingdom, and to relieve poor creatures lying in it for +conscience sake. + +Now, had she relieved all who professed that they were such as she +sought, she might have spent the wealth of both Indies; for it was +shocking how many utter reprobates pressed up to her and to Will, +claiming that they were imprisoned for matters of religion; but their +brazen countenances, that bore the deep impress of their wickedness, +witnessed against them. With great trouble she found out at last a few +of the sort she wanted, and then began to ask for Andrew by name; but no +one seemed to know aught of him; the keeper too professed ignorance of +any such person. But her belief was strong that he lay within those +walls, and she went again and again on the same errand. + +Now I could never get her leave to go with her to Newgate. She said at +first that Will, being a man, was more useful to her than I could be; +but afterwards she owned that the prison was so vile and hideous a place +she could not endure I should see it. + +'There is no need,' she said, 'for more than one of us to behold such +monstrous evil. 'Tis a society of fiends, Lucy, a training-school for +all vice, and the keeper is worthy of it. I think it is not less than +acted blasphemy to throw good men into it; as well send them alive into +hell. The Lord look upon it, and require it.' + +'Are there any of the Friends shut up there?' I asked. + +'There have been hundreds, I am told,' she said; 'even now there are too +many, but they die daily of fever and misery;' and she stopped short, +presently saying, 'If I find him not, I will not repent of my search. I +have fed some starving saints already.' So she continued her visits and +her inquiries. + +But I began to find it an almost unbearable penance to stay within doors +alone in her absence; I prayed and struggled for composure, but could +not attain it, and at last I said I must go out sometimes to breathe the +air. She warned me of perils awaiting me if I walked abroad by myself, +but I got some poor coarse black clothes that I put on, and a hood to +hide my face; and I sometimes added to these a cloth tied about my neck, +such as I had seen on poor creatures who had sores. It was an artifice, +but I hope not a sinful one; for in this disguise, and contriving to +behave like a sick languishing person, I was more terrible to disorderly +people than they to me, and they kept at a good distance from me. Thus I +took many a walk about the streets; but my chief comfort was only to see +a variety of dismal objects. The street where we dwelt was quite +grass-grown and empty; I do not think there were above two inhabited +houses in it, nor would you see above half a dozen people go through it, +in all the length of the summer's day. Of the passengers that I met +elsewhere, I think two out of every three were poor sickly objects with +sores and plasters upon them; and sometimes it was my luck to meet +coffins of those dead of the sickness; for now there could be no strict +observing of the rule to bury them by night, the number of such funerals +increasing at a frightful rate. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + +HOW THERE CAME NEW GUESTS INTO THE HOUSE. + +The last day that I ventured out in this foolhardy manner I had a +terrible fright which even now it is distasteful to remember. I was +hurrying to get home, being warned by the darkening light that it was +drawing near Althea's time to return, and, chancing to look behind me as +I turned a corner, I was aware that not many paces from me was a man, +tall and sturdy, who seemed to be following me, his eyes being fixed on +me; and when I turned it seemed to give him a kind of start, for he +looked away, and made as if he would cross to the other side. This +alarmed me, and I quickened my pace from a walk almost into a run, +resolving meanwhile not to look round again; yet I could not resist the +fancy that I heard steps coming after me; and glancing over my shoulder +I was aware of some one at no great distance off; on which I dared look +no more; and, being now very near home, I darted round to the back +entrance; and having got in and made the door fast, I sat down +trembling, to get my breath. + +I was still much disquieted, when I heard the joyful sound of Althea's +signal at the back door; I flew to open to her, my hands trembling so I +could hardly withdraw the bolts. But when I got the door open, it was +not Althea who stood without, but that very man whom I had tried to +escape; he stood with his back to the sky, which was red and glowing, +for it was just past sunset; and I saw him to be tall and powerful and +roughly clad, so sunburnt that he might have been a Moor; and a long +scar that ran from his eyebrow half across his cheek gave a strange +fierceness to his look. This was all I could see, his back being to the +light, such as it was. I gave a smothered shriek, and would have shut +the door on him; but he said,-- + +'Not so hasty, mistress--look at me again, and you will not turn me +away, I think.' + +But I still held the door in my hand, and said hastily, 'I can admit no +stranger--you should know this house is infected--what do you seek?' at +which the man's eyes, which I saw to be blue and bright, began to +twinkle, and he said,-- + +'You will think it odd, madam, but I am come seeking my true love--Lucia +Dacre is her name; do you know aught of her?' with which words he +smiled, and all his face changed in that smile into the face of my own +Harry. + +My heart sprang up in sudden rapture; I think, as the play says, it +'leaped to be gone into his bosom,' for there I found myself the next +moment, clasped tight in his arms, and holding him tight enough too, +while I laughed and sobbed, crying out, 'Are you indeed my Harry? am I +so blest beyond all other women? have you come back to me, alive from +the dead?' + +'You may say indeed, sweetheart, that I am alive from the dead,' he said +seriously; 'in a double sense I was dead and am alive again. But my tale +must wait for a better time. I am sent before, dear love, to tell you +your sister is coming, and not coming alone.' + +'Who is coming with her? any one beside Will? have you come to say she +hath found Andrew? has she indeed?' I cried. + +'Ay,' said Harry, 'he is found; but I fear we may lose him again. Have +you here a place, Lucy, here a dying man may lie softly and easily, the +little time he has left? If not, make one ready quickly--but no stairs +for him, remember. I would help you, dear heart,' he said tenderly, +'were it not that I must keep watch here for their coming.' + +I turned my lips to his hand, as I unclasped my arms from him; then I +flew to do as he had bidden. I dragged the coverings off our own bed and +hastily spread a couch in that room where we commonly sat; I set lights, +food, cordials in readiness on the table; then I ran back to the door, +half afraid my Harry would have vanished like a dream; but there he was, +watching yet; so I took my place beside him, and loaded him with +questions about the finding of Andrew. I learned he had a large share in +it. + +'A poor seaman who loved me,' he said, 'met me this morning when I +landed at Woolwich; and he testified such extravagant joy on seeing me +that I own I half thought him mad.' + +'Then what can you think of me?' I put in; at which Harry said,-- + +'Nay, Lucy, you were ice compared to this poor fellow. He is one that +hath tasted Andrew's bounty, and that not long since; for his wife +sickened of the Plague, and our Andrew at his own cost provided a +physician for her, and many other comforts; and 'tis owing to that, the +man thinks, that she is now sound and well.' + +'Where was this?' I said, wondering. + +'Here, in London,' said Harry. 'Now close on this woman's recovery came +the seizing of Andrew, and 'tis but lately that the poor grateful sailor +discovered how his benefactor had been lying long in Newgate, where he +was thrown by one Ralph Lacy's procurement.' + +'Ah!' I said, 'that wretch! but he has paid for it, Harry. But why could +Althea never find Andrew before?' + +'I cannot tell by what devilish prompting it was,' he said, 'that Lacy +bore Andrew and every one else down, that his true name was not Golding, +but Dewsbury--William Dewsbury, as I think; and that he had shifted his +name to avoid prosecution, having been once imprisoned already; and +what our poor friend said to the contrary being slighted as a lie, his +true name has never been given him. So inquiry after him has been +crippled; and not by this means only.' + +'But if this sailor be so grateful, why did he not come to our poor +friend's help?' I said indignantly; but Harry said, sighing,-- + +'A destitute seaman! why, there be throngs of them and their wives +starving in the streets, and cursing the navy officers because they +cannot get their own hard wages. And this was why my poor fellow showed +such frantic joy on seeing me--'twas for love of Andrew; he hurried his +tidings on me, and bade me hasten to the gaol and relieve my friend; +himself going there with me, else I had not sped so well.' + +Now how Harry sped at the prison I learnt afterwards; for at this point +his tale was cut short; but I will put the story here, where it seems +fittest. + +By great good fortune Althea encountered with Harry and the seaman Ned +Giles at the very gate of the prison, and she soon bought leave to visit +the prisoner called William Dewsbury, who lay under lock and key in a +very filthy cell, and had latterly been denied even bread and water, +because his money being spent he could not satisfy his gaoler's demands. +They found him lying on a heap of mouldy straw; he was miserably wasted, +and to all seeming lifeless; yet they knew him at once for Andrew; and +Harry perceived there was life yet in him. Althea, however, seeing him +lie as if dead, rose into fiery indignation; she turned to the gaoler, +saying, in a terrible voice,-- + +'See there, murderer! that is your work--the blood of this man shall lie +on your soul for ever--it shall drown you in perdition!' at which he +cowered and shrank ('and well he might,' said Harry), stammering out +'twas an oversight, a pure accident; and she going on to threaten him +with law and vengeance, he asked hurriedly, would not the lady like to +remove the poor man, and give him honourable burial? at which Harry +whispered her, 'Take his offer quickly; say not a word more of revenge;' +and Althea, guessing his meaning, softened her tone a little, and +consented to the man's proposal. 'Get me only a coach,' said she, 'and I +will have this poor lifeless body to mine own home; and I will not +charge you with the murder.' + +So they fetched a coach; but the driver, seeing as he thought a dead man +brought out and laid in it, flung down the reins and refused to drive +them. + +'I am well used to drive sick folks,' he said (indeed that was now the +chief use of hackney coaches), 'but a corpse I never drove and never +will.' + +Althea, however, stepped in herself, and bade Will get on the box and +take the reins; then whispering to Harry, she told him where to find me, +and begged he would prepare me for her coming. 'I shall soon master this +knave's scruples,' she said; 'he is but bringing them to market, and I +am ready to buy them;' and as I suppose, she paid a heavy price for the +use of that coach for an hour, saying her man should drive it to her +house and then return it empty to the coachman. + +For while Harry and I stood talking at the door, his tale was broken by +the rumbling of wheels; and the coach coming lumbering up, we perceived +Will to be the driver. + +'That is well,' said Harry; 'it will not be known where you dwell.' As +he spoke the coach stopped, and Althea put aside the close-drawn +curtains. She called Harry to her, and said softly,-- + +'Now help me to lift him, good friend--but be very gentle; he lives, he +speaks, but he is deadly weak;' and with infinite care she and Harry +lifted out a poor shrunken figure that seemed light as an infant in +their arms; and I leading the way they brought it in and laid it on the +couch I had got ready; there Althea, sitting down, drew Andrew's head on +to her bosom, supporting him with her arms, and murmuring tender words +in his ear. Harry stayed to speak a word to Will before he drove off, +and then returning he stood by me a moment and gazed with me at those +two; 'twas a sight to chain one's eyes fast, to see Althea's face, still +heavenly fair in spite of her anguish, bending over Andrew's, which was +livid in colour, all but fleshless, and the eyes deep sunk in their +sockets; yet he smiled, a smile full of a strange radiance; and he moved +his colourless lips, saying something which Althea bent her head very +low to hear; then looking up wildly and seeing Harry,-- + +'Have you brought a physician?' she cried; 'there is no time to +lose--he is dying for lack of help.' + +'That he shall not,' said Harry, who was now knelt beside Andrew, and +offering a cordial to his lips; 'here is no disease but hunger, dear +lady--I have learnt by sharp experience how to minister to that;' and in +two hasty words he bade me go and warm some broth, of which luckily I +had told him; so I went quickly. + +Now when I came back I saw there was more company in the room; for Will +had come in, and with him a man and woman; but I did not note them much, +for it seemed to me that Andrew was swooning, his eyes being closed. But +Harry took the broth from me and began to feed Andrew with it; and at +the warm scent of the food he revived a little. It charmed me to see the +tender skill which my Harry showed in his ministerings. As I stood +looking on, the woman came up to me, and with a sort of simple grace let +me know who she was; 'twas Mary, the wife of Ned Giles, the seaman, and +the man with her was Giles himself. + +'You will forgive us, madam,' she said, 'for thrusting our company on +you unbidden; it's for love of this your kinsman we come, Mr. Truelocke +having sent us word we could be useful about him.' + +'Kay,' I said, 'never ask forgiveness for such goodness; do you know +this house is reputed to be infected?' but she said, smiling,-- + +'Madam, I who was all but dead of the Plague not long since have little +fear of it left.' + +While she spoke I saw that Harry was urging something on Althea, who was +still sitting at Andrew's head; she answered at last, 'As you will. I +may not gainsay you;' and yielded up her place to that good woman, who +came eagerly to take it when Harry called her. + +'Now go and rest awhile till we call you--you have need,' Harry said to +us; but Althea, as if she heard him not, stood looking down on Andrew +and his nurse. + +'Does God forget His own?' she muttered; 'is this the reward of His +servants? chains, cruelty, starvation?' + +Andrew must have caught her words, for he half raised his head, and his +languid eye brightened. + +'Dear heart,' he said feebly, 'thou knowest little yet. Thou hast seen +my prison, thou didst not see the Heavenly Guest who made it a heaven +to me; thou hast seen me lacking bread, thou knowest nought of the +angels' food with which He fed me.' + +As he said this he sank down again, but Mary Giles caught him in her +arms; and Harry said imperiously to Althea and me,-- + +'Leave him to us; it is best he should not speak; get you to your own +rest, you need to renew your strength; so we went meekly enough, Althea +saying when we were in our sleeping-room,-- + +'Harry hath got the trick of command very perfect, that's certain; and I +may say, Lucy, I am weary at last of ruling over you and Will; it's not +amiss there is one here who has a mind to rule me instead.' + +Then we knelt down together and gave thanks for the great mercy of the +day; and we implored passionately that the life of Andrew should be +given back to us. Althea at the end of our prayer still remained +kneeling; then beginning to weep she sobbed out, 'I think, I hope, I can +say, "His will be done," but oh, 'tis hard, Lucy!' And she was so torn +and shaken with her passion that I thought she would take no rest that +night. But in five minutes after our heads touched the pillow we were +both sleeping soundly: and we woke not till there came a knocking at our +door, very early in the morning, and Will's voice praying us to descend +and take some food. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + + +HOW WE SAILED FOR FRANCE IN THE 'MARIE-ROYALE.' + +We found our friends where we had left them; the grey dawn glimmering in +at the window showed us Andrew lying in a quiet slumber; and he looked +nothing so death-like as the night before. But the others appeared +haggard and weary, as well they might; for none of them had slept a wink +the night through. Yet joy spoke from the poor wan faces of Mary Giles +and her husband. They had helped in the tending of Andrew with wonderful +skill and care, and now they were rejoicing in a good hope that he would +yet recover. + +There was a meal spread, of which they had already partaken; and we were +now bidden to sit and eat also, as quickly as we might. It was Harry who +gave us these orders, with a stern anxious look, which daunted me a +little. When we had eaten,-- + +'Now leave us with our friend, ladies,' he said, 'and gather all +together in readiness to depart; this house shall not hold us another +hour;' and Althea hesitating, and saying Andrew was hardly in case to +depart, 'That knave gaoler,' he said, 'who had hid Andrew from you so +long, had strong reasons for doing it; is there no fear, think you, that +he may suspect there was life in the dead man whom we removed? Would you +have our practice detected and the prisoner seized again?' + +It did not need more to set wings to Althea's feet; so we made haste and +gathered up all our belongings, and came down again with our bundles +packed and our travelling suits donned, long ere the hour was passed. + +Yet for all our haste, we found they had made better speed than we. +There stood a coach waiting, into which they had already lifted Andrew; +he was muffled in a long cloak that I had flung off the night before. +The two Gileses had him in their care, and Will was again acting as +driver (I believe 'twas the very coach of the previous night); he was +taking Harry's orders as to driving at a very soft pace to the nearest +stairs, 'where,' said Harry, 'we will meet you; these ladies will walk +with me.' + +We saw them drive off; then I made fast the outer door, and Harry took +the key from me, and flung it over the wall into the garden. + +'Let any find it who list,' said he. 'I thank God we are quit of the +hideous place. How you have endured to dwell there day and night passes +my comprehension.' + +'Why,' said I, 'is it not a glorious rich house?' + +'A house of sin and pride and death,' said he, 'I grant you.' + +'You are of Will's mind,' says Althea; 'he never would eat or sleep in +it.' + +'If that be Will's mind,' said he, 'I approve his wisdom. And now, hey +for Father Thames and his silver streams, and the sweet salt air of the +sea! Here, take my arm, fair lady,' he said to Althea as we went along; +'I have my doubts of your obedience--Lucy I can trust to come with me of +free will.' So she took his arm, and said, smiling faintly,-- + +'At least indulge me so far as to tell us whither we are bound?' + +'You heard me say,' he answered, stepping on briskly, 'to the nearest +stairs; I have a boat ready there, and we will slip down the river to a +ship I wot of that lies near Woolwich. I own,' he went on, 'it's a +mighty risk to run, with Andrew in such a feeble case; yet I see no +better way.' And in hasty words he told us how poor was our chance of +getting clear away from the plague-stricken city by land. + +'London is something of a mouse-trap now,' said he, 'or a lion's den, if +you like a statelier image; the way in is easy enough, but the way out +is more difficult than the steep and thorny path to heaven. Every town +and village we should come to would rise against us with hue and cry, +and drive us back to the city, to perish there; so cruel are men become +through fear of the contagion.' + +Althea's pale cheek grew paler as she listened; and she said, 'Alas, my +Lucy! into what a snare have I brought you! and all through pride and +self-will.' + +'Nay, sweet sister,' said I, 'do not miscall your compassion, and the +daring of your spirit, which led you here.' + +'There was pride and wilfulness in it too,' said she; 'and look what a +rebuke Heaven gives me! it is not I that rescue Andrew; it is Harry and +poor Giles.' + +'Tut, tut!' said Harry; 'do not abuse yourself overmuch. You had found +Andrew long since, but for the evil mind of Ralph Lacy, who had bought +yon keeper with a mighty bribe, and commanded that Andrew should be kept +out of sight, if ever you made inquiry after him.' + +This piece of intelligence struck us silent till we got to the stairs, +going down which we found a roomy boat awaiting us, in which were +already the rest of our little company, except Will; and he appearing +before we were well settled in our places, sprang in after us, and said +joyfully, as he took an oar,-- + +'That coachman had fain learnt from me who it was I had carried down to +the river; but I can be deaf upon occasion;' from which I gathered that +he had been commissioned to restore the coach to its owner. + +The sun came up as we began to glide down the stream, and a million +little sparkling waves flashed back his reflection as we rowed on; which +was the only cheerful part of the scene, I thought; for all our company +were grave and silent, and Andrew, though the calmest of us, looked so +like death that I could find no pleasure in his peaceful aspect. + +And the river itself, which I had formerly seen so gay with all kinds of +craft, watermen plying up and down constantly, and great sea-going ships +coming and going, and lesser vessels crowding the noble stream, now +seemed as desolate as the town that lay on its banks; only as we went on +we came to many ships lying at anchor, by two and two; sometimes two or +three lines of these ships lay in the breadth of the river, and as we +threaded our way between them, men, women, and children came and looked +over the sides at us. + +I was glad to break the silence that had settled on us, and I asked what +was the reason of these long rows of ships being thus moored idly near +the shores? on which the good Mary Giles, who had again the office of +supporting Andrew, speaking softly, told me how they were the refuge of +many hundreds of families, fled out of London, who hoped in this way to +escape the contagion. + +'I do not know,' she said however, 'that they do always escape as they +hope. Many a device did I practise myself to keep myself whole and +sound, and some mighty foolish ones; but it pleased the Lord to drive me +from all those refuges of lies, and to show me that He only can kill and +make alive. To my thinking, a fearless, believing heart is the best +charm against the Plague.' + +'Ay,' says Harry; 'that is the best charm doubtless. But we shall find +it not amiss to keep our dwellings cleaner and sweeter here in England; +with faith and courage and cleanliness, we might defy the foul fiend +Pestilence. You shall not find that it makes so great ravages, even +among the Dutch.' With that he bit his lip, as though a secret had +escaped him; however no one but myself noted him; and the others now +began to talk more freely; and Mrs. Giles from time to time bestirred +herself about nourishment for Andrew, which Harry had been careful to +provide; he said a man so nigh dead of hunger must have food often, but +in small quantities. So our party grew cheerfuller, ever as the stream +grew broader, and we began to breathe the salt breeze that blew inland. + +We ventured to question Harry about the ship that would receive us; and +he said she was a French merchant-ship, and the captain a great friend +of his, a good Protestant, who was willing to take on board any company +he should bring. + +'I hoped,' said I, 'it might have been the _Good Hope_.' + +'Alas for my poor _Good Hope_!' said he; 'she went to pieces in a mighty +storm, on the hard-hearted coasts of Africa; and such of my brave +fellows as were not drowned were seized for slaves by the barbarous +people of Algiers.' + +'And you, Harry, what was your lot?' I cried. + +'The lot of a slave for many a day,' said he briefly. 'It is thanks to +my good friend Captain Maret, who will soon receive us, that I have ever +seen my country again.' + +I would gladly have asked more, but I saw he was little inclined to +talk; and after he had said, 'The ship we are going to board is called +the _Marie-Royale_,' he fell again into a silence; but the rest of us +continued to keep up some sort of talk, till we got down by Woolwich; +and this seemed to help our courage a little,--I mean Althea's and mine, +especially when Andrew would say a few words, as he began to do, in a +way that showed reviving strength. + +Now I had never gone by sea anywhere, and all my sailing had been in +wherries on the Thames; so I was not free from some childish fear when +we came beside the _Marie-Royale_, and saw her black sides rising high +and steep above us; but joy sat on every other face in our little +company; and Harry's voice was gay once more as he shouted an answer to +Captain Maret, who came and hailed us from above. 'Twas a matter of some +difficulty to get Andrew safely hoisted on deck; yet they did it without +giving too rude a shock to his enfeebled frame. I confess, when it came +to my turn to mount, I shut my eyes for fear, and never opened them till +I found Harry's arm about me, and a firm footing under me; and I heard +his voice merrily mocking me for a poor little fool, who was ready to +swoon at fancied perils, and was reckless of real ones. So then I looked +abroad again, and seeing myself encircled with all our company, who +were smiling at my terrors, while the dark, kindly face of the captain +beamed a welcome on me,--I laughed first, and then wept; and then +clasping my hands began to thank and praise God for our good +deliverance, as if I were in an ecstasy; but now no one laughed at me, +but heads were uncovered, and eyes cast down in thankful prayer also, +all around me; the French sailors who had helped us to come aboard +showing themselves not less reverent than our handful of English, and +indeed appearing to be much moved. Then Andrew, who stood supported by +the arms of Ned and Mary Giles, looked smiling at me, and said, in his +feeble voice,-- + +'Thou shamest me much, my sister Lucy; I who was deepest in peril ought +to have been foremost in praise;' and Harry replied bluntly,-- + +'Till you know something of the dangers these ladies have run, you need +not be more grateful than they; but your further thanks must be rendered +in your cabin, where I long to have you lodged before we get under +weigh.' + +'That shall be soon,' said the captain. 'We have but stayed for your +coming; and see! the wind has shifted since we sighted you, and blows +fair for our departing.' + +He moved away as he spoke and began giving his orders; while Harry +marshalled us down to our cabins, saying gaily, 'Ay, the merry wind +blows from the land now; 'twas against us as we rowed, and I had my +fears; but all's well that ends well--the Lord be praised therefor!' + +'Tell us whither this kind wind is to blow us?' I asked, and he saying, +'So it is not enough for you to be with me where I go?' I answered +boldly, 'By no means;' on which, laughing, he said, 'I will talk with +you soon, sweetheart, on that point and many others; but now let us look +to Andrew.' So I and my curiosity had to wait awhile; for when Andrew +and his faithful nurses were settled below, Harry went on deck; and I +sat by Althea, something sick at heart for all my joy, while, with many +strange noises of rattling and creaking and trampling overhead, our ship +shook out her great wings and spread them for flight. But at last the +water slipping past our cabin windows showed we were standing out to +sea; and then came Harry and sat down beside us. Andrew had fallen +asleep, and Giles and his wife sat watching him a little way off; so +there was nothing to break in on Harry's story. + +'Now first of all, my Lucy,' said he, 'you must know whither we are +bound; 'tis to Calais, for there is Captain Maret due, and over-due, +having come to Woolwich only for my sake, and yours, as it hath proved. +Then at Calais I have intelligence that we shall find a ship bound for +Hull, by which we may go thither, and so home to our father in the +Dales.' + +'Do you know,' I said, 'I suspected your design to be for Holland?' + +'Well,' said he, 'I had such a thought for Andrew. There be friends in +that country, with whom he might be sheltered till England should be +safe for him once more. But it dislikes me to have dealings with any +country at war with mine own--mad and wicked though the war be on our +part.' + +'All England is gone mad and wicked, I think,' said Althea; 'for my +share I care not much if I never see it more.' + +'You will change that thought, I hope,' said he. 'But now, my Lucy, I +have a request and a petition to you. Captain Maret will bring us at +Calais to a clergyman of the English Church whom he knows there; will +you consent for the good man to join our hands? 'tis long since our +hearts were knit, I trow.' + +'What are you asking of her?' said Althea; 'should not such a marriage +be celebrated on English ground?' + +'So it shall,' said he; 'for we will be wedded on board the ship that +shall take us to Hull; and her planks, being those of an English vessel, +are reckoned English ground. Now, what says my dear heart?' and as I +blushed and stammered, 'I warrant you,' said he, 'Lucy is struck dumb at +my presumption in talking of wedlock, my good ship being gone to wreck, +and I myself newly loosed from slavery.' + +'Harry!' I cried, 'how dare you think so meanly of me? I who have been +delighting in the thought of pouring all my little wealth at your feet, +and bidding you freight a new ship with it; but perhaps you are too +proud--you will refuse it?' + +'Nay, I refuse neither it nor thee, my Lucy,' he said, 'the less because +I can counterpoise my darling's little purse with something weightier.' +And he told us briefly how in his captivity he had risen very high in +his Moorish master's favour, having had the good fortune to save the +man's life at the risk of his own. + +'There were two rascals set on my master to murder him, for certain +precious jewels that he wore,' said he; 'and I had the luck to lay them +both low, though I got this little remembrance first from the fiercest +of them,' touching as he spoke the scar upon his cheek. 'And with that +stroke,' he went on, 'I purchased my freedom, and something more; for +the Moor conferred on me freely those gems that the thieves had coveted; +they are worth a little fortune. After this my only care was to find a +ship to bring me home; of which I was almost in despair, when the good +Maret came to my rescue, which he effected with great skill and +boldness. Nor do I know how I could have got you clear of London, but +for his readiness to help me once again.' + +This was Harry's history, which he made very dry and short; for he hates +to dwell on his own doings or sufferings. I have got from him since many +particulars of the story, and I think it were more worthy of pen and +ink than this poor tale of our homely joys and sorrows, but he thinks +not so; and it is at his bidding I have written all this last part, +telling how he brought us safely out of London. + + + + +CONCLUSION. + + +HOW LUCIA DWELLS IN ENGLAND, AND ALTHEA OTHERWHERE. + +There is little more to write now. I did not care to cross Harry's wish +in the matter of our wedding, to which both the good Mary Giles and +Althea herself urged me to consent; only I had always hoped that my +father Truelocke himself should join our hands; and when I whispered +this to Harry, he said, 'If you cannot be content without it, +sweetheart, my father shall marry us over again when we get to +Dent-dale. But I will not go back to England till I can call you wife.' + +So my last defence fell; and wedded we were on board the _Diamond_, a +good English ship that we found lying at Calais, according to Harry's +intelligence. I did not forget that promise of his, and in due time I +held him to it; but before I wind up mine own story I will relate that +of my sister; for our lives, that have run so long in one channel, are +divided now, since Althea sailed not with us to England; and I will show +the reason presently. + +That imagination which Harry had once entertained of Andrew's passing +into Holland and being safe there as an exile proved to be no impossible +device, in spite of the war between the English and the Dutch. For while +we still lay at Calais in the _Marie-Royale_ (I must ever admire her +captain's courage in taking us poor fugitives on board, even though +Harry was warrant for our soundness), there came letters from certain +Friends called Derricks, of the Dutch nation. They had heard of Andrew's +strange escape from prison, I wot not by what means; for the Friends +have their own ways of learning news of one another. These good people +willed him to go make his home under their roof in Amsterdam; and he was +very fain to seek that shelter, being exceedingly weary in spirit, as +one half spent with toil and grief; only two things held him back. The +one was his love for our dear and cruel country England, which made him +shrink from dwelling in a land at enmity with her; and the other was my +sister. Now the first scruple Harry overcame thus. + +'You needs must dwell in some foreign land,' he said, 'for England is +altogether unsafe for you. Should you choose France, as Captain Maret +would have you, you choose a land chiefly Papist, and now full of +oppression; and my life on it, there will be war between France and +England this very winter,' a saying which proved too true. 'So the +balance must dip in favour of Holland, a Protestant country, where you +shall live under just laws and among faithful friends who believe as you +do. Is not this worth weighing, brother?' and Andrew said, 'It is,' but +yet he hesitated; and I needed not the sight of his questioning look at +Althea, nor of her dropt eyelids and whitening cheek, to guess the +reason of his hesitation. + +The next morning after we had this talk, Harry, Althea, and I were sat +idly on deck, basking in the sunshine, and drinking the sweet air, while +we watched the sailors at work; when we saw Andrew come feebly towards +us, at which we sprang up surprised, for he had not heretofore risen so +early, because of his great weakness. Althea would have had him rest on +the cushions from which we had risen, but saying, 'I would rather stand +awhile,' he leaned on Harry's shoulder for support; and indeed he looked +deathly when his white and wasted face was seen beside Harry's +countenance, all bronzed with sun and wind, and glowing with health and +life. + +'Althea Dacre,' he said, looking steadily at her, 'I have sought all +night long for a light on the path I must now take; and a word is ever +in my ears, "Speak to the maiden thou lovest, her word shall lead thee!" +Thou knowest I were loth to part from thee, who hast sought me and spent +thyself for me--and more loth to think that we are parted in spirit. Yet +if thy heart be not as my heart towards God, we must be parted now and +ever. I implore thee, speak the perfect truth to me, and do not colour +or change it.' + +'And I will speak truth,' she said proudly, 'as if I stood before an +angel of God; and it shall not grieve you. Andrew Golding, thy people +shall be my people, and thy God my God. The Church that I dreamed of, +the Church I would have died for, was not a Church stained with innocent +blood. I will cast in my lot, now and for ever, with the only Christian +people that have never persecuted another--the only one, I verily +believe, that follow whithersoever the Master leads.' + +At this Andrew's pallid face glowed as if a clear flame shone through +it; he stretched out his hands to Althea, and she gave him both hers, +continuing to say,-- + +'And what is my native land to me? it is filled with violence and +madness; I fear 'tis accursed of God; I am willing to find my fatherland +wherever you find a home.' + +She turned with a defying look towards us; at which Harry began to +laugh, and said, 'How about the rose I had one night from Mistress +Althea Dacre? it is a rose yet--dry and faded truly; but it has not +turned into a nettle.' + +'Be generous,' she said, blushing; 'do not remind me of that; I spoke of +it in the days of my folly. I have been taught the plague of my own +heart since, by many a sharp lesson.' + +'Well,' said Harry, 'I may truly say the same of myself. It hath pleased +God,' he said reverently, 'to bring me to Himself through suffering. I +trusted overmuch to my own heart; and not till I was stript of all, a +beggar and a slave, did I learn mine own vileness and weakness, and +Christ's all-sufficiency. I thank Him for the teaching. And I think my +Lucy hath gone through the same school; is it not so, sweetheart?' and +I murmured an assent. + +'Not one of you,' said Andrew, 'has been so poor a pupil at that +learning as I; but I think my many stripes have surely beaten it into my +hard heart at last, and that I have mastered my task once and for ever.' + +'Then,' quoth Harry, 'we are all on one footing so far, and we may thank +Heaven for it. But I cannot fall in with you in your condemning of other +Churches, and the Church of England chiefly. She is not disowned of God, +not quite gone astray from Him; there is in her, I must think, a seed of +life and holiness.' + +'Your father went out from her notwithstanding,' says Althea; 'and in my +mind he did well, though I was fool enough to condemn him at the time.' + +'With your leave,' says Harry, 'I think he was driven out, because of +those nice and subtle points of doctrine, that our rulers cruelly +enforced, and he could not honestly assent to. But I have heard him say, +'tis his firm persuasion that out of this misgoverned English Church +there shall yet rise great good, and marvellous blessings, to the land +and the world. And in that hope I shall cleave to it with all its +faults; and so I trust will my wife;' to which I had nothing to say but +blushing. Andrew, however, was troubled. + +'I fear thou art in perilous error, kind and good Harry,' said he. 'But +let every one be fully persuaded in his own mind.' + +'That am I,' said Althea promptly, on which he smiled again; and the two +falling into talk about their own concerns, we charitably left them to +it; for now it was well understood among us that they would wed at the +earliest opportunity. + +It was a pretty sight to see the new humility they practised towards +each other. Andrew, being now fully acquainted with my sister's efforts +on his behalf, seemed to look on her as a protecting angel; but she, +regarding him as a saint and a martyr, knew not how to show enough +reverence to him. Also her high courage failed her sometimes, and she +would cling to the good Mary Giles like a timid child to its mother; +Mary on her part showing the same tenderness for her that her husband +displayed to Andrew. These good people, with Will, kept them company +when they departed for Amsterdam, which thing was a marvellous comfort +to Harry and me; and shortly we had news how the lovers were married, +after the Quaker fashion, and were in a happy way to be settled in that +city. They dwell there still. The good honest Standfasts have power from +Andrew to manage his lands for him, which they do faithfully; and the +moneys due to him therefrom being privily conveyed to him, maintain him +and his wife in comfort, nor them alone, but many poor and pious souls +who are their pensioners. + +And now, our companions being gone, it might have been thought that I +should feel a great lack of them, especially when the _Diamond_ loosed +from port and bore us away with her. But I could feel nothing save joy +and gratitude, more especially when I thought of the heavy and dreadful +summer that lay behind me; and I was possessed with a great longing to +see my father Truelocke once more. Harry had got word conveyed to him of +his safety, and of our approaching journey; and sure I am his thoughts +flew to meet our thoughts on the way, as we drew nearer and nearer. But +I want words to express the tenderness of our meeting together, when at +last my Harry and I beheld that venerable face again. There are some +joys that cannot be told. + +We have made our home with him in Dent-dale; for there Harry hath bought +a little farm, with a pretty odd farmhouse belonging thereto; and our +father lives with us, well content, and in great peace. For no +squabblings about ecclesiastical matters ever trouble the quiet of our +sweet mountain solitude. There is a little lonely church in the Dale, +where a good simple-hearted pastor ministers; and there can we worship +in a homely and hearty fashion; nor does the pastor take it ill that Mr. +Truelocke keeps aloof from the prayers, but respects his scruples, and +reveres his character. For proof thereof, I did not cease urging on +Harry his careless promise, that our union should have our father's +blessing on it; and the good pastor falling in with my whim, prevailed +on Mr. Truelocke to remarry us very privately in the little church I +spoke of, he himself assisting. 'Twas a foolish fancy, I wot, but I was +not easy till I had it gratified. And it is now my constant hope that +Harry will never put to sea again, but will be content to plough the +kindly earth and gather in her fruits, instead of furrowing the barren +cruel waves; sure he has had enough of strange adventures. Yet I fear +him sometimes, when little work is stirring; then he is so restless that +even in his dreams he will talk of seafaring; I think, however, he will +wander no more, so long as our father lives. + +We get letters from Althea and her husband, at rare intervals indeed; +but then they are long and ample. And it is a marvel how stiffly Althea +now stands for all the points of the Quaker doctrine, which formerly she +so abhorred and contemned. + +Not many days since there reached me a long letter from her, in which +she told me indeed a great deal of news, and also expressed a wonderful +sisterly affection; but the burden of it was her disquietude because of +my religious errors. She was very earnest with me upon the sin and +danger of conforming to the world, in dress, and speech, and deportment. + +There were things in this letter which really troubled me, so I carried +it to Mr. Truelocke; and when he had read it, I asked his opinion, +whether Christian folk were bound to observe such strictness as Althea +now advocates and practises? at which, softly smiling, he said,-- + +'"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To +visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself +unspotted from the world." I think thou art not far from exemplifying +that pure religion in thine own life, daughter; so I trust does thy +sister; but I think her not more free from world-spots than thee, +because she perchance goes clad in grey, and thou in scarlet;' for I had +a new red cloak and hood upon me. 'This,' he said, touching the cloak +lightly, 'is no stain of scarlet sin, 'tis honest dye-stuff, Lucy.' + +'It might make me vain and proud to go gaily, might it not?' I said. + +'When it has that effect, child, renounce it as a snare,' he replied. 'I +think thou art not over gay as yet, for a young wife, with a true-love +husband to please.' + +'But besides these things,' I said, 'there are others more serious. See +how my sister cries out against all set forms of worship, even to the +singing of hymns; and how she accounts even the outward visible forms of +the two great sacraments as having something of the nature of an idol +that we sinfully adore. All should be spiritual and inward, according to +her, and to other Friends; and I do not myself understand how that can +be.' + +''Tis a great truth that they uphold,' said he musingly, 'yet I cannot +see that it includes all truth. For my own share, I still hold fast to +my opinions; they commend themselves to my reason as strongly as ever. I +should lie, did I deny them. And yet from my very heart I agree with +the Friends in prizing the spirit above the letter. And I hope, my +daughter,' he went on, while a smile trembled on his lips, 'that a day +will yet dawn when all Christian men shall agree so heartily as touching +the deep and vital truths of their faith, that they may be content to +differ as to the visible ceremonial garment that their faith may wear. +But that will not be in my day, Lucy, nor, I fear much, in thine. Let us +hope and pray for its coming; and let us rejoice meanwhile and give +thanks for our safety here from the strife of tongues, for the peace and +rest we are allowed to share in this corner of the earth; so far are we +happy above many.' + +And I am only too glad to obey his word, and to fare like a bird of the +air that is fed by God's daily bounty, without care for the morrow. Nor +will I trouble myself any more about this nice point of doctrine and +that, laying on myself a burden that God never gave me. Has He not given +me His own peace; and with it more of earthly bliss than ever my heart +dared hope for? And were I even less happy in my lot, I ought all my +life to praise Him for His hand over us for good, while we dwelt in that +City of the Plague. I have heard with infinite satisfaction, how, since +this cold winter weather came on, the sickness is mightily abated, and +men hope it is passing away. But it hath swept off, say they, not less +than a hundred thousand souls in one fatal year; and what were we, that +we should escape? It is all of the Lord's goodness, and His pity to our +rashness. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Andrew Golding, by Annie E. Keeling + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ANDREW GOLDING *** + +***** This file should be named 10628.txt or 10628.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/6/2/10628/ + +Produced by Dave Morgan and PG Distributed Proofreaders + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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