"Lord, Harry, thou dost not want prayers," he would say, "but rather

being fallen as thou art, in an evil sink of human happenings,

somewhat about them, and none hath so mastered the furthest roots of

men's hearts as Will Shakespeare. 'Tis him and a pipe thou needst,

lad." So saying, down he would sit himself betwixt me and the fiery

western window, and I got to believe more in his Christianity, than

ever I had done when I had heard him hold forth from the pulpit.

'Twas from him I knew the sad penalty which they fixed upon for me,

for the 29th of May, that being Royal Oak Day, when they celebrated

the Restoration in England, and more or less in the colonies, and on

which a great junketing had been arranged, with races, and

wrestling, and various sports.

Parson Downs came to me the afternoon of the 28th, and sat gazing at

me with a melancholy air, nor offered to read Will Shakespeare,

though he filled my pipe and pressed hard upon me a cup of Burgundy.

"'Twill give thee heart, Harry," he said, "and surely now thy wounds

be so far healed, 'twill not inflame them, and in any case, why

should good spirit inflame wounds? Faith, and I believe not in so

much bleeding and so little stimulating. I'll be damned, Harry, if I

see what is left to inflame in thee, not a hint of colour in thy

long face. Stands it not to reason, that if no blood be left in thee

for the wounds to work upon, they must even take thy vitals? But I

am no physician. However, smoke hard as thou canst, poor Harry, if

thou wilt not drink, for I have something to tell thee, and there is

that about our good tobacco of Virginia--now we have rescued it,

betwixt you and me, from royal freebooters--which is soothing to

the nerves and tending to allay evil anticipations."

Then, as I lay puffing away something feebly at my pipe, still with

enjoyment, he unfolded his evil news to me. It seemed that my

brother had commissioned him so to do.

"'Tis a shame, Harry," he said, "and I will assure thee that all

that could be done hath been, and if now there were less on guard,

and a place where thou couldst hide with safety, the fleetest horse

in the Colony is outside, if thou wert strong enough to sit him. And

so thou escaped, I would care not if never I saw him again, though I

paid a pretty penny for him and love him better than ever I loved

any woman, since he springs to order and stands without hitching,

and with never a word of nagging in my ears to make me pay penance

for the service. What a man with a good horse, and good wine, and

good tobacco, wanteth a wife for, passeth my understanding, but I

know thou art young, and the maid is a fair one. Faith, and she was

in such sore affliction this morning because of thee, Harry, as

might well console any man. Had she been Bacon's widow, she had not

wedded again, but gone widow to her death. Thou shouldst have seen

her, lad, when I ventured to strive to comfort her with the

reflection that her suffering in thy behalf was not so grievous as

was Bacon's wife's for his death, for thou art to have thy life, my

poor Harry, and no great hurt, though it may be somewhat wearisome

if the sun be hot. But Mistress Mary Cavendish flew out at me in

such wise, though she hath known all along to what fate thou wert

probably destined, and said such harsh things of poor Madam Bacon,

that I was minded to retreat. Keep Mary Cavendish's love, when she

be wedded to thee, Harry, for there is little compromise with her

for faults, unless she loveth, and she hath found out that Cicely

Hyde betrayed the plans of the plant-cutters, and for her and Madam

Bacon her sweet tongue was like a fiery lash, and Catherine was as

bad, though silent. Catherine, unless I be greatly mistaken, will

wed thy brother John, but unless I be more greatly mistaken, she

loveth thee, and now, my poor Harry, wouldst know what they will do

to thee to-morrow?"




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