The Yeoman Adventurer | Page 8

the house-place.
She even said, "Master Noll, don't 'e think as 'ow th' ale be gettin' flat
downstairs? It wunna be wuth drinkin' if y'ain't sharp."
The result was, that in about half an hour a thoroughly satisfied and
rather tired assembly filled the house-place, for the two scouts rode up
to the porch with the news that they, too, had found no trace of the
fugitive. With the sergeant's leave I sent the five dragoons into the
kitchen with the two maids to have a jug of ale apiece, while he stayed
with me in the house-place, to crack a bottle of wine.
I hoped, but in vain, that he would tell me news of the stranger's father,
but he was too wary for that, and I did not dare to ask him. He made
close inquiries as to the lie of the land hereabouts, and I pointed out
that there was a field-path leading plainly to the village from the other
side of the bridge and coming out at an obscure stile at the back of the
"Barley Mow." The spy might have taken that and become alarmed.
She could then avoid the village by another plain path, and so get ahead
of the troops on the Stafford road.
"But what for? Who's to help her there, Master Wheatman?"
"Ask me another, Captain," said I. "But a wise woman would know
where to find friends, and Stafford's full of papishes, burn 'em!"
"Ah!"
"There's Bulbrook and Pippin Pat and Ducky Bellows; there's old
sack-face, the parson there, as good as a papist, very near. You keep
your eyes on those big houses in the East Gate. As for me, look at that

back and breast and good broad-sword there. Damn me if I don't rub
'em up and come and have a ding with 'em at these rebels. On Naseby
Field they were, Captain, long before your time and mine, but they did
good work against these same bloody Stuarts. Crack t'other bottle,
there's a good fellow. I'm dry with talking and wet with fishing, and it'll
do me good."
I pressed him to stay and 'have a good set to,' but he refused, and after
drinking enough to keep me dizzy for a week, he nipped out and
ordered his men to horse. I walked to the gate with him. He thanked me
for my help and good cheer, and said it was quite clear that the spy was
nowhere in or near the Hanyards. I renewed my greetings to Cornet
Dobson and even sent my respects to his lordship. Off they rode, and it
was with a thankful heart that, remembering my happy condition in
time, I stumbled back up the yard to the house-place, where madam and
beaming Jane were awaiting me.
CHAPTER III
MISTRESS MARGARET WAYNFLETE
Jane had taken the lady back to the house-place and was hovering
around her, with little of the grace of a maid-of-honour to be sure, but
with a heartiness and zeal that more than atoned for any lack of style.
From mother's withdrawing-room I fetched our chief household god, a
small ancient silver goblet, and, filling it with wine, offered it to the
stranger with what I supposed, no doubt wrongly, to be a modish bow.
She drank a little, and then, at my urging, a little more.
"Madam," I said, "I think you do not need to be 'Molly Brown' any
longer. Yon dragooner is quite certain that you are not here, and we can
safely take advantage of his opinion. As for you, Jane, you've done
splendidly, and I heartily thank you." I re-filled the goblet and handed it
to Jane, saying, "Drink, Jane, to madam's good luck."
The honest girl blushed with joy at my words, and as for drinking wine
out of the famous silver goblet of the Hanyards--such a distinction, as
she conceived it, was reward enough for anything.

"Thanks are payment all too poor for what you have done, sir," said
madam, "and any words of mine would make them poorer still. But, sir,
I do thank you most heartily. And you, too, Jane, have done me
splendid service. You are as brave and clever as you are bonny and
pretty."
"Madam," said I, bowing low, "you are too kind to my services, which
have, indeed, been rather crudely performed."
"Not so," she replied, "but with shrewd, ready wit and certain judgment.
I cannot imagine myself in a tighter corner than at the bridge, and your
device had the effective simplicity of genius. Your plan here was, to be
sure, commonplace, but it, too, required caution and good acting, and
you and Jane supplied both. It was nicer than popping me into some
musty priest's hole, though I expect this ancient building has one."