A March on London

nd they had closed the door behind it; "but were the walls of the house to fall in you might

he end it ascends, and is closed at the top by a massive panel in the hall of the house opposite. When I took this house a compatriot lived there, and it was with his consent that I made the passage, which might be usefu

t asked. "I trust that she is none

eupon she closed her eyes again, and is, methinks, asleep. When she wakes I shall give her the medicine that my daughter brought. I trust that she will erelong recover. Her attack was doubtless brought on by the news that we received yesterday of the murder

now that the stone slab is down and the d

draws up the air from here; the other goes up to a grating in the outer wall of the house in the yard behind. It looks as if made for giving venti

had learned was the Fleming's name, "as there

hey deem worth carrying; then, doubtless, they will quench their thirst in the cellar above, and lastly they will fire the house, thinking that although they cannot find us, they will burn us with it. They will wait some time outside to see if we appear at one of the windows, and no

is now past noon, and we have had but a loaf w

dily had a snow-white cloth of the finest damask on t

ow, should you pay us a visit, you will find us better prepared, for, as you see, we have a fireplace at the bottom of the flue opening into the kitchen chimney. This w

h for a dozen people, and a variety of sweets and conserves. The wine, too, was superb. They made a hearty meal. When they had finis

e stone. As they ascended the stairs they s

s clearly on fire, and smoke has made its

nd then they heard a heavy crash on

re is, be sure, a mob gathered to watch the flames, but in another half hour i

e was still sleeping soundly, and her husband said that he was convinced that the crisis was passed, and that she would now recover. The Fleming asked them many questions about themselves, and w

er this outburst it will be long before any of my people will be able to feel that they are safe in London. H

there, but I shall settle in Brussels or L

ut, do you, Albert, go one way, and I will go another. There is naught in our dress to distinguish us from ot

no great danger of their being recognized. After taking farewell of the girl, who had all this time been sitting silently by her mother's bedside, they passed through the iron door, preceded by the Fleming car

touched a spring, pushed the panel

have but to open th

ntrance behind them. There was but a single bolt to undraw; then they opened the door and stepped

ugh a light smoke, mingled with tongues of flame, rose from the ruin, the place had ceased to hav

eased prisoners from the jail and the denizens of the slums of the city had no such scruples, and the houses of the Flemings were everywhere sacked and plundered. The two friends met again at Aldg

earance of the rabble that methinks this attire would

dress or that of a countryman, but I see not how the one or the other is to be obtained. Assuredly nothing

. "Let us go back into Aldgate, and then down on to the wharf. There are

ood idea ind

, the men having gone either to join the rioters or to look on at what had been done. The s

ain of that craft

th the morning's tide, but my men would not have it so, and just at present they are the masters, not I. A murrain on such doings, say I. I was with them w

aided a short time since in saving a Flemish family from massacre by these fellows, and we need disguises. We want two countrymen's suits-it matters not

I will overhaul their lockers, and doubt not that I shall find something to serve your purpose. They will not mind if they find that there is money sufficient to buy them new ones.

worn by sailors. The captain went down into t

They are their best, for they thought that aught

off, and the lads dressed in those they took from the lockers, and in a

Albert put his hand into his pouch, "there is no need for money, lads; they will be mightily content with the clothes you have left. Well, ye

ng that it was a perilous enterprise upon which they were embarked, although still bent upon carrying it out; the other noisy and savage-the men from the jails, the scum of Canterbury and Rochester, and the mob of the city. Between these classes there was no symp

. If so, we had best make off to our lodgings,

see, there is De Vere, the Earl of Ken

thout armour or arms; if they had seen as much as we have seen the

at the shout proceeded from the men who had hitherto been silent, and that the nois

or conference. Follow me to Mile End Fields, and I will then hear what

t the Tyler's following, who had ever been in the front in the doings that had taken place, together with the released malefactors and the town rabble. A few m

"There are twelve hundred men there, and

that none should shoot at the rioters or do them any harm, fo

ered; "but come on, there is

ower. All was in confusion. The men-at-arms and archers remained immovable on the walls, while a crowd of well-nigh twenty thousand men poured into the Tower with shouts of "Death to the archbishop! Dea

said, opening a door; "the

ting pale and trembling, surrounded by a group of ladies, among whom was Dame Agatha. A few ge

ife and that of all within the Tower. They have no ill-will against you, as they showed when you passed through them at Blackheath. I implore you, order all to remain quiet whatever happens, and it wer

dies," the princess said. "I order-na

taking hold of Aline's hand; "and

ges, one of which was that b

iend; "I will follow in a moment. This

rtook his friends as they were mounting a staircase which led to a room in one of the turret

anxiety about you b

disguises here. I pray you put on the commonest garment that you have, you and Aline.

airs, at the top of which was a trap-doo

ill put them on while the ladies are changing, and we

out at the scene below. Every space between the buildings was crowded by the m

e must also be some true men, and never would they stand thus impassive ha

nterbury, Sir Robert Hales, the king's confessor, and four other gentlemen. Then with ex

to murder them!" Alber

that we were there with but a hundred men-at-arms. Assure

g to the other side of the platform as a man

azing with scowling brow and cl

ee, Albert. All are murder

th dressed in rough garments with hoods pulled over their faces, and might well have passed unnoticed as being the wife and daughter of some small trad

dgar said; "they wou

faces showed that they had already

ng about; they must be nobles in disguise. We must take them down to Tyler and hear what he has to say to them. But

he fell dead. An instant later he ran another through the body, shouting to the ladies: "Quick! to the platform

blow, and ran one of the men through the body, then engaged another, who made at him fiercely, while Dame Agatha and Aline sped up the steps. There were now but three foes left. While one engaged with Albert and pressed him hotly, the other two

, quickly. We must be out of t

ck, mother! There is not a moment to be lost. It is all

and threw the key through a loophole on the stair. They met with no one until they reached the lower part of the Tower, which the rioters were now leaving, satisfied with the vengeance that they had taken upon the archbishop and treasurer, whom they regarded as the authors of the obnoxious poll-tax. The party were unquestioned

ine in the royal cellars, and beyond a few rough jests nothing was said to the ladies, who were supposed to be some of the royal servants now being escorted to their country homes by their friends. As soon as possible Edgar and Albert edged their way out of th

peak to my lord as he enters with the king. He will be well-nigh distraught should he find tha

our later she cam

ill have to lie quiet for a time. Now tell me what

of the archbishop, the treasur

d at the sight that when one of those half-drunken wretches insulted Aline he c

, the odds were not so great, seeing that they were but rabble of the town, and already half-drunk. Besides the man that he smote down, Edgar killed four of them, while I had but two to encounter, which was a fair division c

gnity, and had I carried a dagger I believe that I should have stab

t a furious pace, followed by all who had ridden out with him save the king's half-brothers, the Earl of Kent and Sir John Holland, who, knowing their own unpopu

incess, my mother, has been grossly insulted by this foul rabble,

been carried across the river in a swoon; the bodi

rief and indignation the

er, Edgar?" the knight aske

me Agatha sent me here to acquaint you where they were to be fo

turning his horse's head to go there. "Where h

nd during the day have traversed the city in

he burning of the Temple, still less for the destruction of the great house of the Knights of St. John, and also the manor-house of the prior of the order. I hear to-day that great numbers of Flemings have been slain, their houses pillaged, and in some cases burnt. Now comes the crowning disgrace. That the Tower of London, garrisoned by 1,200 men, and which ought to have defi

his horse as he entered the gateway; and

d, indeed, have been talking so fast myself that he has had no chance of explaining how you and Aline

son and this brave youth. Had it not been for them we

the Tower? How got

Aline, who fainted after bearing up bravely until we got here. She has bu

happened, Albert

such an attire, we knew not what to do until Edgar suggested that we might, if we went down to the wharf, obtain disguises from one of the vessels lying there. We were fortunate, and exchanged our citizen clothes for those of two sailor-men. Then we came back and mingled in the crowd.

of the mob, and cost the lives of all within the Tower. So the princess gave orders for all to leave her save her maids, and to scatter to their own apartments, and remain quiet there. As soon as we reached my mother's room we besought her to put on that sombre dress, and prayed her similarly

at he would take us down before Wat the Tyler, who would know how to deal with us; but before doing so he and his crew would give the ladies some kisses, and thereupon he seized Aline roughly. I was in the act of drawing my sword, when Edgar dealt

ne came down from the platform, descended the stairs, and mingled with the mob; they were pouring out exulting in the mischief they had done, but plainly anxious as to the consequences to themselves. We

alm could have managed the matter more shrewdly and bravely. Well done, Albert; I am indeed proud of my son. As for you, Edgar, you have added a fresh obligation to t

weak. I could not lie still when I knew that you were in the house. I take great shame to myself, father. I thought

sight of that chamber, after the fight was over, must, in itself, have filled a maid of your age with horror. Why, the princess herself swooned on vastly less occasion. No,