Peveril of the Peak

land, go

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Martindale Castle; more especially when she learned that Major Bridgenorth, concerning whose motions she made pri

the Countess was removed, by the arrival of Whitaker, with her husband's comme

he could not disguise from herself that Bridgenorth, thus irritated, might be a troublesome, if not a dangerous enemy. His rights as a creditor, he had hitherto used with gentleness; but if he should employ rigour, Lady Peveril, whose attention to domestic economy had made her much better acquainted with her husband's affairs than he was himself, foresaw considerable inconvenience from the measures which the law put in his power. She comforted

l who acted occasionally as her assistant in attending upon them. But not as usual did she return. It was near the hour of breakfast, when Ellesmere, with an unwonted degree of

resently," said Lady Pe

Julian, and that Mistress Deborah had been pleased to say, she would walk on with Miss Bridgenorth as far as Moultrassi

ady, something angrily, "that she does not o

riously; "or she may be turning too sly; and I t

are strangely oracular this morning. If you know anything t

, or child, in the way of a fellow-servant; only I wish your la

r pleased were I contented to see through your spectacles. I charge you - and you know I will

ite-seam without barnacles. And then as to suspecting, I suspect nothing; for as your ladyship hath taken Mistress Deborah Debbitch from under my hand, to be sure it is neither bread nor butter of mine. Only" (here she began to speak with her lips shut, so as scarce to permi

? You were wont to have some sense - le

t place; and it has so happened that she has often met the Major, as they call him, there in his walks; for he can walk about now like other folks; and I warrant you she hath not been the worse of

s Deborah had found her advantage in gratifying his parental affection by a frequent sight of his daughter during the few days which intervened betwixt his first seeing little Alice at the Castle, and the events which had followed. But she was somewhat surprised, when, an hour after the usual bre

dgenorth was so very quiet and orderly in all his proceedings - so little liable to act hastily or b

astily open, and found that it

e Honourable and Hon

es

ceived that true light, which is a lamp to the paths, but are contented to stumble in darkness, and among the graves of dead men. It has been my prayer in the watches of the night, that your ladyship should cease from the doctrine which causeth to err; but I grieve to say, that our candlestick being about to be removed, the land will most likely be involved in deeper darkness than ever; and the return of the King, to which I and many looked forward as a manifestation of divine favour, seems to prove little else than a permitted triumph of the Prince of the Air, who setteth about to restore his Vanity-fair of bishops, deans, and such like, extruding the peaceful ministers of the word, whose labours have proved faithful to many hungry souls. So, hearing from a sure hand, that commission has gone forth to restore these dumb dogs, the followers of Laud and of Williams, who were cast forth by the late Parliament, and that an Act of Conformity, or rather of deformity, of worship, was to be expected, it is my purpose to flee from the wrath to come, and to seek some corner where I may dwell in peace, and enjoy liberty of conscience. For who would abide in the Sanctuary, after the carved work thereof is broken down, and when it hath been made a place for owls, and satyrs of the wilderness? - And herein I blame myself, madam, that I went in the singleness of my heart too readily into that carousing in the house of feasting, wherein my love of union, and

sie Hall, this tenth

n she could have supposed him possessed of, she looked up and beheld Ellesmere - with a countenance in which mortification, and an affected air of contempt, s

he country. Truly it's time, indeed; for, besides that the whole neighbourhood would laugh him to scorn, I should not

othing of marriage; but it would appear that Master Bridgenorth, being to leave this country, has enga

she is going to do worse; for she speaks here of coming to high preferment, and that scarce comes by honest servitude nowadays; then she writes me about sending her things, as if I were mistress of the wardrobe to her ladyship -

the wages for which she has served, and a broad-piece over and above;

ervants, madam, and would spoi

ut tell Mistress Deborah to kiss the little Alice for me, and to offer my

y, but dismissed her attendant, with

e increasing gloom of a sincere, yet stern feeling of devotion, rendered lonely and unhappy; and she had more than one anxious thought for the happiness of the little Alice, brought up, as she was likely to be, under such a father. Still the r

hat all which she had done and attempted, to establish peace and unanimity betwixt the conten

n the Countess, and would not have incurred the resentment and opposition of my husband. And but for the King's return, an event which was so anxiousl

d chance, which happen unto all men, since we should, in the one case, work out our own purposes to a certainty, by our own skill, and in the other, regulate our conduct according to the views of unerring prescience. But man is, while in this vale of tears, l

went down to the Castle green, to conclude a match of bowls with Whitaker, which had

Dame Margaret. On his way, he learned from some of his attendants, the mode in which his lady had conducted the entertainment which she had given to the neighbourhood at his order;

g scoundrel Solsgrace, with all his beggarly, long-eared congregation, to hold a conventicle in my father's house - to let them domineer it as they listed - why, I would not have permitted them such liberty, when they held their head the hi

's breast, when he saw the fair features of his lady lightened with affectionate joy at his return

man, and didst only act from silly womanish fancy of keeping fair with these roguish Roundheads. But let me have no more of this. I had rather Martindale Castle were aga

the governante with his daughter, and placed Bridgenorth's letter in his hand. Sir Geoffrey shook his head at first, a

n maid-servant, or some other person's. Deborah is a good like

are as uncharitable as Ellesmere - I bel

either, if Bridgenorth should marry the wench? Her father is a substantial yeoman; his family has had the same farm since Bosworthfield - as good a pedigree as that of the great-grandson of a Chester

when they pulled down the rails of the communion table (for which some of their fingers are hot enough by this time), and when the brass ornaments were torn down from Peveril monuments; and that was breaking and removing with a vengeance. However, dame, the upshot is, that poor Bridgenorth is going to leave the neighbourhood. I am truly sorry for it, though I never saw him oftener than once a day, and never spoke to him above two words. But I see how it is - that little shake by the shoulder sticks in his stomach; and yet,

ril, "that you could come to a reconciliation with this w

ples, as good a neighbour as e

lady, "any possibility of bringing

little of such matters. I know the foot he halts

rey (no very acute judge of mankind or their peculiarities) could have devised, which might not be disclosed to her; and she felt some secret anxiety lest the means resorted to might be so ill chosen as to render the breach rather wider. But Sir Geoffrey would give no opening for farther inquiry. He had been long enough colonel of a regiment abroad, to value himself on the right of absolute command at hom

, and so forth; for he had been placed in authority as soon as the King's Restoration was put upon a settled basis. Upon opening the packet, which he did with no small feeling of i

ered with most vindictive accuracy, the triumphant entrance of Hugh Peters through the breach of his Castle; and for his sake, without nicely distinguishing betwixt sects or their teachers, he held all who mounted a pulpit without warrant from the Church of

nse of the mysterious paragraph in Major Bridgenorth's letter, concerning the removal of the candlestick, and the extinction of light and doctrine in the land. She pointed this out to Sir Geoffrey, and endeavoured to persuade him that a door was now opened to reconciliation with his neighbour, by executing the commission which he had received in an easy and moderate mann

so hastily executed, as to give it some appearance of persecution; though, more justly considered, it was the restoring of his predecessor to his legal rights. Solsgrace himself seemed to be desirous to make his sufferings as manifest as p

in full pontificals, in a sort of triumphal procession accompanied by Peveril of the

h of the Presbyterian minister; which was effected without farther damage than a broken head, inflicted b

gates - barred windows - and, as report said (though falsely), made provision of fire-arms to resist the officers. A scene of clamour and scandal accordingly took place, which being reported to Sir Geoffrey, he came in person, with some of his attendants carrying a

y of escorting his prisoners, for so they might be termed, safely through the tumult; and accordingly conveyed them in perso

tity of his ale was drunk up in healths to the King and Peveril of the Peak. And, finally, the boys, who bore the ex-parson no good-will for his tyrannical interference with their games at skittles, foot-ball, and so forth, and, moreover, remembered the unmerciful leng

ds which he had lost; but the Calvinistical divine replied, "From a thread to a shoe-latchet, I

n, with a band of armed men - had slain some, desperately wounded many more, and finally pursued the preacher to his vicarage which he burned to the ground. Some alleged the clergyman had perished in the flames; and the most mitigated report bore, that he had only been able to escape by disposing his gown, cap, and band, near a window, in such a manner as to deceive them