Penshurst Castle

th outstretched hands and humble heart; never wanting to

rge Ratcliffe, left Mary Gifford a

of voices singing a psalm

rom the reformed religion were keeping alive that spark which, fanned into a flame some fifty years later, was to sweep through the land and devastate churches, and destroy every outward sign in cru

look down on those outside the groove in which she walked; and with neither imagination nor any love of the beautiful, she felt a gruesome s

weary and had a pain in her head; she said she needed no supper,

while he ate it, pausing between every spoonful to ask his mother some question, she prepared the board for

nd the little bird, and wondered how many more the cruel hawk had eaten for his supper; and, finally, wished God would take care of the little birds, and let the hawk live on mice like the old white owl in the barn. The child's prattle was not heeded as much as sometimes, and Mary's answers were not so satis

rners t

gels at

Mark, Luk

e bed I

closed over the violet eyes, and Ambrose was asleep

r suffer him to stray wher

ed her that the meeting in the barn was over,

ourers and shepherds, with one or two of the better sort of work

ery long prayer followed before the benches were drawn closer to the board, and the large bowls of bread and

sed it round. One man who took a very prolonged pull at it, wiping his mout

ne of those emissaries of the Evil One is lurking abo

wears the priest's garb, and he is pl

turned now, and the Papists are getting

s house or yon barn as to a stake where the blessed martyrs were bound. You looked s

d, with a g

ing ways, but I may no less feel pain that they should be hunte

le favour on us, or less, than on the Papists. For my part, I see but small difference between the bowing

who are aiding and abetting the Queen in her marr

asked one of the more i

god, getting ready to take a share in the tourney which is to do h

ped an old dame. 'Dear heart!

presence on the Sabbath day to the wrestling games of the village louts, and the playing of bowls in the green at the back of the hostelry. But let us p

that they were not as other men, the company gathered in the kitchen of Fo

the supper, and reserved the broken fragments for

versation, and yawned audibly, saying she was ti

said. 'I do not feel inclined for bed

Lucy to-morrow. Jabez Coleman says we are sending her to the jaws of

ry said. 'I cannot bea

ver your head, and your child fed and clothed? Bear indeed!' and with a low, mocking laugh, Mistress Forreste

ture; her education had been imperfect, but she was open to receive all impressions, and, during her short married life, she had been brought into contact w

e country. But though the tide had set in with an ever-increasing flow, the flood had not as yet reached the women in Mary Forrester's position. Thus, when she married Ambrose Gifford, a new world was opened to her by such books as Surrey's Translation of the ?neid, and Painter's Tales from Boccac

ith the weight of his love for Stella, had soothed his spirit by this joint work with his sister as they walked together in the wide domain of Wilton, the home to

e of proud heights, garnished with stately trees; and humble valleys comforted with the refreshing of silver rivers; the meadows enamelled with all sorts of flowers; the fields garnished with roses, which made the earth blush as bash

opening the little book which had been the gift that day from the Countess of Pembroke, she tried, in the dim waning light, to read some verses from the thick page, which the lines pri

l black figure Lucy had s

t needed all her courage n

pleasure, si

removed, and she saw b

it not so? I crave your pa

ed,' she replied; 'but why do

I shall fulfil it. I am

answer. 'No power in Heaven and earth will mak

ry after that fray with the man you know of. They left me for dead,

re covered with dishonour, and you betrayed me. I would die s

holic Church, and I am absolved from my sins by penance and fasting. The unhappy woman for whom I sinned is now a professed nun in a convent. I shall never look on her f

nt faith, and I will hold him, by God's grace, safe from you

d you ask me, forsooth, to be merciful. I give you your choice-commit the boy to my care withi

e husband of the woman you ruined, and fled the country with her. The sole comfort left me is my boy, and I will

d face, from which all tenderness seemed to have vanished as she stood before the m

fferent woman from the quiet, dignified matron, who had stood in that very spot with Humphrey Ratcliffe a day or two

ryone believed her to be, a widow! Now disgraced, and with the death of the man, whom he had killed,

rayer for grace to resist temptation, and pardon even fo

onger filled with passionate anger and shrinking from the husband who had so cruelly deserted her, she stood

e between them f

me the sound of a child's voice-a low murmur at first,

er! Ambrose w

g into the kitchen, closed and barred the door; and, hastening to he

eetheart! Mo

eepy, dreamy voice, as he turned towards

! I thought I

the ears of the unhappy father, and sent

nt in his life when he felt so

lings got the mastery, and Ambrose Gifford stood there, under the starlit sky, almost resolved to relinquish his purpose, and leave the boy to his mother. But that better feeling soon passed, and the specious reasoning, that he was doing the

her, for the boy's salvation. Y

out any summons for Lucy to j

aring that, after all, she might m

day that the ladies in attendance were far smarter than she was; an

t together in the reign of our Queen's grandmother. And who ever s

hes was almost too much for her patience; but it was exasperating, one morning, to be summoned from the dairy

st hope that it was some lady from Penshurst, se

ired in a smart riding-robe of crimson with gold buttons and a hood of the same material to p

hope to find you here. Methought you had set

s pleasure,' Lucy said, with heightened

for all the quarters near Whitehall will be full to overflowing. Prithee, let

e tucked up, and that there was neither ruff at her throat nor ruffles at her sleeves, that her somewhat disordered locks were cov

Tunbridge, and then on to London on the next day but one. Aunt Ratcliffe and my father have business to go through about me and my jointure

nwelcome, she must have been disappointed. Lucy was herself again, and forgot her shabby gown and work-a-day a

George. If he is somewhat of a boor in manners, I can cure him, and, come what may, I dare to

d trusty,' was the answer, 'and bot

ll have to give in, and it won't be your humble servant! As I say I am sorry you have lost your chance of this jaunt. It's a pity, and if I could put in a good word for you I would. I am on my way now to Penshurst Place to pay my dutiful respects to my Lady Mary Sidney. My good aunt was not r

ucy said. 'You are quite wrong, I am only waiting for my

so I hear, is vastly choice about dress, and she has proclaimed that if the ruffs either of squires or ladies are above a certain height they sha

itor, seated on a pillion with the

alone; did she not know that he would never suffer himself to be entrapped into a marriage with his cousin, even though she had bags of gold, and finally-and that was perhaps the

in the bakehouse kneading flour for the coarse, brown bread consumed by the househ

with laughing to think of it! And she came to pity me-pity me, forsooth! because I have to wait long for the summons to join my Lady Pembroke, and she s

fter a gentler and more patient spirit. It fills me w

rd you praying for help. Oh! Mary, I love you-I love you, and I would fain know why you are more unha

a soul must know of him.

t day, though he did not see him. He said he wou

any rejoinder, Ambrose was calli

d of staying here,

d, 'mother's work is over, and

next minute in h

red him w

amber for these two hours?' s

to the lattice, and only looked at her. It was not a horse like Mr Sidney's, and I should not care to ride on a pillion-I like to sit square, like Mr Sidney does. When will he come aga

d pride, when you are good and obedient, and we will

mbrose said, doubtfully, 'no

. Now we must set the board for dinner, and you sha