Hayslope Grange / A Tale of the Civil War

er heard of his arrival than he invited him to stay as long as he pleased, or as long as his busine

wound the previous summer in the battle of Chalgrove, where his kinsman, the brave and pious John Hampden, was mortally wounded. It was by talking of John Hampden that Harry first

him and his family. Master Drury himself rarely talked of public matters with any one, and loved his books and the quiet of his study too well to take any active part in such affairs; and he said he could help the King's c

t of work was brought to her side by one of the maids, and Mary and Maud were each set to work, making or mending garments for the family. Fancy-work was never heard of in those days, and Mistress Mabel would not have allowed any to be brought forward in her presence, if it had been. Sometimes, as a rare treat, when the lessons were well learned, a book was fetched from the library, not a story-book-that would have been a waste of time, according to this lady's ru

t all intending it, a sort of suppression of what was really going on between the two young men took place when they were with the rest of the family. That Gilbert Clayton was as staunch a Cavalier as themselves

ust be espoused if civil and religious liberty were ever to be secured for England, he knew full well; but in d

ton that he began to talk of returning to London, to make preparations for joining Lord Kimbolton's army. Maud had

the day for Clayton's departure being fixed, she determined to seek some opportunity of speaking to Harry. She was a noble, unselfish girl, and though she knew his going would cost her the bitterest pang she had ever felt, and be followed probably by weeks and months of anxious suspense a

ament had seized the Archbishop of Canterbury, and his trial was now going on, the charges against him being that he had tried to subvert civil and religious li

s were as nothing compared to the guilt the Parli

ress Mabel burst into tears. The sight of their stern aunt crying seemed to

y wicked?"

er. "Never let me hear you ask such a question about one of the Lord's anointed, Bes

ttered Master Drury,

il generation, that worketh such wickedness?" she said at last; and then, as if answering the query, went on, "The land shall be desolate, and all the people perish." Bessie an

eat changes. Taxes were high, food was scarce, and many of the men had joined the King's army; but none of the Drurys had thought of these things

yslope; but when they returned in the evening Harry knew that something had happened, by th

Mary?" he asked, in

rmured; and at the same moment Mistress Mabel placed the Bible in front of the h

had done. But to-night it seemed that Master Drury could think of nothing but of the evil-doing of the Parliament in bringing the archbishop to trial; and he prayed that all their plans

his knees and said, in a hoarse voice, "Stop, my fath

l but Gilbert Clayton, who rose from his knees and laid h

her must not pray thus," he said,

he rest slowly ros

ill," said the gentleman

your head so disordered," said Mistress Mabel; and she despatched M

ear, calm voice. "I am quite well; the sun has not aff

ver him as he looked at Harry. "Sit down," he said, in a tone of command to the rest, who stood just as they had risen from their knees-"sit down and

her sympathy and support; but she was looking down upon the oaken floor, u

n yielding to his impulse; and he said, slowly, "

etically. "We have all been hindered in our devotions by your frow

ould have retreated, trusting to have their curiosity gratified afterwards by the tell-tale tongue

he went pale again as he said, "My father, do not force me to speak out now; let me

ad made up his mind. "My son, we are waiting,"

the patriots who are striving to rescue this country from the grasp of tyrants; they are not the evil-doers you think them. It is

Maud fell to the ground with a piercing shriek; and at the same ins

ANNOUN