CHAPTER FORTY ONE.
A BLESSED DAY.
"Dorothy! Dorothy Denny! Wherever can the woman have got to?"
Mr Ewring had already tapped several times with his stick on the brickfloor of the King's Head kitchen, and had not heard a sound in answer.The clock ticked to and fro, and the tabby cat purred softly as she satbefore the fire, and the wood now and then gave a little crackle as itburned gently away, and those were all the signs of life to be seen onthe premises.
Getting tired at last, Mr Ewring went out into the courtyard, andcalled in his loudest tones--"Do-ro-thy!"
He thought he heard a faint answer of "Coming!" which sounded high upand a long way off: so he went back to the kitchen, and took a seat onthe hearth opposite the cat. In a few minutes the sound of running downstairs was audible, and at last Dorothy appeared--her gown pinned upbehind, her sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and her entire aspect thatof a woman who had just come off hard and dirty work.
"Eh, Master Ewring! but I'm sorry to have kept you a-waiting. Look you,I was mopping out the--Dear heart, but what is come to you? Has theresurrection happened? for your face looks nigh too glad for aughtelse."
The gladness died suddenly away, as those words brought to Mr Ewringthe thought of something which could not happen--the memory of thebeloved face which for thirty years had been the light of his home, andwhich he should behold in this world never any more.
"Nay, Dorothy--nay, not that! Yet it will be, one day, thank God! Andwe have much this morrow to thank God for, whereof I came to tell thee."
"Why, what has come, trow?"
The glad light rose again to Mr Ewring's eyes.
"Gideon has come, and hath subdued the Midianites!" he answered, with aring of triumph in his voice. "King David is come, and the Philistineswill take flight, and Israel shall sit in peace under his vine andfig-tree. May God save Elizabeth our Queen!"
"Good lack, but you never mean _that_!" cried Dorothy in a voice asdelighted as his own. "Why then, Mistress 'll be back to her own, andthem poor little dears 'll be delivered from them black snakes, andthere 'll be Bible-reading and sermons again."
"Ay, every one of them, I trust. And a man may say what he will that isright, without looking first round to see if a spy be within hearing.We are free, Dorothy, once more."
"Eh, but it do feel like a dream! I shall have to pinch myself to makesure I'm awake. But, Master, do you think it is sure? She haven'tchanged, think you?"
Mr Ewring shook his head. "The Lady Elizabeth suffered with us," hesaid, "and she will not forsake us now. No, Dorothy, she has notchanged: she is not one to change. Let us not distrust either her orthe Lord. Ah, He knew what He would do! It was to be a sharp, shorthour of tribulation, through which His Church was to pass, to purify,and try, and make her white: and now the land shall have rest fortyyears, that she may sing to Him a new song on the sea of glass. Thosefive years have lit the candle of England's Church, and as our good oldBishop said in dying, by God's grace it shall never be put out."
"Well, sure, it's a blessed day!"
"Dorothy, can you compass to drive with me to Hedingham again? I thinklong till those poor children be rescued. And the nuns will be readyand glad to give them up; they'll not want to be found with Protestantchildren in their keeping--children, too, of a martyred man."
"Master Ewring, give me but time to get me tidied and my hood, and I'llgo with you this minute, if you will. I was mopping out the loft. WhenMistress do come back, she shall find her house as clean as she'd havehad it if she'd been here, and that's clean enough, I can tell you."
"Right, friend, `Faithful in a little, faithful also in much.' Dorothy,you'd have made a good martyr."
"Me, Master?"
Mr Ewring smiled. "Well, whether shall it be to-morrow, or leave overSunday?"
"If it liked you, Master, I would say to-morrow. Poor little dears!they'll be so pleased to come back to their friends. I can be ready forthem--I'll work early and late but I will. Did you think of taking thelittle lad yourself, or are they all to bide with me?"
"I'll take him the minute he's old enough, and no more needs a woman'shand about him. You know, Dorothy, there be no woman in mine house--now."
"Well, he'll scarce be that yet, I reckon. Howbeit, the first thing isto fetch 'em. Master, when think you Mistress shall be let go?"
"It is hard to say, Dorothy, for we've heard so little. But if she bein the Bishop of London's keeping, as she was, I cast no doubt she shallbe delivered early. Doubtless all the bishops that refuse to conformshall be deprived: and he will not conform, without he be a greaterrogue than I think."
There was something of the spirit of the earliest Christians when theyhad all things common, in the matter-of-course way in which it wasunderstood on both sides that each was ready to take charge, at anysacrifice of time, money, or ease, of children who had been leftfatherless by martyrdom.
Early the next morning, the miller's cart drew up before the door of theKing's Head, and Dorothy, hooded and cloaked, with a round basket on herarm, was quite ready to get in. The drive to Hedingham was pleasantenough, cold as the weather was; and at last they reached the barredgate of the convent. Dorothy alighted from the cart.
"I'll see you let in, Dorothy, ere I leave you," said he, "if indeed Ihave to leave you at all. I should never marvel if they brought thechildren forth, and were earnest to be rid of them at once."
It did not seem like it, however, for several knocks were necessarybefore the wicket unclosed. The portress looked relieved when she sawwho was there.
"What would you?" asked she.
Mr Ewring had given Dorothy advice how to proceed.
"An' it like you, might I see the children? Cicely Johnson and thelittle ones."
"Come within," said the portress, "and I will inquire."
This appeared more promising. Dorothy was led to the guest-chamber, andwas not kept waiting. Only a few minutes had elapsed when the Prioressherself appeared.
"You wish to see the children?" she said.
"I wish to take them with me, if you please," answered Dorothyaudaciously. "I look for my mistress back shortly, and she wasaforetime desirous to bring them up. I will take the full charge ofthem, with your leave."
"Truly, and my leave you shall have. We shall be right glad to be ridof the charge, for a heavy one it has been, and a wearisome. A moreobstinate, perverse, ungovernable maid than Cicely never came in myhands."
"Thank the Lord!" said Dorothy.
"Poor creatures!" said the Prioress. "I suppose you will do your bestto undo our teaching, and their souls will be lost. Howbeit, we werelittle like to have saved them. And it will be well, now for thecommunity that they should go. Wait, and I will send them to you."
Dorothy waited half-an-hour. At the end of that time a door opened inthe wainscot, which she had not known was there, and a tall, pale,slender girl of eleven, looking older than she was, came forward.
"Dorothy Denny!" said Cissy's unchanged voice, in tones of unmistakabledelight. "Oh, they didn't tell me who it was! Are we to go with_you_?--back to Colchester? Has something happened? Do tell me what isgoing to become of us."
"My dear heart, peace and happiness, if it please the Lord. MasterEwring and I have come to fetch you all. The Queen is departed to God,and the Lady Elizabeth is now Queen; and the nuns are ready enough to berid of you. If my dear mistress come home safe--as please God, sheshall--you shall be all her children, and Master Ewring hath offered totake Will when he be old enough, and learn him his trade. Your troublesbe over, I trust the Lord, for some while."
"It's just in time!" said Cissy with a gasp of relief. "Oh, how wickedI have been, not to trust God better! and He was getting this ready forus all the while!"
CHAPTER FORTY TWO.
WHAT THEY FOUND AT THE KING'S HEAD.
Mr Ewring had stayed at the gate, guessing that Dorothy would not belong in fulfilling her errand. He cast the re
ins on the neck of his oldbay horse, and allowed it to crop the grass while he waited. Many ashort prayer for the success of the journey went up as he sat there. Atlast the gate was opened, and a boy of seven years old bounded out of itand ran up to the cart.
"Master Ewring, is that you? I'm glad to see you. We're all coming.Is that old Tim?"
"That's old Tim, be sure," said the miller. "Pat him, Will, and thengive me your hand and make a long jump."
Will obeyed, just as the gate opened again, and Dorothy came out of itwith the two little girls. Little Nell--no longer Baby--could walk now,and chatter too, though few except Cissy understood what she said. Shetalked away in a very lively manner, until Dorothy lifted her into thecart, when the sight of Mr Ewring seemed to exert a paralysing effectupon her, nor was she reassured at once by his smile.
"Dear heart, but it 'll be a close fit!" said Dorothy. "How be we topack ourselves?"
"Cissy must sit betwixt us," answered the miller; "she's not quite sofat as a sack of flour. Take the little one on your knees, Dorothy; andWill shall come in front of me, and take his first lesson in drivingTim."
They settled themselves accordingly, Will being highly delighted at hispromotion.
"Well, I reckon you are not sorry to be forth of that place?" suggestedMr Ewring.
"Oh, so glad!" said Cissy, under her breath.
"And how hath Will stood out?" was the next question, which producedprofound silence for a few seconds. Then Will broke forth.
"I haven't, Master Ewring--at least, it's Cissy's doing, and she's hadhard work to make me stick. I should have given up ever so many timesif she'd have let me. I didn't think I could stand it much longer, andit was only last night I told her so, and she begged and prayed me tohold on."
"That's an honest lad," said Mr Ewring.
"And that's a dear maid," added Dorothy.
"Then Cissy stood out, did she?"
"Cissy! eh, they'd never have got _her_ to kneel down to their uglyimages, not if they'd cut her head off for it. She's just like a stonewall. Nell did, till Cissy got hold of her and told her not; but shedidn't know what it meant, so I hope it wasn't wicked. You see, she'sso little, and she forgets what is said to her."
"Ay, ay; poor little dear!" said Dorothy. "And what did they to you, mypoor dears, when you wouldn't?"
"Oh, lots of things," said Will. "Beat us sometimes, and shut us indark cupboards, and sent us to bed without supper. One night they madeCissy--"
"Never mind, Will," said Cissy blushing.
"But they'd better know," said Will stoutly. "They made Cissy kneel allnight on the floor of the dormitory, tied to a bed-post. They said ifshe wouldn't kneel to the saint, she should kneel without it. AndSister Mary asked her how she liked saying her prayers to the moon."
"Cruel, hard-hearted wretches!" exclaimed Dorothy.
"Then they used to keep us several hours without anything to eat, and atthe end of it they would hold out something uncommon good, and just whenwe were going to take it they'd snatch it away."
"I'll tell you what, if I had known that a bit sooner, they'd have had apiece of my mind," said Dorothy.
"With some thorns on it, I guess," commented the miller.
"Eh, dear, but I marvel if I could have kept my fingers off 'em! Andthey beat thee, Will?"
"Hard," said Will.
"And thee, Cissy?"
"Yes--sometimes," said Cissy quietly. "But I did not care for that, ifthey'd have left alone harassing Will. You see, he's younger than me,and he doesn't remember Father as well. If there hadn't been any rightand wrong about it, I could not have done what would vex Father."
Tim trotted on for a while, and Will was deeply interested in hisdriving lesson. About a mile from Colchester, Mr Ewring rathersuddenly pulled up.
"Love! is that you?" he said.
John Love, who was partly hidden by some bushes, came out and showedhimself.
"Ay, and I well-nigh marvel it is either you or me," said hesignificantly.
"Truly, you may say so. I believe we were aforetime the best noted`heretics' in all Colchester. And yet here we be, on the further sideof these five bitter years, left to rejoice together."
"Love, I would your Agnes would look in on me a time or two," saidDorothy. "I have proper little wit touching babes, and she might helpme to a thing or twain."
"You'll have as much as the nuns, shouldn't marvel," said Love, smiling."But I'll bid Agnes look in. You're about to care for the little ones,then?"
"Ay, till they get better care," said Dorothy, simply.
"You'll win the Lord's blessing with them. Good den! By the way, haveyou heard that Jack Thurston's still Staunch?"
"Is he so? I'm right glad."
"Ay, they say--Bartle it was told a neighbour of mine--he's held firmtill the priests were fair astonied at him; they thought they'd havebrought him round, and that was why they never burned him. He'll comeforth now, I guess."
"Not a doubt of it. There shall be some right happy deliverances allover the realm, and many an happy meeting," said Mr Ewring, with afaint sigh at the thought that no such blessedness was in store for him,until he should reach the gate of the Celestial City. "Good den, Jack."
They drove in at the North Gate, down Balcon Lane, with a passinggreeting to Amy Clere, who was taking down mantles at the shop door, andwhose whole face lighted up at the sight, and turned through the greatarchway into the courtyard of the King's Head. The cat came out to meetthem, with arched back and erect tail, and began to mew and rub herselfagainst Dorothy, having evidently some deeply interesting communicationto make in cat language; but what it was they could not even guess untilthey reached the kitchen.
"Sure," said Dorothy, "there's somebody here beside Barbara. Run in, mydears," she added to the children. "Methinks there must be company inthe kitchen, and if Bab be all alone to cook and serve for a dozen,she'll be fain to see me returned. Tell her I'm come, and will be therein a minute, only I'd fain not wake the babe, for she's weary withunwonted sights."
Little Helen had fallen asleep in Dorothy's arms. Cissy and Will wentforward into the kitchen. Barbara was there, but instead of company,only one person was seated in the big carved chair before the fire,furnished with red cushions. That was the only sort of easy chair thenknown.
"Ah, here they are!" said an unexpected voice. "The Lord be praised!I've all my family safe at last."
Dorothy, coming in with little Helen, nearly dropped her in astonisheddelight.
"Mistress Wade!" cried Mr Ewring, following her. "Truly, you are apleasant sight, and I am full fain to welcome you back. I trusted weshould so do ere long, but I looked not to behold you thus soon."
"Well, and you are a pleasant sight, Master Ewring, to her eyes that forfourteen months hath seen little beside the sea-coals [Note 1] in theBishop of London's coalhouse. That's where he sets his prisoners thatbe principally [note 2] lodged, and he was pleased to account of me as agreat woman," said Mrs Wade, cheerily. "But we have right good causeto praise God, every one; and next after that to give some thanks toeach other. I've heard much news from Bab, touching many folks andthings, and thee not least, Doll. Trust me, I never guessed into howfaithful hands all my goods should fall, nor how thou shouldst keepmatters going as well as if I had been here mine own self. Thou shaltfind in time to come that I know a true friend and an honest servant,and account of her as much worth. So you are to be my children now andhenceforth?--only I hear, Master Ewring, you mean to share the littlelad with me. That's right good. What hast thou to say, little Cicely?"
"Please, Mistress Wade, I think God has taken good care of us, and Ionly hope He's told Father."
"Dear child, thy father shall lack no telling," said Mr Ewring. "He iswhere no shade of mistrust can come betwixt him and God, and he knowswith certainty, as the angels do, that all shall be well with you forever."
Cissy looked up. "Please, may we sing the hymn Rose did, when she wastaken down to the
dungeon?"
"Sing, my child, and we will join thee."
"Praise God, from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!"
"Dear heart! but that's sweet!" said Dorothy, wiping her eyes.
"Truth! but they sing it better _there_," responded Mr Ewring softly.
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Note 1. Coals.--all coal then came to London by sea.
Note 2. Principally: handsomely.
THE END.
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