| Show t T t 4 THE LSON LIONS W H I 1 I 1 d L P A story of cromwell a time BY AMELIA E BARR author Autho of the bow of orange ribbon I 1 thou and the other one the maid of maiden lane etc copyright 1901 by dodd mead company all rights reserved if CHAPTER t swaffham ham harn and de wick during the seventeenth century swaffham ham manor house as one the most picturesque dwellings in Cambridge shire it was so old that it had a sort of personality it was the history of the swaffham ham family in stone and timber the central tower built of the white stone of the neighborhood was the fortress which donbert swaffham ham erected A D to defend his lands from an all invasion of the danes and five generations of Ton donbert berts s cants dwelt in that tower before wil itam of normandy took possession of the crown of england the swaffham ham of that date became a friend of the conqueror and the manor house had the singular fortune to be identified with the stirring events of every dynasty in the middle of the seventeenth century it still ret alnea this character puritan councils of off offense ense and defense had been held in its great hall and parliamentary soldiers drilled in its meadows for capt israel ham was the friend of gen cromwell and at the time this story opens was with cromwell in scotland A great fighter he had no parlia talent and no respect tor for parliaments he believed england s religious and civil liberties were to be saved by the sword and when the kings fast and loose proposals had been discussed by the men of cam bridge shire in swaffham ham hara he had closed the argument with th s passion ate declaration there is no longer disputing with such a double mind as the mind of charles stuart the very oath of god would not bind him out instantly all of you who can I 1 his three sons rose at his words and the rest of the council followed for all felt that the work was but half done there was to be a second civil war then home was again deserted for the battlefield and capt ham hams s wife and dau daughter gher were once more left alone in the oli old manor house mrs swaffham ham was the child of a puritan minister and she had strong principles but there were hours when she had pitied the late lying long excused his inexcusable treacheries and regretted the pomps ana ceremonies of roa roal al state jane swaffham ham hain was of a different spirit she had a soul of the highest mettle and she had listened to those english mystics who came out of the steel ranks or triumphant puritanism until she had caught their spirit and been filled through and through with their faith this was the maiden who was sit ting one sunny afternoon at the open window of the household parlor in swaffham ham she was thinking of her father and brothers of the unhappy condition of england and of the un rest in their own household for she knew that her mother was worried about many things and the fret that was bred in ila the I 1 itchen and the farm offices in spite of all her efforts insinuated itself into the still order of the handsome room in which she was sitting at this moment there was the sound of wheels and the tramp of horses and jane said it Is 1 matilda de wick I 1 know the roll of the car ariage then jane lifted her sewing and the wheel began to hum and the door opened swiftly and matilda de wick entered I 1 have just been at ely she said and it if I 1 live seven and fifty years longer in this sinful world I 1 shall not forget the visit I 1 have been visiting lady heneage and I 1 have heard so much of the cromwell s full cup that in faith I 1 think it has gone to my head I 1 trust lady heneage Is well said mrs swaffham ham she had need to be well her house Is as full as the ark mrs elizabeth hampden is there and daughter Fl ambord and daughter clayton and all their children and retainers it is their last gathering before they go away do you wish to know where they are going to london of course and they are going to london Is it really soa asked jane not very civil to doubt it but that is not all of my news I 1 heard also that jane swaffham ham was going to london a thing I 1 would not be bileve without jane s assurance it is very uncertain replied mrs swaffham ham jane has an invitation from mary cromwell and II 11 doctor verity comes here soon he may find the time to take her to london with him we know not assuredly as yet jane must move mountains to go the are now living in the stately cockpit they will hold court there and jane hair will be of it 1 I 1 am sure of one thing answered jane public honors please not gen cromwell he would thank god to escape th them em I 1 do not say that the wish to see him honored is universal continued matilda father sacy thinks there are a few thousand men still living in england who have not bowed the knee to t tl is baal children Chil children drent can you find nothing more ion doely deiy to talk about matilda you know that you are bait jane janes s temper only that you may tee we her lose it i then matilda laughed and stooping to her friend kissed her and said colne co ae little jane I 1 will wilt ask your pardon kiss and be friends jane I 1 came to get your receipt for lavender conserves and this is nothing to it come let us go to the still room she spoke with an ous air ol 01 authority and jane as unconsciously obeyed it but there was a coldness cold nebs in her manner which did not disappear until the royalist lady had talked with her for half an hour about the spices and the distilled waters when the had been pre pared the girls became silent they were as remarkably contrasted as were the tenets religious and civil for which they stood but if mere physical could have domi bated jane swaffham ham she was in its presence yet it was not matilda but jane who filled the cool sweet place with a sense of power not to be dis buted her pale hair was full of light and life it seemed to shine in its waving order and crown like coil her eyes had a steady glow in their depths that was invincible her slight form was proudly poised her whole man ner resolute and a little cold as of one who was putting down an offense only half forgiven matilda was conscious of jane 9 influence and she called all her own charms forth to rival it putting out of account her beautiful face and stately figure as not likely to affect jane she assumed the manner she had never known to tall fall a manner half serious and wholly affectionate and confidential she knew that swaffham ham hain was always a safe subject and that a conversation set to that key went directly to jane janes s heart so turning slowly round to observe ev grything ery thing she said how cool and sweet la Is this place jane it Is matilda I 1 often think that one might receive angels among these pure scents oh I 1 vow it is the rosemary let me put my hands through it and she hastily pulled off her white ered gloves and passed her hands shining with gems through the delici bously fragrant green leaves I 1 have a passion for rosemary she continued it always good fortune to me sometimes if nake wake in the night I 1 smell it I 1 smell miles of it and then I 1 know my angel has been to see me and that some good thing will tread in her footsteps foot then she said with an attempt at indifference when did you hear from and pray in what place must I 1 remember him now I 1 know not particularly wherever the captain general Is there camlin swaffham ham Is like to be why do you not ask after stephen a s fortune good or bad bada I 1 did not at the moment think or of stephen when cromwell Is in the mind impossible to find him fit company it is he and he only yet it if ever stephen de wick gets a glimpse of home it Is not home to him until he has been at swaffham ham jane made no answer and they walked silently to the door where ma tilda s carriage was waiting mrs swaffham ham hain joined them as matilda was about to leave and the girl said I 1 had come near to forgetting some thing I 1 wished to tell you one of those men called quakers was preach ing his new religion at squire oliver leders last night there was much disputing about him to day what said lady heneage of the preacher 9 asked mrs swaffham ham she thought he ought to be put in the stocks and her sister isabel said that he was a good man and had the root of the matter in him I 1 heard that he was to preach again at deep ing ine den now I 1 must make what haste I 1 can my father will be angry at my delay goodbye Goodby el faithful till we meet again she says faithful yet knows not how to be faithful she Is much changed it would be strange indeed it if she was not changed before these trou brou bles she was a girl living at her mothers knee petted by her father and the idol of her brothers two of her brothers fell fighting by the side of prince rupert her mother wept herself into the grace for them hei father Is still nursing the wound be he got at naseby and her only brother stephen Is with charles stuart aher ever he may be it if such troubles did not change a girl she would be hewn from the very rock of selfishness on her way home matilda sat berer eret t lost in thought and her eyes had a look in them full of anxiety and sor row the sadness of an immense dis illusion was over her her life had gone to ruin but she trusted that some miracle would restore it all her old friends had departed the grave had some others had taken dif terent ferent ways or battle and exile had scattered them by the side of her sick father she stood alone oppressed by such considerations she felt like a child that suddenly realizes it has lost its way and Is left alone in a wilderness nothing in her surroundings offered her any help the road was flat and dreary a wide level intersected with deep drains and drove a poor rough moist land whose horizon was only brok u by the lovers of lay ely rasi vast and gray in the distance large iron gates admitted her to de wick park the house was a quadrangular build ing of various dates and gray walls rising from trim gardens with box edged flower plots and clipped yew hedges an old world sleepy air lonely and apart and full of melancholy pervaded the place the door stood open and she passed without delay into the wide entrance hall and went leisurely up the broad stairway her hat with its moist drooping feathers was in her hand her hir hung limply imply about her brow bro and face she was vas the very picture of a beauty that had suffered the touch of adverse nat ire and the dp depression of unsympathetic humanity but the moment she entered her own room she had the sense of covert and refreshment she put off her sense of alienation and unhappiness with her damp clothing and as the comfort of renewal came to her out i the inner woman also regained her authority and the girl conscious of this potent personal ty erected herself in its strength and in divi dividu duality allty she surveyed her fresh ly clad form in its gown of blue she turned right and left to ad mire a fresh arrangement of her hair she put around her neck without pretense of secrecy or apology the rosary of coral and gold and admired the tint and shimmer of its beauty on her white throat then she asked was any stranger with the earl at dinner deliaa my lady he dined with father sacy alone and pray what did they eat tor for dinners there was a sucking pig roasted with juniper wood and rosemary branches and a jugged hare and a pullet and some clotted cream and a raspberry tart all very good my lady will you please to eat some things yes I 1 will have some jugged hare and some clotted cream and a rasp berry tart and a glass of wine delia and a pitcher of new milk have them served as soon as possible she took one comfortable glance at herself and in the pleasure of its as aurance went downstairs down stairs her step was now firm and rapid yet she paused a moment at the door of the room she wished to enter and called up smiles tp her face and a sort of cheerful bravado to her manner ere she lifted the steel hasp that admitted her in a moment her quick eyes took a survey of its occupants they were only two men earl de wick and his chaplain sacy both were reading the earl sir philip sidney s arcadia the chaplain the evening service in the book of common prayer neither of them noticed her entrance and she went straight to her father fathers s bide and covering the open page with I 1 her hand said in a merry tone here Is a noble dwelling in ar cadia acadia while the great captain general cromwell the devil Is going up and down and to and fro in the land seeking whom he may devour I 1 have been at ely and at swaffham Swat tham ham gathering what news I 1 can and I 1 assure you sir there is none to our comfort what have you heard anything about the scots cromwell is in scotland what do you expect from that that leslie will be his match then you will be disappointed there Is a tide in the affairs of men and this tide of cromwell and the commonwealth is going to sweep all royalty and all nobility into the deep sea well then I 1 may as well return to my arcadia and learn how to be rus we nobles may play at canute it if we like but it Is useless while this man mans s star flames in the if he con quers auers the scotch army what more can they offer him but the crowne to be continued |
