heir way in and out among
the detached houses and little gardens, they came at last into Holborn,
and over Holborn Bridge into Smithfield. Under Holborn Bridge ran the
Fleet river, pure and limpid, on its way to the silvery Thames; and as
they emerged from Cock Lane, the stately Priory of Saint Bartholomew
fronted them a little to the right. Crossing Smithfield, they turned up
Long Lane, and thence into Aldersgate Street, and in a few minutes more
the last houses of London were left behind them. As they came out into
the open country, Amphillis was greeted, to her surprise, by a voice she
knew.

"God be wi' ye, Mistress Amphillis!" said Clement Winkfield, coming up
and walking for a moment alongside, as the horse mounted the slight
rising ground. "Maybe you would take a little farewell token of mine
hand, just for to mind you when you look on it, that you have friends in
London that shall think of you by nows and thens."

And Clement held up to Amphillis a little silver box, with a ring
attached, through which a chain or ribbon could be passed to wear it
round the neck. A small red stone was set on one side.

"'Tis a good charm," said he. "There is therein writ a Scripture, that
shall bear you safe through all perils of journeying, and an hair of a
she-bear, that is good against witchcraft; and the carnelian stone
appeaseth anger. Trust me, it shall do you no harm to bear it anigh
you."

Amphillis, though a sensible girl for her time, was not before her time,
and therefore had full faith in the wonderful virtues of amulets. She
accepted the silver box with the entire conviction that she had gained a
treasure of no small value. Simple, good-natured Clement lifted his
cap, and turned back down Aldersgate Street, while Amphillis and her
escort went on towards Saint Albans.

A few miles they rode in silence, broken now and then by a passing
remark from the man in linen, chiefly on the deep subject of the hot
weather, and by the sumpterman's frequent requests that his mule would
"gee-up," which the perverse quadruped in question showed little
inclination to do. At length, as the horse checked its speed to walk up
a hill, the man in front of Amphillis said--

"Know you where you be journeying, my mistress?"

"Into Derbyshire," she answered. "Have there all I know."

"But you wot, surely, whom you go to serve?"

"Truly, I wot nothing," she replied, "only that I go to be bower-woman
to some lady. The lady