d down
toward his wife upon the terrace below; and she, as if guessing
instinctively that he was talking of her, looked up with so sweet
a smile, that Sir Richard's stern face melted into a very glory of
spiritual sunshine.

Amyas looked at them both and sighed; and then turning the conversation
suddenly--

"And I may go to Ireland to-morrow?"

"You shall sail in the 'Mary' for Milford Haven, with these letters to
Winter. If the wind serves, you may bid the master drop down the river
tonight, and be off; for we must lose no time."

"Winter?" said Amyas. "He is no friend of mine, since he left Drake and
us so cowardly at the Straits of Magellan."

"Duty must not wait for private quarrels, even though they be just ones,
lad: but he will not be your general. When you come to the marshal, or
the Lord Deputy, give either of them this letter, and they will set you
work,--and hard work too, I warrant.

"I want nothing better."

"Right, lad; the best reward for having wrought well already, is to have
more to do; and he that has been faithful over a few things, must find
his account in being made ruler over many things. That is the true and
heroical rest, which only is worthy of gentlemen and sons of God. As for
those who, either in this world or the world to come, look for idleness,
and hope that God shall feed them with pleasant things, as it were with
a spoon, Amyas, I count them cowards and base, even though they call
themselves saints and elect."

"I wish you could persuade my poor cousin of that."

"He has yet to learn what losing his life to save it means, Amyas. Bad
men have taught him (and I fear these Anabaptists and Puritans at home
teach little else), that it is the one great business of every one to
save his own soul after he dies; every one for himself; and that that,
and not divine self-sacrifice, is the one thing needful, and the better
part which Mary chose."

"I think men are inclined enough already to be selfish, without being
taught that."

"Right, lad. For me, if I could hang up such a teacher on high as an
enemy of mankind, and a corrupter of youth, I would do it gladly. Is
there not cowardice and self-seeking enough about the hearts of us
fallen sons of Adam, that these false prophets, with their baits of
heaven, and their terrors of hell, must exalt our dirtiest vices into
heavenly virtues and the means of bliss? Farewell to chivalry and to
desperate valor, farewell to patriotism and loyalt