allow at Lydford; and in the wrangling which ensued,
was very near finding out what Amyas (fearing fresh loss of time and
worse evils beside) had commanded to be concealed, namely, the presence
of Jesuits in that Moorland Utopia. Then, in broadest Devon--

"And do you call this Christian conduct, sir, to set a quiet man like me
upon they Gubbings, as if I was going to risk my precious life--no, nor
ever a constable to Okehampton neither? Let Lydfor' men mind Lydfor'
roogs, and by Lydfor' law if they will, hang first and try after; but
as for me, I've rade my Bible, and 'He that meddleth with strife is like
him that taketh a dog by the ears.' So if you choose to sit down and ate
your breakfast with me, well and good: but depositions I'll have none.
If your man is enquired for, you'll be answerable for his appearing, in
course; but I expect mortally" (with a wink), "you wain't hear much more
of the matter from any hand. 'Leave well alone is a good rule, but leave
ill alone is a better.'--So we says round about here; and so you'll say,
captain, when you be so old as I."

So Amyas sat down and ate his breakfast, and went on afterwards a long
and weary day's journey, till he saw at last beneath him the broad
shining river, and the long bridge, and the white houses piled up the
hill-side; and beyond, over Raleigh downs, the dear old tower of Northam
Church.

Alas! Northam was altogether a desert to him then; and Bideford, as it
turned out, hardly less so. For when he rode up to Sir Richard's door,
he found that the good knight was still in Ireland, and Lady Grenville
at Stow. Whereupon he rode back again down the High Street to that same
bow-windowed Ship Tavern where the Brotherhood of the Rose made their
vow, and settled himself in the very room where they had supped.

"Ah! Mr. Leigh--Captain Leigh now, I beg pardon," quoth mine host.
"Bideford is an empty place now-a-days, and nothing stirring, sir. What
with Sir Richard to Ireland, and Sir John to London, and all the young
gentlemen to the wars, there's no one to buy good liquor, and no one to
court the young ladies, neither. Sack, sir? I hope so. I haven't brewed
a gallon of it this fortnight, if you'll believe me; ale, sir, and aqua
vitae, and such low-bred trade, is all I draw now-a-days. Try a pint of
sherry, sir, now, to give you an appetite. You mind my sherry of old?
Jane! Sherry and sugar, quick, while I pull off the captain's boots."

Amyas sat weary and sad,