liged
to administer some restoratives; but the moment he had revived he looked
round for Maud, and feebly murmured her name.

"I am with you, Harry dear," she whispered, and took his hand, while
Dame Coppins told the story of how he had been brought there in a litter
some weeks before by Roger and the messenger, who had fled to her
cottage from the violence of the villagers. The man had remained with
her until he recovered from his wound, and had told her who were the
prisoners at Oxford, and the certainty of their release if the letters
were only delivered in time; and the old woman's joy on hearing from
Bertram that Maud had reached Oxford as she did, unloosed her tongue
and thus brought upon herself the charge of witchcraft. Maud felt
heartily ashamed of her hasty judgment now, and when she heard how
greatly Harry had longed to see her, she felt more grieved than ever
that she had stayed away from the cottage. Dame Coppins had felt
anxious, when day after day passed and no one came from the Grange, for
she began to fear some of them had heard she had strange visitors, for
it was the messenger who had been with her that informed Harry it was
dangerous for him to go to the village even to see his father, and
persuaded him to come to Dame Coppins's cottage, and wait for some
chance to send to his father secretly. Roger came with him, for Harry
was too ill when he left London to travel alone, and all Dame Coppins's
herb tea had failed to do him any good; and so at last, feeling sure he
had not long to live, he wrote a letter to Maud, enclosing one to be
given to his father, asking his forgiveness, and begging he would come
and see him. This was addressed to Mistress Stanhope, and delivered to
her, but which she took care no one else should hear of, destroying her
father's letter as well as her own.

Maud did not hear this all at once. Harry could say but little more that
night beyond how he had longed for her after the letter was sent, and
how disappointed he was that she did not come.

"But what made you think I was Mistress Stanhope?" asked Maud.

"Roger told me you were about to be married when he left the village
last summer. We met in a slight skirmish soon after I recovered from my
wounds, and enemies though we ought to have been, we could not help
exchanging a few friendly words; and it was because I knew he loved me
truly, despite of the King's quarrel, that I asked his release, to
attend me when I came home.