d by
a sort of tacit understanding, these conversations were never carried on
in the presence of Mary or Maud.

Master Drury's household was managed by his sister, an elderly lady, who
looked after children and servants with the greatest watchfulness, lest
a moment of their time should be wasted. It was the rule of the
household that as soon as breakfast was over Mistress Mabel should take
her place in the high-backed chair at the head of the table in the
"keeping room," or general sitting-room, and with Bessie and Bertram on
each side of her, at their lessons, a huge basket of work was brought to
her side by one of the maids, and Mary and Maud were each set to work,
making or mending garments for the family. Fancy-work was never heard of
in those days, and Mistress Mabel would not have allowed any to be
brought forward in her presence, if it had been. Sometimes, as a rare
treat, when the lessons were well learned, a book was fetched from the
library, not a story-book--that would have been a waste of time,
according to this lady's rule--but a learned treatise on some abstruse
science, which generally set Bessie and Bertram yawning, so that the
reading was not much of a treat to them. Talking was not allowed from
any one until the children's lessons were learned, and not greatly
indulged in then. Later in the day, after the dairy had been visited and
the kitchen inspected, the spinning-wheels were brought out, and the
maids, who had finished their household and dairy work, were set down to
spin.

Harry had escaped from his aunt's dominion now, but his idle life was a
great eyesore to her, so that she took care no one else should share it.
Under these circumstances it is easy to understand that, without at all
intending it, a sort of suppression of what was really going on between
the two young men took place when they were with the rest of the family.
That Gilbert Clayton was as staunch a Cavalier as themselves was taken
for granted; while he thought they fully understood his principles and
the cause he was engaged in, and believed it was from refinement of
feeling that the matter was never referred to in his presence.

That he was helping his friend to see that the cause of the Parliament
was a just, honest cause, and one that must be espoused if civil and
religious liberty were ever to be secured for England, he knew full
well; but in doing this he believed he was only doing his duty, since
Harry had come to him fir