, therefore will I suffer
you both to depart."

All the time he was speaking he eyed Gilbert most narrowly, as if trying
to recall where he had seen that face before, as in truth he had, for
they had met in the first battle fought between Charles and his
Parliament, at Edgehill, on the borders of Warwickshire.

Gilbert remembered Captain Stanhope quite well, for he had been his
prisoner for a little while, until an exchange of prisoners took place.
Long illness had, however, altered Gilbert far more than the two years'
campaign had altered the captain; and he rode away, thinking his eyes
had played him false for once. Perhaps his being in the company of one
whose family was known to be so strongly attached to the royal cause
helped his escape; for he could not think it possible that a Drury would
hold any intimacy with the Claytons.

"We have had a narrow escape, Harry, and we must not stay long in
London," said Gilbert, as they left the village, and saw the soldiers
ride out towards Essex; and then he told his companion of his former
acquaintance with Captain Stanhope.

Harry could not help laughing, in spite of his sorrow, and quite agreed
that their stay in London should be as short as possible. They would
only stay a few hours to rest, to replenish their purses, and ascertain
where Lieutenant Cromwell was now with his army, and then hasten to join
him. The long tramp from Essex to London in the heat and dust had
somewhat wearied Harry, unused to such exertion; but no sooner did he
hear that horses had been provided, than he was anxious to start again,
and they were soon on the great road leading to Yorkshire, where Lord
Kimbolton and his lieutenant, Cromwell, were mustering their forces.

It was sad to pass along the edge of uncultivated fields in this bright
summer weather; and yet, what encouragement was there for the farmer to
plant or sow, when crops might be trodden down by the feet of horses and
soldiers, or, if allowed to ripen, to see the grain cut down by that
lawless Prince Rupert and his band of soldier-robbers. Truly the land
might be said to mourn as well as the inhabitants, although as yet they
had not reached the scene of actual strife.

Gilbert was anxious to reach his kinsman Cromwell as soon as possible,
and so pressed on with all speed, making inquiries now and then at the
villages where they slept, or of people they met on the road, as to the
whereabouts of the two armies. It seems almost i