"What can you mean? prithee, it cannot be right for us to
rebel against the King?"

"Certainly not for us," said Maud. "But we are not to make ourselves a
conscience to other people; and if Harry sees that serving the King
would be wrong----"

"But it cannot be wrong," interrupted Mary. "God's Word says, 'Fear God,
honour the king.'"

"Yes, fearing God comes first," said Maud, but speaking more to herself
than to Mary; "and it seems to me that it is out of this fear Harry has
been led to adopt these new views. I can't see how they are right; but
then I suppose living here in this quiet village, and having everything
we want, we do not understand things as men do who go out into the world
and learn what Acts of Parliament mean."

"Maud, you are half a traitor yourself," interrupted Mary, indignantly.

"Nay, nay, Mary! I am not that," said Maud. "I love the King, from what
I have heard of his gentle courteous bearing and his loving care of his
children; but even Master Drury denies not that he has oft-times broken
his solemn promise, and 'tis said that his subsidies and exactions have
well nigh ruined the nation."

"Maud, Maud! said I not that you were a traitor; and by my troth you
must be, to speak thus of the King."

"Nay, I am no traitor. I would that I could speak to King Charles
myself, and tell him how sorely grieved many of his subjects are at his
want of truth and honest dealing," replied Maud, warmly.

"But the King cannot do evil," said Mary, in a tone of expostulation.

Maud put her hand to her forehead in some perplexity. "I know not what
to think, sometimes," she said. "I like not to think it possible that
the King can do wrong; but what am I to think when he breaks the Divine
laws of truth and uprightness. He is not above these, if he is above
those of the land, that he can make and unmake at his will."

"We have no business to think about such things at all," said Mary,
impatiently.

"Marry, you may be right," answered Maud; "for women-folk have but little
wit to the understanding of such weighty matters; but for men it is
different, and that is why so many are carried away to the defending
this rebellious Parliament, I trow."

"But they should not be carried away, now that they know how evil are
its doings, and how it has laid violent hands on the Archbishop; and
herein is Harry's sin the greater."

"Oh, say not so, Mary. Harry is right, I trow, although you and I see
not how that may be,