y his charges he called
it the brazen impudence of a child of darkness. All through his sermon,
I sat listening to reproof for what I cannot help, or the frequent
allusions to the familiar spirits of Goody Nurse."

Tears quietly stole from the sad eyes and trickled down the cheeks of
the maiden. He sought to console her and, to change her mind to a more
cheerful subject, asked:

"Where is your father?"

"Alas, I know not, save that he has gone with his brother Harry Waters
to Canada to procure furs."

"Cora, what strange mystery surrounds your life?"

"I know not."

"Don't you remember aught of your mother?"

"No; I never saw her. My earliest recollections are of the theatre,
where a nurse cared for me in the greenroom, while my father performed
on the stage."

"Does he never talk of her?"

"My mother?"

"Yes."

"He never mentions her name."

"Have you never asked him about her?"

"Yes."

"What answer does he make?"

"He says I may learn all in due time."

To Charles Stevens, it was quite evident that Cora's father was
purposely putting off some important revelation. He gazed upon her fair
young face and in it could see little or no resemblance to her father.
Then a suspicion entered his mind, that she might not after all be the
child of George Waters. Though mysterious, Cora tried to conceal
nothing; her manner and conversation were frank and open.

"Your father was captured at the battle of Sedgemore, was he not?"

"Yes; he was impressed into the army of Monmouth. My father had no
interest in either army. What were their quarrels to him? Part of the
time he was in the Netherlands, and a part of the time in France,
Scotland or Wales. I don't think at any time he knew much of England's
trouble. We were roving all the time and thought little of political
questions. When he was arrested and forced into Monmouth's army, at
Bridgewater, he asked whose army it was."

"And you followed him?"

"I followed at a distance and from a lofty hill watched the long, hard
struggle. Oh, such a scene as it was! Ranks of cavalry and ranks of
infantry dashing at each other. Through the great volumes of smoke and
dust, I watched the regiment to which my father had been attached. I saw
it in the thickest of the fight and, kneeling by a stone fence, prayed
God to spare him. God answered my prayer, for he was spared. When I saw
Monmouth's army retreating and the ruthless butchers of the king in
pursuit, I ran down