elp, and he
sullenly forced himself to accept Reuben's good offices. The great
clotted periwig was with some difficulty got off, and then it was
possible to remove the worst of the tar from face and eyes.
Frederick at last could see clearly and breathe freely, but
presented so lamentable an object that he only longed to get safe
home to the shelter of his father's house.

The costly periwig of curls had perforce to be left in the gutter,
hopelessly ruined, and Frederick, who had given more money for it
than he could well afford, shook his fist at the house which
contained the redoubtable old woman who had thus fooled and bested
him.

"You Scourers will find that you can play your meddlesome games too
often," remarked Reuben sternly, his eyes upon the red cross and
the half-completed words above. "I would that all the city were of
the same spirit as Lady Scrope. She always keeps a quantity of hot
pitch or tar beside her bed, with a lamp burning beneath it, in
case of attacks from robbers. You may thank your stars that it
descended not boiling hot upon your head. Had she been so minded to
punish you, she would have done so fearlessly. You may be thankful
it was no worse."

Frederick sullenly picked up his hat, which he had laid aside while
painting the door, and which had thus escaped injury, pulled it as
far over his face as it would go, and turned abruptly away from
Reuben.

"I'll be revenged on the old hag yet!" he muttered between his
teeth. "I've got a double debt to pay to this house now. I'll not
forget it either."

He turned abruptly away and scuttled home by the narrowest alleys
he could find, whilst Reuben went about looking for the red
crosses, and giving timely notice to the master of the house, that
they might be erased, as quietly and quickly as possible.

Accident had led Reuben early abroad that day, but he made use of
his time to undo as far as he was able the mischievous jesting of
Frederick's band of Scourers.

CHAPTER III. DRAWING NEARER.

"Brother Reuben, I cannot think what can be the reason, but my Lady
Scrope has bidden me beg of thee to give her speech upon the
morrow. All this day she has been in a mighty pleasant humour: she
gave me this silken neckerchief when I left today, and bid me bring
my brother with me on the morrow--and she means thee, Reuben."

"What can be the meaning of that?" asked Rachel Harmer, with a look
of curiosity. "Doth she often speak to thee of thy kind