ness in my head and noisiness in my ears, that I was forced
to hold by the crook driven in below the thatch for holding of the
hay-rakes. There was scarcely any sense left in me, only that the thing
was come by power of Mother Melldrum, because I despised her warning,
and had again sought Lorna. But the officer was grieved for me, and the
danger to his supper.

"My son, be not afraid," he said; "we are not going to skin thee. Only
thou tell all the truth, and it shall be--but never mind, I will tell
thee all about it, and how to come out harmless, if I find thy victuals
good, and no delay in serving them."

"We do our best, sir, without bargain," said I, "to please our
visitors."

But when my mother saw that parchment (for we could not keep it from
her) she fell away into her favourite bed of stock gilly-flowers, which
she had been tending; and when we brought her round again, did nothing
but exclaim against the wickedness of the age and people. "It was
useless to tell her; she knew what it was, and so should all the parish
know. The King had heard what her son was, how sober, and quiet, and
diligent, and the strongest young man in England; and being himself such
a reprobate--God forgive her for saying so--he could never rest till
he got poor Johnny, and made him as dissolute as himself. And if he did
that"--here mother went off into a fit of crying; and Annie minded her
face, while Lizzie saw that her gown was in comely order.

But the character of the King improved, when Master Jeremy Stickles
(being really moved by the look of it, and no bad man after all) laid it
clearly before my mother that the King on his throne was unhappy, until
he had seen John Ridd. That the fame of John had gone so far, and his
size, and all his virtues--that verily by the God who made him, the King
was overcome with it.

Then mother lay back in her garden chair, and smiled upon the whole of
us, and most of all on Jeremy; looking only shyly on me, and speaking
through some break of tears. "His Majesty shall have my John; His
Majesty is very good: but only for a fortnight. I want no titles for
him. Johnny is enough for me; and Master John for the working men."

Now though my mother was so willing that I should go to London,
expecting great promotion and high glory for me, I myself was deeply
gone into the pit of sorrow. For what would Lorna think of me? Here was
the long month just expired, after worlds of waiting; there would be her
l