don't, Rose! you give me the cold chills!"

"What's that?" Rose was listening intently.

"What's what?" said Margaret, who had heard nothing.

"That! Don't you hear the far-off tramp of men?"

They looked at each other fearfully. Margaret knew well enough of what
Rose thought--the Bailiff and his searching party. They stopped their
undressing. Nearer and nearer came that measured tread of a body of
men. It paused, went on, came close under the window, and paused again.
Then a thundering rattle came at the door.

"Open, in the Queen's name!"

Then they knew it had come--not the worst, but that which led to it--the
beginning of the end.

Rose quietly, but quickly, put her gown on again. Before she was ready,
she heard her step-father's heavy tread as he went down the stairs;
heard him draw the bolt, and say, as he opened the door, in calm tones--

"Good-morrow, Master Bailiff. Pray you enter with all honour, an' you
come in the Queen's name."

Just then the church clock struck two. Two o'clock on the Sabbath
morning!

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

ROSE'S FIERY ORDEAL.

"Art thou come, dear heart?" said Alice Mount, as her daughter ran
hurriedly into her bedchamber. "That is well. Rose, the Master is
come, and calleth for us, and He must find us ready."

There was no time to say more, for steps were ascending the stairs, and
in another minute Master Simnel entered--the Bailiff of Colchester
Hundred, whose office it was to arrest criminals within his boundaries.
He was a rough, rude sort of man, from whom women were wont to shrink.

"Come, mistress, turn out!" said he. "We'll find you other lodgings for
a bit."

"Master, I will do mine utmost," said Alice Mount, lifting her aching
head from the pillow; "but I am now ill at ease, and I pray you, give
leave for my daughter to fetch me drink ere I go hence, or I fear I may
scarce walk."

We must remember that they had then no tea, coffee, or cocoa; and they
had a funny idea that cold water was excessively unwholesome. The rich
drank wine, and the poor thin, weak ale, most of which they brewed
themselves from simple malt and hops--not at all like the strong,
intoxicating stuff which people drink in public-houses now.

Mr Simnel rather growlingly assented to the request. Rose ran down,
making her way to the dresser through the rough men of whom the kitchen
was full, to get a jug and a candlestick. As she came out of the
kitchen, with the jug in h