"I'm not quite so sure of it, Ursula Felstede: but let be. You've
Johnson's children here, haven't you?"

"Ay, I have so: and I tell you that Will's a handful! Seems to me he's
worser to rule than he used. He's getting bigger, trow."

"And Cicely?"

"Oh, she's quiet enough, only a bit obstinate. Won't always do as she's
told. I have to look after her sharp, or she'd be off, I do believe."

"I'd like to see her, an't please you."

"Well, to be sure! I sent 'em out to play them a bit. I don't just
know where they are."

"Call that looking sharp after 'em?"

Ursula laughed a little uneasily.

"Well, one can't be just a slave to a pack of children, can one? I'll
look out and see if they are in sight."

"Thank you, I'll do that, without troubling you. Now, Ursula Felstede,
I've one thing to say to you, so I'll say it and get it over. Those
children of Johnson's have the Lord's wings over them: they'll be taken
care of, be sure: but if you treat them ill, or if you meddle with what
their father learned them, you'll have to reckon with Him instead of the
Queen's Commissioners. And I'd a deal sooner have the Commissioners
against me than have the Lord. Be not afraid of them that kill the
body, and after that have no more that they can do but fear Him which
after He hath killed, hath power to cast into Hell. Yea, I say unto
thee, Fear Him!"

And Mrs Wade walked out of the door without saying another word. She
was going to look for the children. The baby she had already seen
asleep on Ursula's bed. Little Will she found in the midst of a group
of boys down by the brook, one of whom, a lad twice his size, was just
about to fight him when Mrs Wade came up.

"Now, Jack Tyler, if thou dost not want to be carried to thy father by
the scuff of thy neck, like a cat, and well thrashed to end with, let
that lad alone.--Will, where's thy sister?"

Little Will, who looked rather sheepish, said,--

"Over there."

"Where's _there_?"

"On the stile. She's always there when we're out, except she's looking
after me."

"Thou lackest looking after."

"Philip Tye said he'd see to me: and then he went off with Jem Morris,
bird-nesting."

"Cruel lads! well, you're a proper lot! It'd do you good, and me too,
to give you a caning all round. I shall have to let be to-night, for I
want to find Cicely."

"Well, you'll see her o' top o' the stile."

Little Will turned back to his absorbing amusement of bulr