where he could now be no burthen.
Stephen was obliged to leave him and take home young Giles, who had, he
found, become so completely a country lad, enjoying everything to the
utmost, that he already declared that he would much rather be a yeoman
and forester than an armourer, and that he did not want to be
apprenticed to that black forge.

This again made Ambrose smile with pleasure as he thought of the boy as
keeping up the name of Birkenholt in the Forest. The one wish he
expressed was that Stephen would send down Tibble Steelman to be with
him. For in truth they both felt that in London Tib might at any time
be laid hands on, and suffer at Smithfield for his opinions. The hope
of being a comfort to Ambrose was perhaps the only idea that could have
counterbalanced the sense that he ought not to fly from martyrdom; and
as it proved, the invitation came only just in time. Three days after
Tibble had been despatched by the Southampton carrier in charge of all
the comforts Dennet could put together, Bishop Stokesley's grim
"soumpnour" came to summon him to the Bishop's court, and there could be
little question that he would have courted the faggot and stake. But as
he was gone out of reach, no further inquiries were made after him.

Dennet had told her husband that she had been amazed to find how, in
spite of a very warm affection for her, her husband, and children, her
father hankered after the old name, and grieved that he could not fulfil
his old engagement to his cousin Robert. Giles Headley had managed the
business excellently during Stephen's absence, had shown himself very
capable, and gained good opinions from all. Rubbing about in the world
had been very good for him; and she verily believed that nothing would
make her father so happy as for them to offer to share the business with
Giles. She would on her part make Aldonza welcome, and had no fears of
not agreeing with her. Besides--if little Giles were indeed to be heir
to Testside was not the way made clear?

So thus it was. The alderman was very happy in the arrangement, and
Giles Headley had not forfeited his rights to be a freeman of London or
a member of the Armourers' Guild. He married Aldonza at Michaelmas, and
all went well and peacefully in the household. Dennet never quitted her
father while he lived; but Stephen struggled through winter roads and
floods, and reached Baddesley in time to watch his brother depart in
peace, his sorrow and