ou
see, Ailwin is ever so much stronger than she is, poor thing!"

Neighbour Gool put on an air of being rather offended that nothing great
was to be done, after his trouble in coming to help. In his heart,
however, he was perhaps not very sorry; for he knew that the magistrates
were not willing to countenance the king's settlers in the Levels, while
the Parliament Committee was sitting at Lincoln. Gool patted Oliver's
head when the boy thanked him for coming; and he joked Mildred about her
flag: so he could not be very cross. He left two men to guard the
prisoner and the premises, till Mr Linacre should return.

These two men soon left off marching about the garden and yard, and sat
down on the mill-steps; for the day grew very hot. There they sat
talking in the shade, till their dinners should be ready. Nan Redfurn
was so far from feeling the day to be hot, that when her cold ague-fit
came on, she begged to be allowed to go down to the kitchen fire.
Little George stood staring at her for some time, and then ran away; and
Mildred, not liking to be in the same room with a woman who looked as
she did, and who was a prisoner, stole out too, though she had been
desired to watch the woman till dinner should be ready. Ailwin was so
struck with compassion, that she fetched her warmest woollen stockings
and her winter cloak of linsey-woolsey,--it was such a piteous thing to
hear a woman's teeth chattering in her head, in that way, at noon in the
middle of August. Having wrapped her up, she put her on a stool, close
to the great kitchen fire; and drew out the screen that was used only in
winter, to keep off the draughts from the door. If the poor soul was
not warm in that corner, nothing could make her so. Then Ailwin began
to sing to cheer her heart, and to be amazingly busy in cooking dinner
for three additional persons. She never left off her singing but when
she out went for the vegetables, and other things she wanted for her
cooking; and when she came in again she resumed her song,--still for the
sake of the poor creature behind the screen.

"Do you feel yourself warmer now, neighbour?" said she at the end of an
hour. "If not, you are past my understanding."

There was no answer; and Ailwin did not wonder, as she said to herself,
that it was too great a trouble for one so poorly to be answering
questions: so Ailwin went on slicing her vegetables and singing.

"Do you think a drop of cherry-brandy would warm