what sounded more military than religious:

"And so, the fort having been summoned and quarter promised, if so be
no resistance were made, always excepting Popish priests, and--Eh! What
now? Be you an old neighbour? I don't remember your face."

"I have seen you, though. I am Jephthah Kenton's brother, that you asked
for."

"I mind you were but a stripling in those days, and yet in gross
darkness. Yea, I have a letter for thee from my comrade, who is come to
high preferment."

"Jeph!"

"Yea, things have prospered with him. He was a serjeant even before we
sailed for Ireland, and there he did such good service in hunting
out Popish priests and rebels in their lurking places in the bogs and
mountains, that the Lord General hath granted him the land that he
took with his sword and his bow, even a meadow land fat and fertile,
Ballyshea by name, full of the bulls of Bashan, goodly to look at. And
to make all sure, he hath taken to wife the daughter of the former owner
of the land a damsel fair to look upon."

"Jeph! But sure--the Irish are Papists."

"Not the whole of them. There are those that hold to Prelacy and call
themselves King's men, following the bloody and blinded Duke of Ormond.
Of them was this maid's father, whom we slew at the taking of Clonmel,
where I got this wound and left my good right leg. So is the race not to
the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but time and chance happeneth
to all. When I could hobble about once more on crutches, I found that
the call had come to divide and possess the gate of the enemy, and that
the meads of Ballyshea had fallen to Serjeant Kenton. Moreover, in the
castle hard by, dwelt the widow and her daughter, who cried to General
Lambert for their land, and what doth he say to Jephthah, but 'Make it
sure, Kenton. Take the maid to wife, and so none will disturb you in the
fair heritage.' Yea, and mine old comrade would have me sojourn with him
till I was quite restored, so far as a man with one limb short may be. I
tell you 'tis a castle, man."

"Our Jeph lord of a castle?"

"Aye, even so. Twice as big as Elmwood Hall, if half were not in ruins,
and the other half the rats run over like peas out of a bag. While as to
the servants, there are dozens of them, mostly barefoot and in rags, who
will run at the least beck from the old mistress or the young mistress,
though they scowl at the master. But he is taking order with them, and
teaching them who is to be obeyed."