customer.

"Ha, little Kenton, be'st thou there? I'm right glad to see thee. They
said the mad fellows had burnt the farm and made an end of all of
you, but I find 'em civil enow, and I'm happy to see 'twas all
leasing-making."

"It is true, mistress," said Stead, "that they burnt our house and shot
poor father."

"Eh, you don't say so, my poor lad?" and she hurried her kind questions,
tears coming into her eyes, as she thought of the orphans deserted by
their brother. She was very anxious to have Patience butter-making again
and promised to come with Stead to give her assistance in choosing both
a churn and a spinning wheel if he would come in the next day, for he
had not ventured on bringing any money with him. She bought all his eggs
for her lodger, good Doctor Eales, who could hardly taste anything and
had been obliged to live cooped up in an inner chamber for fear of the
Parliament soldiers, who were misbehaved to Church ministers though
civil enough to women; while these new comers were just the other way,
hat in hand to a clergyman, but apt to be saucy to the lasses. But she
hoped the Doctor would cheer up again, now that the Cathedral was set in
order, so far as might be, and prayers were said there as in old times.
In fact the bells were ringing for morning prayer, and Stead was so glad
to hear them that he thought he might venture in and join in the brief
daily service. There were many others who had done so, for these anxious
days had quickened the devotion of many hearts, and people had felt what
it was to be robbed of their churches and forbidden the use of their
prayer-books. Moreover, some had sons or brothers or husbands fighting
on the one side or the other, and were glad to pray for them, so that
Stead found himself in the midst of quite a congregation, though the
choir had been too much dispersed and broken up for the musical service,
and indeed the organ had been torn to pieces by the Puritan soldiers,
who fancied it was Popish.

But Stead found himself caring for the Psalms and Prayers in a manner he
had never done before, and which came of the sorrow he had felt and the
troubles that pressed upon him. He fancied all would come right now, and
that soon Mr. Holworth would be back, and he should be able to give up
his charge; and he went home, quite cheered up.

When he came into the gulley he heard voices through the bushes, and
pressing forward anxiously he saw Blane and Oates before the hove