CHAPTER VIII.

THE DISGUISE.

THE next day Winifred went up to the Hall, as usual, promising Jack to bring him something good, and not to remain away longer than she could help. As she entered the court-yard, she saw several horses standing before the door, and it was with no little satisfaction that she learned from one of the servants the news that Sir Edward was going up to London that very day, along with Colonel Kirke, who had been sent for by the king.

She was conscious of a great lightening of her heart as she skipped along the passages to Mrs. Alwright's room, and then watched from the window the two gentlemen mount their horses and ride away, followed by their servants and baggage-horses.

Presently Mrs. Alwright entered, considerably heated and flurried.

"You dear child, are you here already?" she exclaimed, kissing Winifred on both cheeks, and then dropping into her chair. "Dear heart, I am run off my feet! I don't think I have sat down to-day, and I was up all night, getting things ready for Sir Edward's journey; and glad I am that they are gone! Only to think that Sir Edward and that colonel should actually have been in Dame Sprat's cottage while you were there, and they never suspected anything either. I promise you my lady turned as white as a sheet when they spoke of it at supper. I could see her face in the great Venice glass as I stood behind her chair. My heart went thump, thump—it seemed as if every one in the room might have heard it. I was afraid my dear lady would betray herself by fainting or some such thing, but I need not have been alarmed.

"She just drank a glass of water, and then said, as quietly as possible, 'The dame must be growing very old and infirm. By your permission, Sir Edward, I would gladly make her more comfortable by sending her a load of fuel and other provisions before winter. I knew her well when I was a young girl at home.'

"Then Sir Edward hesitated and said something about her husband's having been a sturdy rebel, and herself a Puritan. Upon which Colonel Kirke spoke up and said, with his great, coarse laugh, that a good many folks were rebels in Cromwell's time who were king's men now. Which touched Sir Edward, as I suppose he meant it should, my dear. Then he went on to say that he would take it kind of my lady if she would befriend Dame Sprat, seeing the good woman had been kind to him in former days. So then Sir Edward could do no less after that than to tell my lady to do what she pleased. And when my lady said she would ride over some day to the cottage, and see what the old woman most needed, he said that would be a good plan, if the ride were not too long or too rough for her; which I believe it was for nothing else but to please Colonel Kirke, my dear. No, I won't say that either, for Sir Edward is a kind man to the poor—I will say that for him!"

"I think he is," said Winifred.

"But now tell me all about it, for I am dying to know," said Mrs. Alwright, "and I will sit here and rest a bit."

Winifred related the story, interrupted by many exclamations of wonder, pity, and admiration from Mrs. Alwright.

"Dear, dear! Well, I do declare! I never heard the like! It is like a story out of a play or a romance—not that you should ever touch plays and romances, my dear, for they are all a pack of wickedness and abominations—at least all that are written now-a-days. Well, I am truly thankful that it has all turned out so well, and that Colonel Kirke is going away. The king's messenger came last night just as they were rising from supper, and Colonel Kirke was not very well pleased, I could see that plainly. I fancy he has some game afoot that he did not care to leave, but what, I do not know nor want to know. He is a bad, impudent man, if he were twice the king's officer, and his servants are as bad as their master, enough to turn any decent house upside down.

"Well, so Sir Edward said he would ride with him for company, since he must go next week at any rate. And we have been all in a bustle, my lady and I, getting him ready and making biscuits and gingerbread for the road. Fortunately his clothes are all in order; whereby, my dear, you may see the great importance of never letting things fall behindhand, as I am often telling you, and your mother the same, no doubt. And here I am, keeping you all this time!" cried Alwright, as if she had just thought of it. "And my lady said you were to come to her directly you came in! So run up-stairs, as quickly as you can! You will find my lady in her closet, where you went before."

Winifred stopped only to lay aside her cloak and smooth her hair, and to prefer her humble request to Mrs. Alwright for something good for poor Jack.

"Dear me! Yes, to be sure, poor lad! He shall have some of the nice biscuits I made last night, and a pot of my gooseberry jam. You may tell your mother I do not think a little more generous diet would do him any harm after this. Go along to my lady, sweetheart, and I will have your work ready against you come back. I am going to teach you the lace stitch this morning."

Winifred found Lady Peckham in her closet, as Alwright had said. The great red velvet Bible lay open before her, and her eyes looked as if she had been weeping. Winifred paused at the door and made her courtesy, but my lady beckoned her to come nearer, and kissed her forehead.

"So you came near having a surprise yesterday, sweetheart! Where was my brother all the time?"

"In the shed, my lady, under the stack. The dog smelt him and scratched at the door, but the dame said it was the cat he was after, and begged the gentlemen not to let her be hurt, so they thought nothing of it. But indeed, my lady, I was horribly frightened, though I tried not to show it, lest they should suspect something. I could not help crying after they were gone and the danger was past."

"I do not wonder!" said Lady Peckham, shuddering. "It was a severe trial, and the thought of it makes me tremble even now. How shall I ever repay you, Winifred, for all you have done for me and mine?"

"I need no repayment, my lady," replied Winifred. "I have done no more than my duty, and you have ever been a most kind friend to me, both in noticing me yourself, and in allowing Mrs. Alwright to teach me so many things."

"You are an apt scholar, and you have had a higher Teacher than either myself or Alwright," said Lady Peckham. "You might well say that He would give you strength at your need. Without it you could never have come safely through such an ordeal as that of yesterday; And now tell me about my brother. How does he?"

"Well, my lady, and in good spirits, but I think he is very venturesome. The dame was ill with rheumatism yesterday, and nothing would do but Master Arthur must go out and catch a fish for her, and then cook it himself, and tidy up the cottage. He was sweeping when I went in, and if I had not been there to give him warning, Sir Edward and Colonel Kirke would have come right in upon him. I tried to persuade him not to do the like again, but he treated the whole affair more like a jest than anything else."

"I dare say. That was always his way, but he feels deeply, for all that. Did he send me no message?"

Winifred repeated it faithfully.

Lady Peckham wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Poor heart, I see he thinks I do not care for him! He little knows the weight which has rested upon my heart all these years that he has been in exile, and yet I think he might trust my love. But now, Winifred, I wish to consult you upon another matter. Sir Edward has given me leave to ride over and see Dame Sprat, and I wish to go while my brother is there. It does not seem to me that I can bear to let him go abroad again without once seeing him, but I do not see how to bring it about. I do not know the way, and it would never do to take one of our men. Can you think of anything?"

Winifred considered with a passing thought how strange it was that such a simple child as she should be called to assist and advise such great people as Lady Peckham and Mr. Carew!

"You do not always take a man with you when you ride about to visit the poor folks, my lady. You might come to our house as if to see Jack, and I could guide you through our lane and across the heath to the dame's cottage. I as often go that way as the other. It is a somewhat rough ride, but your pony is sure-footed, and I dare say you will not mind for once, in a way."

"No, indeed! I think the plan a good one, and can see no objection to it. Now, as to the disguise for my brother. I think we must call Alwright to our council for that matter."

Mrs. Alwright was called and consulted. "Why, my lady, as to that, the disguise is all ready made to our hand, as a body may say. There are the clothes of the chaplain who died last year at the Hall. He had neither kith nor kin that I could hear of, poor man, so I put all his things away in lavender and camphor, thinking that they would do a turn for some poor scholar,—which shows the great advantage of saving things, since one always does find a use for them, sooner or later," added Alwright, improving the occasion for Winifred's benefit, as usual.

"True!" said Lady Peckham. "Poor Mr. Mills must have been about Arthur's size, I should say."

"Just about the same, my lady, and there are his doublet and cassock, his wig, spectacles, and all, even to a thick horseman's cloak which he wore when he came here, and the saddle-bags which held his worldly goods, and room to spare too, poor soul!"

"Nothing could be more to our purpose," said Lady Peckham. "Arthur could always support any character which it pleased him to assume, and no one will take him for anything but a clergyman on his travels. But how shall we get the clothes conveyed to him when all is done?"

"Nothing could be easier, my lady," replied Alwright, evidently pleased with her own cleverness as a conspirator. "I can do them up in a small bundle, and you can take it on your horse as if it were something for the dame herself. You have often done the like for poor folks, so no one will think it strange."

"Very good!" said Lady Peckham. "There is one difficulty removed, but I see another and a greater one in the way of Arthur's escape. Money I have in plenty, but how and where to find a horse? Sir Edward has taken with him all the beasts except the old coach-horses and my pony, and besides Arthur could not possibly take a horse from here without exciting suspicion. What say you, Winifred? Can you propose anything?"

"I think, if you please, my lady, we had better consult my grandfather about that matter. He breeds a great many horses and knows all about them. I think he will find a way to help us out."

"Well, be it so," said Lady Peckham. "To-morrow is Sunday, and we will all go to church as usual, and try to gather strength for the work to come. On Monday, Winifred, I will come to your house, and you shall be my guide across the heath to the dame's cottage. Meantime consult your good grandfather about the horse, that all may be arranged as speedily as may be. I shall not know an easy moment till my brother is beyond seas and in safety."