"Dearest madam," he urged, "when the Great Day of the Lord doth arrive, it will surely be of no moment whether it find you in London or in Newcastle; it will be as the lightning that shineth from the east even unto the west. But for to-day they are at an end of the preaching; you will hear no more if you tarry; you see these men have their weapons prepared, and are ready to burst out into insurrection; this is no fit place for you." She murmured something of going back to her house in Watling Street. "Nay, nay," urged Richard; "all our friends in Newcastle await you. Come home with me to Staffordshire, and await events there. Sure it is in General Harrison's own house that he would desire you to be?" He took her hand to lead her from the room, and she rose obediently; but several of the congregation who sat near and observed his action, protested in audible tones, and those further off, only half catching what was going on, joined in even more loudly. "Who is this man who is not of us, and hath forced himself among us?" cried one. "A spy! a spy!" cried another. Mr. Rogers pushed forward. "Shame, shame, brethren; let no man dare to call the kinsman of a martyr a spy! This is Richard Harrison, and it is but decent he have leave to come and go and speak with his kinswoman in liberty." "Nay," broke in another, "as for our sister Harrison, let her go in peace, seeing the day of slaughter is near, and the women should abide in safety by the stuff. But as for this man, he shall remain. Shall he go forth and sit lazily while his brethren fight for Canaan? It may be that godly exhortation and the example of valiant men may turn him from the error of his ways ere it be too late." "Ay," cried a grizzled soldier pressing forward, "he shall be snatched out of the fire! Even by force shall he be turned from the way of destruction, and be found in the Lord's ranks on the day of Armageddon." "Gentlemen," broke in Richard, "let me but carry Mrs. Harrison to her coach, and upon my honour I will return and give you my reasons for not joining with you. Let us not fall into debate before a lady." After a little hesitation his hearers agreed, and Richard led his trembling aunt out of the meeting-house, but two sturdy armed fanatics followed him closely to make sure he did not escape from the advantages they proposed to force him to accept. The shouts and excitement in the meeting-house had warned the passers-by that something was in the wind, and a good many loiterers were hanging about the doors, who welcomed them with cries of "Whoop, Roundhead! whoop, crop ears!" and ribald parodies on the war-like psalms, whose sound could be clearly heard through the open windows of the room they had just left.