"I trust our venerable archbishop may be suffered to die in peace, even though it may be in the Tower!" exclaimed Master Pryce the postman. "Verily, we Welshmen will not in silence see brought to the scaffold one who has been bishop of our own St. David's, and well known and beloved by many an honest friend of our own! I am right glad our good Master Taylor doth for the present hold his cure in safety, for much hath he won our hearts by the eloquence and marvellous beauty of his discourses, which we have from time to time been privileged to hear. Yet I fear me he is e'en too staunch a friend of our king, and his brave speech too outspoken, for him to remain ever unharmed." "He shall ever find a snug shelter here in our little valley," said the boatman, "an he should be o'ertaken by an ill-fortune. Not one among us whatever but would stretch out a loving hand to our dear vicar's bosom friend, an he should stand in need of our help! I warrant you Master Jeremy Taylor's name shall live through many a generation, and his pen as well as his golden speech yet make for him a fame which shall cause our children's children to rejoice that their fathers had met with him face to face, and listened to his brave words in the pulpit of yon church on the hillside!" "Think you the Lord Bryn Afon will also join the king?" asked Master Evans. "He has made longer sojourn among us than ever heretofore in our memory, and it is said that his love for his daughter is one of rare devotion whatever. His heart will be sore at parting from so sweet a treasure. Moreover, his lady's health is but sadly, she having never recovered, say they, the disappointment of her hopes for the Lady Shanno's marriage. Is it so, think you, friend Jack?" "I fear me," he answered, "that her life-long sorrows have so preyed upon her mind that her strength did verily fail her beneath so grievous a downfall of her hopes, and she doth indeed but linger now from day to day, held to earth by her great love for her husband and child, and by their prayers for her, but with so little life and strength left in her feeble frame that a breath might bear her soul heavenward." "She doth cherish for you a wondrous fond affection," said Master Evans, somewhat jealously. "'Tis none of us she would bid to her presence, and admit within yon mysterious gates, which even the fair hand of our river-maiden may not throw open as we had hoped." "You forget, good friend," said Jack quietly, "that she who has entrusted me for so many years with the care of her child could scarce find it in her heart to deny me from time to time the joy of my darling's presence. Perchance my grievous sorrow at the loss of her from my own humble hearth can scarce be fully understood save by the child's own parents, who in their exceeding love can have feeling hearts for mine. Moreover, as you know, she is of mine own kin."