To his surprise the girl proved a far more apt pupil than any boy he had ever had, and the same energy and enthusiasm that made her father a most aggressive Quaker, being turned into this channel by the force of circumstances, in Bessie showed itself in a marvellous quickness and dexterity in doing all the lighter part of hat-making; and the girl grew more content as the weeks went on. Dame Drayton, however, did not know what to think of a girl taking up what had always been considered boys' work. She would fain have kept Bessie among the children or helping Deborah occasionally with the bread-making and cooking, but as the girl certainly seemed happier now that she had secured some constant employment, she could only think this must be best for Bessie, however strange it might be to her. She told her husband, however, that Bessie puzzled her. She could not understand the girl wanting to do boys' work when she and Deb were ready to teach her all sorts of womanly handiwork. "Thou and I must trust it is the Lord's will she should do this, for she hath certainly most deft and useful fingers, and a quick understanding for all kinds of hat-work. Quick and thorough is she, so that her work can be relied upon already, and I should sorely miss the wench now from my side." Things were in this position when the winter set in, and the Quakers, having met with no disturbance from the authorities, gathered at their meeting-house each First Day—as they chose to call Sunday. Of course Bessie was most regular in her attendance; but Dame Drayton did not always go with her husband and Bessie, preferring to take some of the children to All Hallow's Church, which was close to her home. One Sunday, however, Bessie was suffering from a bad cold, and wholly unfit to go out in the bleak drizzling rain that was falling, and so her friends insisted that she should remain in bed. Dame Drayton decided to go to the meeting-house with her husband, for there was to be a gathering of the Friends afterwards, to hear something more concerning the plan for founding a Quaker colony across the seas. But, alas! that meeting was never held, for the Lord Mayor had ordered that the place should be watched, and as soon as the Friends were all assembled, the doors were forced open by a party of men-at-arms, and after a little parleying with those who kept the door, the Quakers were informed they might consider themselves under arrest, and until their names were taken none were allowed to leave the building. [Illustration] When this business had been got through by the officer in charge, some half-dozen names were read out as being the ringleaders in this seditious gathering, and among them were those of Master Drayton and his wife.