Domestic fiction; England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Family -- England -- Fiction
Griff had fought hard. He was all over bruises which he really had never
felt at the time, scarcely even now, though one side of his face was
turning purple, and his clothes were singed. In a sort of council held
at the repulse of the attack on the Cathedral, it had been decided that
the best thing he could do would be to give notice to Sir George
Eastwood, in order that the Yeomanry might be called out, since the
troops were so strangely prevented from acting. As he rode through
Clifton, he had halted at Lady Peacock’s, and found her in extreme alarm.
Indeed, no one could guess what the temper of the mob might be the next
day, or whether they might not fall upon private houses. The
Mansion-House, the prisons, the palace were all burning and were an
astounding sight, which terrified her exceedingly, and she was sending
out right and left to endeavour to get horses to take her away. In
common humanity, and for old acquaintance sake, it was impossible not to
help her, and Griff had delayed, to offer any amount of reward in her
name for posthorses, which he had at last secured. Her own man-servant,
whom she had sent in quest of some, had never returned, and she had to
set off without him, Griff acting as outrider; but after the first there
was no more difficulty about horses, and she had been able to change them
at the next stage.
We all thought the days of civil war were really begun, as the heads of
this account were hastily gathered; but there was not much said, only Mr.
Frank Fordyce laid his hand on Griff’s shoulder and said, ‘Well done, my
boy; but you have had enough for to-day. If you’ll lend me a horse,
Winslow, I’ll ride over to Eastwood. That’s work for the clergy in these
times, eh? Griffith should rest. He may be wanted to-morrow. Only is
there any one to take a note home for me, to say where I’m gone;’ and
then he added with that sweet smile of his, ‘Some one will be more the
true knight than ever, eh, you Griffith you—’
Griffith coloured a little, and Lady Peacock’s eyes looked interrogative.
When the horse was announced, Griff followed Mr. Fordyce into the hall,
and came back announcing that, unless summoned elsewhere, he should go to
breakfast at Hillside, and so hear what was decided on. He longed to be
back at the scene of action, but was so tired out that he could not
dispense with another night’s rest; though he took all precautions for
being called up, in case of need.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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