For a day or two after her return Maud was not able to go to the cottage, for Master Drury had scarcely reached home when he was taken seriously ill, and Mistress Mabel's herbs and decoctions failed to relieve his sickness for some time. Bertram and Bessie, however, went each day, and brought back the report that the widow had seemed very joyful when she heard that Maud had returned, and that her errand had been so successful as to gain the prisoners their freedom. Maud smiled when she heard this. "Marry, but their freedom is not gained yet," she said, with something of a sigh. "Dame Coppins says they are free, and on their way to London," said Bessie. Maud opened her eyes. Was the old woman a witch after all? Bertram's next words quite confirmed her in this wild notion. "Maud," he said in a whisper, "do you know that Harry was one of the prisoners." "Who told you so?" asked Maud, quickly, for it had been agreed that this intelligence should not reach the children, or even Mistress Mabel. "Dame Coppins told me," replied Bertram; "she said he would have been shot if you had not gone to Oxford with those papers," he added. Maud actually shuddered with horror as the boy said this. "Bertram, you must not go to Dame Coppins again," she said, quickly. "Why not?" asked Bertram, in surprise. "Prithee, I scarce can tell you, but--but you will keep it quite a secret, Bertram, even from Bessie," said Maud--"this dreadful thing I am going to tell you." Bertram nodded. "Isn't she a good old woman?" he asked. "Bertie, she's a witch," whispered Maud, in a tone of horror. Bertram started back pale with fright. "I don't believe it, Maud," he said: "she couldn't talk about God taking care of Harry, and pray for Him to do it, if she was a wicked old witch. I do believe God took you safe to Oxford in time because she prayed so much about it, and that He's kept Harry safe in all the battles, that he might come home to us again in answer to Dame Coppins's prayers." Bertram spoke quickly, almost passionately, but Maud only shook her head sadly. "I thought she was a good woman," she said, "but how could she know what happened at Oxford if she was not a witch? Nobody here knows that Harry was in prison--not even Mistress Mabel or the servants, so that no one could tell her about it." But Bertram was still unwilling to believe in Dame Coppins's wickedness, until Maud said pettishly, "I do believe she has bewitched you, Bertie, and you must not go to see her again." "But I will go," said Bertram, beginning to lose his temper. "Then I shall ask Mistress Mabel to forbid you going beyond the moat," said Maud.