"Yes; that's the name. I know him well enough--too well. 'Twas he as took me in the High Meadows." "Oh! it was. Well; he hev taked Will, too, an' carried him away to Lydney, where Sir John ha' now got a gaol o' his own. There wor some trouble 'bout it; the Lord Herbert, who's governor at Monnerth, claimin' him as his prisoner. But the other sayed as yours wor a case o' deer-stealin' in the Forest, an' Will had helped, ye ought both be taken before Sir John an' tried by him, he bein' head man o' it. Then Lord Herbert gave in, an' let them take him off. Will did help ye a bit, didn't he?" "More'n a bit. But for him, liker than not, I'd now be in theer lock-up at Lydney. Well, if he be goed there he mayn't ha' so long to stay as they think for--won't, if what I've heerd be true." "What's ye heerd, Rob?" "Some news as ha' just come down from Lunnun. It's sayed the King's been chased out o't, an' the Parlyment be now havin' it all theer own way. Supposin' that's the case, Sir John Winter won't hae it all his own way much longer. We Foresters'll deal wi' him diff'rent from what we've been a doin'. An' 'bout that I ha' got word o' somethin' else." "What somethin'?" "A man, they say's comin' down here--from Lunnun too. One o' the right sort--friend o' the people. Besides, a soldier as ha' seen foreign service, an' is reckoned 'mong the best and kindest of men." "I think I know who ye mean, Rob. Ain't it Sir Richard Walwyn?" "That's the man." "He wor at Hollymead fore he went away to the wars. I've seed him many's the time. He used to often ride past our place, an' always stopped to ha' a word an' a joke wi' Jack. That makes me remember him; an' if I beant mistook somebody else ha' remembrance o' him in a different way, an' ain't like ever to forget him." "Who?" "One o' the young ladies o' Hollymead--the older 'un, Miss Sabrina. I ha' heerd as much from the house sarvints theer." Just the shadow of a cloud had shown itself on Rob's brow as Win commenced giving her reminiscences of the knight who had been visitor at Hollymead and used to crack jokes with Jerky. It passed off, however, ere her relation came to an end. "Well, dear Win," he said, speaking more tenderly from consciousness of having harboured an unjust suspicion; "they say Sir Richard be comin' down to raise soldiers for the Parlyment. If that be so, one o' the first to join him'll be Rob Wilde; an' maybe the biggest, if not best, in the fightin' line." "You'll be the best, Rob; I know you will. Who could equal you?" At which she threw open her arms, then closed them around his neck, covering him with kisses. In all probability, many soft words and much tender concourse would have succeeded this outburst of admiration. But the opportunity was not allowed them. Just then they heard a clattering of hoofs, horsemen coming down the road from Ruardean, at a gallop.