"Master Harry, ’tis good of ’ee to come and see me. Ay; poor feller! you med well say so; but to tell ’ee the truth, ’tis a load off my back." "Yes, I understand. I know now why you always scouted the soldiers in London. Why didn’t you tell me? I would never have brought you to this country, with our soldiers here, there, and everywhere." "Tell ’ee! Not me. Why, you and me would ’a had to part company that minute. Besides, ’twarn’t zackly a thing to be proud on, look at it how ’ee will. ’Twas ill-luck I were nabbed, to be sure; but I’ve had nigh eight year as a man o’ peace, and I s’pose ’twas time the lid were putt on the copper." "And they’ll shoot you!" "Bless ’ee, I bean’t afeard o’ that. I’ve been shot at; ay, many’s the time: at Sedgemoor, and Walcourt, and other cities o’ destruction. I can stand fire wi’ any man. Nay, the one thing as troubles me is how poor old feyther o’ mine’ll take it. The poor ancient soul never dreams I desarted; and zooks! ’tis that’ll hurt un more’n my bein’ a corpse; his boy a desarter, and him a trooper of old Noll’s! Ay, that’ll hurt un, ’twill so. And then there’s you, sir; how be I agwine to leave ’ee, wi’ old Squire and Rafe Aglionby a-seeken whom they may devour, and no one you can trust to polish your breastplate and oil your boots? Ay, the way o’ transgressors is hard; the wages o’ sin is death; many’s the time I’ve yeard they holy words from the lips of pa’son your good feyther, never thinken in my feeble mind he were aimen at me." Harry was at a loss for words. Sherebiah was so perfectly resigned to his fate that any attempt at consolation would seem an impertinence. "How came you to desert?" he asked, to gain time. "Why, I’ll tell ’ee about it. I was a corporal in Coy’s horse; med ha’ been a sergeant long agoo, indeed. But there was a paymaster o’ that regiment, Robins by name; a good sojer, true, but with his faults, like any other mortal man. He was hot in his temper, and crooked in his dealens. Us men was bein’ cheated, right and left; our pay was small enough, but we never got it: a penny here and a ha’penny there bein’ took off for this or that. Ay, and he was a knowen one, he was. All done so soft and quiet-like. We stood it a long time; at long last, ’twas more’n Minshull blood could stomach, and one mornen I up and spoke out; you see, I warn’t a man o’ peace then. Well, Robins bein’ fiery by nature, he got nettled; I should myself; but ’tis one thing to get nettled, and another to use yer fist. Robins he used his fist, and not bein’ zackly meek as Moses, I used mine, and he fell under. Two or three of my mates standen by saw it all. Robins he raved and called on ’em to arrest me, but they wouldn’t. But ’twas all up wi’ me; I knowed that well enough; if Robins took a spite agen a man he med as well be a dead dog. I had no mind to be a dead dog just then, so I bolted; and that’s how I come to be such a man o’ peace."