"But we must be well on the watch against surprise, Ben." "Why, of course, sir! You'll have your watch on the towers. And you've seen how they've got a ring of patrols round us?" "Yes, I watched them. So we may give up all hope of getting those ten of Raynes's." "I'm afraid so. It's a bad job, sir, as the corporal was saying just now, for we'd trained them into being our best gunners." "A terrible loss." "Well, not so very terrible, sir, because we must train up some more. Oh! we can keep the enemy outside the moat and enjoy ourselves while they're starving without a roof to cover them. But I want to say a serious thing or two, sir." "I know, Ben; you want to say that my mother's garden must go." "That's one thing, sir." "Well, take what ground you want, and we'll put it straight when we've sent the Parliament to the right-about." "Oh, you'll make a good general, sir; and this trouble's a blessing in disguise to save you from being wasted on books, and becoming a sort of Master Pawson. And that brings me to the other things." "Well, what are those?" "Just you tell me plain, as a soldier--which you are now--what you set down as the strongest bits of the castle?" "Why, the towers, of course!" "That's right, sir. Very well, then, they must be well manned." "As well as we can man them." "That's it, sir; and we must have elbow-room." "Of course!" "Then will you speak to my lady, and ask her to give Master Pawson a couple of rooms in the private part somewhere, or one room ought to be enough now, for I want those two chambers of his badly?" "He won't like that, Ben," said Roy, quickly. "I s'pose not, sir; and there'll be a lot of things none of us will like, but we've got to put up with them. If you'll see about that at once, I shall be glad." "Is it very necessary, Ben?" "You know best about that, sir." "Yes, it is very necessary, Ben," said Roy; and he hurried off to talk the matter over with his mother, visiting the ramparts on his way. He found Lady Royland busy writing, and she looked up with a smile. "I am keeping a diary of all that has taken place since we began the defence. But tell me first--Raynes's men--are we to give them up?" "I'm afraid so, mother. They have not failed us, but have been taken prisoners." "This is a sad blow, Roy, but we must make up for it by working together.--But what is it? You have not come to chat about nothings." "No, mother," said the boy, seriously. "I have come to say that the pleasaunce must go. Ben Martlet says he cannot do without it now." "I have been expecting this, my boy. It has always been a dear delight to me, but it is a pleasure for peace; and when the happy days come back, I shall want the whole garrison to restore it to me again." "Then I was right in telling Ben to take what he wanted?" "Of course, my boy.--Something else?"