But whether Emlyn would not, or could not, meet him, he did not know, for a week or two went by before he saw her, and then she was carrying a great fan for her young mistress, who was walking with a Cavalier, as gay as Cavaliers ever ventured to be, and another young lady, whose waiting woman had paired with Emlyn. They were mincing along, gazing about them, and uttering little contemptuous titters, and Stead could only too well guess what kind of remarks Emlyn's companion might make upon him. Near his stand, however, the other lady beckoned her maid to adjust something in her dress; and Stead could approach Emlyn. She looked up with her bright, laughing eyes with a certain wistfulness in them. "Have you made up your mind to cheat the owls?" she asked. "Emlyn, if you would not speak so lightly, I could show cause--" "Oh, that's enough," she answered hastily, turning as the other maid joined her; and Stead caught the shrill, pert voice demanding if that was her swain with clouted shoes. Emlyn's reply he could not hear, but he saw the twist of the shoulders. There are bitter moments in everyone's life, and that was one of the very bitterest of Steadfast Kenton's. CHAPTER XXI. THE ASSAULT OF THE CAVERN. "By all description this should be the place. Who's here?" SHAKESPEARE. Harvest was over, and the autumn evenings were darkening. It was later than the usual bed time, but Patience had a piece of spinning which she was anxious to finish for the weaver who took all her yarn, and Stead was reading Dr. Eales's gift of the Morte d'Arthur, which had great fascination for him, though he never knew whether to regard it as truth or fable. He wanted to drive out the memory of what Mrs. Lightfoot had told him about the Henshaw household, where the youngest of the lady's brothers had lately arrived from beyond seas, bringing with him habits of noise and riot, which greatly scandalised the neighbours. Suddenly Growler started up with pricked ears, and emitted a sound like thunder. Patience checked her wheel. There was an unmistakable sound of steps. Stead sprang up. Growler rushed at the door with a furious volley of barking. Stead threw it open, catching up a stout stick as he did so, and the dog dashed out, but was instantly driven back with an oath and a blow. It was a bright moonlight night, and Stead beheld three tall men evidently well armed. "Ho, you fellow there," one called out, "keep back your cur, we don't want to hurt him nor you." "Then what are you doing here?" demanded Stead. "We are come for what you wot of. For the King's service." "Who sent you?" asked Stead, for the moment somewhat dazed. One of them laughed and said, "As if you did not know." There was a sickening perception, but Stead's powers were alert enough for him to exclaim, "Then you have no warrant."