"Then you must pardon my absence. There has come a messenger this evening for my father, with a letter that has to be considered. I must attend to what is fitting for the comfort of the traveller." When left to himself, Fox became restless. He stood up, and himself tried the door of old Anthony's apartment. It was locked. He struck at the door with his knuckles, but received no answer. Then he looked through the keyhole; it was dark within. The old man was not there, but at that moment he heard him cough upstairs. He was therefore in his bedroom, and Fox would catch him as he descended. He returned to the parlour. Presently Bessie entered with Luke; she had gone to the door, had stood in the porch communing with herself, unwilling to be in the room with her tormentor, when Luke appeared, and asked to see her father. "Verily," said she, with a faint smile, "he is in mighty request this night; you are the third who have come for him--first a stranger, then Fox----" "Fox here?" "Yes, he is within." "I am glad. A word with him before I see your father, and do you keep away, Bessie, for a while till called." Fox started to his feet when Luke came in, but said nothing till Bessie left the room, then hurriedly, "You, raven--what news? But mark you. I did it in self-defence. Every man must defend his own life. When he knew that I was to take his place in Hall, he rushed on me, and I did but protect myself." "Anthony's wound is trifling," said Luke, coldly. "So! and you have come to prejudice me in the ear of his father." "I am come with a message from Anthony to his father." "Indeed--to come and see his scratch, and a drop of blood from it; and then to clasp each other and weep, and make friends?" "The message is not to you, but to his father." "And--he is not hurt?" "Not seriously hurt." "I never designed to hurt him. I did but defend my own self. I treated him as an angry boy with a knife." "No more of this," said Luke. "Let the matter not be mentioned. I will say naught concerning it, neither do you. So is best. As for Anthony, he is away." "Away? Whither gone?" "Gone to-night to join Monmouth. Your father is gathering men for the Protestant cause, Anthony will be with him and them." Fox laughed. His insolence had come back, as his fears abated. "Faith! he has run away, because I scratched him with a pin. At the first prick he fainted." Luke went to the door, and called in Bessie. He could not endure the association with Fox. "Bess!" he said, "can I see your father?--I have a message for him from Tony." "He is upstairs--in his bedroom," said Bessie. "I will tell him you are here when he descends." "Come here," exclaimed Fox, who had recovered all his audacity, and with it boisterous spirits. "Come here, Bess, my dear, and let Cousin Curate Luke know how we stand to each other." "And, pray," said Bessie, colouring, "how do we stand to each other?"