"Not at present. He has his own troubles now. Besides, we know nothing for certain. I will not speak till further and fuller news reaches me. But, Bess, you must be with him--he is not in a state to be left alone. Now, may be, in his broken condition, he may feel your regard in a manner he has not heretofore." "Heigh, there. Have you heard?" The voice was that of Fox. He came up heated, excited. "Heigh, there! Luke, and you, Bess, too? Have you heard the tidings? There's our man, Coaker, come back--came on one of the coach-horses. There has been a pretty upset at the end, as I thought. My father is dead--the soldiers shot him as he sat in the coach, and proceeded to turn everything out in search of spoil. What a merciful matter," he grinned, without an audible laugh, "that the five or six hundred pounds had been lifted on Black Down instead of falling into the hands of the Papist looters! Aye?" Neither Luke nor Elizabeth answered him. "You know that now I am owner of the little estate in Buckland," said he, "such as it is--a poor, mean scrap that remains of what we Crymes----" "You are now a Cleverdon," said Luke, dryly. "But not for long. I shall change my name back, if it cost me fifty pounds. There is something more that I am. I am trustee for Julian till she marries--I step into my father's place. How do you suppose she will like that? How will she find herself placed under my management?" He laughed. "Your father dead," said Luke, "one might expect of you some decent lamentation." "Oh! I am sorry, I assure thee! But Lord! what else could I expect? And I thank Heaven it is no worse. I expected him to be drawn to Tyburn, hung, and disembowelled as a traitor. I swear to thee, Luke, I was rejoiced to hear he died honourably of a shot, since die he must. And Anthony dead----" "Anthony! Have you heard?" "Nay--I cannot swear. But Coaker says it is undoubted. The troopers were in full pursuit of our Tavistock company of Jack-Fools, cutting them down and not sparing one. Anthony cannot escape. If he ran from the field, he will be caught elsewhere. If they spitted the common men, they will not spare the commanding officer." "Poor Anthony!" sighed Bess. "Ay! poor Anthony, indeed, with nothing left at all now--not even the chance of life! But never mind poor Anthony, Bess; please to consider me. I know not but what now I shall be able at my ease to pay that attorney from Exeter--if I choose; but that shall only be to make Hall my own, and no sooner has my money passed hands than out turns your father. He and I will never be able to pull together. He has his notions and I mine. No man can serve two masters, as Parson Luke will tell thee; and neither can a land be held by and serve two masters, one choosing this and t'other that. No sooner is Hall cleared with my money than out walks the old Squire. Then you and I Bess----"