When Evensong was over, John and Mr Rose went out for a half-hour's walk: and there were left in the chamber Dr Thorpe, Esther, Isoult and the children, and Thekla. Isoult called to Barbara for candles, for those they had were burning low in the socket; and while she was gone to fetch them, came a low gentle tapping at the door.

"May I open it, Mother?" said Kate; and leave being given, away she ran.

Nothing was audible at the door, but Kate, coming back, said--

"Mother, 'tis a gentleman that would have speech of Father. Will you speak with him?"

Isoult lifted her eyes, and saw behind Kate a gentleman, it seemed to her, of some thirty years or more, tall and spare, indeed, very thin and worn, hollow-cheeked and sunken-eyed, with long dark brown hair, a long beard lying low upon his breast, and a moustache curling round his upper lip. A stranger--at least, she knew neither his face nor his name.

"Sir," she said, "I am sorry mine husband is not within at this present; but if it should please you to wait a little season, I am a.s.sured--"

"That he shall not be long," she was about to say: but she never got any further. Her speech was cut in two by a sharp, sudden cry from behind her, that must have rung through every room in the house, and that broke from the lips of Thekla Rose.

"Robin! Robin! Robin!"

It seemed to Isoult for a moment as though her very heart stood still.

Was it thus that G.o.d had given her its desire? Was this white, worn, bearded man verily "our Robin," who had pa.s.sed away from them so very different? She seemed neither to know nor to see any thing, till she felt two arms clasped around her, and a voice, that no time nor prison could wholly alter, called her to herself, with--"Mother, I think you have not forgot me?" And then she awoke, and her heart was loosed, and her eyes with it. She bowed her head down upon Robin's breast, and wept pa.s.sionately. Verily G.o.d had visited them! G.o.d had heard their cry, and had given them back their darling.

What followed was confusion. Thekla's cry brought her mother down in haste. Kate and Walter ran to the new-comer, hailing him as "Dear Brother Robin!" while little Frances hung back shyly, and had to be coaxed to come. Dr Thorpe said he would never have known him, had he not been helped; but Robin answered that "he was then the better off of the two, for he knew him the minute he stepped within." Esther said she thought she could have guessed at him with a little time and consideration.

"I am very glad to see you, Mrs Esther," said he, "for I did never look again to see any that were bound with me that night."

"Then thou lookest not," answered Isoult, "to see Mr Rose, which I trust shall be in some few minutes."

"I did not, in good sooth," said he, "only I dared not to ask."

While he spoke, they heard John's hand upon the latch.

Kate instantly rushed upon him, crying, "Father, come and see!"

"Come and see what, sweeting?" said he.

"Come and see!" she answered, pulling him after her into the room.

Mr Rose followed more quietly. John, come into the room, stood gazing at Robin as though he knew not what to make of it. Mr Rose pa.s.sed him and came forward.

"Robin Tremayne!" said he. "I scarce dared to hope it."

So when all the glad greetings were over, they sat down, and drew their chairs round the fire. Barbara came in with the supper-board, and stared when Robin said, "Good even, Barbara."

"Sir!" queried she, looking at him in amazement. "Nay, sure! 'tis never Master Robin come back? Well, I be cruel glad!"

"And now, Robin," said John, "we want thine history, writ fair in a great book."

"Then, Father," he answered, and smiled, "you must tarry the writing.

But I count I take you. Mine history is not very long, for there was but little change in it."

"But, Robin," said Isoult, "where hast thou been, dear lad? Austin Bernher hath searched all the prisons for thee, yea, over and over, for months past, and asked at many prisoners; yet could never bring us tidings."

"I trow, Mother," answered Robin, again smiling, "he searched every whither but the right. And few prisoners should have known anything of me, seeing I was kept alone."

"Did they count thee a prisoner of import?" said John, in an astonished tone.

"From what I heard them say," answered Robin, looking at Mr Rose, "I may thank you for that. Taking me with you, and standing close by you, they counted me a very pestilent heretic, and treated me as such."

"Ah! see what it is to fall into bad company!" said Mr Rose, smiling.

"Well, Robin," said Isoult, "thou shalt tell us all after supper, an'

thou wilt. But now all is ready, an't please you."

So they gathered round the supper-table, and Mr Rose had only just said grace, when the latch was lifted, and Mr Underhill's cheery voice cried--

"May an heretic come in?"

"Come forward, Ned!" shouted John in return.

And forward he came.

"I am weary as a dog!" said he. "And I see yonder some eggs and b.u.t.ter ['b.u.t.tered eggs' survive north of the Trent] that doth make my mouth water; and a warden-pie [the warden was a very late pear, used chiefly for pies], if mine eyes bewray me not. Mrs Avery--" but here, his eye catching Robin, he broke off short. "Do you bid ghosts to supper? If those be not Robin Tremayne's eyes, they are the fairest copies ever mine saw!"

"Robin Tremayne's eyes are very glad to see you, Mr Underhill," said he, laughingly: and Mr Underhill wrung his hand till Robin's fingers must have tingled no little.

"Draw a chair and fall to, man," said John.

"Go to!" replied Mr Underhill; and did so with much apparent gusto.

"Well, so your work is over," said John. "How pa.s.sed all? and where is the Queen?"

"In her bed, I hope," answered Mr Underhill, "unless she be somewhat more than other women. Marry, but she must be aweary to-night! 'Twas a splendrous matter, and worth seeing; but as cold as charity. And when 'tis January other where, 'tis not August in Westminster Abbey. We heretics fared uncommon well; George Ferris and I got a red deer pie betwixt us, and we made it look ashamed of himself ere we had done, I warrant you."

"Ned Underhill!" said John, "'tis a standing marvel to me that Austin Bernher and thou should have come out of Queen Mary's persecution alive."

"'Tis a greater marvel to me that thou shouldst," replied Mr Underhill, a second time attacking the b.u.t.tered eggs. "Mrs Avery, I hope you have more eggs in the house?--With all thy prudence, and cautiousness, and wariness, sweet Jack, thou earnest not off a whit better than thy rash and foolish neighbour."

"Nay," answered John, "I came off thus much better, that I never yet saw the inside of Newgate."

"Tush! that was for a ballad I writ," said he. "But thou canst not say I fared the worse, saving that."

"I cannot," answered John, "and thereat I marvel no little."

"O wise and sagacious Jack! didst ever pluck a nettle?"

"I have done such a thing," replied he.

"Then thou wist that the gentler 'tis handled, the more it stingeth.

Now for my moral: take Queen Mary as the nettle, and thou seest my way of dealing."

"Your pardon, friend Underhill!" said Mr Rose, "but I can in no wise allow that either of you were saved by your way of dealing. Let Him have all the glory unto whom it belongeth."