Standish said no more, though he felt mortified by her ladyship's refusal.

A strong sense of disappointment pervaded both officers and men that they were not to be allowed a last chance of punishing the detested foe, but they repressed the feeling as well as they could, and only displayed it by picking off a man now and then on the batteries.

A strange sort of quietude prevailed amongst the enemy, which could only be explained by the supposition that they were preparing either for a general assault or a speedy retreat. That news had reached them of the advance of Prince Rupert and the earl was apparent, but how they meant to act under the circumstances could not be so readily conjectured.

The greatest care was taken by Rigby to cut off all communication between the garrison and their friends, and he succeeded so well that no intelligence, later than that brought by Standish, had as yet reached the countess.

She knew not whether Rupert and the earl had passed Stockport Bridge, or whether they had been compelled by the successful resistance of the enemy to cross the Mersey at Warrington. In the latter case they would have to storm the town, and this would occasion considerable delay.

Linacre and another scout had been sent out to obtain information, but neither had returned.

Meanwhile, though the garrison knew it not, the utmost anxiety prevailed in the camp of the enemy, and constant councils were held by Rigby and Colonel Assheton, Colonel Holland having returned to Manchester on the first tidings of the prince's approach, as it was not improbable that town might be assaulted by the prince.

All the available force that could be got together by the Parliamentary commanders was sent to Stock-port to defend the bridge. Unfortunately for them, Sir Thomas Fairfax, the only general who could have adequately directed their efforts at this critical juncture, or encountered the resistless Rupert with a chance of success, was in Yorkshire, and could not arrive in time.

The Parliamentary force, thus hastily collected, amounted to four thousand men-five hundred of whom were contributed by Rigby from his beleaguering force at Lathom. The commanders of this force, which consisted chiefly of infantry, were Colonels Duckenfield and Mainwaring, two officers of courage and experience. They had with them a dozen large cannon.

At Stockport, the Mersey, which here divides Cheshire and Lancashire, runs through a deep ravine with high cliffs on either side. At that time the river was crossed by a narrow stone bridge, which from its position could be easily defended.

Posted on the Lancashire side of the river, the Parliamentary leaders had placed six of their cannon so as to command the bridge, and the rest on the heights above.

The cliffs were covered with musketeers who could fire upon the enemy as from the ramparts of a castle, while a large force, drawn up on both sides of the bridge, was ready to dispute the passage.

When Prince Rupert looked down upon this formidable pass, and saw how well it was defended, he remarked to the Earl of Derby, who was with him: "The rebels have done their best to keep us out of Lancashire. It will take some time and cost some men to get to the other side of this ravine, but we shall do it in spite of them."

"Will your highness go first, or shall I clear the bridge?" asked the earl.

"No, cousin. No one shall go before me," replied the prince. "Follow with the cuirassiers."

Having given some orders, the valiant prince, who loved to confront danger, drew his sword, placed himself at the head of his lancers, and dashed down the precipitous bank like a torrent, sweeping all before it.

Utterly unable to withstand the furious onset, the soldiers, who guarded the approach to the bridge were either cut to pieces, or driven back upon their comrades, so that the bridge was crowded with soldiers jammed so closely together that they could not move hand or foot.

In this helpless condition they were mercilessly slaughtered by the lancers, to escape whom numbers leaped over the parapets into the river and were drowned.

In a few minutes, Rupert was across the bridge, cutting down, or scattering the new force that vainly attempted to oppose him.

Meantime, the musketeers on the cliffs had begun to fire, and showers of bullets whistled past the prince, but he seemed to bear a charmed life, for not a shot struck him.

The cannon near the bridge proved useless, and were taken before the engineers could open fire, while the ordnance on the heights, being badly levelled, did more harm to friends than foes.

By this time the Earl of Derby had joined the prince, and harquebussiers and dragoons were following fast, so that the whole ravine seemed filled with soldiers, and resounded with the roar of cannon and the rattle of musketry.

To prevent the Royalists from climbing the bank, Colonel Duckenfield had barred the ascent with a thousand men, and a terrible conflict took place, but it ended in the complete rout of the Parliamentarians, more than half of whom were slain.

The battle did not last more than two hours, but at the end of that time Rupert and Lord Derby were in Lancashire, with their whole force-neither of them having received a wound, while the enemy were flying in all directions.

The losses of the Royalists were slight as compared with those of the foe. Quantities of arms were taken, and many prisoners made.

In short, the prince's entrance into Lancashire had been marked by an important victory, tidings of which would quickly spread throughout the country, rousing the well-affected, and filling the rebels with dismay.

On hearing of this signal defeat, Rigby was filled with consternation. Clearly, the siege of Lathom House must be abandoned, since he could not doubt that Prince Rupert and the Earl of Derby would immediately come to succour the countess, and it would be impossible to stand against them.

He knew not which way to turn. If he retired to Manchester, he should inevitably meet the foe. After some consideration, he decided upon proceeding to Bolton, which had now become a Puritan town, and where there was a strong Parliamentary garrison.

But he determined not to set out till night, as he wished to keep the countess in suspense to the last moment. With this object he ordered a certain number of men to remain in the trenches, and occupy the batteries till it became dark.

Later on in the day, the remnant of the troops he had sent to Stockport returned, in a very shattered condition, several of them wounded, and most of them without arms or ammunition.

Captain Willoughby and Captain Bootle, the only officers left, out of half a dozen, gave him particulars of the disastrous fight, and confirmed his apprehensions that the victorious Royalist commanders were marching to Lathom to wreak their vengeance upon him. He had no alternative, therefore, but flight, and he accordingly hastened his preparations for departure.

Before setting out, he sent Captain Bootle with a small troop of horse to Knowsley, ordering him to make prisoners of Don Fortunio and his daughter, and bring them to Bolton, as he hoped to obtain a large ransom for them.

An hour before midnight, he had assembled his whole force, which notwithstanding the losses he had just sustained amounted to nearly three thousand men.

In obedience to the orders given them, the soldiers had silently quitted the trenches and batteries, and nothing indicated that the musketeers on the batteries were aware of their departure.

Screened by the darkness, Rigby then stole away, deeply mortified and humiliated, the Leaguer that had lasted nearly four months being thus disgracefully abandoned.

All possible expedition was used in the nocturnal march, for the Parliamentarians were fearful of pursuit, knowing that quarter would not be given them, if they were overtaken.

They might have found refuge in Wigan, which was not far off, but Rigby did not dare to stay there, as he would not have been secure from the vengeful Earl of Derby. So he went on, leaving behind him at Eccleston and Wrightington such of his wounded soldiers as were unable to continue the rapid march.

On reaching Lostock Hall, he halted for an hour, and then made his way over the hills and moors lying between him and Bolton, arriving there soon after day-break. Not till he was inside the mud walls that protected the town, did he feel secure.

IV.

Of the brief Visit paid by Prince Rupert to the Countess

WHILE Rigby was executing this rapid retreat, the officers of the garrison were preparing for a final sortie-permission having at last been accorded, though reluctantly, by the countess.

Just before dawn, Standish, accompanied by Lieutenant Bretergh and fifty musketeers, sallied forth from the great gateway; and at the same time Captains Ogle and Rawsthorne with another party issued from the postern-gate. Captain Chisenhale with a hundred men was in the centre court, and Captain Molineux Radcliffe was on the ramparts.

As the two parties cautiously advanced towards the trenches, they were surprised to find that all remained quiet. No sentinels could be discovered, nor was a single shot fired from the fortifications.

Beginning, at length, to suspect the truth, Standish dashed on, plunged unhesitatingly into the trench, which he found abandoned, and next scaled the nearest battery, followed closely by Bretergh and his men. No resistance was offered. Not a shot was fired. The cannon was in the sconce, but the engineers were gone.

Overjoyed at the discovery, Standish caused his men to shout loudly. They were answered from the fortifications gained by Ogle and Rawsthorne, and from musketeers on the ramparts of the mansion, but no other sound was heard, and it was clear that the besiegers had decamped, leaving nothing behind them except such ordnance as were too heavy to be removed.

Intelligence of this important discovery was immediately sent to Major Farrington, by whom it was conveyed to the countess.

She was quite prepared for the good news by the shouts she had heard. Indeed, there was not a single person in the garrison that did not guess the truth.

As soon as it became light, the sudden departure of the enemy was confirmed, since it could be seen that the tents had been struck during the night. Evidently Rigby had taken flight, alarmed by the approach of Prince Rupert and the Earl of Derby.

Standish besought permission to ride forth and meet the earl, and the countess yielded to his solicitations, but enjoined him to take a guard with him. Nothing could have pleased him better, and as soon as the horses could be saddled, he set out with half a dozen armed attendants.

Passing through the deserted trenches, and making his way past the fortifications, he rode on to the site of the camp. There were abundant vestiges of the besiegers, though they had taken with them all they could. Several wounded men, who had been left behind, were lying stretched on the ground, groaning with pain. Some of these poor fellows implored his help, and from them he ascertained that Colonel Rigby had retired with his whole force to Bolton. They also informed him of the conflict at Stockport, adding, that the victorious Royalists were marching to Lathom, and could not be very far off.

This proved to be the case, for ere he had quitted the spot, the loud blast of a clarion was heard, and a regiment of lancers emerged from the wood. At the head of this fine body of men rode Prince Rupert and the Earl of Derby. Having learnt from their scouts that the beleaguering force was gone, they had ridden on with the advanced guard.

Instantly recognising the two noble personages, Standish rode on to meet them.

"Soh! the siege is raised, and Rigby gone," cried the prince, as he returned Standish's salutation. "Whither has he fled?"

"To Bolton, your highness, as I learn from those wounded men," replied Standish.

"To Bolton!" cried Rupert. Then turning to Lord Derby, he added: "We will follow him thither."

The earl signified his satisfaction at the resolve.

"Were he to escape punishment, all the rebels in the county would deride us," he said. "Bolton is a strong place, as I have found, but it shall not shelter him from our swords."

"We will march there at once," cried the prince. "I will come to Lathom on our return."

"Nay, I pray your highness, pass not by the castle, now you are so near it," said the earl. "It will cheer the countess to see you."

Thus urged, Rupert could not refuse, though he controlled his impatience with difficulty. But he gave orders to an aide-de-camp to inform the different officers that no halt should be made, but that the whole army must march on to Bolton, adding that he and Lord Derby would overtake them before they got half way there.

These orders given, the prince and the earl, attended by Standish and followed by a guard of twenty lancers, together with the musketeers from the garrison, rode towards the mansion.

On reaching the batteries, they stopped for a few minutes to examine them, and while they were engaged in the scrutiny, Standish told them of the many successful sorties made by the garrison, and how the great mortar had been captured.

"Rigby has utterly failed," he said. "He has battered the walls, knocked down a turret, and hit the Eagle Tower, but he has done us no real harm."

"How many soldiers have you lost?" demanded the prince.

"Not half a dozen, your highness," replied Standish. "But upwards of five hundred of the enemy have been slain."

Rupert smiled at the earl, but made no remark.

Meanwhile, access had been given to the castle through a breach in the fortifications, and a portion of the ditch had likewise been levelled.

The drawbridge was lowered, and the gates thrown wide open, and as the prince and the earl rode into the court-yard, which resounded with the loud and joyous shouts of the musketeers, they were met by Major Farrington and the officers of the garrison.

But Lord Derby did not linger there. The countess and her daughters had just come forth, and on beholding them he sprang from his steed, and hurrying forward clasped them in his arms.

Not to interrupt this joyous meeting, the prince remained for a few minutes in converse with Major Farrington. He then dismounted, and tendered his homage and congratulations to the countess, and in no measured terms.

"I am no flatterer as you are well aware, cousin," he said, "but a rude soldier, and you will therefore believe me when I say that I do not think there is another woman in England-nay, for that matter, not a man-who could have defended this castle for so long a period against such a beleaguering force, as you have done. I am proud of you, cousin-very proud-and well I may be of my near relationship to the most heroic lady of her day."

"You praise me overmuch, cousin," replied the countess, much gratified. "But I thank you nevertheless."

"If you are proud of her, prince, what must I be, who can call her wife?" said Lord Derby. "Had I not known her intrepidity and skill I should not have left her here. But she has more than justified my confidence."

"Without your positive orders, my dear lord, I would never have capitulated, and this I told the messengers sent me by the enemy," said the countess. "And had not you, prince, come to my deliverance, I would have perished here with my children and soldiers. Such was my fixed determination. I thank you from my heart for what you have done."

"Nay, I have done nothing," rejoined Rupert. "It has not been needful to strike a blow. The enemy have fled."

"The terror of your name has driven them hence," said the countess.

"But they are not beyond my reach," said the prince, sternly. "They have fled, but I shall catch them. I have sworn to avenge your wrongs, cousin, and I will keep my word. I will exterminate Rigby and his host."

"Rigby does not deserve mercy," said the countess. "He is a traitor and a robber. Whither is he gone?"

"To Bolton," replied the earl. "There we shall follow him, so we must now bid you adieu."

"This is indeed a brief visit," she said.

"But we shall speedily return," said the earl.

"Will not your highness enter the house, and drink a cup of wine?" said the countess.

"I will drink no wine till I have taken Bolton, and slain Rigby," rejoined Rupert. "Ere many days, you shall see us again, if all goes well. And then I will feast with you, and rejoice. Farewell, dear cousin!"

While the prince mounted his charger, and rode slowly through the gateway bowing to Major Farrington, and the officers, Lord Derby lingered for a moment to embrace his wife and daughters, and shook hands heartily with Archdeacon Rutter and the other chaplains.

He then vaulted into the saddle, and followed the prince amid reiterated shouts from the musketeers.

Gladly would they have accompanied their lord to Bolton. Gladly would the officers have gone with him. But the earl had sufficient force, and would not reduce the strength of the garrison till the enemy was vanquished.

All therefore were left behind except Standish and his little troop, who had the enviable privilege of attending their lord.

As the earl looked back at the castle, and thought of all that had happened since he last beheld it, he breathed a prayer to Heaven for its marvellous preservation.

Just as Standish had passed through the breach in the fortifications, he encountered Linacre, and stopped for a moment to speak to him.

"What news from Knowsley?" he asked.

"Bad news," replied Linacre. "Don Fortunio and his daughter have been taken prisoners by Captain Bootle, and carried off to Bolton. They were taken away last night."

Fain would Standish have questioned him further, but time was not allowed him.

At this moment, the two leaders set off at a rapid pace, and he was obliged to follow.

END OF BOOK THE SIXTH.