“Heaven grant thee a more Christian spirit, friend,” the clergyman meekly rejoined.
“Friend, quotha! I am no friend of prelatists and covenant-breakers,” the other rejoined. “Wilt thou take the National Covenant?”
“Assuredly not,” Mr. Beard replied, firmly.
“Begone both of ye!” Colonel Maunsel cried, losing all patience, “and rid my house of your hateful presence.”
“You had best lay hands upon us, Wolston Maunsel,” the emissary from Goldsmiths’ Hall cried, in a taunting and insolent tone. “I should like nothing better.”
“Nor I,” Thomas Sunne added.
“Be patient, I implore of you, honoured sir,” the clergyman cried, “and let them go.”
“Show them forth, Martin, or I shall do them a mischief,” the colonel cried. Whereupon the two men withdrew, muttering threats, however, as they departed.
As soon as he and Mr. Beard were left alone, Colonel Maunsel gave vent to a fresh explosion of rage.
“Perdition seize these Roundhead miscreants!” he exclaimed. “They have set me upon the horns of a dilemma. How am I to fulfil such contradictory orders? Here is one that tells me I must not stir from home; another, commanding me to come to London. If I obey one, I must perforce neglect the other; and, for my own part, I am well disposed to pay respect to neither.”
“I scarce know how to counsel you, honoured sir,” the clergy-man rejoined. “Truly, it is a most embarrassing position in which you are placed.”
“It is more embarrassing than you deem, reverend sir,” the colonel returned. “I have not wherewithal to pay the fine imposed upon me, and must borrow the two hundred pounds, at heavy usance, from old Zachary Trangmar, the money-lender of Lewes.”
“I am grieved to hear it, sir,” Mr. Beard observed.
“These bloodsuckers will never let me rest till they have utterly ruined me,” pursued the colonel; “and such, I doubt not, is their intent. Their aim is to cripple all true men. Heaven confound their devices!”
“Amen!” the clergyman ejaculated.
“Well! well! the difficulty must be met, and bravely too,” the old Cavalier cried—” no tame yielding, or crying for quarter on the part of Wolston Maunsel. “I will fight the good fight, so long as there is breath in my body. I must go forthwith to Lewes—it is almost within my prescribed limits—and see Zachary Trangmar. I shall have to give the extortionate old rascal my bond, for he will not trust the word of a gentleman.”
“I cannot become surety for you, honoured sir,” the clergyman observed; “or I would willingly be so.”
“No, no,” Colonel Maunsel exclaimed, hastily. “The old usurer will be content with my own security. Unluckily, it is not the first transaction I have had with him. If the knaves go on plundering me in this manner, I shall have little, beyond my good name, to leave my son.”
“And that will be his fairest inheritance, sir,” Mr. Beard observed.
“It is not likely to content him, though,” the colonel rejoined, with a half laugh. “However, we must hope for better days, though neither you nor I may live to see them, reverend sir. Meanwhile, we must provide for the present. I will ride to Lewes this morning, and Dulcia shall accompany me. John Habergeon will watch over Clavering, and will know how to act, in case of difficulty. To your charge, good sir, I confide the rest of the house during my brief absence.”
Mr. Beard bowed, and the colonel arose, observing, that when he last got on horseback, his rheumatism was so bad, that he thought he should never more be able to mount steed; but he felt quite equal to the effort now. Summoning Martin Geere, he bade him cause a couple of horses to be saddled—one of them for Mistress Dulcia. And seeing the old serving-man stare at the unexpected order, he added, “The day is fine, and tempts me to take an hour’s exercise on the downs.”
“But your honour hath not ridden for more than two months,” old Martin stoutly objected.
“No matter, I mean to ride to-day. See that the horses are got ready forthwith.”
“I should not have supposed that your honour would like to leave the house just now,” Martin persisted. “How says your reverence? When robbers are abroad, it were well, methinks, that the master stayed at home to guard his treasure.”