the police about, Mr O'Joscelyn?"

"Oh, they were about, to be sure, poor men; but what could they do? The
government now licenses every outrage."

"But what _did_ the people do?" said Mr Armstrong.

"Wait till I tell you. They remained up all night; and so did we, you
may be sure. Mary did not rise from her chair once that night without
a pistol in her hand. We heard the sounds of their voices continually,
close to the parsonage gate; we could see them in the road, from the
windows--crowds of them--men, women and children; and still they
continued shouting. The next morning they were a little more quiet, but
still the parish was disturbed: nobody was at work, and men and women
stood collected together in the roads. But as soon as it was dusk,
the shoutings and the bonfires began again; and again did I and Mrs
O'Joscelyn prepare for a night of anxious watching. We sat up all
Friday night, Mr Armstrong."

"With the pistols again?"

"Indeed we did; and lucky for us that we did so. Had they not known
that we were prepared, I am convinced the house would have been
attacked. Our daughters sat with us this night, and we were so far used
to the state of disturbance, that we were able to have a little
supper."

"You must have wanted that, I think."

"Indeed we did. About four in the morning, I dropped asleep on the
sofa; but Mary never closed her eyes."

"Did they come into the garden at all, or near the house?"

"No, they did not. And I am very thankful they refrained from doing so,
for I determined to act promptly, Mr Armstrong, and so was Mary--that
is, Mrs O'Joscelyn. We were both determined to fire, if we found our
premises invaded. Thank God the miscreants did not come within the
gate."

"You did not suffer much, then, except the anxiety, Mr O'Joscelyn?"

"God was very merciful, and protected us; but who can feel safe, living
in such times, and among such a people? And it all springs from Rome;
the scarlet woman is now in her full power, and in her full deformity.
She was smitten down for a while, but has now risen again. For a while
the right foot of truth was on her neck; for a while she lay prostrated
before the strength of those, who by God's grace, had prevailed against
her. But the latter prophecies which had been revealed to us, are now
about to be accomplished. It is well for those who comprehend the signs
of the coming time."

"Suppose we join the ladies," said the earl, awakened by the sudden
lu