seen how bad they were, and that he had a
commission from God to bid us repent and amend, or a sudden dreadful
judgment should fall on us. Didst ever hear of such a fool?'

'And what more did he,' says Andrew, 'to make you handle him so
roughly?' at which the man stared and said,--

'Nay, what more needed there? Matters are come to a pretty pass if free
Englishmen, who are pleased to cheat and be cheated according to the
fashion of this world, mayn't do so neighbourly and kindly without some
canting rogue starting up to control them. We bade him hold his peace
for a mad ass, but he would not. So we judged his frenzy to be something
too hot, and that a cold bath were good to cure it; and Squire, riding
up and seeing the bustle we were in, offered us his own duck-pond for
the ducking of our preacher. Stay me no longer! I shall lose the best
sport;' and Andrew snatching at him again to make him stay, he broke
from him and ran as hard as he could after the crowd, that was now got
some way from us.

'You hear and see this, Mrs. Golding?' says Andrew, turning to her, his
mild countenance grown dark with anger. 'There may be murder done yet,
let me ride after and see what I can do to hinder it;' and setting spurs
to his horse he galloped off after the rabble. We saw him pressing in
among them, riding close up to the chief horseman, talking earnestly to
him; then we saw no more of them, they going round the turn of the road;
and Mrs. Golding, half frowning, half smiling, says,--

'It's ever so with Andrew! he cannot see mischief a-foot but he is all
afire to stop it. I like it in the lad, but I wish yon poor fanatic had
been content to stay at home and mind his own business, instead of
crossing us so unluckily here.' She looked anxiously.

Presently Andrew comes back to us, riding pretty quickly, and Mrs.
Golding called to him,--

'Now, my lad, hast not gone on a fool's errand this time also?' but he
said smiling,--

'That is as you take it, good mother. Yon Squire has some humanity in
him, and some wit; for when I began vehemently to urge how sinful were
the murdering of yon poor man, he smiled and let me know his proffer of
the duck-pond was but to get the man out of the hands of his
ill-wishers, for he meant to draw the Quaker within his gates and then
have them shut as if by mistake on the rabble, who were already growing
aweary with the length of the way, and so were dropping off by twos and
threes.'

'So thou h