er passed slowly enough, but about the
middle of November Roger and a few of the other men came back to the
village for the winter. It could not be said that they were not welcome,
and yet provisions were now so dear, owing to the scanty harvest and
heavy taxes, that every extra mouth to fill was felt as a heavy burden
by their distressed families; and then, being winter time, there was
scarcely any work they could do in the fields and gardens.

Maud had hoped that she should hear something of Harry when the men came
back, and how much her returning health and strength had depended upon
this she did not know until the hope was taken away and the faint
sickening languor again stole over her frame. It might have grown upon
her more than it did, but the wants of the poor people in the village,
and the demands of Mistress Mabel, that she should assist in the
preparations for Mary's wedding, left her very little time to spend in
sitting alone and thinking of Harry.

Mary was to be married at Christmas, and go with Captain Stanhope to
Oxford. The two seemed mutually pleased with each other, and quite
satisfied with their bargain, but Maud could not tell whether they loved
each other. She hoped they did, but Mary never gave her an opportunity
of speaking upon this subject, and indeed the preparations for the
coming event seemed to occupy her mind so fully that she had no thought
for anything else.

This wedding afforded the villagers the most satisfaction, perhaps, for
Master Drury was to give them an ox to be roasted on the green, and the
prospect of a good dinner was very pleasant to them under the present
circumstances. Captain Stanhope gave them a barrel of ale in which to
drink his bride's health, but Mary seemed to think no one wanted
anything but herself.

She packed up all the books and little trifles lying about that had
belonged to Harry, and when Maud ventured to remonstrate with her about
this, saying that Bertram would want them by-and-by if Harry did not
return, she retorted, "Harry Drury never will return to this house,
Maud, and Bertram will be expelled too if you continue to encourage him
in thinking Harry right in what he has done."

Maud looked surprised. "What can you mean?" she exclaimed.

"Marry, nothing but what is true. You are teaching Bertram to think
Harry right in rebelling against the King, and his father, too,"
retorted Mary.

"I do not think Harry is wrong in following the guidance of his