ar
more of tonight's adventure. We may reason as we will, but there is no
doubt that, although we had no instructions touching the capture of
women, we have failed in our duty."

"That will in no way trouble me, Master Oswald. When I was a monk, I
failed in my duty scores of times, and am no whit the worse for it;
rather the better, indeed, since it is owing to my failures that I am
now a free man-at-arms, instead of being mewed up for life in a
convent. I shall not sleep one wink less, for having saved two of the
prettiest girls I ever saw from having been shut up, for years, in a
prison."

"I am afraid your sense of duty is not strong, Roger."

"I am afraid not, master, saving in the matter of doing my duty in face
of an enemy."

"You mean, Roger, that you will do your duty when it so pleases you,
and not otherwise."

"I expect that is the way with a good many of us," Roger laughed. "I
wonder whether Lord Grey had any idea that Glendower's daughters were
in the house when we arrived there?"

"I know not, but I remember now that they had men searching, for some
time, for signs of secret passages. Whether it was from any idea that
Glendower's daughters might be hidden away, I know not."

"Truly it might have been," Roger said, "for I saw, among the spoil
that was carried off when the others rode for Chirk, some silks and
stuffs that looked like feminine garments.

"There is somebody coming across from the next post," he broke off.
"Doubtless it is the captain. You would not tell him what we have
done?"

"Certainly not, Roger. My uncle is an old soldier, and though he would
not, for my sake, say anything about it, I think not that he would
approve of what has been done. 'Tis best, at any rate, to keep it
entirely to ourselves."

"All quiet here, as elsewhere?" Alwyn asked as he came up.

"All quiet, Uncle."

"'Tis well; for although methinks that we could hold the place against
the Welshmen, we could hardly hope that some of our posts would not be
cut off, before they could reach the house. It is well to keep watch,
but the more I think of it, the more I feel that Glendower will scarce
attack us. He could not hold the place, did he gain it; and it might
well be that, after we were turned out again, the place would be
destroyed, seeing that it would need two or three hundred men to be
shut up here, in garrison."

After waiting half an hour, Alwyn again made the round of the posts,
and then went in to ro