by, whilst he has been so busy
elsewhere."

Great was the excitement of the place when it was realized by the
inhabitants that this fine knight, who rode with half-a-dozen
men-at-arms in his company, and two beautiful boys at his side, was
none other than the Paul Stukely that the men and women of the
place remembered, and the children spoke of as of the hero of some
romance dear to their hearts. The news flew like wildfire through
the village, and old and young came flocking out to see, till the
knight was the centre of quite a little crowd, and the excited and
delighted boys were hearing the familiar story again and again from
the lips of these friendly strangers.

When at length the little cavalcade moved up the gentle slope
toward Figeon's Farm, quite a large bodyguard accompanied it. Joan
herself walked proudly beside the knight, who had given his horse
in charge to his servant, and was on foot as he trod the familiar
track; and she was listening with flushing and paling cheek to the
tale of Tewkesbury, whilst the boys were asking questions of
everybody in the little crowd, and eagerly pushing on ahead to get
the first sight of the farm that had twice sheltered their father
in the hour of his need.

The old people were living yet, though infirm and feeble, and more
disposed to spend the day in the armchairs, beside the blazing fire
in the inglenook, than to stir abroad or carry on any active
occupation at home. Jack Devenish and his wife, Eva, managed the
house and farm, and brought up their sturdy and numerous family so
as to be a credit to the old name. It was Jack himself who came
hurrying out to meet his guests--a rumour of their approach having
gone on before--whilst his smiling wife stood in the door way to
welcome in the bronzed knight, whom once she had rescued from such
pitiful plight and from deadly danger.

What a welcome it was that they got from all at Figeon's Farm! and
how delightful to the boys to run all over the house--to see the
room in which their father had slept, the window from which he had
flung the robber who had come to carry away Mistress Joan, and the
little sliding panel behind which the recess lay that had been so
luckily emptied of its treasure before the search party came!

Then, on the next day, there was the Priory to visit, and Brother
Lawrence to claim acquaintance with, and a long ride through the
forest to be made to visit the cave at Black Notley, where Paul had
once b