his wife, softly. "But Mother,
and Hugh, and Bessy! And Frances at Potheridge, and Mrs Philippa at
Crowe--what is to come of them, and who shall warn them?"

Dr Thorpe shook his head.

"Little time for all that, Mrs Avery," answered he. "Send, an' you
will, to the two places--Potheridge and Crowe; but leave Potheridge to
warn Wynscote, and Wynscote to warn Matcott and Bindon."

"Let Robin take the brown horse," suggested Avery, "and ride post with a
letter from thee to Mrs Philippa; and Tom the white nag, and I will send
him likewise to Mr Monke. I might have gone myself to one of the twain,
but--"

"Nay, Jack! bide thou with me," entreated Isoult, fearfully.

"Well said," answered Dr Thorpe.

"Well!" Avery replied, "there seemeth little time to choose or bowne
[prepare] us; but as the Italians have it, `_Che sara, sara_.' [`What
will be, will be.'] When set we forth, Doctor?"

"Now, if we could," answered Dr Thorpe, significantly.

Preparations for the journey were made in haste, and without waiting for
daylight. Robin and Tom were sent on horseback to Crowe and Potheridge,
starting with the earliest gleam of dawn. Isoult summoned Jennifer,
Barbara, and Ursula the cook, and asked whether they would cast in their
lot with hers or remain in Cornwall. Jennifer answered that she feared
the journey more than the commons, and the fourth of July was a very
unlucky day on which to commence any undertaking: she would stay where
she was. Ursula and Barbara, both of whom had been with their mistress
ever since her marriage, replied that they would go with her now.

"Nor have I any of mine own that I may well go unto," Ursula added.
"Mine only brother dwelleth in Somerset, and he is but an husbandman,
with little wages and a great sort of childre; and beside him I have no
kin."

"My mother is wed again," Barbara explained, "and my father that now is
should grudge to be troubled with me; and my sister, that is newly
wedded, hath but one chamber in a poor man's house. I will hie after
you, Mistress, an' you will have me."

This question being settled, another arose. Who should be left at
Bradmond? Tom was too necessary for the journey; besides which, he was
ignorant of the arts of reading and writing, and would not be able to
send word how matters went on after their departure. In this emergency,
while Isoult and John were talking over the subject, Barbara presented
herself with a deprecatory courtesy, or