ld
forth to welcome him, till the tears came into his eyes at such a
greeting. One old Gospeller woman cried out, "Lord, now lettest Thou
Thy servant depart in peace!"

"Nay, good Joan," answered Mr Rose. "The reason wherefore the Lord hath
kept us alive is, that we have not yet done all our work. At least so I
take it. 'Tis somewhat too early to be singing the harvest-home afore
all the corn be gathered in. Let us hasten to finish the reaping, and
then we may sing."

Then came Mr Underhill with great strides, and held out his hand. (John
said aside to his wife, "I would Ned Underhill could learn, without any
telling him, that a man's hand, and yet more a woman's, is not made of
mill-stones. He hath given me some cruel gripes ere now: 'tis a painful
form of love.")

"Welcome home the second time!" cried Mr Underhill, cheerily. "Mrs
Rose, your servant. But I say, man! do you not know you are divorced by
process of law?"

"Nay," answered Mr Rose, smiling; "I neither do nor will."

"What an ungovernable piece of merchandise are you!" said Mr Underhill,
laughing. "But in good sooth, I have not talked with one of our
ministers that holdeth not the same view."

"Men parted us," said Marguerite, her voice trembling a little; "but I
think God never did. At any rate, He hath undone it now."

Mr Rose talked with the Averys about his future, and they entreated him
to stay with them a little longer. It was expected that the Queen would
present the deprived ministers to such benefices as would now be left
vacant by the Papists' deprivations; and at least, they urged, it would
be well to do nothing rashly. And though they said little to each
other, all were waiting to see what would happen on the Coronation Day.
This was fixed for the ensuing Sunday, the Queen having consulted Dr
Dee, and heard from him that Sunday would be a fortunate day. All were
now preparing for the Coronation. Isoult had cloths ready to hang out,
and Kate and Frances were as busy as they could be, sewing green leaves
upon white linen, to form the Queen's name--Elizabeth.

Frances said "it was well her Highness had so long a name, for the work
should not be by the half so handsome were she called Jane or Anne."
But Thekla's work was by far the most beautiful. She was skilled at
making wax-flowers, and had wreathed a garland of white roses, which,
set upon a green ground, was to encircle the name with which Kate and
Frances were busied [