swered calmly;
and at the same moment the soldier said--

"Isel! Wife! Dost thou not know me?"

Nobody in the room could have given a clear and connected account of
what happened after that. Isel cried and laughed by turns, the majority
all talked at once, and little Rudolph, divided between fear and
admiration, clung to his mother, and cast furtive glances at the
new-comer. Manning was naturally astonished to see how his family had
grown, and much had to be explained to him--the presence of the Germans,
the approaching marriage of Flemild, the past marriage of Romund, and
the profession of Derette. The first and third he accepted with bluff
good-humour. As to the second, he said he would have a talk with Raven
Soclin--very likely he was all right now, though he remembered him a
troublesome lad. But Derette's fate did not appear quite to please him.
She had been his pet, and he had pictured her future differently and
more according to his own notion of happiness.

"Well, she seems to like it best herself," said Isel, "and I don't see
but you have to leave folks to be happy their own way, though the way
some folks choose is mighty queer. Father Dolfin says we must always
give God the best, and if we grudge it to Him, it wipes out the merit of
the sacrifice."

"Ay, Father Dolfin knows how they do things up yonder," answered
Manning. "Do thy duty, and leave the priest to see thou comest safe--
that's my way of thinking."

"But suppose he fails to `see'?" suggested Gerhardt.

Manning eyed him rather suspiciously.

"I hope you aren't one of that new lot that talk against the priests,"
said he. "I've heard something of them as I came through Almayne and
Guienne: saw one fellow flogged at the market-cross, that had let his
tongue run too freely. And I can tell you, I'm not one of that sort.
You're welcome to stay while you behave decently, as I see you've been a
help and comfort to my women here: but one word against the priests, or
one wag of your head in irreverence to the holy mass, and out you go,
bag and baggage!--ay, down to that child."

Rudolph seemed frightened by the harsh tones and loud words, and when
Manning ended by striking his hand upon his thigh with a resounding slap
to enforce his threat, the child began to whimper.

"I trust, friend, you will never see any irreverence in me towards aught
to which reverence is due," replied Gerhardt; "but if you do, fulfil
your words, and I shall not tr