oncealment of it that he had
been wild at Cambridge, and he hinted, indeed, broadly enough, that
he had had a companion in his wildness who had since grown to be a
godly man that carried the name of Cromwell. He admitted frankly that
his pranks cast him forth from Cambridge, and that he had been a
stage-player for a time in London, in proof whereof he declaimed to
the amazed Master Vallance many flowing periods from Beaumont,
Fletcher, Massinger, and their kind--mental fireworks that bedazzled
the innkeeper. Of his voyages, indeed, he spoke more vaguely if not
more sparingly, conjuring up gorgeous visions to the landlord of
pampas and palm-lands, where gold and beauty forever answered to the
ready hand. But Master Halfman, for his part volubly indistinct and
without seeming to interrogate at all, was soon in possession of
every item of information concerning the country-side that was of the
least likelihood to serve him. He learned, for instance, what he had
indeed guessed, that the simple country-folk knew little and cared
little for the quarrel that was brewing over their heads, and had
little idea of what the consequences might be to them and theirs. He
learned that the local gentry were, for the most part, lukewarm
politicians; that Peter Rainham and Paul Hungerford were keeping
themselves very much to themselves, and being a brace of skinflints
were fearing chiefly for their money-bags; while Sir Blaise
Mickleton, who had been credited with the intention of riding to join
his Majesty at Shrewsbury, had suddenly taken to his bed sick of a
strange distemper which declared itself in no outward form, but
absolutely forbade its victim to take violent action of any kind. He
learned that there were exceptions to this tepidity. Sir Randolph
Harby, of Harby Lesser, beyond the hill, Sir Rufus Quaryll, of
Quaryll Tower, had mounted horse and whistled to men at the first
whisper of the business and ridden like devils to rally on the King's
flag. He learned much that was familiar and important to him of the
Harby family history; he learned much that was unfamiliar and
unimportant to him of local matters, such as that Master Marfleet,
the village school-master, was inclined to say all that might be said
in praise of the Parliament men, and that, when all was said and
done, the only avowed out-and-out loyalist in the neighborhood was no
man at all, but a beautiful, high-spirited girl-woman, the Lady
Brilliana Harby.

The Lady B