business here?"

"I come, madam," Evander replied, "a servant of the Parliament and of
the English people, to safeguard this mansion in their name."

"You may speak for the London Parliament," Brilliana said, firmly,
"but I think you are too bold to speak in the name of the English
people. As for this poor house, it can safeguard itself very well,
with the help of God."

"Madam," responded Evander, "I am empowered to take by force what I
would gladly gain by parley."

"This house is the King's house," Brilliana said, scornfully, "and
does not yield to thieves."

"It is the King's evil advisers who have forced civil war upon the
land," Evander replied, gravely. "And it is in the King's name and
for the King's sake that we would secure this stronghold."

"Ay," retorted Brilliana, derisively. "And do the King honor by
hauling down the King's flag. No more words. This is Loyalty House.
You have ten minutes in which to withdraw your men. At the end of
that time we shall fire again, and you will find that we can shoot
straight. And so you may go to the devil."

Evander would have appealed anew, but with her last word Brilliana
disappeared from the window, which in another moment was barricaded
as stubbornly as before.

And this was the beginning of the siege of Harby House.

Mr. Samuel Marfleet, in his "Diurnal of certain events of moment
happening of late at Harby," is very eloquent over the coming of the
little company. He sees in them the deliverers from Dagon, the
destroyers of Babylon, and in sundry heated if confused allusions to
the worship of Ashtaroth, it seems certain that the indignant
school-master was vehemently protesting against the popularity of
Brilliana. He probably goes too far, however, when he interprets the
silence of Harby villagers as the Cambridge company marched through
the main street as the silence too great for speech of a liberated
people. Harby villagers were, for the most part, serenely indifferent
to the quarrels of the court and the Parliament, but they had a
hearty liking for Brilliana, and would, if they could, very likely
have shown active resentment at the attack upon her home. But with
nobody to lead them, there was nothing for them to do but to stare at
the grave-faced men in sober clothes with guns upon their shoulders
and steel upon their breasts who tramped along towards Harby Hall.
Even to the siege itself they were perforce indifferent, seeing very
little of it, for t