nd; she had evidently been stopped in the middle of making a pie.
Dorothy stood on the hearth, fronting the terrible Sheriff, who was
armed with a writ, and evidently did not mean to leave before he had
seen the mistress.

"I am here, Mr Maynard, if you want me," said Mrs Wade, quite calmly.

"Well said," answered the Sheriff, turning to her. "I have here a writ
for your arrest, my mistress, and conveyance to the Bishop's Court at
London, there to answer for your ill deeds."

"I am ready to answer for all my deeds, good and ill, to any that have a
right to question me. I will go with you.--Bab, go and tell Giles to
leave the saddle on Jenny.--Doll, here be my keys; take them, and do the
best thou canst. I believe thee honest and well-meaning, but I'm feared
the house shall ne'er keep up its credit. Howbeit, that cannot be
helped. Do thy best, and the Lord be with you! As to directions, I
were best to leave none; maybe they should but hamper thee, and set thee
in perplexity. Keep matters clean, and pay as thou goest--thou wist
where to find the till; and fear God--that's all I need say. And if it
come in thy way to do a kind deed for any, and in especial those poor
little children that thou wist of, do it, as I would were I here: ay,
and let Cissy know when all's o'er with her father. And pray for me,
and I'll do as much for thee--that we may do our duty and please God,
and for bodily safety let it be according to His will.--Now, Master
Maynard, I am ready."

Four days later, several strokes were rang on the great bell of the
Bishop's Palace at Fulham. The gaoler came to his gate when summoned by
the porter.

"Here's a prisoner up from Colchester--Philippa Wade, hostess of the
King's Head there. Have you room?"

"Room and to spare. Heresy, I reckon?"

"Ay, heresy,--the old tale. There must be a nest of it yonder down in
Essex."

"There's nought else all o'er the country, methinks," said the gaoler
with a laugh. "Come in, Mistress; I'll show you your lodging. His
Lordship hath an apartment in especial, furnished of polished black oak,
that he keepeth for such as you. Pray you follow me."

Mrs Wade followed the jocose gaoler along a small paved passage between
two walls, and through a low door, which the gaoler barred behind her,
himself outside, and then opened a little wicket through which to speak.

"Pray you, sit down, my mistress, on whichsoever of the chairs you count
desirable. The furni