e loyalty of the tenants, which naturally
suggested the raising of the rental. Therefore he grew more attentive
to young Mistress Frida; even sitting in shady places, which it made him
damp to think of when he turned his eyes from her. Also he was moved a
little by her growing beauty, for now the return to her native hills,
the presence of her lover, and the home-made bread and forest mutton,
combining with her dainty years, were making her look wonderful. If
Aubyn Auberley had not been despoiled of all true manliness, by the
petting and the froward wit of many a foreign lady, he might have won
the pure salvation of an earnest love. But, when judged by that French
standard which was now supreme at court, this poor Frida was a rustic,
only fit to go to school. There was another fine young fellow who
thought wholly otherwise. To him, in his simple power of judging for
himself, and seldom budging from that judgment, there was no one fit to
dream of in comparison with her. Often, in this state of mind, he longed
to come forward and let them know what he thought concerning the whole
of it. But Albert could not see his way toward doing any good with it,
and being of a bashful mind, he kept his heart in order.

CHAPTER IV.

The stir of the general rising of the kingdom against the king had not
disturbed these places yet beyond what might be borne with. Everybody
liked to talk, and everybody else was ready to put in a word or two;
broken heads, however, were as yet the only issue. So that when there
came great news of a real battle fought, and lost by Englishmen against
Englishmen, the indignation of all the country ran against both parties.

Baron de Wichehalse had been thinking, after his crop of hay was
in,--for such a faithful hay they have that it will not go from root to
rick by less than two months of worrying,--from time to time, and even
in the middle of his haycocks, this good lord had not been able to
perceive his proper course. Arguments there were that sounded quite as
if a baby must be perfectly convinced by them; and then there would be
quite a different line of reason taken by someone who knew all about
it and despised the opposite. So that many of a less decided way of
thinking every day embraced whatever had been last confuted.

This most manly view of matters and desire to give fair play was
scorned, of course, by the fairer (and unfairer) half of men. Frida
counted all as traitors who-opposed their