more freely.

"Right fain I am," said Egerton, "of our escape from yonder house; for
I began to fear me we were known, or, at any rate, suspected by one,
if not more, of our good friends behind."

"By one fair friend, peradventure," said Chisenhall drily; "but, on
the word of a soldier, I may be known, and little care I, save that it
may be dangerous to be found in my company. In the last siege yonder,
at Lathom, I have beaten off more rogues than flies from my trencher;
and I would we had but had room and fair play at York; we would have
given your"----

"Hold; no names; remember that I am plain Master Egerton: there may be
lurkers in these tall hedges; so, both in-doors and out, I am--what
mine appearance doth betoken."

"Well, Master Egerton, good wot, though a better man than myself,
which few be now-a-days, for these strait-haired Roundheads do thin us
like coppice-trees, and leave but here and there one to shoot at. I
would the noble lord had been within his good fortress yonder, I think
it would have been too hot to handle, with cold fingers, by the host
of Old Nick, or Parliament, I care not which."

"It was partly at my suggesting that he retired to his island of Man.
There were heart-burnings and jealousies amongst the courtiers on his
account, which were but too readily given ear unto by the king."

"Grant it may not be for our hurt as well as his own. I had no notion
that these wasps would have been so soon again at the honeycomb. Could
we and our bands have made entry, we would have shown them some of the
old match-work, and given them a psalm to sing that they would not
readily have forgotten. As it is, we are just wanderers and vagabonds,
without e'er a house or a homestead to hide us in, should our friends
be driven from Knowsley, and our way be blocked up to the coast. What
is worse, too, our supplies are nigh exhausted, and our exchequer as
empty as the king's. I would we had not tarried here so long, waiting
for advices, as thou didst say, Master Egerton; but which advices, I
do verily think, were from a lady's lip; and the next tall fellow,
with a long face and a fusee, may tuck us under his sleeve, and carry
us to his quarters, like a brace of springed woodcocks."

"Fear not, Chisenhall. We will make directly for the coast, and
to-morrow, if we have luck, be under weigh for Ireland. If, as I do
trust, we get our levies thence, down with the Rump and the
Roundheads, say I, and so"----

"We