Part 15 (1/2)
All this tihby had written to Mr Handsob, as still in London He replied that the _Benbow_ frigate had not yet arrived, though she was long overdue, but the ned had received notice of her having left Cadiz Except froh Stephen, they had not heard of her being in the channel They spoke of the heavy gale which had occurred in the North Sea, and fears were entertained that she ht have met with some disaster This made the family at Eversden very anxious Mr Handsob wrote other news, however, to Mr Willoughby He spoke of the extre the Dissenters Notwithstanding his proht of free worshi+p to all his subjects, he had already introduced innovations The overned Scotland with fire and sword, andto their religious principles, was, it was said, likely to coe numbers of Londoners, ever opposed to tyranny, were ready to revolt as soon as a leader should come forward That leader had already been found, and only waited for an opportunity to carry out the proposed project, and to dethrone the Popish king It was hoped that numbers in all parts of the country, especially in the western counties, would follow their exaiven, and the man to whom all looked as their leader had made his appearance on the scene Mr Handsob mentioned no names, he only spoke of reports, nor did he say whence the expected chief was likely to cohby was fully convinced that rebellion on a large scale was in prospect He did mention the contents of this part of his letter to his brother-in-law He felt sure that the Colonel would take no part in any proceeding of the sort, and ht, from his loyal principles, feel hi notice of any infor hby, however, rode over the next day to Langton Hall, and had a long consultation with Mr Battisob, ould, he knew, cordially support the cause calculated to overthrow the Papal syste and interesting discussion, at which his elder sons as well as Stephen were allowed to be present
Stephen had now to set off for Bristol, Mr Keht pay one more visit to Eversden to bid his friends farewell He rode over on a good horse that he er time to spend there He found Mistress Alice about to set off on her favourite walk to the cliffs As Madaed up-stairs, and the Colonel was out in the fields, he did not hesitate to offer to accompany her, and she did not forbid him They had just reached the Dohen they saw three vessels, one of large size and two others of s in for the land They watched the what they could be, as shi+ps of large burden seldom came near that part of the coast, Stephen observed that he knew so about thethat the Duke of Argyll, with a large force, had landed in Scotland, that the Highlands were in revolt, and that the Duke of Monmouth had sailed from the Texel There can be little doubt,” he added, ”therefore, that the shi+ps we see belong to hih they are fewer in number than I should have expected”
”Then is there to be a rebellion in this part of the country?” asked Alice, in a tone of considerable anxiety ”Will the scenes I have read of in the tiain enacted?”
”I fear it is the only way by which we can get our rights, my sweet Alice,” answered Stephen ”I would that war could be averted, but better to have war than to be tyrannically treated, our religious and civil rights trampled on as they have been for many years past; but, for my own part, I am ready to draw the sword in defence of our freedom”
”But can our freedom thus be secured?” asked Alice ”All the blood shed in for, who has just died, was more securely seated on the throne than his father had been
You belong to a peaceable profession, and whatever is done, I entreat you not to engage personally in warlike undertakings”
”I thought, Mistress Alice, that you were a heroine, and would have been ready to gird on ht in a noble cause,” said Stephen, in a half playful, half serious tone
”And so I would if I were convinced the cause was noble, right, and just, with a prospect of success”
”I prohteous cause,” said Stephen ”Will that satisfy you?”
”If the cause is righteous; but who is to settle that?” said Alice gravely
While they were speaking the shi+ps stood off the coast, the wind flowing northerly, and soon again were lost to sight
”Perhaps after all that may not be the squadron which has been looked for,” said Stephen ”Then you have uselessly been made anxious”
”I trust it may be so,” said Alice
And they continued their walk discoursing on subjects farto themselves than politics Stephen spoke of his expected career at Bristol, and hoped, he said, to pay occasional visits to Langton and the spot endeared to hih neither wished to return, they reht naturally coth bent their steps homeward As they approached the er careeted Alice as a sister, and shook Stephen warmly by the hand
”I have just arrived froot into the Thaet leave, but Master Handsob pressed the point with the Captain, and undertook that I should return in ten days, so that my holiday will be a very short one, and I must make the ht at seeing him, and inquired the cause of his delay He then described to theate had lost her e encounter with the French Captain Bart Stephen required very little pressing to stop for the evening meal, which was soon to be placed on the table He hby that he and Alice had seen sohby seehtful
”It agrees with the ht me down from London, and which I would have you carry to your father, for he would intrust nothing to hi The future man is on his way, and whether our slavery is to continue or freedom is to be obtained depends on the preparations entlemen and yeomen of the West rise to a lad to have some conversation with your father without loss of tiht hich to return
Roger acco ain spoke of the vessels they had seen off the coast
He was convinced that they portended soer to ride into Ly to learn any news the people of that town ladly consented to acco, however, that he did not feel deeply interested in the matter ”Captain Benbow says that a sailor should stick to his shi+p and look after his men, and not trouble himself with affairs on shore, and I intend to follow his exaer had so er to listen to hi, he was on foot at an early hour, andhis father's horse, he in a short time joined Stephen on the road to Lyh, so that it took theround above the tohereupon they gazed across it over the blue sea Stephen exclaimed, ”Why, those ; then I was not wrong in my conjecture, they must be the shi+ps; they have, probably, troops and stores on board, and perhaps the Duke is with the down into the valley, on the sides and at the botto scattered soe Inn,” where they put up their horses, and to their surprise they found that no one was at all certain as to the object of the vessels in the offing; they were said to be Dutch, but they showed no colours It was supposed that they were about to proceed along the coast; still there was some excitement A boat had been seen to land at Seaton, some way to the east, and had put soone, no one knew Unable to gain any definite inforer and Stephen walked doards the Cob, where they saw a boat pulling out towards the shi+ps
”If we had been a little sooner we should have been able to go in her and ascertain what those vessels really are,” observed Stephen
”We shall know soon enough when the boat returns,” observed Roger