Part 21 (1/2)
”None; I am an only child.”
”Have you only one parent alive?”
”Only one.”
”What families are you connected with?”
Patience looked up with surprise at this last question.
”My mother's name was Cooper; she was sister to Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, who is a person well known.”
”Indeed! then you are of gentle blood?”
”I believe so,” replied Patience, with surprise.
”Thank you for your condescension, Mistress Patience; and now, if you will permit me, I will take my leave.”
”Before you go, let me once more thank you for saving a worthless life,” said Patience. ”Well, you must come again, when my father is here; he will be but too glad to have an opportunity of thanking one who has preserved his only child. Indeed, if you knew my father, you would feel as much regard for him as I do. He is very good, although he looks so stern and melancholy; but he has seldom smiled since my poor mother's death.”
”As to your father, Mistress Patience, I will think as well as I can of one who is joined to a party which I hold in detestation; I can say no more.”
”I must not say all that I know, or you would, perhaps, find out that he is not quite so wedded to that party as you suppose. Neither his brother-in-law nor he are great friends of Cromwell's, I can a.s.sure you; but this is in confidence.”
”That raises him in my estimation; but why then does he hold office?”
”He did not ask it; it was given to him, I really believe, because they wished him out of the way; and he accepted it because he was opposed to what was going on, and wished himself to be away. At least I infer so much from what I have learned. It is not an office of power or trust which leagues him with the present government.”
”No; only one which opposes him to me and my malpractices,” replied Edward, laughing. ”Well, Mistress Patience, you have shown great condescension to a poor forester, and I return you many thanks for your kindness toward me: I will now take my leave.”
”And when will you come and see my father?”
”I can not say; I fear that I shall not be able very soon to look in his injured face, and it will not be well for a poacher to come near him,” replied Edward: ”however, some day I may be taken and brought before you as a prisoner, you know, and then he is certain to see me.”
”I will not tell you to kill deer,” replied Patience; ”but if you do kill them no one shall harm you-or I know little of my power or my father's. Farewell then, sir, and once more grat.i.tude and thanks.”
Patience held out her hand again to Edward, who this time, like a true Cavalier, raised it respectfully to his lips. Patience colored a little, but did not attempt to withdraw it, and Edward, with a low obeisance, quitted the room.
CHAPTER XIII.
As soon as he was out of the intendant's house, Edward hastened to the cottage of Oswald Partridge, whom he found waiting for him, for the verderer had not failed to deliver his message.
”You have had a long talk with Mistress Patience,” said Oswald, after the first greeting, ”and I am glad of it, as it gives you consequence here. The Roundhead rascal whom you met was inclined, to be very precise about doing his duty, and insisted that he was certain that you were on the look-out for deer; but I stopped his mouth by telling him that I often took you out with me, as you were the best shot in the whole forest, and that the intendant knew that I did so. I think that if you were caught in the act of killing a deer, you had better tell, them that you killed it by my request, and I will bear you out if they bring you to the intendant, who will, I'm sure, thank me for saying so; you might kill all the deer in the forest, after what you have done for him.”
”Many thanks; but I do not think I can take advantage of your offer. Let them catch me if they can, and if they do catch me, let them take me if they can.”
”I see, sir, that you will accept no favor from the Roundheads,” replied Oswald. ”However, as I am now head keeper, I shall take care that my men do not interfere with you, if I can help it; all I wish is to prevent any insult or indignity being offered to you, they not being aware who you are, as I am.”
”Many thanks, Oswald; I must take my chance.”
Edward then told Oswald of their having taken the gipsy boy in the pit, at which he appeared much amused.