“Now, my dears, this is foolish of you.
Too much of this matter is known already. It
is for your own dear sakes that I am bound to be cautious.
I have an opinion of my own; but it may be a very wrong
one; I will not ask you to share it with me; neither
will I make you inquisitive.”
Annie pouted, and Lizzie frowned, and Ruth looked
at me with her eyes wide open, but no other mark of
regarding me. And I saw that if any one of the
three (for John Fry was gone home with the trembles)
could be trusted to keep a secret, that one was Ruth
Huckaback.
[Illustration: 267.jpg Tailpiece]
FEEDING OF THE PIGS
[Illustration: 268.jpg Charles II.]
The story told by John Fry that night, and my conviction
of its truth, made me very uneasy, especially as following
upon the warning of Judge Jeffreys, and the hints
received from Jeremy Stickles, and the outburst of
the tanner at Dunster, as well as sundry tales and
rumours, and signs of secret understanding, seen and
heard on market-days, and at places of entertainment.
We knew for certain that at Taunton, Bridgwater, and
even Dulverton, there was much disaffection towards
the King, and regret for the days of the Puritans.
Albeit I had told the truth, and the pure and simple
truth, when, upon my examination, I had assured his
lordship, that to the best of my knowledge there was
nothing of the sort with us.
But now I was beginning to doubt whether I might not
have been mistaken; especially when we heard, as we
did, of arms being landed at Lynmouth, in the dead
of the night, and of the tramp of men having reached
some one’s ears, from a hill where a famous
echo was. For it must be plain to any conspirator
(without the example of the Doones) that for the secret
muster of men and the stowing of unlawful arms, and
communication by beacon lights, scarcely a fitter
place could be found than the wilds of Exmoor, with
deep ravines running far inland from an unwatched and
mostly a sheltered sea. For the Channel from Countisbury
Foreland up to Minehead, or even farther, though rocky,
and gusty, and full of currents, is safe from great
rollers and the sweeping power of the south-west storms,
which prevail with us more than all the others, and
make sad work on the opposite coast.
But even supposing it probable that something against
King Charles the Second (or rather against his Roman
advisers, and especially his brother) were now in
preparation amongst us, was it likely that Master
Huckaback, a wealthy man, and a careful one, known
moreover to the Lord Chief Justice, would have anything
to do with it? To this I could make no answer;
Uncle Ben was so close a man, so avaricious, and so
revengeful, that it was quite impossible to say what
course he might pursue, without knowing all the chances
of gain, or rise, or satisfaction to him. That
he hated the Papists I knew full well, though he never
spoke much about them; also that he had followed the
march of Oliver Cromwell’s army, but more as
a suttler (people said) than as a real soldier; and
that he would go a long way, and risk a great deal
of money, to have his revenge on the Doones; although
their name never passed his lips during the present
visit.
