“The Whitefoot boy,” Mr. Davenant had said to his wife, “is, I fancy from what I have seen of him, of a different type to his father and grandfather.  I met him the other day when I was out, and he spoke as naturally and outspokenly as Walter himself.  He seems to have got rid of the Puritanical twang altogether.  At any rate, he will do Walter no harm; and, indeed, I should say that there was a solid good sense about him, which will do Master Walter, who is somewhat disposed to be a madcap, much good.  Anyhow, he is a better companion for the boy than the lads down in the village; and there is no saying, wife, how matters may go in this unhappy country.  It may be that we may come to our own again.  It may be that we may lose what is left to us.  Anyhow, it can do no harm to Walter that he should have, as a friend, one in the opposite camp.”

Somewhat similar was the talk between Hannah and Jabez, although, in their case, the wife was the speaker.

“John has told me, Jabez, that he has several times met young Davenant, and that the boy is disposed to be friendly with him; and he has asked me to speak with you, to know whether you have any objection to his making a friend of him.”

“What do you say, Hannah?” Jabez asked cautiously.  “My father, I fear, would not approve of it.”

“Your father need know nothing about it, Jabez.  He is an old man and a good man, but he clings to the ways of his youth, and deems that things are still as they were when he rode behind Cromwell.  I would not deceive him did he ask; but I do not see that the matter need be mentioned in his presence.  It seems to me that it will be good for John to be friends with this boy.  He is almost without companionship.  We have acquaintance, it is true, among the other settlers of our faith, but such companionship as he has there will not open his mind or broaden his views.  We are dull people here for a lad.  Had we had other children it might have been different.

“I have heard my mother speak of her life as a girl, in England, and assuredly it was brighter and more varied than ours; and it seems not to me that the pleasures which they had were sinful, although I have been taught otherwise; but, as I read my Bible, I cannot see that innocent pleasures are in any way denied to the Lord’s people; and such pleasure as the companionship of the young Davenant can give John will, I think, be altogether for his good.”

“But the lad is a Papist, Hannah.”

“He is, Jabez; but boys, methinks, do not argue among themselves upon points of doctrine; and I have no fear that John will ever be led from the right path, nor indeed, though it is presumption for a woman to say so, do I feel so sure as our ministers that ours is the only path to heaven.  We believe firmly that it is the best path, but others believe as firmly in their paths; and I cannot think, Jabez, that all mankind, save those who are within the fold of our church, can be condemned by the good Lord to perdition.”