“But they say not.  The orders is gone out, now, they pretend, for no man to pray for any on ’em.”

“Ay—­orders from the magistrates, perhaps.  But the Rev. Mr. Woods is a divine, and has his own superiors in the church, and they must issue the commands that he obeys.  I dare to say, your honour, if the archbishop of Canterbury, or the commander-in-chief of the church, whoever he may be, should issue a general order directing all the parsons not to pray for King George, the Rev. Mr. Woods would have no scruple about obeying.  But, it’s a different thing when a justice of the peace undertakes to stand fugleman for the clergy.  It’s like a navy captain undertaking to wheel a regiment.”

“Poor Woods!” exclaimed the captain—­“Had he been ruled by me, he would have dropped those prayers, and it would have been better for us both.  But, he is of your opinion, serjeant, and thinks that a layman can have no authority over a gownsman.”

“And isn’t he right, your honour!  Think what a mess of it the militia officers make, when they undertake to meddle with a regular corps.  Some of our greatest difficulties in the last war came from such awkward hands attempting to manage machines of which they had no just notions.  As for praying, your honour, I’m no wise particular who I pray for, or what I pray for, so long as it be all set down in general orders that come from the right head-quarters; and I think the Rev. Mr. Woods ought to be judged by the same rule.”

As the captain saw no use in prolonging the dialogue, he dismissed his companions.  He then sought his wife, in order to make her acquainted with the actual state of things.  This last was a painful duty, though Mrs. Willoughby and her daughters heard the truth with less of apprehension than the husband and father had anticipated.  They had suffered so much from uncertainty, that there was a relief in learning the truth.  The mother did not think the authorities of the colony would hurt her son, whom she fancied all men must, in a degree, love as she loved.  Beulah thought of her own husband as Bob’s safeguard; while Maud felt it to be comparative happiness to know he was unharmed, and still so near her.

This unpleasant duty discharged, the captain began to bethink him seriously of his military trust.  After some reflection, and listening to a few more suggestions from Joyce, he consented to let the “quaker” be put on wheels.  The carpenters were immediately set at work to achieve this job, which the serjeant volunteered to superintend, in person.  As for Joel, his wife and children, with the miller, occupied most of the morning; the day turning, and even drawing towards its close, ere he became visible, as had formerly been his wont, among the men of the settlement.