‘It’s our new masters, dear heart, who have been making of new laws,’ said Mrs. Golding; and Andrew added instantly,—­

’Our pastors, madam, must consent to renounce the Covenant, and must use the Common Prayer-Book as newly set forth by authority of King Charles the Second and his Parliament; or they must leave to preach and to pray in the churches called of England, and must renounce their livings too; and this by the twenty-fourth of August next, which the Papists and such-like cattle call St. Bartholomew’s Day.  That is the story in little of the doings which afflict our good mother and our reverend friend.’

‘It’s a dry short setting forth of the matter, friend Andrew,’ said the old man.

‘But is it a true one?’ asked Althea.

‘Yea,’ said he, ’too true, this is the new law; but I shall, as I think, follow after the footsteps of godly Mr. Baxter; he hath already ceased preaching, that his weaker brethren, such as I, may be in no manner of doubt as to what he thinketh.  I shall not change my mind twice, once having seen the great error of my early prelatical opinions,—­as your good aunt knoweth I have seen it.’

‘Well,’ said Mrs. Golding, sighing heavily, ’we will pray you may have illumination from above.  I cannot tell how we shall do, bereft of our father in Christ.  But I dare not urge any man against his conscience.  And now am I ashamed that you have been so long within my doors and I have yet set nothing before you.  Lucy, Althea, come help me;’ and she bustled about, and presently with our help had set a dish of strawberries and cream, with nuts and cakes and wine, before our guests.  Mr. Truelocke ate but little, which grieved my aunt; and he would drink nothing but spring water.  But Harry was gay enough for two.  We could get him to touch nothing until he had both of us girls served, he saying we were greater strangers than he.  And since I chose to eat nuts, he would do the same, and would crack all mine for me.  He had a clever way of doing this with his hands only, which were small, but like iron for strength; I made a cup of my hands that he might pour the sweet kernels into it, and so doing we scattered some on the floor, and both dropt on our knees to pick them up, when I, being nimbler than he, had them all snatched up before he could touch one; then we both laughed heartily.  I was startled to hear myself laughing, and looked at Althea; and she seemed to be regarding me with scorn as if she despised me perfectly, so I checked my laughing and sat down quite crestfallen.

Then Harry, sitting by me, half whispered, ’Now, sweet madam, if you did but know what music a heart-free laugh is to mine ears, you would not stop yours in the middle.  I have no quarrel with my father’s nor your aunt’s piety, but there’s too little laughing in it.’

‘It’s not piety that checks me now,’ I said; ’do not credit me with more than I have; but a new-made orphan like me might well feel it something heartless to be very mirthful.’