It struck me cruelly to think of Harry’s father leaving us, but I had no time to dwell on the thought, for now Althea sank down at my feet, helpless and senseless like one who was dead indeed; and much ado we had to bring her out of her swoon, which was very long, and she very feeble when she was recovered from it.  We got her to her room, and persuaded her to lie down and sleep; and when we came away, Aunt Golding turns to me with a puzzled look, saying,—­

’What means this, Lucy?  I never thought your sister one of those fine ladies who swoon for every trifle;—­what is it, think you?’

‘Andrew,’ says I, ’and the image of his danger; you made a frightful picture of it, dear madam, do you know?’

‘Ah, set a thief to catch a thief!’ says Aunt Golding, and I felt glad to hear her laugh once more; ’my love-passages are of too ancient a date to serve me, it seems, but yours are fresh and new, my Lucy.  But what of Andrew? is Althea dear to him?’

‘More dear than he knows, or she guesses,’ quoth I; at which our good aunt laughed again, but then said,—­

’It’s a thing that would have pleased me well, had I been told that it would happen a year ago, but now I see nothing but trouble in it.  There would be no equal yoke there, my Lucy.  Whatever extravagances Andrew hath fallen into, the love of Christ runs through all he does and thinks.  And canst thou say the like of thy sister?’

‘Not yet,’ I murmured, but Aunt Golding heard me, and said,—­

‘Ay, well spoken, Lucy; we will remember that when we pray.’

After this, Aunt Golding had a long conference with Matthew Standfast, whom she despatched in pursuit of Andrew, that he might furnish him with money and warn him to keep away from the Grange for a season.  And after much trouble, Matthew found him, somewhere on the road to York; when it cost him still more pains to lead his young master into compliance with the prudent courses enjoined on him.

‘He talked much,’ said Matthew, ’of the honour of suffering for the truth, and how he must not be the vile coward to refuse it.  And I had never been able to beat him away from that, but for the excellent counsel of one that was riding with him; I think he was a Quaker also, for he could talk with Master Andrew in his own dialect.’

‘What manner of man was he?’ said our aunt.

‘I can hardly tell,’ said Matthew; ’he had a piercing eye, I wot, and a voice as clear as a bell; very neat and seemly he was in his attire, and yet he might have been a ruffling cavalier if one judged by his hair, which he wore long and curled.’

‘That is much how George Fox himself has been described to me,’ said Aunt Golding.

‘Nay, I cannot think it was any such man,’ said Matthew, ’for he talked very reasonably, plain sense and plain words, such as a simple man like me could not choose but understand; and one told me how George Fox should be in Lancashire about this time.’