There was one good soul whom I loved well to see, who yet gave me many a heart-quake; it was a Mrs. Ashford, wife to a small farmer near us; a lad of hers had sailed with my Harry, and thus she would often come to talk over the hopes and fears we had in common, and to exchange with me whatever scraps of sea-news we could pick up.  So one day, as we sat talking,—­

‘It may be,’ says she, ’we shall see things as terrible here in England, as any that can befall our darlings at sea;’ and I asking what she meant, she told me she had learnt from certain poor seamen that the Plague was assuredly on its way to us, having been creeping nearer and nearer for a year and a half.

‘A Dutch ship from Argier in Africa,’ says she, ’brought it first to Amsterdam, where it grows more and more; and ’tis certain, in another Dutch ship, a great one, all hands died of the Plague, the ship driving ashore and being found full of dead corpses, to the great horror and destruction of the people there; which makes our people tremble, because of our nearness to Holland and our traffic with it.’

‘I heard something of this,’ I said, ’last summer, but it seemed an idle tale only, that died away of itself.’

‘It is no idle tale,’ answered she; ’see you not, sweet lady, the infection itself died away somewhat in the cold winter; but now that spring comes on so fast, the sickness and people’s fears of it revive together.  You will see.’

Well, this news was frightful to me for Harry’s sake.  I began to tremble lest perchance the Good Hope should be visited like that Dutch ship; but I did not breathe such a fear to Mrs. Ashford.  And as the spring drew on, and war with the Dutch was in every mouth, we had a new terror; for now if our sailors came safe home, they could scarce escape being impressed for the king’s service; so we knew not what to wish for.

The spring being more than ordinarily hot, doubled the apprehensions of the Plague; and some time in April, as I think, news came down that it had broken out indeed in London.  ’Twas said it came in a bale of silk, brought from some infected city, and the fear of it increased mightily; and we, remembering Andrew’s strange vision, were not less in terror than our neighbours.

About that time I was busy one morning in the front garden, when a gentleman in black came in at the gate, and was making up to the hall door, when, espying me, he stopped, beckoning with his hand, and seeming to want speech with me.  He was muffled in a cloak, and his hat pulled over his brows, so I could not tell who he was; yet I went to meet him, and when I was near enough,—­

‘I think, madam,’ says he, in an odd husky voice, ’you have a kinsman who took his way up to town some weeks ago?  I bring news of him;’ on which I begged he would come in and tell it to my sister also; but he said,—­

’There is much sickness in town; I am newly come from it; it were more prudent for me to speak with you here;’ on which I ran and fetched Althea out; and the man said, ’I do not pretend, madam, that my news is good news.  Your kinsman demeaned himself strangely on his coming up, denouncing wrath and woe against the poor citizens, speaking much evil of both Court and City; I am told his civillest name for one was Sodom, and for the other Gomorrah.’