Harry Furness and his father had not far to go.  They were soon installed in their old house, where although some confusion prevailed owing to its having been frequently in the occupation of bodies of Parliament troops, yet the damage done was not serious, and in a short time it was restored to its former condition.  Several of the more valuable articles were allowed to remain in the hiding-places in which they had been concealed, as none could yet say how events might finally turn out.  A portion of the Parliamentary troops were also disbanded, and allowed to return to their homes; among these were Master Rippinghall and his son, and for some months matters went on at Abingdon as if the civil war had never been.  Harry often saw his friend Herbert; but so long as the king remained in a doubtful position in the army of the Scots, no close intercourse could take place between members of parties so opposed to each other.

The time went slowly with Harry, for after the past three years of excitement it was difficult to settle down to a quiet life at Furness Hall.  He was of course too old now for schooling, and the times were yet too disturbed for men to engage in the field sports which occupy so large a portion of country life.  Colonel Furness, indeed, had determined that in no case would he again take up arms.  He was discontented with the whole course of events, and foresaw that, with the unhappy temper of the king, no favorable issue could possibly be looked for.  He had done his best, he said, for the crown and would do no more.  He told his son, however, that he should place no rein upon his inclinations should he choose to meddle further in the matter.  Harry would fain have gone abroad, whither so many of the leading Cavaliers had already betaken themselves, and entered the service of some foreign court for a few years.  But his father dissuaded him from this, at any rate for the present.

“These delays and negotiations,” he said, “cannot last forever.  I care not whether Presbyterians or Independents get the power over our unhappy country.  The Independents are perhaps the more bigoted; the Presbyterians the more intolerant.  But as the latter would certainly respect the royal authority more than the former, whose rage appears to me to pass the bounds of all moderation, I would gladly see the Presbyterians obtain the upper hand.”

For months the negotiations dragged wearily on, the king, as usual, maintaining an indecisive attitude between the two parties.  At length, however, the negotiations ended in a manner which brought an eternal disgrace upon the Scotch, for they agreed, upon the receipt of a large sum of money as the deferred pay of the army, to deliver the king into the hands of the English Parliament.  A great convoy of money was sent down from London, and the day that the cash was in the hands of the Scots they handed over the king to the Parliamentary commissioners sent down to receive him.  The king was conducted to Holmby