His eyes closed, and for a few hours he lay in a deep sleep, from which he awoke very weak, but clear-headed.  He remembered nothing, however, since leaving the quarry, except what appeared a confused dream of wandering through an interminable night of darkness, weariness, and pain.  His first words were,—­

’I must get up, mother Rees:  my father will be anxious about me.  Besides, I promised to set out for Gloucester to-day.’

She sought to quiet him, but in vain, and was at last compelled to inform him that his father, finding he did not return, had armed himself, mounted Oliver, and himself led his little company to join the earl of Essex—­who was now on his way, at the head of an army consisting chiefly of the trained bands of London, to raise the siege of Gloucester.

Richard started up, and would have leaped from the bed, but fell back helpless and unconscious.  When at length his nurse had succeeded in restoring him, she had much ado to convince him that the best thing in all respects was to lie still and submit to be nursed—­so to get well as soon as possible, and join his father.

‘Alas, mother, I have no horse,’ said Richard, and hid his face on the pillow.

‘The Lord will provide what thee wants, my son,’ said the old woman with emotion, neither asking nor caring whether the Lord was on the side of the king or of the parliament, but as little doubting that he must be on the side of Richard.

He soon began to eat hopefully, and after a day or two she found pretty nearly employment enough in cooking for him.

At last, weak as he still was, he would be restrained no longer.  To Gloucester he must go, and relieve his father.  Expostulation was unavailing:  go he must, he said, or his soul would tear itself out of his body, and go without it.

‘Besides, mother, I shall be getting better all the way,’ he continued. ’—­I must go home at once and see whether there is anything left to go upon.’

He rose the same instant, and, regardless of the good woman’s entreaties, crawled out to go to Redware.  She followed him at a little distance, and, before he had walked a quarter of a mile, he was ready to accept her offered arm to help him back.  But his recovery was now very rapid, and. after a few days he felt able for the journey.

At home he found a note from his father, telling him where to find money, and informing him that he was ready to yield him Oliver the moment he should appear to claim him.  Richard put on his armour, and went to the stable.  The weather had been fine, and the harvest was wearing gradually to a close; but the few horses that were left were overworked, for the necessities of the war had been severe, and that part of the country had responded liberally on both sides.  Besides, Mr. Heywood had scarce left an animal judged at all fit to carry a man and keep up with the troop.

When Richard reached the stable, there were in it but three, two of which, having brought loads to the barn, were now having their mid-day meal and rest.  The first one was ancient in bones, with pits profound above his eyes, and grey hairs all about a face which had once been black.