Evening star., 1924-04-27
Mistress Wilding
By Rafael Sabafini
Author of "Scaramouche,' captain Blood" ETC.
copyrrht 1924 by Houghton Company
By Rafael Sabafini

words: the intoxication that had come
to him from the little measure OF
success that had attende the opening
OF the listing on Church Cliff, de-
serted him now; he saw the thing
stark and in it's true proportions and
not even the shouting of the folk
in the streets below, crying his name
and acclaiming him their champion,
| Wilding's words cast like cloud
over his volatile heart Alas. poor
Monmouth, He was ever a weather
| cock, and even as Wiiding's words
| seemed to strike the courage out of
| him, SO did Grey'S short contemptu-
| Gus answer restore it.
"As it is, well thrust that throne
over with our hands, said he after a
moments pause.
AYE" cried Monmouth. well do it,
"Our dependence and trust in the
! Lord of Hosts in Whose name we go
! FORTH" doomed the voice of Ferguson,
quoting from his precious Declaration.
| 1.-The Lord will do that which Seemeth
| good unto Him."
"An unanswerable argument" said
| Wilding, smiling But the Lord, l am
| told by the gentlemen OF your cloth,
| works in His own good time, and my
| fears are all lest, finding us unprepared
| of ourselves, the Lords good time be
not VET
"Out on ye sir cried Ferguson. ''Ye
want for reverence!
Common sense will serve us better
at the moment" answered Wilding.
! with touch of sharpness. He turned
| to the frowning and perpleXed Duke
whose mind was being tossed this way
| and that, like a shuttlecock upon the
battledore of these mems words. Your
grace" he said. forgive me that
speak it if hear it you will, or forbid
me to say it if your resolve Is unalter-
able in this matter"
1T is unalterable," answered Grey
for the duke.
But Monmouth gently overruled him
! for once.
Nevertheless, speak by all means,
Mr.. Wilding. Whatever you may say,
you need have no fear that any of US
| can doubt your good intentions to our
selves"
Il thak your grace. What I have
| to say is but a repetition of the first
words | uttered at this table. l would
| urge your grace even now to retreat
What. Are you mad" 1t was
Lord Grey who asked the impatient
question.
81 doubt it's overlate for that" said
Fletcher slowly
81 am not so sure" answered Wild
ing. But l am sure that to attempt
it were the safer course-the surer in
the end. | myself may not linger to
push forward the task of stirring up
the people, for I am already something
more than under suspicion. But there
are others who will remain to carry
on the work after L have departed with
your grace, if your grace thinks we'll
From the continent by correspondence
we can mature our plans. In twelve
month things will be very different, and
we can return with confidence"
Grey shrugged and turned his
shoulder upon Wilding, but said no
word There was silence of some few
moments. Andrew Fletcher leaned
his elbow on the table and took his
brow in his great bony hand. Wild
ingS words seemed an echo of those
he himself had spoken a week or two
ago, only to be overruled by Grey,
who swayed the duke more than did
any other-and that he did not do so
of fell purpose, and seeking deliber-
ately to work MonmouthS ruin, no
man will ever be able to say with
certainty.
Ferguson rose, tall, spare, stoop-
ing figure. and smote the board with
his fist: 1T is; a good cause" he
cried, and God will not leave US
unless we leave Him."
Henry the Seventh landed with
fewer men than did your grace" said
Grey, and he succeeded"
True" put in Fletcher. But
Henry the Seventh was sure of the
support of not few of the nobility,
which does not seem to be our case"
Ferguson and Grey stared at him
in horror; Monmouth sat biting his
lip, more bewildered than thoughtful.
20 man of little faith" roared Fer
guson. in a passion. Are ye to be
swayed like a straw in the wind?"
Il am no swayed. Ye ken this was
ever my own view. / feel in my
heart that what Mr.. Wilding says
is right. 1t is but what l said my
before we embarked upon this expe-
dition. We were in danger of ruin
ing all by a needless precipitancy.
Nay, man, never stare So" he said
to Grey, II am in it now and 1 am
no the man to draw back. nor do L
go so far as Mr.. WiIding in counsel
ing such course. We've set our
hands to the plow; let US go for
ward in Gods name. Yet 1 would
remind you that what Mr.. Wilding
says is true. Had we waited until
next year We had found the usurper's
throne tottering under him, and on
our landing it would have toppled
Ger of itself"
overset it with our hands," Grey
answered.
How many hands have you?" ask
ed new voice, a crisp, discordant
voice, much STEPPED in mockery. 1t
was Nick Trenchard'S
Have we another here of Mr. Wild
ing's mind?" cried Grey, staring at
him.
Il am seldom Of any other" an
swered Trenchard.
I'VE shall no want for hands"
Ferguson assured him Had We ar
rived earlier ye might have seen how
readily men enlisted" He had risen
and approached the window as he
spoke; he pulled it open to let in the
full volume of sound that rose from
the street below.
"A Monmouth. a Monmouth" voices
shouted.
Ferguson struck a theatrical pos
ture, one long, lean arm stretched
outward from the shoulder.
"Te hear them, sirs.' he cried. and
there was CLEAN of triumph in his
eye. That is answer enough to those
who want for faith, to the feckIess
| ones that think the Lord will aban-
don those that have set out to serve
Him." and his glance comprehended
Fletcher, Trenchard and Wilding.
The duke stirred in his chair.
stretched a hand for the bottle and
hlled glass. His mercurial spirits
were rising again. He smiled at
Il think you are answered, sir" said
he; and L hope that, like Fletcher
there, who shared your doubts, you
/ will come to agree that since we