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women servants to produce what food and drink there was in the larder and then to follow them up stairs, retired to the large chamber, which was Mistress Normanton's own, to listen and wait and watch.

"When thy father and Lord Roger and the men return, there is no doubt they will be far more than a match for this very small band, and will easily expel them, but I know not whether to wish it may be so," whispered Mistress Normanton. "If they might find little and leave soon, it would be best. I know of nought of importance that they can find, for Dr. Folliott, praise be to Heaven! took his papers with him to lodge in the hands of the Dean, and thy father confided the few scraps of writing of consequence which he had to Lord Roger but three days since they are safe at Welltowers. And there be no jewels or plate left that they can rob us of."

"Saving in the chapel !" exclaimed Mistress Kitty, turning very pale. "Child! I thought not of the chapel! Alack, and the Doctor hath done nought there! The altar stands as it hath ever stood."

They stabled their horses in the very choir of the cathedral!" said Mistress Kitty, trembling very much.

"They profaned the most holy vessels at their

orgies!" said Mis

tress Normanton, the tears falling over her cheeks. "They laid unhallowed hands upon the altar itself-they committed sacrilege without end. And these may be some of those very men !-But they may not know we have a private chapel, Kitty ?"

Mistress Kitty shook her head in sorrowful despondence; and even then came the sound of voices from beneath, and mother and daughter drew near the open window to listen.

“We have a mind to purify this place of abomination which thou hast here, old man," said the harsh voice of Reuben Golightly, addressing Robin Wilton, the old retainer still remaining at Coombe Royal. "Show thou us the way thither, therefore, and that without delay, that we may deal mercifully with thy grey hairs."

"So please you," they heard the old man make answer, "the true chamber of the priest-the inner chamber in which he passed most of his time your worships have not for yourselves discovered. I like not to play the traitor—but an ye will as ye say deal mercifully with my grey hairs, I will even discover it to you myself."

"It is to gain time, good Robin!" whispered Mistress Kitty, with clasped hands. Mother, there is somewhat I can do to avert this. I can do that which his Reverence would do—I can possess me of the

keys. The windows are high, and very narrow, and strongly mullioned there can be no entrance save by the doors. It is but a question of time-my father and my lord will be here anon; and the doors will resist long, for they are strong and heavy. See! while they parley with Robin is my opportunity. They doubt him; but they parley. Mother, have I your leave ?"

.

Thou wilt hie thee along the gallery and down the private stair,

Kitty ?"

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Ay, my mother."

"And think'st thou there is time ?"

"I can be very fleet."

"Then GOD go with thee, my child; and may He protect His

own!"

And Mistress Normanton, who was stiff in the joints and could make little speed under any circumstances, sank down upon a seat, her trembling limbs refusing to support her, and with sore anxiety of heart endured the agony of suspense, while Mistress Kitty sped away, along the gallery and down the steep dark winding stair. But Robin's craft had not sufficed-the parley had been all too brief. As Mistress Kitty, after turning the great key in the lock with all her strength, essayed by a further effort to draw it out, a shout announced the approach of the Roundheads. With a last exertion she extricated the key, and darted towards the stair with the utmost speed she could make. But they had seen her, and had seen what she did and they pursued her with shouts and cries. She gained the stair, however, and ran up the steep and rugged ascent with a marvellous rapidity, not turning to the gallery half way up, for she had had presence of mind to see that two men broke from their fellows as though to circumvent her should she attempt to escape that way. She passed on, therefore, with the best speed she could make, to the very top of the turret, where was a small platform commanding a wide view of distant landscape. The battlement round this platform was broken away for several yards in one part and had fallen down into the moat below, and ordinarily Mistress Kitty could not have stood upon this very small space of unprotected lead paving without great giddiness of the head: but now she thought not of that. She turned to face her pursuers, her arm extended to throw the heavy bunch of keys she carried into the still deep waters of the moat. The sun was already sinking behind the towers of Coombe Royal, a great ball of blood red fire in the

burnished western sky. There were black thunder-clouds piling themselves in masses over against the sunset, but where the sun was sinking there was nothing to dim the vivid glory of the sky—a glory unusually splendid even for August. And against this brilliant background stood Mistress Kitty, a slender white figure all suffused with glowing light, her eyes dilated and shining, her face illuminated by a very great radiance.-Was it merely the light of the setting sun which lent that awful brightness to the steadfast young face? or was it with Mistress Kitty as it has sometimes been with those who have willingly laid down their lives-did

"The SAVIOUR, felt, not seen, in life,

Deign to be seen in that last strife,

And angels hail, approaching to the shore,
Rays like their own, and more ?"

We know not; but surely a life passed in all purity, and lowliness, and faith from the font to the grave, may sometimes be permitted to terminate in such an Epiphany as this. Certain it is that those who looked upon that face carried the remembrance of it with them to their dying day, and could only speak of it, if they chose to speak at all, which only one or two did, with hushed voices and bated breath.

"Throw not, or I fire," shouted Reuben Golightly, as Mistress Kitty came to a stand, her arm raised. But even as he shouted the deed was done the great keys were falling through the air to sink out of reach in the moat. In the same instant the sharp crack of the pistol he presented as he uttered his threat resounded, waking the echoes all around-at the report of the pistol Mistress Kitty recoiled a step backward, and then the little platform was vacant—the white glorified figure stood no longer between the sunset sky and the little band of hurrying men below.

With a great oath one of those behind sprang upon Golightly, horrified into forgetfulness of all save this sudden ending of the pursuit, but the others remained motionless, only revealing by that abrupt stillness and intense hush the awe and remorse which had for the moment cleared away the mists of fanatical frenzy.

"Villain! thou hast murdered her!" he exclaimed.

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Nay, I profess unto thee I meant but to scare her; could I surely know there was no parapet ?" said Golightly, and his lip, which still curled with an habitual sneer, was pale and twitched somewhat. “But

there is no harm done after all; the girl foiled us, and she has her reward. So perish all malignants and prelatists! Sayest thou not Amen to that, faithful Ebenezer ?"

"Verily the word does somewhat stick in my throat at the moment," was the answer, as the trooper turned away to follow his comrades down the stair.

So died Mistress Kitty Normanton, in defence of all which to her seemed most sacred, and the sacrifice was not unavailing. The chapel doors were not even attempted-all save Reuben Golightly had had enough of such work for the time being, and he cared not to persist in the teeth of the indignation of his colonel and the disinclination of the rest and so the little band rode away, the intended sacrilege uncommitted, nearly an hour before Squire Normanton and Lord Roger Lumley again entered the beech avenue, to find no sweet Mistress Kitty waiting to give them welcome. She had gone from fair Coombe Royal, from father, mother, and lover, leaving all the joys of happy wifehood and motherhood untasted, by a rough and sudden road to that far country within the veil, where there is rest and peace such as the happiest life in this troublesome world can never give, even in calm and tranquil days-and Mistress Kitty's earthly lot was cast in stormy times, times which were growing every day darker and less hopeful. The waves of civil strife would rage every day more fiercely, but she had escaped from all. She left behind her mourning and desolation such as no words can describe-an empty place which could never be filled, a grief which could never in this world find perfect healingbut she herself had attained to the everlasting rest of the saints.

"One of that throng art thou, O fair-haired maiden,

Who, safe through troubled life and martyr death,
Stand clothed in white, with palm branch softly laden,
Sounding glad praises with their new found breath.

Yea, thou hast come through greatest tribulation,
But all is over now, and we would dwell

Not on the darkly-pictured recollection

Of thy sad death, and our more sad farewell,

But on thy welcome at the Heavenly Gate,

Where He Who loves thee more than father, friend, doth wait.”

Poor Mistress Normanton never recovered the shock of that terrible

evening, when Mistress Kitty's body, the bosom pierced by Reuben Golightly's pistol shot, was drawn out of the moat.

Whether Go

lightly had indeed intended, as he said, only to scare her, or whether in his fury he had deliberately taken true aim,—certain it was that the bullet had gone home to that gentle heart, and that it needed not the fall into the deep moat to part soul and body. The poor mother drooped and pined, and soon followed the daughter whom she loved so well,

Squire Normanton lived on, to witness first the murder of the King, and then the joy of the Restoration, and to glory, the stronghearted loyal gentleman, in those principles of fidelity to Church and King which had cost him his son and daughter, and, indirectly, his wife.

Lord Roger Lumley did good service on many a hard fought field, and rose high in honour and power after the Restoration; but deep in his heart he cherished the memory of his betrothed, and though he lived long, and mingled with society freely, he sought no second love.

They laid the body of Mistress Kitty Normanton to rest in the chapel she died to defend; and in after years, when such things could be done, Lord Roger erected a monument over her grave,—the ruins of which puzzle antiquarians to this day. It is a recumbent figure of a very fair maiden, to whose delicate features the unknown sculptor has imparted a wonderful expression of reverent adoration and gladness, and in whose folded hands he has placed a massive bunch of keys. And below the sculptured figure are these words, now partly effaced, but still discernible :-" LORD, I have loved the habitation of Thy House, and the place where Thine Honour dwelleth."

"NOT TO DO MINE OWN WILL."

S. JOHN VI. 38.

DARKNESS is in the sky,

Night-watches have begun,

And to GOD's Throne goes up the sigh,

"FATHER, Thy Will be done!"

Oh well for those whose hearts

In sorrow find no night,

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