'We did not hear anything at all for about a week, and then only that the Duke had been well received at Bridgewater—that he had marched from there to Glastonbury, Wells, Bristol, and other places whose names I forgot as soon as I heard them. After this, reports became extremely vague. "The Duke was marching straight for London," we were told, "with the King's army flying before him;" but this was immediately contradicted by some one who knew (on the best authority) that the Duke was making his way through Worcestershire towards Shropshire and Cheshire, in order to collect his friends in those counties; after which we heard that he had won a decisive victory at Philips Norton, and then that there had been no battle at all there. By the time the great news really came, which brought back all our excitement and interest in a rush, most of the younger girls, and certainly myself among the number, were getting very tired of the perpetual discussions about the Duke and his prospects which went on among our elders.
'"We cannot do anything; so what is the use of talking about it?" Camilla said. And I secretly agreed with her, though my affection for Bessie generally kept me at her side during play-hours, in spite of the fact that she talked of nothing but this one subject, which was becoming, to my mind, a very stale one indeed.
'One morning I was standing by the window in our bedroom doing nothing, though I had been sent there to learn a lesson, given me as a punishment for inattention. I looked at my book for about five minutes, and then relapsed into a day-dream about Oliver and Hebe, which was broken by my hearing a noise in the street. Of course I went to the window to see what it meant, and to my astonishment beheld quite a crowd collected in front of our house,—among them Madame St. Aubert herself, whom I had left a quarter of an hour ago in the schoolroom reading aloud a book of French history to the elder girls. She was talking very fast and eagerly, and once wrung her hands with a sort of impatient despair, which convinced me that something dreadful was the matter. What could have happened? I was just thinking of venturing down-stairs, at the risk of a scolding, when I heard footsteps hurriedly approaching, and Bessie, looking white and terrified, entered the room.
'"Oh, Frances!" she cried as I sprang towards her. "Such news!—such miserable news! All is over with the cause now. There is nothing more to hope for." And Bessie sank into a chair and burst into a flood of tears.
'"But how do you know? What has happened? Has there been a battle? Is the Duke of Monmouth killed?" All these questions I hurried out at once, standing bewildered in the middle of the floor, staring at Bessie, who at last raised her head and went on with her story.
'"Job Tallis has come back." (Job Tallis was Madame St. Aubert's gardener, and was one of the many young men who had joined the Duke's standard while he was at Taunton.) "There has been a dreadful battle at a place called Sedgemoor, close to Bridgewater. The Duke's men fought like lions, Job says; but it was all of no use. They were outnumbered—their ammunition failed them—their cavalry were scattered by the first shot: that must have been Lord Grey's fault." And Bessie stopped to give a little stamp with her foot, and to wipe her eyes, as she said this: "Oh, if I was but a man? But there, that is nonsense. It was at night, and there was such a fog that it was impossible to see a dozen yards in front of you. They fought till after daybreak,—till Feversham's artillery broke their ranks to pieces—till they were literally ridden down by his cavalry."
'"And the Duke?" I asked, beginning to tremble, for Bessie's excitement was infectious. She shook her head.
'"Job knows nothing about him. He saw him last on foot, encouraging his men, and was close to him for a little while; but he was struck down by a pike (Job, I mean), and knew nothing more till the fight was over, and then he was almost taken prisoner, Oh! he has had a great many escapes and adventures; but I could not stay to hear about them, I wanted to come up here out of everybody's way."
'"But, Bessie, I don't understand what will become of the Duke if he is alive. Will he collect a great many more men and fight another battle? And if he is taken prisoner, what will they do to him? Will they——"
'"Don't, Frances," and Bessie covered her face with her hands and shuddered. "I don't know anything. It is too horrible to think about. Oh, he must escape! Perhaps he is in hiding somewhere; perhaps he has reached a seaport already, and is safe on board ship."