'From the depths of our hearts we echoed Bessie's wish; and with only too good reason, as you will very soon see.
'The next morning, before we were more than half dressed, a succession of thundering knocks at the hall door, and sundry violent peals of the bell, brought all our toilets to a sudden standstill. There was a moment's startled silence in the room; then a burst of exclamations, and a rush to the window, from which nothing was to be seen except a few ragged boys standing about near our gate. Presently there was a murmur of strange voices in the house, and after a while a ringing scream from Ph[oe]be on the stairs. The next minute we heard her rush into the room where the elder girls slept, and, with one consent, we followed her there.
'"Do speak, Ph[oe]be! for Heaven's sake, tell us what is the matter," Bessie was saying, with an impatient stamp, as we entered; but "Alack, alack, alack!" was Ph[oe]be's only answer, as she leaned against the door-post, gasping and sobbing, and wringing her hands, until Henrietta silently offered her some water; after drinking which she became a little more coherent.
'"Oh, well-day! poor dear ladies! Lord have mercy upon us! They've come at last, as I've always feared they would, ever since Madame went away."
'We looked at one another in dumb horror.
'"They've come!" repeated Henrietta slowly. "And whom do they want, Ph[oe]be? What do they say?"
'"Oh, they want Madame, to be sure, and Mistress Pauline—only, they're gone. And now we are all arrested. I heard them say so—Madame Fortescue, and all of you, arrested in the King's name. Good-lack! good-lack! We shall all be hanged, and burnt, and made slaves, and what not. I knew how it would be when that wicked, murdering knave, Judge Jeffreys, came to Taunton. Poor dear young ladies! where shall we all be this time to-morrow?"
'Of course this question could only be answered by a chorus of sobs, lamentations, and exclamations of all kinds, in the midst of which in came Mrs. Fortescue, pale and grave as she had always been of late, but with something in her face that looked almost more like indignation than fear. Her presence quieted us directly; and we listened to her, and obeyed her in trembling silence, when she told us to finish our dressing as quickly as possible, for that there was a gentleman down-stairs who wished to put some questions to us. She stayed in the elder girls' room for a few moments after we left it, and then we heard her go down-stairs, followed by the still weeping Ph[oe]be.
'"Silly wench," Mrs. Fortescue was saying as they passed our door, "what need is there for you to fret yourself in this way? You are safe enough. Would we were all in such small peril!"
'The words rang in my ears. We really were, then, in some great danger. It had not proceeded from Ph[oe]be's frightened imagination. I clung to Bessie's side, when, having made ourselves ready, we at length proceeded, slowly and reluctantly, downstairs, and whispered to her imploringly to tell me what Mrs. Fortescue had said after we younger girls had been sent back to our own room.