"Well, young lady," said the Captain at length, "I must compliment you on your cleverness. You nested your bird well, and you saw to it that he flew well, too. All we have to show for it is a broken nose, a broken shoulder, and a broken back. It is a sad business for us all; bad for you, when head quarters come to hear of it, and bad for me, in not being sharper. But it might have been worse," he added; "why, the fugitive might have been the Prince himself, instead of this twopenny-halfpenny spy!" Barbara smiled.
In conclusion it may be said that, as it turned out, no more was heard of the matter by Colonel Myddelton. The Roundhead Captain felt that the day's work did not sufficiently redound to his credit, and he shrank from the chaff that would follow when it was known that a girl and some schoolboys had outwitted him. He therefore kept silence.
Some years had to pass before Barbara and Philip received their reward; but one of the first acts of the Merry Monarch on ascending the throne was to make Philip a knight and to send Barbara a pair of very beautiful horses and a carriage.
THERE WAS A SILENCE AFTER GODFREY FAIRFAX HAD FINISHED.
THEN, "IS IT TRUE?" GREGORY ASKED.
"IS IT A GOOD STORY?" THE AUTHOR INQUIRED, BY WAY OF REPLY.
"OH, YES," SAID GREGORY. "RIPPING!"
"THEN LET'S CONSIDER IT TRUE," SAID MISS REDSTONE.
"OF COURSE IT'S TRUE," SAID HESTER.