“I thought to go and sit a while by Christie,” she said.
“You’ll not go out of this house. I’ll have no whisperings betwixt you and those brethren of yours—always tuting in your ear, and setting you up to all manner of mischief. You’d not be so troublesome if you hadn’t Roger Hall at your back—that’s my belief. You may just keep away from them; and if they keep not away from you, they’ll maybe get what they shall love little.”
Alice was silent for a moment. Then she said very quietly, “As you will, Edward. I would only ask of you one favour—that I may speak once with Roger, to tell him your pleasure.”
“I’ll tell him fast enough when I see him. Nay, my mistress: you come not round me o’ that fashion. I’ll not have him and you plotting to win you away ere the catchpoll (constable) come to carry you hence. You’ll tarry here, without you make up your mind to be conformable, and go to church.”
The idea of escape from the toils drawing close around her had never entered Alice’s brain till then. Now, for one moment, it surged in wild excitement through her mind. The next moment it was gone. A voice seemed to whisper to her—
“The cup which thy Father hath given thee, wilt thou not drink it?”
Then she said tranquilly, “Be it as you will. Because I cannot rightly obey you in one matter, I will be the more careful in all other to order me as you desire.”
Mr Benden answered only by a sneer. He did not believe in meekness. In his estimation, women who pretended to be meek and submissive were only trying to beguile a man. In his heart he knew that this gentle obedience was not natural to Alice, who had a high spirit and plenty of fortitude; and instead of attributing it to the grace of God, which was its real source, he set it down to a desire to cheat him in some unrevealed fashion.
He went to church, and Alice stayed at home as she was bidden. Finding that she had done so, Mr Benden tried hard to discover that one of her brothers had been to see her, sharply and minutely questioning Mary on the subject.
“I told him nought,” said Mary afterwards to Mistress Tabitha: “and good reason why—there was nought to tell. But if every man Jack of you had been here, do you think I’d ha’ let on to the likes o’ him?”