"Cicely, Jack Bunce has come, bringing a letter from Margery, and most portentous news from home."
"Oh, Miles! is our Harry ill?" asked Lady Paton with a gasp.
"Nay, nay, sweetheart! both our darlings are well. Margery says they have grown an inch she thinks; and they are good and obedient little knaves."
"Then, wherefore should Margery send to you in such hot haste?" asked his wife, with a sigh of relief.
"Well, we heard here, almost as soon as we came, that the Vicar-General, Master Cromwell, was determined to carry out what our master the Cardinal began—the suppression of the monasteries. We did not think that this commission would affect us, and we paid little heed to it, although I heard of what was afoot before I left home. Now, Master Cromwell is not one to let any matter sleep, and so our monastery at home has been seized by order of the King and Vicar-General; and all the monks have been turned out, and have gone to claim a shelter and a home from Margery."
"Oh, poor Margery! what would she do?" exclaimed Cicely.
Sir Miles smiled as he took his sister's letter out to read a piece of it to Cicely. "This is what she says: 'I am a witless woman, as you know, Miles; and so, when the brethren came to demand that I should give them food and shelter, I told them that ours was a house of work, and none could eat within its doors who did not perform such work as they were able to accomplish; that we ruled our house by the Word of God, which said, "If a man will not work, neither shall he eat."' One of the brethren told her this command was for common people, but not for monks and holy men; and she told him our house was not for monks, but for common men, who earned their bread before they ate it." And Sir Miles laughed again as Sir Harry came in and the story was repeated to him.
But Sir Harry looked grave as he read the letter. "I see she speaks of the Prior being placed in the best chamber," he remarked.
"Yes, the poor old Prior hath but a short time to live, and my Lord Privy Seal might have let him end his days in his old home. Margery hath done as I would myself, in giving him the best chamber."
"But what of these lusty knaves, the monks?" asked his father.