For the first time I found pleasure in the thought of accepting the mission. It fired my blood to think of doing battle with these sturdy Killigrews. They were Papists too, and I had been taught to hate them from my childhood. I longed for some reckless work to do. At first it had seemed tame and mean to carry away a chit of a maid from Endellion Castle, and take her to Treviscoe, that she might become the wife of Peter Trevisa. I surmised, too, that young Peter thought quite as much of Restormel as he did of the maid. But to go into a house where there were five young fellows who were giants, and take away a maid who was closely guarded, aroused all my love for adventure.
"What is this Endellion Castle?" I asked. "Is it one of the old Cornish fortresses?"
"Part of the castle still stands," replied young Peter. "The grandfather of the present Colman Killigrew built the present house adjoining it."
"It is well guarded, I suppose?"
"Yes," replied young Peter reluctantly. "Colman Killigrew and all his sons are rebels at heart. In his father's days he and his family supported King James; they long for a Catholic to be on the throne, and there is a rumour that they are planning against our good King George."
"Hath anything been proved against them?"
"No, not proved, but matters look suspicious. Rumour saith, that should there be a rebellion he could command five hundred swords. There is a strong Papist feeling in the neighbourhood of Endellion."
"And the maid, is she a Papist?"
"Her father, Godfrey Molesworth, was a strong Protestant, but Heaven only knows what they have persuaded her to be."