"All bear witness to that," she replied quickly; "and that is the reason why you should be more uprised in spirits, sir."
"I have much to overcome," he answered.
"What hath the Lord said?" rejoined the Lady Elisabeth—"'With him that overcometh will I share My throne.'"
"Dear one, thy rebuke is well," answered His Highness gently, "and do not doubt that I shall go forward to the end. But at present there are some things hard to bear—mostly the estrangement from some Christians of my acquaintance. I did never think to be parted from Major-General Harrison and John Bradshaw, those godly men. Albeit I have tried my best to remain with them, and I hope yet to win Major-General Harrison."
"He is hard, father—he is hard and fierce," replied Elisabeth Claypole. "He was cruel to many poor men—I have heard notable talk of it——"
"Thou art too pitiful," said Cromwell, "and judge as a woman. There is no man among us—not thy brother Henry, not Lambert, nor Dishowe, nor my son Fleetwood, a finer soldier or a truer Christian than Thomas Harrison."
"I do not like him," insisted the Lady Elisabeth, with a sparkle of her former spirit. "Methinks he smells of his father's trade, and it is credibly believed that he hath plotted against you with the Anabaptists—Richard told me as much."
"As to that I will demand an answer of these charges from him," returned Cromwell gloomily. "Believe me that I love him."
For answer and comfort she rose and went up to him; as she took him lovingly by the upper arm she started. She felt something hard beneath the rich black velvet which he wore.
"You have armour on!" she murmured.