“Suffer the damsel to tarry here for a short space, and follow me to a little distance.”
“Go with the stranger, Basil,” said she, “and I will remain in the same spot till you return.”
“Do so then, Mary,” said Basil; “I’ll return anon.”
As they retired to some distance from the crowd, Basil had leisure to note the appearance of the stranger. From his dress little could be learned; it was in the extremity of plainness. He had been a man of uncommon muscular strength, but it seemed much decayed, perhaps from the struggles of an active life. His eyes were sunk, but retained their lustre; and premature furrows were on his brow. When he halted, Basil addressed him:
“Will it please you then, sir, to communicate your tidings?”
“Then I ask thee, Basil Rolland, what dost thou here?”
“Why, grave sir, I’ll answer thy question with another,” said Basil, laughing at this solemn opening of the conference: “what dost thou here?”
“My gray hairs, young man, are a testimony unto thee that I come not here on any light matter.”
“Why then, my foolish face may be a testimony to thee of the lightness of the cause that brought me hither. Marry! we have at last got rid of Montrose and his prickeared gang, wherefore we may be allowed to enjoy ourselves on the prospect of peace.”
“Enjoy thyself!” said he. “And what enjoyment canst thou gain from these absurd and impious mummeries? They are a sacrifice to the evil one; a bloody engine of Prelacy to betray the unthinking soul. Peace! What have ye to do with peace? Have not thy friends been treacherous as a snare, and unstable as water? Hath not the finger of Heaven written bitter things against them for their guile and deceit? Have not their enemies trampled them under foot, and they in whom they trusted been as a scourge and as a snare unto them? Have they not been lukewarm in the good cause, regarding the favour of men more than the will of God? Are they not even now triumphing at the hurt of Israel, and rejoicing that the pure evangel has been withdrawn from them? Let them lean on those whom they have chosen, and well shall it be for them if they can protect them against the just wrath of the godly.”