Page:The Children of the New Forest - 1847 - Marryat.djvu/33

 "I saw her, Jacob, but I did not speak to her. I forgot to say, that when she broke Southwold's neck, she broke her own too."

"Then the old lady is dead?"

"Yes, that she is," replied Benjamin, '"but who cares about her? it's the poor children that I pity. Martha has been crying ever since."

"I don't wonder."

"I was at the Cavalier, and the troopers were there, and they were boasting of what they had done, and called it a righteous work. I could pot stand that, and I asked one of them, if it were a righteous work to burn poor children in their beds? So he turned round, and struck his sword upon the floor, and asked me whether I was one of them—'Who are you then?' and I—all my courage went away, and I answered, I was a poor rat-catcher. 'A rat-catcher; are you?—Well then, Mr. Ratcatcher, when you are killing rats, if you find a nest of young ones, don't you kill them too? or do you leave them to grow, and become maischievous, eh?' 'I kill the young ones, of course,' replied I. 'Well, so do we Malignants whenever we find them.' I didn't say a word more, so I went out of the house as fast as I could."

"Have you heard anything about the King?" inquired Jacob.

"No, nothing; but the troopers are all out again, and, I bear, are gone to the forest."

"Well, Benjamin, good bye, I shall be off from this part of the country—it 's no use my staying here. Where's Agatha and Cook?"

"They came to Lymington early this morning."

"Wish them good bye for me, Benjamin."

"Where are you going then?"

"I can't exactly say, but I think, London way. I only staid here to watch over the children; and now that they are gone, I shall leave Arnwood for ever."