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270 around him. That night, however, he enjoyed the luxury of sleeping on a pallet laid upon the floor of the secret apartment; and the old mother of the family, whom he called My Dame Joan, had served up some chickens for his supper, "a dainty he had not lately been acquainted with." The next day was Sunday, and he ventured out into the little arbour now standing, as it did then, on a mound in the garden. Here he sat and read, while the Penderel brothers were holding watch and ward at all the approaches to the house. In the meantime John had been sent to Moseley, about five miles from Boscobel, to apprise Lord Wilmot of the King's whereabouts and condition. But he had changed his quarters from Moseley to Bentley near Walsall, where he was the guest of Colonel Lane. It had already been arranged that he should go as a servant or companion to Jane Lane to Bristol, as she had obtained a pass from "the rebels" to make a journey to that seaport. Mr. Whitgreaves, the host at Moseley, went on with John to Bentley, and there it was planned that the King should be brought to that house of refuge and take Lord Wilmot's place on the saddle with Jane Lane.

On the same Sunday night, therefore, the King, being too footsore to walk, was mounted upon Humphrey's old mill-horse, taken from the pasture, "with a pitiful old saddle and a worse bridle."