CHAPTER XXXVIII. OF THE HOME-COMING TO HAMPSHIRE.

hevoice,“Ihaveseenjustnowaveryworthypersoncomedowntheroad,thoughmyeyescouldscarcediscernwhetherhecarriedcoat-armor.IprayyoutowaituponhimandtellhimthataveryhumbleknightofEnglandabideshere,sothatifhebeinneedofadvancement,orhaveanysmallvowuponhissoul,ordesiretoexalthislady,Imayhelphimtoaccomplishit.” Aylwardatthisordercameshufflingforwardamidthetrees,andinaninstantthetwomenwereclingingineachother'sarms,laughingandshoutingandpattingeachotherintheirdelightwhileoldSirNigelcamerunningwithhissword,undertheimpressionthatsomesmallbickeringhadbrokenout,onlytoembraceandbeembracedhimself,untilallthreewerehoarsewiththeirquestionsandoutcriesandcongratulations. OntheirjourneyhomethroughthewoodsAlleynelearnttheirwondrousstory:how,whenSirNigelcametohissenses,hewithhisfellow-captivehadbeenhurriedtothecoast,andconveyedbyseatotheircaptor'scastlehowuponthewaytheyhadbeentakenbyaBarbaryrover,andhowtheyexchangedtheirlightcaptivityforaseatonagalleybenchandhardlaboratthepirate'soarshow,intheportatBarbary,SirNigelhadslaintheMoorishcaptain,andhadswumwithAylwardtoasmallcoasterwhichtheyhadtaken,andsomadetheirwaytoEnglandwitharichcargotorewardthemfortheirtoils.AllthisAlleynelistenedto,untilthedarkkeepofTwynhamtoweredabovetheminthegloaming,andtheysawtheredsunlyingathwarttheripplingAvon.NoneedtospeakofthegladheartsatTwynhamCastlethatnight,noroftherichofferingsfromoutthatMoorishcargowhichfoundtheirwaytothechapelofFatherChristopher. SirNigelLoringlivedformanyyears,fullofhonorandladenwitheveryblessing.Herodenomoretothewars,buthefoundhiswaytoeveryjoustingwithinthirtymilesandtheHampshireyouthtreasureditasthehighesthonorwhenawordofpraisefellfromhimastotheirmanagementoftheirhorses,ortheirbreakingoftheirlances.Sohelivedandsohedied,themostreveredandthehappiestmaninallhisnativeshire. ForSirAlleyneEdricsonandforhisbeautifulbridethefuturehadalsonaughtbutwhatwasgood.TwicehefoughtinFrance,andcamebackeachtimeladenwithhonors.Ahighplaceatcourtwasgiventohim,andhespentmanyyearsatWindsorunderthesecondRichardandthefourthHenry—wherehereceivedthehonoroftheGarter,andwonthenameofbeingabravesoldier,atrue-heartedgentleman,andagreatloverandpatronofeveryartandsciencewhichrefinesorennobleslife. AstoJohn,hetookuntohimselfavillagemaid,andsettledinLyndhurst,wherehisfivethousandcrownsmadehimtherichestfranklinformanymilesaround.Formanyyearshedrankhisaleeverynightatthe“PiedMerlin,”whichwasnowkeptbyhisfriendAylward,whohadweddedthegoodwidowtowhomhehadcommittedhisplunder.ThestrongmenandthebowmenofthecountryroundusedtodropinthereofaneveningtowrestleafallwithJohnortoshootaroundwithAylwardbut,thoughasilvershillingwastobetheprizeofthevictory,ithasneverbeenreportedthatanymanearnedmuchmoneyinthatfashion.Sotheylived,thesemen,intheirownlusty,cheeryfashion—rudeandrough,buthonest,kindlyandtrue.LetusthankGodifwehaveoutgrowntheirvices.LetuspraytoGodthatwemayeverholdtheirvirtues.Theskymaydarken,andthecloudsmaygather,andagainthedaymaycomewhenBritainmayhavesoreneedofherchildren,onwhatevershoreoftheseatheybefound.Shalltheynotmusterathercall?