Arriving at
Brighthelmstone, they entered an inn and ordered supper, during
which the captain more than once looked hard at the king. And
the meal being ended, the captain called the merchant aside and
said he was not dealt with fairly, inasmuch as he had not been
told the king was the person to be conveyed from thence. The
merchant, not being so wise as the master, denied such was the
case; but the honest fellow told him not to be troubled. "For I
think," said he, "I do God and my country good service in
preserving the king: and by the grace of God I will venture my
life and all for him, and set him safely on shore, if I can, in
France."
Nor was this the last of his majesty's numerous risks, for being
presently left alone, he stood thoughtful and somewhat melancholy
by the fire, resting one hand on a chair; and the landlord,
coming in and seeing him engaged in this manner, softly advanced,
suddenly kissed the king's hand, and said, "God bless you,
wherever you go." Charles started, and would have denied
himself; but the landlord cried out, "'Fore God, your majesty may
trust me; and," he added, "I have no doubt, before I die, to be a
lord, and my wife a lady."
That night, the last his majesty was to spend in England for many
years, he was sad and depressed. The scenes of bloodshed he had
witnessed, the imminent dangers he had escaped, were vividly
present to his mind. The past was fraught with horror; the
future held no hope.
Pages:
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75