father facing the discontented multitude alone, but knowing that it would be vain to remonstrate, she returned in silence to the window they had just left, and watched anxiously for what should happen next.

The iron gates which separated the grounds of Allerton from the main road were now surrounded by the pitmen, and there was a look of determination in the slow movements of their black stalwart forms which filled her with terror. In a few moments Mr. Hardy left the house, and Mary's heart beat almost as much with pride as with fear, when she saw him go out alone and advance towards the gates with his usual calm and dignified step. There had been a burst of execration when he was first recognised, but it quickly subsided as he drew nearer and looked round him with haughty fearlessness. Passing through the iron gates he suffered the spring lock to close behind him, thus adding what he could to the slight defences of the house.

Mary was at too great a distance to hear what passed; it seemed to her that a paper was presented to Mr. Hardy, and that he attempted to address the crowd upon its contents. Apparently they were unable to hear him, for the next movement was towards a grass-field between the road and the river, where stood an empty waggon, upon which, as upon a temporary platform, she presently saw her father mounted. He was listened to for a time with tolerable attention, and Mary, trusting fondly to his eloquence, began to think all would be well, when suddenly the patience of the audience appeared to give way, shouts and cries were borne to her reluctant ear, the crowd swayed to and fro like an unquiet sea, and then a storm of howls, of yells, and of hisses drowned the speaker's voice. A slight active man, evidently not one of the pitmen, sprung upon the platform, and by his gestures Mary could judge the impassioned nature of his harangue. He carried his hearers with him,

clubs were brandished, banners waved, and admiring cheers told how well he had succeeded in touching the string to which those rude natures vibrated. When at length they seemed worked up to the desired pitch of fury, the orator leaped down, and pointing to the house moved forward, with the whole body tumultuously following as if to the attack.

Mary had lost sight of her father, and her agony lest he should be thrown down and trampled under foot became almost intolerable. At this moment screams arose above the tumult; they were from the women on the opposite bank. The advancing body paused, the tide turned, and in another instant, impelled by curiosity and alarm, all were crowding back eagerly to the brink of the ravine in which the river flowed. Mary could control herself no longer and rushed into the garden, which was separated from the field in question by an iron railing and deep ditch.

To her great joy she saw her father safe, but like the rest, absorbed by some new interest; anxious to ascertain what this might be, she also advanced, and concealing herself in a small summer-house, found that she could from thence command the scene of action.

To explain what had happened we must retrace our steps.

Mr. Marshall had received notice of the intended attack upon both their houses somewhat earlier in the day than Mr. Hardy; he too had sought to make use of the information for his own security and that of his friend, but the precautions of the pitmen were too well taken, and his attempt to send out a messenger was equally unsuccessful.

The violence of which some of the dismissed men had been guilty towards the new-comers, made Mr. Marshall's servants shrink from any fresh attempts to execute the unpopular mission of summoning troops,

but appearances became so alarming, and the necessity of knowing what course of action was likely to be pursued, and what concessions granted by other coal-owners, became so urgent, that Edward, unwilling as he was to leave his post, volunteered to make one more effort to reach H

Edward's sentiments were well known in the country, and Mr. Marshall's unwonted firmness was attributed solely to him, his only chance of effecting his object lay, therefore, in his contriving to escape observation. For this purpose, instead of leaving the house by the usual way, he let himself drop from a wall at the back, slipped into the brushwood which clothed the river bank, and creeping for some distance close to the water's edge, only quitted his covert when he thought he could with safety strike across the open country, and take the shortest line to H

He accomplished his mission without much difficulty, and secured the immediate

VOL. I.

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