Through the yew portal Halfman came, gravity reigning in his eyes and slaking their wild fire. He saluted Brilliana with the deep reverence he always showed to his fair general. Brilliana turned to her adjutant eagerly:
"Master Halfman, Master Halfman," she cried, "how do you measure our rebel?"
Halfman's gravity lightened amazingly at the thought of his prisoner.
"I take him," he answered, emphatically, "for as proper a fellow as ever I met in all my vagabond days. Barring his primness he would have proved a gallant"--he was going to say "pirate," but paused in time and said "seaman." "God pardon him for a Puritan," he went on, "for he has in him the making of a rare Cavalier."
Brilliana turned to Tiffany, whose cheeks were very red.
"Hang your head, child," she cried; "for you are outvoted in a parliament of praise. Beat a retreat, maid Tiffany."
The crimson Tiffany fled from the pleasaunce.
"Where is your prisoner?" Brilliana asked.
"I have envoyed him over park and garden," Halfman answered, "and brought him to port in the library."
"Alas! I pity him," sighed Brilliana; "it holds few books of divinity. But come, recruiting-sergeant, what of our volunteers?"
"So pleases you, my lady," Halfman said, "our troop is swelling fast, and the sooner we clap them into colored coats the better."
"Alas! friend, I have sad news for you. Of cloth for coats I can indeed command a great plenty"--she paused doubtfully.
"Why this is glad news, not sad news," Halfman said. "So may you serve it out with all despatch."
Brilliana dropped her hands to her sides and her lids over her eyes, a pretty picture of despair; but, "Alas! 'tis all white," she confessed--"wool white, snow white, ermine white. You must needs have patience, good recruiting-sergeant, till I can have it dyed the royal red."
Halfman pushed patience from him with outspread palms.
"Shall the King lack hands for lack of madder?" he questioned, with humorous indignation. "Not so, I pray you; let us cut our coats from your white cloth. I promise you we will dye it ourselves red enough in the blood of the enemy." Brilliana sprang to her feet rejoicing.
"Bravely said; so shall it be bravely done. I will give orders at once for the cutting and sewing. I will back our white coats against Master Hampden's green coats, or Essex's swarm in orange-tawny. Have you conveyed my message to my two miserly neighbors?"