CHAPTER I: THE WAR OF THE SUCCESSION"He is an idle vagabond!" the mayor of the good town of Southamptonsaid, in high wrath--"a ne'er do well, and an insolent puppy; and as toyou, Mistress Alice, if I catch you exchanging words with him again, ay,or nodding to him, or looking as if in any way you were conscious of hispresence, I will put you on bread and water, and will send you away forsix months to the care of my sister Deborah, who will, I warrant me,bring you to your senses."The Mayor of Southampton must have been very angry indeed when he spokein this way to his daughter Alice, who in most matters had her ownway. Especially did it show that he was angry, since he so spoke in thepresence of Mistress Anthony, his wife, who was accustomed to have a byno means unimportant share in any decision arrived at respecting familymatters.She was too wise a woman, however, to attempt to arrest the torrentin full flood, especially as it was a matter on which her husband hadalready shown a very unusual determination to have his own way. Shetherefore continued to work in silence, and paid no attention to theappealing glance which her daughter, a girl of fourteen, cast towardher. But although she said nothing, her husband understood in hersilence an unuttered protest."It is no use your taking that scamp's part, Mary, in this matter. I amdetermined to have my own way, and the townspeople know well that whenRichard Anthony makes up his mind, nothing will move him.""I have had no opportunity to take his part, Richard," his wife saidquietly; "you have been storming without interruption since you came infive minutes ago, and I have not uttered a single word.""But you agree with me, Mary--you cannot but agree with me--that it isnothing short of a scandal for the daughter of the Mayor of Southamptonto be talking to a penniless young rogue like that at the garden gate.""Alice should not have met him there," Mistress Anthony said; "butseeing that she is only fourteen years old, and the boy only sixteen,and he her second cousin, I do not see that the matter is so veryshocking.""In four more years, Mistress Anthony," the mayor said profoundly, "hewill be twenty, and she will be eighteen.""So I suppose, Richard; I am no great head at a figures, but even I canreckon that. But as at present they are only fourteen and sixteen, Irepeat that I do not see that it matters--at least not so very much.Alice, do you go to your room, and remain there till I send for you."The girl without a word rose and retired. In the reign of King Williamthe Third implicit obedience was expected of children."I think, Richard," Mrs. Anthony went on when the door closed behind herdaughter, "you are not acting quite with your usual wisdom in treatingthis matter in so serious a light, and in putting ideas into the girl'shead which would probably never have entered there otherwise. Of courseAlice is fond of Jack. It is only natural that she should be, seeingthat he is her second cousin, and that for two years they have livedtogether under this roof.""I was a fool, Mistress Anthony," the mayor said angrily, "ever to yieldto your persuasions in that matter. It was unfortunate, of course, thatthe boy's father, the husband of your Cousin Margaret, should have beenturned out of his living by the Sectarians, as befell thousands of otherclergymen besides him. It was still more unfortunate that when KingCharles returned he did not get reinstated; but, after all, that wasMargaret's business and not mine; and if she was fool enough to marry apauper, and he well nigh old enough to be her father--well, as I say, itwas no business of mine.""He was not a pauper, Richard, and you know it; and he made enough byteaching to keep him and Margaret comfortably till he broke down anddied three years ago, and poor Margaret followed him to the grave a yearlater. He was a good man--in every way a good man.""Tut, tut! I am not saying he wasn't a good man. I am only saying that,good or bad, it was no business of mine; and then nothing will do butI must send for the boy and put him in my business. And a nice messhe made of it--an idler, more careless apprentice, no cloth merchant,especially one who stood well with his fellow citizens, and who wason the highway to becoming mayor of his native city, was ever crossedwith.""I think he was hardly as bad as that, Richard. I don't think you wereever quite fair to the boy."