long along a straight furrow to change now; but I am not ill pleased that
my son should have a wider scope. I trust and believe that he will drive
his furrow as straight as we have done, although it may not be exactly in
the same line."

But neither Zephaniah nor old Mrs. Davenant knew that their respective
grandsons had made friends, although both the boys' fathers knew, and
approved of it, although for somewhat different reasons.

"The Whitefoot boy," Mr. Davenant had said to his wife, "is, I fancy from
what I have seen of him, of a different type to his father and
grandfather. I met him the other day when I was out, and he spoke as
naturally and outspokenly as Walter himself. He seems to have got rid of
the Puritanical twang altogether. At any rate, he will do Walter no harm;
and, indeed, I should say that there was a solid good sense about him,
which will do Master Walter, who is somewhat disposed to be a madcap,
much good. Anyhow, he is a better companion for the boy than the lads
down in the village; and there is no saying, wife, how matters may go in
this unhappy country. It may be that we may come to our own again. It may
be that we may lose what is left to us. Anyhow, it can do no harm to
Walter that he should have, as a friend, one in the opposite camp."

Somewhat similar was the talk between Hannah and Jabez, although, in
their case, the wife was the speaker.

"John has told me, Jabez, that he has several times met young Davenant,
and that the boy is disposed to be friendly with him; and he has asked me
to speak with you, to know whether you have any objection to his making a
friend of him."