true to anyone who hath served the king?" Upon which she readily
made answer: "Yes, sir; I'd die sooner than betray you." Being
reassured at this, he ate heartily.

When night fell, Richard brought him into the house again, and
the king, now abandoning his intention of proceeding to London,
expressed his anxiety to reach Wales where he had many friends,
and which afforded him ready opportunities of escaping from the
kingdom. Pendrell expressed himself willing to conduct him
thither. Accordingly, about nine of the clock, they set out with
the determination of crossing the Severn, intending to pass over
a ferry between Bridgenorth and Shrewsbury. When they had walked
some hours they drew near a water-mill. "We could see the
miller," said the king in relating the story, "as I believe,
sitting at the mill-door, he being in white clothes, it being a
very dark night. He called out sturdily, 'Who goes there?' Upon
which Richard Pendrell answered, 'Neighbours going home,' or
suchlike words. Whereupon the miller cried out: 'If you be
neighbours, stand, or I will knock you down.' Upon which, we
believing there was company in the house, Richard bade me follow
him close, and he ran to a gate that went up a dirty lane up a
hill. The miller cried out: 'Rogues--rogues!' And thereupon
some men came out of the mill after us, which I believe were
soldiers; so we fell a-running, both of us up the lane as long as
we could run, it being very deep and very dirty, till at last I
bade him leap over a hedge, and lie still to hear if anybody
followed us--which we did, and continued lying down upon the
ground about half an hour, when, hearing nobody come, we
continued our way."