Even in the midst of the civil turmoil, he fell in love with, and
married, a beautiful and amiable young lady of the noble house of
Stanley; and from that time had the more merit in his loyalty, as it
divorced him from her society, unless at very brief intervals, when
his duty permitted an occasional visit to his home. Scorning to be
allured from his military duty by domestic inducements, Peveril of
the Peak fought on for several rough years of civil war, and performed
his part with sufficient gallantry, until his regiment was surprised
and cut to pieces by Poyntz, Cromwell's enterprising and successful
general of cavalry. The defeated Cavalier escaped from the field of
battle, and, like a true descendant of William the Conqueror,
disdaining submission, threw himself into his own castellated mansion,
which was attacked and defended in a siege of that irregular kind
which caused the destruction of so many baronial residences during the
course of those unhappy wars. Martindale Castle, after having suffered
severely from the cannon which Cromwell himself brought against it,
was at length surrendered when in the last extremity. Sir Geoffrey
himself became a prisoner, and while his liberty was only restored
upon a promise of remaining a peaceful subject to the Commonwealth in
future, his former delinquencies, as they were termed by the ruling
party, were severely punished by fine and sequestration.

But neither his forced promise, nor the fear of farther unpleasant
consequences to his person or property, could prevent Peveril of the
Peak from joining the gallant Earl of Derby the night before the fatal
engagement in Wiggan Lane, where the Earl's forces were dispersed. Sir
Geoffrey having had his share in that action, escaped with the relics
of the Royalists after the defeat, to join Charles II. He witnessed
also the final defeat of Worcester, where he was a second time made