a man of courage and energy there is no fear of his betraying us, seeing
that he has already put his head into a noose. Now shout for the charter,
for the king, and for the commons of England."

Such was the tenor of all the speeches, and they were everywhere received
with loud cheers. As Edgar rode down the main street on his way home he
heard shouting, and a brawny, powerful man came along, surrounded by a mob
of cheering men. He looked at Edgar steadily, and stepped in front of his
horse.

"You are the son of the man at St. Alwyth," he said. "I have seen you in
the streets before. What think you of what we are doing? I have heard of
you attending meetings there."

"I think that you have been cruelly wronged," Edgar answered, quietly,
"and that the four points that you demand are just and right. I wish you
good fortune in obtaining them, and I trust that it will be done
peacefully and without opposition."

"Whether peacefully or not, we are determined that they shall be obtained.
If it be needful, we will burn down London and kill every man of rank who
falls into our hands, and force our way into the king's presence. We will
have justice!"

"If you do so you will be wrong," Edgar said, calmly; "and moreover,
instead of benefiting your cause you will damage it. Your demands are
just, and it will be to the interest of no man to gainsay them. Even the
nobles must see that the land will gain strength were all men free and
ready to bear arms in its defence; and save for the article about the
price of land, as to which I am in no way a judge, I see not that any man