To Shefton, therefore, you must go at once, unobserved if may be.

Indeed, Thomas has been there already, and spoken to certain of your tenants whom he can trust, who are now hard at work preparing and victualling the place, and passing on the word to others.

By nightfall he hopes to have thirty strong men to defend it, and within three days a hundred, when your commission and his captaincy are made known.

Come, then, for there is no time to tarry and the horses are saddled." So Cicely kissed Mother Matilda, who blessed and thanked her for all she had done, or tried to do on behalf of the sisterhood, and within five minutes once more they were on the backs of their weary beasts and riding through the rain to Shefton, which happily was but three miles away.

Keeping under the lee of the woods they left the Priory unobserved, for in that wet few were stirring, and the sentinels at the Abbey, if there were any, had taken shelter in the guard-house.