All Bridgwater was astir with Monmouth's presence; moreover, there had been great incursions from Taunton and the surrounding country, the women-folk of the Duke-King's followers having come that day to Bridgwater to say farewell to father and son, husband and brother, before the army marched--as was still believed--to Gloucester.
The half-hour was striking from Saint Mary's--the church in which she had been married--as Ruth reached the door of the sign of The Ship.

She was about to knock, when suddenly it opened, and Mr.Wilding himself, with Trenchard immediately behind him, stood confronting her.

At sight of him a momentary weakness took her.

He had changed from his hard-used riding-garments into a suit of roughly corded black silk, which threw into relief the steely litheness of his spare figure.

His dark brown hair was carefully dressed, diamonds gleamed in the cravat of snowy lace at his throat.