Lady Matildy promised solemnly , and the words were hardly out of her mouth when the men came in , and her father was carried away a prisoner and sent off to the Tower . `` But she did n't cry ; she just called her brother , and sat down in that chair , with her head leaning back on those papers , like a queen , and waited while the soldiers hunted the house over for 'em : was n't that a smart girl ? '' cried Tilly , beaming with pride , for she was named for this ancestress , and knew the story by heart . `` I reckon she was scared , though , when the men came swearin ' in and asked her if she knew anything about it . The boy did his part then , for he did n't know , and fired up and stood before his sister ; and he says , says he , as bold as a lion : ` If my lord had told us where the papers be , we would die before we would betray him . But we are children and know nothing , and it is cowardly of you to try to fright us with oaths and drawn swords ! ' '' As Eph quoted from the book , Seth planted himself before Tilly , with the long poker in his hand , saying , as he flourished it valiantly : `` Why did n't the boy take his father 's sword and lay about him ? I would , if any one was ha ` sh to Tilly . '' `` You bantam ! He was only a bit of a boy , and could n't do anything . Sit down and hear the rest of it , '' commanded Tilly , with a pat on the yellow head , and a private resolve that Seth should have the largest piece of pie at dinner next day , as reward for his chivalry . `` Well , the men went off after turning the castle out of window , but they said they should come again ; so faithful Matildy was full of trouble , and hardly dared to leave the room where the chair stood . All day she sat there , and at night her sleep was so full of fear about it , that she often got up and went to see that all was safe . The servants thought the fright had hurt her wits , and let her be , but Rupert , the boy , stood by her and never was afraid of her queer ways . She was ' a pious maid , ' the book says , and often spent the long evenings reading the Bible , with her brother by her , all alone in the great room , with no one to help her bear her secret , and no good news of her father . At last , word came that the king was dead and his friends banished out of England . Then the poor children were in a sad plight , for they had no mother , and the servants all ran away , leaving only one faithful old man to help them . '' `` But the father did come ? '' cried Roxy , eagerly . `` You 'll see , '' continued Eph , half telling , half reading .
`` Matilda was sure he would , so she sat on in the big chair , guarding the papers , and no one could get her away , till one XXXXX a man came with her father 's ring and told her to give up the secret .
Bible England Eph Rupert Tilly ancestress day evenings night swearin