Beau Brocade: Historical Novel. Emma Orczy

      CHAPTER I

       BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT

       Table of Contents

      The gaffers stood round and shook their heads.

      When the Corporal had finished reading the Royal Proclamation, one or two of them sighed in a desultory fashion, others murmured casually, "Lordy! Lordy! to think on it! Dearie me!"

      The young ones neither sighed nor murmured. They looked at one another furtively, then glanced away again, as if afraid to read each other's thoughts, and in a shamefaced manner wiped their moist hands against their rough cord breeches.

      There were no women present fortunately: there had been heavy rains on