consequence, intelligence, property, or adventure. At last, however, it
had become clear, to the great annoyance of not a few amongst his
neighbours, that Heywood's leanings were to the parliament. But he had
never yet sought to influence his son in regard to the great questions
at issue.

His house was one of those ancient dwellings which have grown under
the hands to fit the wants of successive generations, and look as if
they had never been other than old; two-storied at most, and
many-gabled, with marvellous accretions and projections, the haunts
of yet more wonderful shadows. There, in a room he called his study,
shabby and small, containing a library more notable for quality and
selection than size, Richard the next morning sought and found him.

'Father!' he said, entering with some haste after the usual request
for admission.

'I am here, my son,' answered Roger, without lifting his eyes from
the small folio in which he was reading.

'I want to know, father, whether, when men differ, a man is bound to
take a side.'

'Nay, Richard, but a man is bound NOT to take a side save upon
reasons well considered and found good.'

'It may be, father, if you had seen fit to send me to Oxford, I
should have been better able to judge now.'

'I had my reasons, son Richard. Readier, perhaps, you might have