he house as quickly as possible.

"I lack but little of thy sort," she said. "Howbeit, thou mayest show
us thine alners and thy buttons."

"I would fain have a gipser," said Mrs Margaret.

While Mrs Margaret was selecting from the stock of gipsers a pretty red
velvet one with a silver clasp, price half-a-crown, Perrote came quietly
into the hall, and stood beside Amphillis, a little behind Lady
Foljambe, who had not heard her entrance.

"Here are de alners, Madame," said the lively little Breton. "Blue,
green, black, white, red, tawny, violet. Will your Ladyship choose?
T'ree shillings to free marks--beautiful, beautiful! Den here are--_Bon
saints, que vois-je_? Surely, surely it is Mademoiselle de Carhaix!"

"It is," said Perrote; "and thou art Ivo filz Jehan?"

"I am Ivo filz Jehan, dat man calls Ivo le Breton. I go from Cornwall,
where dwell my countrymen, right up to de Scottish border. And how
comes it, den, if a poor man may ask, dat I find here, in de heart of
England, a Breton damsel of family?"

Lady Foljambe was in an agony. She would have given her best gold chain
for the little Breton jeweller to have kept away from Hazelwood. If he
had any sort of penetration, another minute might reveal the secret
hitherto so jealously guarded, that his Sovereign's missing mother was a
prisoner there. Her misery was the greater because she could not feel
at all sure of Perrote, whom she strongly suspected of more loyalty to
her mistress than to King Edward in her heart, though she had not shown
it by any outward action. Perrote knew the direction of Lady Foljambe's
thoughts as well as if she had spoken them. She answered very calmly,
and with a smile.

"May Breton damsels not tarry in strange lands, as well as Breton
pedlars? I have divers friends in England."

"Surely, surely!" said the pedlar, hastily, perceiving that he had
transgressed against Lady Foljambe's pleasure. "Only, if so poor man
may say it, it is full pleasant to see face dat man know in strange
land. Madame, would it please your Ladyship to regard de alners?"

Lady Foljambe was only too glad to turn Ivo's attention back to the
alners. She bought six for presents--they were a favourite form of
gift; and picked out twenty buttons of silver-gilt, stamped with an
eagle. Mrs Margaret also selected a rosary, of coral set in silver, to
help her in saying her prayers, for which article, in her eyes of the
first necessity, she gave 33 sh