her!) let it be so: he is old
enough to have a care of himself; and she is less like to wreck his life
than she should be with a younger man. In good sooth, there is all the
less of it to wreck."

"Yet, Rachel, if the maid be entangled with Arthur--"

"Make thy mind easy, Tom. 'Tis Arthur is entangled, not she. Trust her
for that! She hath good enough scissors for the cutting of a like
knot."

"Arthur ne'er spake word to me," said Sir Thomas, with a perplexed,
meditative air.

"That is it which I would know, Tom. Ne'er spake word, quotha? So much
the better. Well! I reckon thou shalt be like to tell Orige; but leave
her not persuade thee to the contrary course. Yet I think she is scarce
like. A knighthood and Feversham Hall shall go down very sweetly with
her."

"But there is yet another matter, Rachel. Sir Piers maketh offer to set
Jack in good place about the Court, for the which he saith he hath
power. What sayest to that, trow?"

"I say that Jack is safe to go to wrack some whither, and may be 'twere
as well hence as hither."

"It shall be mighty chargeable, I fear," said Sir Thomas thoughtfully.

"Jack shall be that any whither."

"Wouldst have me, then, say Ay to both offers?"

"Nay, think well touching Jack first. I meant not that. Good sooth! I
sorely misdoubt--"

"Well, I will see what saith Orige unto both, and Jack and Lucrece to
either."

"If I be a prophet," answered Rachel, "one and all shall say, Ay."

If that were the criterion, Rachel proved a prophet One and all did say
ay. Lady Enville was enchanted with both schemes. Jack averred that
life at home was a very humdrum kind of thing, and life might be worth
having in London, and at Court. And Lucrece, in her demure style,
softly declared that she was thankful for Sir Piers' goodness, and would
gladly accept his offer, though she felt that her merits were not equal
to the kind estimate which he had formed of her.

"But, Lucrece," said her father gravely, "one told me that Arthur
Tremayne had made suit unto thee."

If he expected the mask to drop for an instant from the soft, regular
features of Lucrece, he was sadly disappointed. Not a look, nor a
gesture, showed that she felt either surprised or disconcerted.

"'Tis true, Father. The poor lad did say some like words unto me. But
I gave him no encouragement to seek you."

"Thou wouldst have me to conceive, then, that thou art wholly free from
any plight whatso