yourself and these gentlewomen your friends, that you
should take occasion to pay some visit forth of the house? I fear the
noise made by my men, not to speak of the turning about of your chambers
by taking up of boards and trying of wainscots, shall greatly incommode
you if you tarry."

Sir Henry wanted sadly to get the ladies away. But Mrs Abington was
quite as sagacious as himself, and more determined. She assured him
that the noise was nothing, and the little novelties of holes in her
dining-room floor and broken wainscots in her drawing-room would be
rather amusing than otherwise. Poor Sir Henry, baffled by this clever
woman, laments to Lord Salisbury,--"I did never hear so impudent liars
as I find here--all recusants, and all resolved to confess nothing, what
danger soever they incur.--I could by no means persuade the gentlewoman
of the house to depart the house, without I should have carried her,
which I held uncivil, as being so nobly born; as I have and do undergo
the greater difficulties thereby."

The Monday night brought home the master of the house. He answered the
queries of the gentlemen in possession with as much apparent frankness
as his wife, but assured Sir Henry that the persons for whom he was
searching were absolute strangers to him; he had never seen any of them
save Gerard, and him only some five and twenty years before. For
suspecting him of harbouring priests, not to speak of traitors, there
was not a shadow of reason!

Sir Henry went on searching, though he was out of hope. In the first
place, he discovered some parcels of "books and writing," which showed
at that time that "some scholars" must have used them; an ordinary
country gentleman was not expected to have any books, except Bible and
prayer-books, one or two on law, needed in his capacity as a magistrate,
a book on etiquette, and a few dog's-eared plays. On the Wednesday a
discovery of more importance was made, for in three or four places where
boards were uplifted, a quantity of "Popish trash" was brought to light.
Thus encouraged, the searchers resolved to continue their work, which
they were on the point of giving up. Mr Abington continued to protest
his supreme innocence of all knowledge or connivance. The books were
none of his; the "Popish stuff" astonished him as much as it did the
searchers. This assumption of exquisite stainlessness lasted until one
day a hiding-place was discovered, which contained his family mu