his little fellow born than she had no thought for any but
he, and would fain have had her father settle all his lands on him,
protesting that if Berry lived, his French lands were enough for him.
Out of sight, out of mind, is the way with women.'

Womanhood was already made accountable for all Lady Thistlewood's
follies, and Philip acquiesced, asking further, 'Nay, but how came you
hither, father? Was it to seek us or Eustacie?'

'Both, both, my lad. One morning just after Christmas, I rid over to
Combe with my dame behind me, and found the house in commotion with a
letter that young Sidney, Berry's friend, had just sent down by special
messenger. It had been writ more than a year, but, bless you, these poor
foreigners have such crooked ears and tongues that they don't know what
to make of a plain man's name, and the only wonder was that it ever came
at all. It seems the Duke here had to get it sent over by some of the
secret agents the French Protestants have in England, and what do they
do but send it to one of the Vivians in Cornwall; and it was handed
about among them for how long I cannot say, till there was a chance of
sending it up to my Lord of Warwick; and he, being able to make nothing
if it, shows it to his nephew, Philip Sidney, who, perceiving at once
whom it concerned, sends it straight to my Lord, with a handsome letter
hoping that it brought good tidings. There then it was, and so we first
knew that the poor lady had not been lost in the sack of the town, as
Master Hobbs told us. She told us how this Duchess had taken her under
her protection, but that her enemies were seeking her, and had even
attempted her child's life.'

'The ruffians! Even so.'

'And she said her old pastor was failing in health, and prayed that some
trusty person might be sent to bring home at least the child to safety
with her kindred. There was a letter to the same effect, praising her
highly too, from the Duchess, saying that she would do her best to guard
her, but the kinsmen had the law on their side, and she would be safer
in England. Well, this was fair good news, save that we marveled the
more how you and Berry should have missed her; but the matter now was
who was the trusty person who should go. Claude Merrycourt was ready---'

'How came he there?' demanded Philip. 'I thought he had gone, or been
sent off with Lady Burnet's sons.'

'Why, so he had; but there's more to say on that score. He was so much
in favour at C