h or the release of the captive; and therefore the old
man clung to it as almost praiseworthy, and did his best to bring it
about by keeping his daughter ignorant that Eustacie lived, and writing
to his son that the Baron was on the point of becoming a Catholic and
marrying his sister: and thus that all family danger and scandal would
be avoided, provided the matter were properly represented at Rome.

CHAPTER XXXII. 'JAM SATIS'

You may go walk, and give me leave a while,
My lessons make no music in three parts.
TAMING OF THE SHREW

Whether the dark pool really showed Sir Marmaduke Thistlewood or not, at
the moment that his son desired that his image should be called up, the
good knight was, in effect, sitting nodding over the tankard of sack
with which his supper was always concluded, while the rest of the
family, lured out of the sunny hall by the charms of a fresh summer
evening, had dispersed into the gardens or hall.

Presently a movement in the neighbourhood made him think it incumbent on
him to open his eyes wide, and exclaim, 'I'm not asleep.'

'Oh no! you never are asleep when there's anything you ought to see!'
returned Dame Annora, who was standing by him with her hand on his
chair.

'How now? Any tidings of the lads?' he exclaimed.

'Of the lads? No, indeed; but there will be bad tidings for the lads if
you do not see to it! Where do you think your daughter is, Sir Duke?'

'Where? How should I know? She went out to give her sisters some
strawberries, I thought.'

'See here,' said Lady Thistlewood, leading the way to the north end of
the hall, where a door opened into what was called the Yew-tree Grove.
This consisted of five rows of yew-trees, planted at regular intervals,
and their natural mode of growth so interfered with by constant cutting,
that their ruddy trunks had been obliged to rise branchless, till about
twelve feet above ground they had been allowed to spread out their limbs
in the form of ordinary forest trees; and, altogether, their foliage
became a thick, unbroken, dark, evergreen roof, impervious to sunshine,
and almost impervious to rain, while below their trunks were like
columns forming five arcades, floored only by that dark red crusty earth
and green lichen growth that seems peculiar to the shelter of yew-trees.
The depth of the shade and the stillness of the place made it something
peculiarly soothing and quiet, more especially when,