olden-bearded and speaking in meaning whispers, with
lifting of his eyebrows, had held a long conference with the lad.

* * * * *

His dangerous and terrifying presence seemed to dominate, for the
young Poins, even the dusty archway of the Calais gate--and, even
though he saw the flat, green and sunny levels of the French
marshland, with the town of Ardres rising grey and turreted six miles
away, the young Poins felt that he was still beneath the eyes of
Throckmorton, the spy who had sought him out in his grandfather's
house in Austin Friars to send him here across the seas to Calais. Up
above in the archway the stonemasons who came from Lydd sang their
Kentish songs as hammers clinked on chisels and the fine dust filtered
through the scaffold boards. But the young Poins kept his eyes upon
the dusty and winding road that threaded the dykes from Ardres, and
thought only that when Thomas Culpepper came he must be stayed. He had
oiled his sword that had been his father's so that it would slip
smoothly from the scabbard; he had filed his dagger so that it would
pierce through thin coat of mail. It was well to be armed, though he
could not see why Thomas Culpepper should not stay willingly at Calais
to be lieutenant of the stone lighters and steal stone to fill his
pockets, since such were the privileges of the post that Throckmorton
offered him.

'Mayhap, if I stay him, it will get me advancement,' he grumbled
between his teeth. He was enraged in his slow, fierce way. For
Throckmorton had promised him only to save his neck if he succeeded.
There had been no hint of further rewards. He did not speculate upon
why Thomas Culpepper was to be held in Calais; he did not speculate
upon why he should wish to come to England; but again and again he
muttered between his teeth, 'A curst business! a curst business!'

In the mysterious embroilment in which formerly he had taken part, his
sister had told him that he was carrying letters between the King and
Kat Howard. Yes; his large, slow sister had promised him great
advancement for carrying certain letters. And still, in spite of the
fact that he had been told it was a treason, he believed that the
letters he had carried for Kat Howard were love letters to the King.
Nevertheless, for his services he had received no advancement; he had,
on the contrary, been bidden to leave his comrades of the guard and to
hide himself. Throckmorton had bidden him do