"and bring the children
too."

"We have a Derette as well as you," replied Stephen with a smile. "She
is the baby. Our boys are Gerard and Osbert, and our elder girls Agnes
and Edild--my mother's name, you know."

As Stephen opened the door of his house that evening, Gib came to meet
him with erect tail.

"Well, old fellow!" said Stephen, rubbing his ears--a process to which
Gib responded with loud purrs. "I have seen a man to-day who is afraid
to touch you. I don't think you would do much to him--would you, now?"

"That's nice--go on!" replied Gib, purring away.

Leuesa lost no time in coming to see Ermine. She brought her two little
girls, of whom the elder, aged five years, immediately fell in love with
the baby, while the younger, aged three, being herself too much of a
baby to regard infants with any sentiment but disdain, bestowed all her
delicate attentions upon Gib. Stephen declared laughingly that he saw
he should keep the pasty.

"Well, really, it does look very like a cat!" said the mercer, eyeing
Gib still a little doubtfully.

"Very like, indeed," replied Stephen, laughing again. "I never saw
anything that looked more like one."

"There's more than one at Oxford would like to see you, Ermine, and
Stephen too," said Leuesa.

"Mother Isel would, and Derette," was Ermine's answer. "I am not so
sure of any one else."

"I am sure of one else," interpolated Stephen. "It would be a perfect
windfall to Anania, for she'd get talk out of it for nine times nine
days. But would it be safe, think you?"

"Why not?" answered Roscius. "The Earl has nought against you, has he?"

"Oh no, he has nought against me; I settled every thing with him--went
back on purpose to do so. I was thinking of Ermine. The Bishop is not
the same [Note 2], but for aught I know, the sumners are."

"Only one of them: Malger went to Lincoln some two years back."

"Well, I should be glad not to meet that villain," said Stephen.

"You'll not meet him. Then as to the other matter, what could they do
to her? The sentence was carried out. You can't execute a man twice."

"That's a point that does not generally rise for decision. But you see
she got taken in, and that was forbidden. They were never meant to
survive it, and she did."

"I don't believe any penalty could fall on her," said Roscius. "But if
you like, I'll ask my cousin, who is a lawyer, what the law has to say
on that matter."

"Then don't mention E