some act of disrespect to herself, such as the neglecting to see her
lifted to her horse before he assisted the maiden. Whatever the cause
was, it saved the maiden much trouble during the journey; for the
Captain was kept thereby at arm's length and never permitted to come
near. And, to add to her comfort, she had espied among the men who
formed the escort the same English fellow who had escorted her from
Dunluce to Toome, and who, it was clear, was still true to his trust.

But as they neared London, my Lady, feeling in need of some little pomp
to make good her entry, took the Captain back once more into favour; and
with that the maiden's troubles began again. For the Captain bargained,
as a price of his good-will, that he should wed the maiden so soon as
they reached town. To this my Lady seemed to consent, and told her
step-daughter, sternly enough, to prepare herself for what was no longer
to be avoided.

Thus made desperate, on a certain morning about a day's ride from
London, the maiden made some pretence of her saddle being broken, and
beckoned to the English fellow to come and attend to it. But instead of
him, for his head was turned, came Tom Price the Captain's sergeant.
And while he made good the straps she took heart of grace and begged
him, for pity's sake, help her, and slipped into his hand some gold
pieces. And he, having no liking to see his master married and himself,
perhaps, cast out of service, willingly offered to help her when the
time came. So she bade him be ready with a horse at midnight of the
very day they reached London, and to bring the other English fellow, if
needs be, also.

The rest of the story I knew. How Tom Price had carried her to her old
nunnery school at Canterbury; and how the fellow Gedge (though Tom had
no mind to share the reward with him), discovered what was afoot and
went to Canterbury too. And how Peter Stoupe, having heard the secret
from the drunken sergeant, had found out the Captain, and sold the same
to him; and, finally, after getting the honest watchdog out of the way,
how, disguised as priests, those two villains had invaded the convent
and, but for the Providence which took me thither, might have had her
across seas and at their mercy long since.

"So, my good Humphrey," said the maiden, "once more I owe you more than
my life. I cannot repay you, but Heaven will. Nay it is doing so
already, in giving you this sweetest little Jeannette to love you."