chemed and plotted the
death of good Queen Bess; we citizens of London find it hard to
forgive them that! We love not the son of this same Mary Stuart,
whom of old the Papists strove to give us for our Queen; yet he is
our lawful King, accepted by the nation as our sovereign; and
failing him I know not whom we might choose to reign over us.
Wherefore say I, Down with these schemers and plotters! If men wish
their grievances redressed, let them work in the light and not in
the dark. We Protestants know that it is Bible law that evil must
never be done that good may come; but the Papists hold that they
may do never so many crimes and evil deeds if they may but win some
point of theirs at last. Thou dost not hold such false doctrine, I
trow, Cuthbert? thou art a soul above such false seeming."

Cuthbert drew his brows together in a thoughtful reverie.

"I trow thou hast the right of it, Jacob," he answered. "I love not
dark scheming, nor love I these endless plots. Yet in these days of
oppression it must be hard for men to act openly. If they be driven
to secret methods, the fault is less theirs than that of their
rulers."

"There be faults on both sides, I doubt not," answered Jacob, with
calm toleration. "But two evils make not one good; and the Puritans
who suffer in like fashion do not plot to overthrow their rulers."

"How knowest thou that the Papists do?" asked Cuthbert quickly.

"It has always been their way," answered Jacob; "and though I know
but little of the meaning of the sinister whispers I hear, we have
but to look back to former days to see how it has ever been. Think
of the two plots of this very reign, the 'Bye' and the 'Main'! What
was their object but the subversion of the present rulers? What
they have tried before they will try again; and we who live beside
this great river, and mingle with those who come from beyond the
seas, do see and hear many things that others would not know. There
have been comings and goings of late that I have not liked. It may
be that mine eyes have played me false, but methought one dark
night I saw a figure strangely like Father Urban land at the wharf,
and he was incontinently joined by Walter Cole, who took him
hastily and secretly away."

Cuthbert started slightly, and Jacob continued:

"And yet when I whispered a question to Walter a few days later
concerning the priest, of whose welfare I have asked from time to
time since I had a hand in his rescue, he told