d in a
whirl of conflicting feelings. He believed that Esther was sincere
in her desire for the welfare of the house of Trevlyn. He trusted
her, and he saw that she had in some way or another become
possessed of information concerning himself of a very particular
and intimate kind. This being so, it was easy to believe that she
had discovered other matters of hidden import; and he was quite
disposed to give her credit for dealings in magic and charms which
should show her the things that were to be.

The horror of the knowledge of this plot was upon him as he went
forth into the streets and felt the keen air and the cold rain
dashing in his face. He could not doubt the truth of Esther's
words. All he had seen and heard tallied too well with it to leave
in his mind any room for doubt. A plot of some sort he had always
suspected--he would have been foolish indeed to have come to any
other conclusion; but a plot of such malignity and such diabolical
scope would never have presented itself to his mind. He found it
hard to believe that such a terrible thing could be menaced against
the King and the nobles of the land, many amongst whom must surely
be of the same faith as those conspirators who were plotting in the
dark.

And then the peril that menaced the Trevlyns--what of that?
Cuthbert remembered the looks bent upon him a few days back by the
men-at-arms in the Parliament House. He remembered the light of the
sentry flashing in his face as he turned away from the door in at
which the tall man they called Guido Fawkes had vanished but a few
moments before. He knew that he had been observed more than once
with some attention as he had stepped on board his wherry, or had
brought it up to the mooring place. Could it be that he was really
watched and suspected? It seemed like it, indeed. And what was more
serious still, his kinsmen were like to fall under suspicion
through his rash disregard of warnings.

For himself Cuthbert cared comparatively little--perhaps rather too
little--for he possessed a strong dash of his father's stubbornness
of disposition; and in him the Trevlyn courage was intermingled
with a good deal of absolute rashness and hardihood; but the
thought that Sir Richard and his family should suffer for his sake
was intolerable. That must at all cost be prevented. Surely he
could warn them and avert the danger.

As the youth walked rapidly westward through the miry streets, he
was revolving the situation