and in many cases to intrigue for Queen Mary. Among these plotters he
fell in with Cuthbert Langston, a Jesuit of the third order, though not
a priest, and one of the most active agents in corresponding with Queen
Mary. His small stature, colourless complexion, and insignificant
features, rendered him almost a blank block, capable of assuming any
variety of disguise. He also knew several languages, could imitate
different dialects, and counterfeit male and female voices so that very
few could detect him. He had soon made himself known to Babington as
the huckster Tibbott of days gone by, and had then disclosed to him
that Cicely was certainly not the daughter of her supposed parents,
telling of her rescue from the wreck, and hinting that her rank was
exalted, and that he knew secrets respecting her which he was about to
make known to the Queen of Scots. With this purpose among others,
Langston had adopted the disguise of the woman selling spars with the
password "Beads and Bracelets," and being well known as an agent of
correspondence to the suite of the captive Queen, he had been able to
direct Gorion's attention to the maiden, and to let him know that she
was the same with the infant who had been put on board the Bride of
Dunbar at Dunbar.

How much more did Langston guess? He had told Babington the story
current among the outer circle of Mary's followers of the maiden being
the daughter of the Scotch archer, and had taught him her true name,
encouraging too, his aspirations towards her during the time of his
courtship. Babington believed Langston to have been at that time still
a sincere partizan of Queen Mary, but all along to have entertained a
suspicion that there was a closer relationship between Bride Hepburn
and the Queen than was avowed, though to Babington himself he had only
given mysterious hints.

But towards the end of the captivity at Tutbury, he had made some
further discovery, which confirmed his suspicions, and had led to
another attempt to accost Cicely, and to make the Queen aware of his
knowledge, perhaps in order to verify it, or it might be to gain power
over her, a reward for the introduction, or to extort bribes to
secrecy. For looking back, Antony could now perceive that by this time
a certain greed of lucre had set in upon the man, who had obtained
large sums of secret service money from himself; and avarice, together
with the rebuff he had received from the Queen, had doubtless re