ed in mind, and come round to her first love for
this Lady, declaring that it is all her Lord's fault that the custody
was taken from them, and that she could and would have hindered all
this."

"That may be so," said Humfrey. "If all be true that is whispered,
there have been dealings which would not have been possible at
Sheffield."

"So it may be. In any wise my Lady is bitterly grieved, and they send
for thy mother every second day to pacify her."

"Dear mother!" murmured Cis; "when shall I see her again?"

"I would that she had thee for a little space, my wench," said Richard;
"thou hast lost thy round ruddy cheeks. Hast been sick?"

"Nay, sir, save as we all are--sick at heart! But all seems well now
you are here. Tell me of little Ned. Is he as good scholar as ever?"

"Verily he is. We intend by God's blessing to bring him up for the
ministry. I hope in another year to take him to Cambridge. Thy mother
is knitting his hosen of gray and black already."

Other questions and answers followed about Bridgefield tidings, which
still evidently touched Cicely as closely as if she had been a born
Talbot. There was a kind of rest in dwelling on these before coming to
the sadder, more pressing concern of her other life. It was not till
the slow striking of the Castle clock warned them that they had less
than an hour to spend together that they came to closer matters, and
Richard transferred to Cicely those last sad messages to her Queen,
which he had undertaken for Babington and Tichborne.

"The Queen hath shed many tears for them," she said, "and hath writ to
the French and Spanish ambassadors to have masses said for them. Poor
Antony! Did he send no word to me, dear father?"

The man being dead, Mr. Talbot saw no objection to telling her how he
had said he had never loved any other, though he had been false to that
love.

"Ah, poor Antony!" said Cis, with her grave simplicity. "But it would
not have been right for me to be a hindrance to the marriage of one who
could never have me."

"While he loved you it would," said Humfrey hastily. "Yea," as she
lifted up her eyes to him, "it would so, as my father will tell you,
because he could not truly love that other woman."

Richard smiled sadly, and could not but assent to his son's honest
truth and faith.

"Then," said Cis, with the same straightforwardness, sprung of their
old fraternal intercourse, "you must quit all love for me save a
brother'