ld
be derived from mildness and compassion.

"Not I, not I!" said the poor man, always weak. "Not with those harsh
yoke-fellows Kent and Paulett to drive me on, and that viper Beale to
report to the Privy Council any strain of mercy as mere treason. What
can I do?"

"You would do much, my Lord, if you would move them to restore--for
these last hours--to her those faithful servants, Melville and De
Preaux, whom Paulett hath seen fit to seclude from her. It is rank
cruelty to let her die without the sacraments of her Church when her
conscience will not let her accept ours."

"It is true, Richard, over true. I will do what I can, but I doubt me
whether I shall prevail, where Paulett looks on a Mass as mere
idolatry, and will not brook that it should be offered in his house.
But come you back with me, kinsman. We will send old Master Purvis to
take your daughter safely home."

Richard of course refused, and at the same time, thinking an
explanation necessary and due to the Earl, disclosed to him that Cicely
was no child of his, but a near kinswoman of the Scottish Queen, whom
it was desirable to place out of Queen Elizabeth's reach for the
present, adding that there had been love passages between her and his
son Humfrey, who intended to wed her and see some foreign service.
Lord Shrewsbury showed at first some offence at having been kept in
ignorance all these years of such a fact, and wondered what his
Countess would say, marvelled too that his cousin should consent to his
son's throwing himself away on a mere stranger, of perilous connection,
and going off to foreign wars; but the good nobleman was a placable
man, and always considerably influenced by the person who addressed
him, and he ended by placing the Mastiff at Richard's disposal to take
the young people to Scotland or Holland, or wherever they might wish to
go.

This decided Mr. Talbot on making at once for the seaport; and
accordingly he left behind him the horse, which was to serve as a token
to his son that such was his course. Cicely had been worn out with her
day's journey, and slept late and sound, so that she was not ready to
leave her chamber till the Earl and his retinue were gone, and thus she
was spared actual contact with him who was to doom her mother, and see
that doom carried out. She was recruited by rest, and more ready to
talk than on the previous day, but she was greatly disappointed to find
that she might not be taken to Bridgefi