known, and he lost all hope of gaining her, while her mother bade her
renounce him, his purpose was even still to watch over and guard her;
and at the end, beyond all our expectations, they have had her mother's
dying blessing and entreaty that he would take her."

"Sir, do you give me your word for that?"

"Yea, Master Heatherthwayte, as I am a true man. Mind you, worldly
matters look as different to a poor woman who knoweth the headsman is
in the house, as to one who hath her head on her dying pillow. This
Queen had devised plans for sending our poor Cis abroad to her French
and Lorraine kindred, with some of the French ladies of her train."

"Heaven forbid!" broke out Heatherthwayte, in horror. "The rankest of
Papists--"

"Even so, and with recommendations to give her in marriage to some
adventurous prince whom the Spaniards might abet in working woe to us
in her name. But when she saw how staunch the child is in believing as
mine own good dame taught her, she saw, no doubt, that this would be
mere giving her over to be persecuted and mewed in a convent."

"Then the woman hath some bowels of mercy, though a Papist."

"She even saith that she doubteth not that such as live honestly and
faithfully by the light that is in them shall be saved. So when she
saw she prevailed nothing with the maid, she left off her endeavours.
Moreover, my son not only saved her life, but won her regard by his
faith and honour; and she called him to her, and even besought him to
be her daughter's husband. I came to you, reverend sir, as one who has
known from the first that the young folk are no kin to one another; and
as I think the peril to you is small, I deemed that you would do them
this office. Otherwise, I must take her to Holland and see them wedded
by a stranger there."

Mr. Heatherthwayte was somewhat touched, but he sat and considered,
perceiving that to marry the young lady to a loyal Englishman was the
safest way of hindering her from falling into the clutches of a Popish
prince; but he still demurred, and asked how Mr. Talbot could talk of
the mere folly of love, and for its sake let his eldest son and heir
become a mere exile and fugitive, cut off, it might be, from home.

"For that matter, sir," said Richard, "my son is not one to loiter
about, as the lubberly heir, cumbering the land at home. He would, so
long as I am spared in health and strength, be doing service by land or
sea, and I trust that by the ti