straightforwardly. He had prevented the whistle from being given to his sister for the huckstress because the woman was a witch, who frightened her, and moreover he knew it was against rules. Did he suspect that the whistle came from the Queen of Scots?
He looked startled, and asked if it were so indeed, and when again commanded to say why he had thought it possible, he replied that he knew Antony thought the Queen of Scots a fair and gracious lady.
Did he believe that Antony ever had communication with her or her people unheard by others?
'Assuredly! Wherefore not, when he carried my Lady Countess's messages?'
Lord Shrewsbury bent his brow, but did not further pursue this branch of the subject, but demanded of Humfrey a description of Tibbott, huckster or witch, man or woman.
'She wears a big black hood and muffler,' said Humfrey, 'and hath a long hooked stick.'
'I asked thee not of her muffler, boy, but of her person.'
'She hath pouncet boxes and hawks' bells, and dog-whistles in her basket,' proceeded Humfrey, but as the Earl waxed impatient, and demanded whether no one could give him a clearer account, Richard bade Humfrey call his mother.
She, however, could say nothing as to the woman's appearance. She had gone to Norman's cottage to offer her services after the supposed accident, but had been told that the potticary of the Queen of Scots had undertaken her cure, and had only seen her huddled up in a heap of rags, asleep. Since her recovery the woman had been several times at Bridgefield, but it had struck the mistress of the house that there was a certain avoidance of direct communication with her, and a preference for the servants and children. This Susan had ascribed to fear that she should be warned off for her fortune-telling propensities, or the children's little bargains interfered with. All she could answer for was that she had once seen a huge pair of grizzled eyebrows, with light eyes under them, and that the woman, if woman she were, was tall, and bent a good deal upon a hooked stick, which supported her limping steps. Cicely could say little more, except that the witch had a deep awesome voice, like a man, and a long nose terrible to look at. Indeed, there seemed to have been a sort of awful fascination about her to all the children, who feared her yet ran after her.
Antony was then sent for. It was not easy to judge of the expression of his disfigured countenance, but when thus brought to bay he threw off all tokens of compunction, and stood boldly before the Earl.
'So, Master Babington, I find you have been betraying the trust I placed in you-'
'What, trust, my Lord?' said Antony, his bright blue eyes looking back into those of the nobleman.
'The cockerel crows loud,' said the Earl. 'What trust, quotha! Is there no trust implied in the coming and going of one of my household, when such a charge is committed to me and mine?'
'No one ever gave me any charge,' said Antony.
'Dost thou bandy words, thou froward imp?' said the Earl. 'Thou hast not the conscience to deny that there was no honesty in smuggling forth a letter thus hidden. Deny it not. The treasonable cipher hath been read!'
'I knew nought of what was in it,' said the boy.
'I believe thee there, but thou didst know that it was foully disloyal to me and to her Majesty to bear forth secret letters to disguised traitors. I am willing to believe that the smooth tongue which hath deluded many a better man than thou hath led thee astray, and I am willing to deal as lightly with thee as may be, so thou wilt tell me openly all thou knowest of this infamous plot.'
'I know of no plot, sir.'
'They would scarce commit the knowledge to the like of him,' said Richard Talbot.
'May be not,' said Lord Shrewsbury, looking at him with a glance that Antony thought contemptuous, and which prompted him to exclaim, 'And if I did know of one, you may be assured I would never betray it were I torn with wild horses.'
'Betray, sayest thou!' returned the Earl. 'Thou hast betrayed my confidence, Antony, and hast gone as far as in thee lies to betray thy Queen.'
'My Queen is Mary, the lawful Queen of us all,' replied Antony, boldly.
'Ho! Sayest thou so? It is then as thou didst trow, cousin, the foolish lad hath been tampered with by the honeyed tongue. I need not ask thee from whom thou hadst this letter, boy. We have read it and know the foul treason therein. Thou wilt never return to the castle again, but for thy father's sake thou shalt be dealt with less sternly, if thou wilt tell who this woman is, and how many of these toys thou hast given to her, if thou knowest who she is.'
But Antony closed his lips resolutely. In fact, Richard suspected him of being somewhat flattered by being the cause of such a commotion, and actually accused of so grand and manly a crime as high treason. The Earl could extract no word, and finally sentenced him to remain at Bridgefield, shut up in his own chamber till he could be dealt with. The lad walked away in a dignified manner, and the Earl, holding up his hands, half amused, half vexed, said, 'So the spell is on that poor lad likewise. What shall I do with him? An orphan boy too, and mine old friend's son.'
'With your favour, my Lord,' said Richard, 'I should say, send him to a grammar school, where among lads of his own age, the dreams about captive princesses might be driven from him by hard blows and merry games.'
'That may scarce serve,' said the Earl rather severely, for public schools were then held beneath the dignity of both the nobility and higher gentry. 'I may, however, send him to study at Cambridge under some trusty pedagogue. Back at the castle I cannot have him, so must I cumber you with him, my good kinswoman, until his face have recovered your son's lusty chastisement. Also it may be well to keep him here till we can lay hands on this same huckster-woman, since there may be need to confront him with her. It were best if you did scour the country toward Chesterfield for her, while Frank went to York.'
Having thus issued his orders, the Earl took a gracious leave of the lady, mounted his horse, and rode back to Sheffield, dispensing with the attendance of his kinsman, who had indeed to prepare for an early start the next morning, when he meant to take Humfrey with him, as not unlikely to recognise the woman, though he could not describe her.
'The boy merits well to go forth with me,' said he. 'He hath done yeoman's service, and proved himself staunch and faithful.'
'Was there matter in that scroll?' asked Susan.
'Only such slight matter as burning down the Talbots' kennel, while Don John of Austria is landing on the coast.'
'God forgive them, and defend us!' sighed Susan, turning pale. 'Was that in the cipher?'
'Ay, in sooth, but fear not, good wife. Much is purposed that ne'er comes to pass. I doubt me if the ship be built that is to carry the Don hither.'
'I trust that Antony knew not of the wickedness?'
'Not he. His is only a dream out of the romances the lads love so well, of beauteous princesses to be freed, and the like.'
'But the woman!'
'Yea, that lies deeper. What didst thou say of her? Wherefore do the children call her a witch? Is it only that she is grim and ugly?'
'I trow there is more cause than that,' said Susan. 'It may be that I should have taken more heed to their babble at first; but I have questioned Cis while you were at the lodge, and I find that even before Mate Goatley spake here, this Tibbott had told the child of her being of lofty race in the north, alien to the Talbots' kennel, holding out to her presages of some princely destiny.'
'That bodeth ill!' said Richard, thoughtfully. 'Wife, my soul misgives me that the hand of Cuthbert Langston is in this.'
Susan started. The idea chimed in with Tibbott's avoidance of her scrutiny, and also with a certain vague sense she had had of having seen those eyes before. So light-complexioned a man would be easily disguised, and the halt was accounted for by a report that he had had a bad fall when riding to join in the Rising in the North. Nor could there now be any doubt that he was an ardent partisan of the imprisoned Mary, while Richard had always known his inclination to intrigue. She could only agree with her husband's opinion, and ask what he would do.
'My duty must be done, kin or no kin,' said Richard, 'that is if I find him; but I look not to do that, since Norman is no doubt off to warn him.'
'I marvel whether he hath really learnt who our Cis can be?'
'Belike not! The hint would only have been thrown out to gain power over her.'
