“May I have a word with you, my lord?” he whispered, and led the way into a small room in the rear.  Closing the door very easily he laid his ear against it, and then seeming satisfied came close over.

“You are from the Court, my lord?” he said softly.

“I am of the Court, but not directly from it.”

“Then you do not know if His Majesty fear an uprising in the South?”

De Lacy was instantly interested, though he answered indifferently enough.  “Uprising!  Not likely.  Who is so far done with life as to meditate such folly?”

“That I think I know, sir; and it is hatching as sure as Dunstan’s a saint.”

“Which is anything but sure, my man.  Come to the facts.”

“Do you recall the two monks and the Knight you punished because of the tymbestere.”

De Lacy nodded.

“After your lordship went out the Knight returned and the three held conference together.  I myself served them with wine and heard some of their talk—­only a chance word, sir; and they were most suspicious.  They spoke of ships and troops, but I could not gain the sense of it.  Once they let fall the word ‘Richmond’ and tried to catch it back ere it were out.  Then they went above to the monks’ room.  Your worship’s room is next to it------”

“Good, I will go up,” Aymer interrupted.

The landlord stopped him.  “It will be too late, sir.  They have gone.”

“Diable!” De Lacy exclaimed.  “Why did you not try to hear the rest of their talk?”

The man smiled shrewdly.  “I did my best, sir.  There is a spot where the wall in your lordship’s room is very thin.  I listened there, and though I caught a sentence only now and then, yet I made it that the Earl of Richmond is to land in England with an army on the eighteenth of this present month.  The Knight—­De Shaunde, methinks they called him—­comes from the Duke of Buckingham, and the two monks from Lord Stanley.  Stanley declined to fall in with the proposals of Buckingham and sent him warning to withdraw from the conspiracy at once, for he was about to advise the King of Richmond’s coming.  So much I gathered, sir, from their conversation, though I cannot repeat their words.”

“How long have they been gone?”

“Some little time, sir.  They rode Southward together.”

De Lacy strode to the front door and flung it open.  A gust of wind and rain drove through, extinguishing the torch and blowing the smouldering fire on the hearth into a flame.  Without was a sea of darkness which made pursuit impossible and hopeless.  Clearly there was naught to be done till daybreak, and with an imprecation he turned away.

Verily, this night was full of surprises.  First, Flat-Nose . . . then, Darby . . . and now a rebellion, with Buckingham traitor and Stanley true.  Matters were getting complicated and required some consideration.  Of course, his first duty was to the King; to warn him of this invasion by Richmond and the insurrection in the South.  It superseded even his obligation to the Countess; and with the dogged faith and discipline of a soldier he accepted the situation and prepared to act accordingly.