It was not till late in the evening that Richard told his wife of his want of success in his investigations.  He had found witnesses of the destruction of the ship, but he did not give them full credit.  “The fellows say the ship drove on the rock, and that they saw her boats go down with every soul on board, and that they would not lie to an officer of her Grace.  Heaven pardon me if I do them injustice in believing they would lie to him sooner than to any one else.  They are rogues enough to take good care that no poor wretch should survive even if he did chance to come to land.”

“Then if there be no one to claim her, we may bring up as our own the sweet babe whom Heaven hath sent us.”

“Not so fast, dame.  Thou wert wont to be more discreet.  I said not so, but for the nonce, till I can come by the rights of that scroll, there’s no need to make a coil.  Let no one know of it, or of the trinket—­Thou hast them safe?”

“Laid up with the Indian gold chain, thy wedding gift, dear sir.”

“’Tis well.  My mother!—­ah me,” he added, catching himself up; “little like is she to ask questions, poor soul.”

Then Susan diffidently told of Master Heatherthwayte’s earnest wish to christen the child, and, what certainly biased her a good deal, the suggestion that this would secure her to their own religion.

“There is something in that,” said Richard, “specially after what Cuthbert said as to the golden toy yonder.  If times changed again—­ which Heaven forfend—­that fellow might give us trouble about the matter.”

“You doubt him then, sir!” she asked.

“I relished not his ways on our ride to-day,” said Richard.  “Sure I am that he had some secret cause for being so curious about the wreck.  I suspect him of some secret commerce with the Queen of Scots’ folk.”

“Yet you were on his side against Mr. Heatherthwayte,” said Susan.

“I would not have my kinsman browbeaten at mine own table by the self-conceited son of a dalesman, even if he have got a round hat and Geneva band!  Ah, well! one good thing is we shall leave both of them well behind us, though I would it were for another cause.”

Something in the remonstrance had, however, so worked on Richard Talbot, that before morning be declared that, hap what hap, if he and his wife were to bring up the child, she should be made a good Protestant Christian before they left the house, and there should be no more ado about it.

It was altogether illogical and untheological; but Master Heatherthwayte was delighted when in the very early morning his devotions were interrupted, and he was summoned by the captain himself to christen the child.

Richard and his wife were sponsors, but the question of name had never occurred to any one.  However, in the pause of perplexity, when the response lagged to “Name this child,” little Humfrey, a delighted spectator, broke out again with “Little Sis.”