Richard explained that he was on his way to London on behalf of the Earl.  Reports and letters, not very clear, had reached Sheffield of young Babington being engaged in a most horrible conspiracy against the Queen and country, and my Lord and my Lady, who still preserved a great kindness for their former ward, could hardly believe it, and had sent their useful and trustworthy kinsman to learn the truth, and to find out whether any amount of fine or forfeiture would avail to save his life.

Sir Amias thought it would be a fruitless errand, and so did Richard himself, when he had heard as much of the history as it suited Paulett and Wade to tell, and though they esteemed and trusted him, they did not care to go beneath that outer surface of the plot which was filling all London with fury.

When, having finished their after-dinner repose, they repaired to make farther search, taking Cavendish to assist, they somewhat reluctantly thought it due to Mr. Talbot to invite his presence, but he declined.  He and his son had much to say to one another, he observed, and not long to say it in.

“Besides,” he added, when he found himself alone with Humfrey, having despatched Diccon on some errand to the stables, “’tis a sorry sight to see all the poor Lady’s dainty hoards turned out by strangers.  If it must be, it must, but it would irk me to be an idle gazer thereon.”

“I would only,” said Humfrey, “be assured that they would not light on the proofs of Cicely’s birth.”

“Thou mayst be at rest on that score, my son.  The Lady saw them, owned them, and bade thy mother keep them, saying ours were safer hands than hers.  Thy mother was sore grieved, Humfrey, when she saw thee not; but she sends thee her blessing, and saith thou dost right to stay and watch over poor little Cis.”

“It were well if I were watching over her,” said Humfrey, “but she is mewed up at Tixall, and I am only keeping guard over poor Mistress Seaton and the rest.”

“Thou hast seen her?”

“Yea, and she was far more our own sweet maid than when she came back to us at Bridgefield.”

And Humfrey told his father all he had to tell of what he had seen and heard since he had been at Chartley.  His adventures in London had already been made known by Diccon.  Mr. Talbot was aghast, perhaps most of all at finding that his cousin Cuthbert was a double traitor.  From the Roman Catholic point of view, there had been no treason in his former machinations on behalf of Mary, if she were in his eyes his rightful sovereign, but the betrayal of confidence reposed in him was so horrible that the good Master Richard refused to believe it, till he had heard the proofs again and again, and then he exclaimed,

“That such a Judas should ever call cousin with us!”

There could be little hope, as both agreed, of saving the unfortunate victims; but Richard was all the more bent on fulfilling Lord Shrewsbury’s orders, and doing his utmost for Babington.  As to Humfrey, it would be better that he should remain where he was, so that Cicely might have some protector near her in case of any sudden dispersion of Mary’s suite.