“They would be sure to do so, sooner or later.  Here has my lord been recounting in his trouble about my lady’s fine match for her Bess, all that hath come of mating with royal blood, the very least disaster being poor Lady Mary Grey’s!  Kept in ward for life!  It is a cruel matter.  I would that I had known the cipher at first.  Then she might either have been disposed of at the Queen’s will, or have been sent safe to this nunnery at Soissons.”

“To be bred a Papist!  Oh fie, husband!”

“And to breed dissension in the kingdoms!” added her husband.  “It is best so far for the poor maiden herself to have thy tender hand over her than that of any queen or abbess of them all.”

“Shall we then keep all things as they are, and lock this knowledge in our own hearts?” asked Susan hopefully.

“To that am I mightily inclined,” said Richard.  “Were it blazed abroad at once, thou and I might be made out guilty of I know not what for concealing it; and as to the maiden, she would either be put in close ward with her mother, or, what would be more likely, had up to court to be watched, and flouted, and spied upon, as were the two poor ladies—­sisters to the Lady Jane—­ere they made their lot hopeless by marrying.  Nay, I have seen those who told me that poor Lady Katherine was scarce worse bested in the Tower than she was while at court.”

“My poor Cis!  No, no!  The only cause for which I could bear to yield her up would be the thought that she would bring comfort to the heart of the poor captive mother who hath the best right to her.”

“Forsooth!  I suspect her poor captive mother would scarce be pleased to find this witness to her ill-advised marriage in existence.”

“Nor would she be permitted to be with her.”

“Assuredly not.  Moreover, what could she do with the poor child?”

“Rear her in Popery,” exclaimed Susan, to whom the word was terrible.

“Yea, and make her hand secure as the bait to some foreign prince or some English traitor, who would fain overthrow Queen and Church.”

Susan shuddered.  “Oh yes! let us keep the poor child to ourselves.  I could not give her up to such a lot as that.  And it might imperil you too, my husband.  I should like to get up instantly and burn the scroll.”

“I doubt me whether that were expedient,” said Richard.  “Suppose it were in the course of providence that the young King of Scots should not live, then would this maid be the means of uniting the two kingdoms in the true and Reformed faith!  Heaven forefend that he should be cut off, but meseemeth that we have no right to destroy the evidence that may one day be a precious thing to the kingdom at large.”

“No chance eye could read it even were it discovered?” said Susan.

“No, indeed.  Thou knowest how I strove in vain to read it at first, and even now, when Frank Talbot unwittingly gave me the key, it was days before I could fully read it.  It will tell no tales, sweet wife, that can prejudice any one, so we will let it be, even with the baby clouts.  So now to sleep, with no more thoughts on the matter.”