swear by all the blessed saints in the Calendar; and then he told me, that, as Robin and he were going over the foot-bridge, where he found the child the evening before, they saw something floating upon the water; so they followed it, till it stuck against a stake, and found it to be the dead body of a woman; ‘as sure as you are alive, Madge,’ said he, ’this was the mother of the child I brought home.’”

“Merciful God!” said Edmund; “am I the child of that hapless mother?”

“Be composed,” said Oswald; “proceed, good woman, the time is precious.”

“And so,” continued she, “Andrew told me they dragged the body out of the river, and it was richly dressed, and must be somebody of consequence.  ‘I suppose,’ said he, ’when the poor Lady had taken care of her child, she went to find some help; and, the night being dark, her foot slipped, and she fell into the river, and was drowned.’

“‘Lord have mercy!’ said Robin, ’what shall we do with the dead body? we may be taken up for the murder; what had we to do to meddle with it?’ ‘Ay, but,’ says Andrew, ’we must have something to do with it now; and our wisest way is to bury it.’  Robin was sadly frightened, but at last they agreed to carry it into the wood, and bury it there; so they came home for a pickaxe and shovel.  ‘Well,’ said I, ’Andrew, but will you bury all the rich clothes you speak of?’ ‘Why,’ said he, ’it would be both a sin and a shame to strip the dead.’  ‘So it would,’ said I; ’but I will give you a sheet to wrap the body in, and you may take off her upper garments, and any thing of value; but do not strip her to the skin for any thing.’  ‘Well said, wench!’ said he; ’I will do as you say.’  So I fetched a sheet, and by that time Robin was come back, and away they went together.

“They did not come back again till noon, and then they sat down and ate a morsel together.  Says Andrew, ‘Now we may sit down and eat in peace.’  ‘Aye,’ says Robin, ‘and sleep in peace too, for we have done no harm.’  ‘No, to be sure,’ said I; ’but yet I am much concerned that the poor Lady had not Christian burial.’  ‘Never trouble thyself about that,’ said Andrew; ’we have done the best we could for her; but let us see what we have got in our bags; we must divide them.’  So they opened their bags, and took out a fine gown and a pair of rich shoes; but, besides these, there was a fine necklace with a golden locket, and a pair of earrings.  Says Andrew, and winked at me, ’I will have these, and you may take the rest.’  Robin said, he was satisfied, and so he went his way.  When he was gone, ‘Here, you fool,’ says Andrew, ’take these, and keep them as safe as the bud of your eye; If ever young master is found, these will make our fortune.’”

“And have you them now?” said Oswald.

“Yes, that I have,” answered she; “Andrew would have sold them long ago, but I always put him off it.”

“Heaven be praised!” said Edmund.

“Hush,” said Oswald, “let us not lose time; proceed, Goody!”