The marquis listened attentively, and when lord Herbert had ended, sat a few moments in silence; then, for all answer, said,

‘Go and fetch her, my lad.’

When Dorothy entered,—­

‘Come hither, maiden,’ he said from his chair.  ’Wilt thou kiss an old man who hath wronged thee—­for so my son hath taught me?’

Dorothy stooped, and he kissed her on both cheeks, with the tears in his eyes.

‘Thou shalt dine at my table,’ he said, ‘an’ thy mistress will permit thee, as I doubt not she will when I ask her, until—­thou, art weary of our dull company.  Hear me, cousin Dorothy:  an’ thou wilt go with us to mass next Sunday, thou shalt sit on one side of me and thy mistress on the other, and all the castle shall see thee there, and shall know that thou art our dear cousin, mistress Dorothy Vaughan, and shall do thee honour.’

‘I thank you, my lord, with all my heart,’ said Dorothy, with troubled look, ’but—­may I then speak without offence to your lordship, where my heart knoweth nought but honour, love, and obedience?’

‘Speak what thou wilt, so it be what thou would’st,’ answered the marquis.

’Then pardon me, my lord, that which would have made my mother sad, and would make my good master Herbert sorry that he brought me hither.  He would fear I had forsaken the church of my fathers.’

’And returned to the church of thy grandfathers—­eh, mistress Dorothy?  And wherefore, then, should that weigh so much with thee, so long as thou wert no traitor to our blessed Lord?’

‘But should I be no traitor, sir, an’ I served him not with my best?’

’Thou hast nothing better than thy heart to give him, and nothing worse will serve his turn; and that we two have offered where I would have thee offer thine—­and I trust, Herbert, the offering hath not lain unaccepted.’

‘I trust not, my lord,’ responded Herbert.

‘But, my lord,’ said Dorothy, with hot cheek and trembling voice, ’if I brought it him upon a dish which I believed to be of brass, when I had one of silver in the house, would it avail with him that your lordship knew the dish to be no brass, but the finest of gold?  I should be unworthy of your lordship’s favour, if, to be replaced in the honour of men, I did that which needed the pardon of God.’

‘I told thee so, sir!’ cried lord Herbert, who had been listening with radiant countenance.

‘Thou art a good girl, Dorothy,’ said the marquis.  ’Verily I spoke but to try thee, and I thank God thou hast stood the trial, and answered aright.  Now am I sure of thee; and I will no more doubt thee—­not if I wake in the night and find thee standing over me with a drawn dagger like Judith.  An’ my worthy Bayly had been at home, perchance this had not happened; but forgive me, Dorothy, for the gout is the sting of the devil’s own tail, and driveth men mad.  Verily, it seemeth now as if I could never have behaved to thee as I have done.  Why, one might say the foolish fat old man was jealous of the handsome young puritan!  The wheel will come round, Dorothy.  One day thou wilt marry him.’