The woman cast a glance of something very like hate, but mingled with fear, upon Dorothy.

‘I like not the business, captain Heywood,’ she said.

’Yet the business must be done, mistress Upstill.  And hark’ee, for every paper thou findest upon her, I will give thee its weight in gold.  I care not what it is.  Bring it hither, and the dame’s butter-scales withal.’

‘I warrant thee, captain!’ she returned. ’—­Come with me, mistress, and show what thou hast about thee.  But, good sooth, I would the sun were up!’

She led the way to the rick-yard, and round towards the sunrise.  It was the month of August, and several new ricks already stood facing the east, yellow, and beginning to glow like a second dawn.  Between the two, mistress Upstill began her search, which she made more thorough than agreeable.  Dorothy submitted without complaint.

At last, as she was giving up the quest in despair, her eyes or her fingers discovered a little opening inside the prisoner bodice, and there sure enough was a pocket, and in the pocket a slip of paper!  She drew it out in triumph.

‘That is nothing,’ said Dorothy:  ‘give it me.’  And with flushed face she made a snatch at it.

‘Holy Mary!’ cried dame Upstill, whose protestantism was of doubtful date, and thrust the paper into her own bosom.

‘That paper hath nothing to do with state affairs, I protest,’ expostulated Dorothy.  ’I will give thee ten times its weight in gold for it.’

But mistress Upstill had other passions besides avarice, and was not greatly tempted by the offer.  She took Dorothy by the arm, and said,

‘An’ thou come not quickly, I will cry that all the parish shall hear me.’

’I tell thee, mistress Upstill, on the oath of a Christian woman, it is but a private letter of mine own, and beareth nothing upon affairs.  Prithee read a word or two, and satisfy thyself.’

’Nay, mistress, truly I will pry into no secrets that belong not to me,’ said the searcher, who could read no word of writing or print either.  ’This paper is no longer thine, and mine it never was.  It belongeth to the high court of parliament, and goeth straight to captain Heywood—­whom I will inform concerning the bribe wherewith thou didst seek to corrupt the conscience of a godly woman.’

Dorothy saw there was no help, and yielded to the grasp of the dame, who led her like a culprit, with burning cheek, back to her judge.

When Richard saw them his heart sank within him.

‘What hast thou found?’ he asked gruffly.

’I have found that which young mistress here would have had me cover with a bribe of ten times that your honour promised me for it,’ answered the woman.  ’She had it in her bosom, hid in a pocket little bigger than a crown-piece, inside her bodice.’

‘Ha, mistress Dorothy! is this true?’ asked Richard, turning on her a face of distress.