ul conference? I am no man of
blood. I meddle not with lofty matters. I"----

But here I was interrupted by Mr Snowton in a low grave tone. "Then you
have not heard that the wicked man of sin, the false Papist, the Marquis
of Danfield, hath discovered his child?"

"No, I have not been informed thereof. And hath he gained possession of
her?"

"No, nor shall not!" and hereupon he frowned a great frown, and let his
sword-sheath strike heavily upon the floor. All the company looked
sharply round; but seeing it was by hazard, they took no notice of what
occurred.

"And where, then, is the maiden bestowed?" I demanded.

"In this house; you shall see her soon."

"And what have I to do with these matters? They are above my
concernment!" I exclaimed, in great anguish of mind.

"You have to unite her in the holy bands of wedlock."

"Nay, that is clearly impossible! Where, I pray thee, is the license?"

"All that has been cared for by means of a true bishop of our church.
There can be no scruple on canonical grounds; and if there be hesitation
in obeying the Lady Mallerden's orders, (provided she finally takes up
her mind to deliver the same,) I would not answer for the recusant's
life, no, not for an hour."

"But wherefore in such secrecy, with such haste?" I said, in dreadful
sort.

"Because we know that the father slept at Oxford last night with store
of troops, and that he will be here this night with a royal warrant to
enforce his right to the bestowal of his child; and he hath already
promised her to the leader of the malignant Papists."

"And are we here to resist the king's soldiers and the mandate of the
king?"

"Yea, to the death!" he said, and sank into gloomy thoughts and said no
more.

I looked around among the assembly, and recognized no other faces that I
knew, and in a short space the great lady, having finished her colloquy
with her next neighbour, rose up and said--"My lords, I believe ye be
all of kin to this house, and the other gentlemen be its friends--a
falling house, as represented by a feeble woman of fourscore years and
five. Yet in the greatness of the cause, may we securely expect a gift
of strength even to so frail an instrument as I am. I have consulted
with you all, and finally have taken counsel with my kind cousin and
sweet friend, the Earl of Fitzoswald, now at my side, and he hath agreed
to what I have proposed. It now, then, but remains to carry our project
into effect; and fo