sh Peerage. As Farmer Hoggins shrewdly concluded, his
travel-stained guest was at least a gentleman. His voice and bearing
proclaimed that fact. But the farmer little suspected the true rank of
the man he was thus "entertaining unawares," or all that was to come
from his good-hearted hospitality to a stranger who was so affable and
so entertaining.

Although he was known in his own world as plain Mr Henry Cecil, he was a
man of ancient lineage, and closely allied to some of the greatest in
the land. Long centuries earlier, when William Rufus was King, one of
his ancestors had done doughty deeds in the conquest of Glamorganshire;
and from that distant day all his forefathers had been men who had held
their heads among the highest. One of them was none other than the
famous Lord Burleigh, one of England's greatest statesmen, favourite
Minister and friend of Henry VIII. and his two Queen-daughters. So great
was my Lord Burleigh's wealth that, as Sir Bernard Burke tells us,

"he had four places of residence--his lodgings at Court,
his house in the Strand, his family seat at Burleigh, and
his own favourite seat of Theobalds, near Waltham Cross,
to which he loved to retire from harness. At his house in
London he supported a family of fourscore persons,
without counting those who attended him in public.

"He kept a standing table for gentlemen, and two other
tables for those of a meaner condition; and these were
always served alike, whether he was in or out of town.
Twelve times he entertained Elizabeth at his house, on
more than one occasion for some weeks together; and, as
royal visits are rather expensive luxuries, and
Elizabeth's formed no exception to the rule (for they
cost between L1,000 and L2,000), the only wonder is that
his purse was not exhausted, and that he was able to
leave his son L25,000 in money and valuable effects,
besides L4,000 a year in landed estates."

Such was the splendour of this early Cecil, whose two sons were both
raised to Earldoms--of Exeter and Salisbury--on the same day.

Henry himself was heir to one of these family Earldoms--that of
Exeter--and some day would wear a coronet and be lord of vast estates,
although the knowledge gave him little pleasure. His parents had died in
his boyhood; and as his uncle, the Earl, took no interest in his heir,
the lad was left to his own devices. In good time he had w