venient thoughts were stored: only to be released and
gazed upon when other more agreeable ones had ceased to fill the brain.

She felt humbled before this simple-minded man, whom she knew she had
shocked by the recital of her callousness. With innate gentleness of
disposition he tried to hide his feelings and to set aside the subject
for the moment.

"Sir Marmaduke was very disinterested, when he aided you in the quest,"
he said meekly, glad to be able to praise one whom he felt it his duty
to respect, "for under present circumstances ... hem! ..."

"I will raise no difficulties in Sir Marmaduke's way," she rejoined,
"there is no doubt in my mind that my boys are dead, else I had had news
of them ere this."

He looked at her keenly--as keenly as he dared with his mild, blue
eyes. It was hard to keep in sympathy with her. Her moods seemed to
change as she spoke of her boys and then of Sir Marmaduke. Her last
remark seemed to argue that her callousness with regard to her sons had
not entirely yielded to softer emotions yet.

"In case of my Lord Northallerton's death," she continued lightly, "I
shall not put in a claim on behalf of any son of mine."

"Whereupon--hem Sir Marmaduke as next-of-kin, would have the enjoyment
of the revenues--and mayhap would have influence enough then to make
good his claim to the title before the House of Lords ..."

He checked himself: looked furtively round and added:

"Provided it please God and my Lord Protector that the House of Lords
come back to Westminster by that time."

"I thank you, master," said Mistress de Chavasse, rising from her chair,
intimating that this interview was now over, "you have told me all that
I wish to know. Let me assure you, that I will not prove ungrateful.
Your services will be amply repaid by whomever succeeds to the title and
revenues of Northallerton. Did you wish to see Sir Marmaduke?"

"I thank you, mistress, not to-day," replied Master Skyffington somewhat
dryly. The lady's promises had not roused his enthusiasm. He would have
preferred to see more definite reward for his labors, for he had worked
faithfully and was substantially out of pocket in this quest after the
two missing young men.

But he was imbued with that deep respect for the family he had served
all his life, which no conflict between privilege and people would ever
eradicate, and though Mistress de Chavasse's origin was of the humblest,
she was nevertheless herself now within