t into Egypt, when an old
fisherman found them, and brought them to the beneficent shelter of the
Presbytere.

Stories of this kind were told at the meal that was something partaking
of the nature of both breakfast and early dinner, but where Berenger ate
little and spoke less. Philip watched him anxiously; the boy thought
the journey a perilous experiment every way, but, boyishly, was resolved
neither to own his fears of it nor to leave his brother. External perils
he was quite ready to face, and he fancied that his English birth would
give him some power of protecting Berenger, but he was more reasonably
in dread of the present shock bringing on such an illness as the last
relapse; and if Berenger lost his senses again, what should they do? He
even ventured to hint at this danger, but Berenger answered, 'That will
scarce happen again. My head is stronger now. Besides, it was doing
nothing, and hearing her truth profaned, that crazed me. No one at least
will do that again. But if you wish to drive me frantic again, the way
would be to let Hobbs carry me home without seeking her child.'

Philip bore this in mind, when, with flood-tide, Master Hobbs landed,
and showed himself utterly dismayed at the turn affairs had taken. He
saw the needlessness of going to Lucon without royal authority; indeed,
he thought it possible that the very application there might give the
alarm, and cause all tokens of the child's identity to be destroyed,
in order to save her from her heretic relations. But he did not at
all approve of the young gentlemen going off to Paris at once. It was
against his orders. He felt bound to take them home as he has brought
them, and they might then make a fresh start if it so pleased them; but
how could he return to my Lord and Sir Duke without them? 'Mr. Ribaumont
might be right--it was not for him to say a father ought not to look
after his child--yet he was but a stripling himself, and my Lord had
said, 'Master Hobbs, I trust him to you.'' He would clearly have liked
to have called in a boat's crew, mastered the young gentlemen, and
carried them on board as captives; but as this was out of his power, he
was obliged to yield the point. He disconsolately accepted the letters
in which Berenger had explained all, and in which he promised to go
at once to Sir Francis Walsingham's at Paris, to run into no needless
danger, and to watch carefully over Philip; and craved pardon, in a
respectful but yet manly and