st, with a chess-board and a few
books on it, were as much furniture as was to be seen in almost any
living-room of the day. Humfrey and Guibert, too, were already there,
with the small riding valises they and poor Smithers had had in charge.
These were at one opened, but contained merely clothes and linen,
nothing else that was noticed, except three books, at which the captain
looked with a stupid air; and the Chevalier did not seem capable of
discovering more than that all three were Latin--one, he believed, the
Bible.

'Yes, sir, the Vulgate--a copy older than the Reformation, so not liable
to be called an heretical version,' said Berenger, to whom a copy had
been given by Lady Walwyn, as more likely to be saved if his baggage
were searched. 'The other is the Office and Psalter after our English
rite; and this last is not mine, but Mr. Sidney's--a copy of Virgilius
Maro, which he had left behind at Paris.

The Chevalier, not willing to confess that he had taken the English
Prayer-book for Latin, hastily said, 'Nothing wrong there--no, no,
nothing that will hurt the State; may it only be so with what you carry
on your person, fair cousin. Stand back, gentleman, this is gear for
myself alone. Now, fair nephew,' he added, 'not a hand shall be laid on
you, if you will give me your honourable word, as a nobleman, that you
are laying before me all that you carry about you.

An instant's thought convinced Berenger that resistance would save
nothing, and merely lead to indignity to himself and danger to Philip;
and therefore he gave the promise to show everything about him, without
compulsion. Accordingly, he produced his purse for current expenses,
poor King Charles's safe-conduct, and other articles of no consequence,
from his pockets; then reluctantly opened his doublet, and took off
the belt containing his store of gold, which had been replenished at
Walsingham's. This was greedily eyed by the captain, but the Chevalier
at once made it over to Philip's keeping, graciously saying, 'We do no
more than duty requires;' but at the same time he made a gesture towards
another small purse that hung round Berenger's neck by a black ribbon.

'On my sacred word and honour,' said Berenger, 'it contains nothing
important to any save myself.

'Alas! my bounden duty,' urged the Chevalier.

An angry reply died on Berenger's lip. At the thought of Philip, he
opened the purse, and held out the contents on his palm: a tiny gold
ring