ithout
her. But he comes no more to Padley. And he scarcely makes a feint even
before strangers of being a Catholic, though he has not declared
himself, nor gone to church, at any rate in his own county. Here in
London I have seen him more than once in Topcliffe's company. But I
think that every Catholic in the country knows of it by now. That is
Mistress Manners' doing. My sister says there has never been a woman
like her."

Robin's eyes twinkled.

"I always said so," he said. "But none would believe me. She has the wit
and courage of twenty men. What has she been doing?"

"What has she not done?" cried Anthony. "She keeps herself for the most
part in her house; and my sister spends a great deal of time with her;
but her men, who would die for her, I think, go everywhere; and half the
hog-herds and shepherds of the Peak are her sworn men. I have given your
Dick to her; he was mad to do what he could in that cause. So her men go
this way and that bearing her letters or her messages to priests who are
on their way through the county; and she gets news--God knows how!--of
what is a-stirring against us. She has saved Mr. Ludlam twice, and Mr.
Garlick once, as well as Mr. Simpson once, by getting the news to them
of the pursuivants' coming, and having them away into the Peak. And yet
with all this, she has never been laid by the heels."

"Have they been after her, then?" asked Robin eagerly.

"They have had a spy in her house twice to my knowledge, but never
openly; and never a shred of a priest's gown to be seen, though mass had
been said there that day. But they have never searched it by force. And
I think they do not truly suspect her at all."

"Did I not say so?" cried Robin. "And what of my father? He wrote to me
that he was to be made magistrate; and I have never written to him
since."

"He hath been made magistrate," said Anthony drily; "and he sits on the
bench with the rest of them."

"Then he is all of the same mind?"

"I know nothing of his mind. I have never spoken with him this six years
back. I know his acts only. His name was in the 'Bond of Association,'
too!"

"I have heard of that."

"Why, it is two years old now. Half the gentry of England have joined
it," said Anthony bitterly. "It is to persecute to the death any
pretender to the Crown other than our Eliza."

There was a pause. Robin understood the bitterness.

"And what of Mr. Ballard?" asked Robin.

"Yes; he is taken," said Anthony