t Mr. Topcliffe was come again to Derby on a special
mission.

II

The tidings came to Marjorie as she leaned back in her chair in Mr.
Biddell's parlour and listened to the last shoutings.

* * * * *

She had been in town now three days.

Ever since the capture she had been under guard in her own house till
three days ago. Four men had been billeted upon her, not, indeed, by the
orders of Mr. Audrey, since Mr. Audrey was in no condition to control
affairs any longer, but by the direction of Mr. Columbell, who had
himself ridden out to take charge at Booth's Edge, when the news of the
arrest had come, with the prisoner himself, to the city. It was he, too,
who had seen to the removal of Mr. Audrey a week later, when he had
recovered from the weakness caused by the fit sufficiently to travel as
far as Derby; for it was thought better that the magistrate who had
effected the capture should be accessible to the examining magistrates.
It was, of course, lamentable, said Mr. Columbell, that father and son
should have been brought into such relations, and he would do all that
he could to relieve Mr. Audrey from any painful task in which they could
do without him. But her Grace's business must be done, and he had had
special messages from my lord Shrewsbury himself that the prisoner must
be dealt with sternly. It was believed, wrote my lord, that Mr. Alban,
as he called himself, had a good deal more against him than the mere
fact of being a seminary priest: it was thought that he had been
involved in the Babington plot, and had at least once had access to the
Queen of the Scots since the fortunate failure of the conspiracy.

All this, then, Marjorie knew from Mr. Biddell, who seemed always to
know everything; but it was not until the evening on which the judges
arrived that she learned the last and extreme measures that would
betaken to establish these suspicions. She had ridden openly to Derby so
soon as the news came from there that for the present she might be set
at liberty.

The lawyer came into the darkening room as the square outside began to
grow quiet, and Marjorie opened her eyes to see who it was.

He said nothing at first, but sat down close beside her. He knew she
must be told, but he hated the telling. He carried a little paper in his
hand. He would begin with that little bit of good news first, he said to
himself.

"Well, mistress," he said, "I have the order at last. W