knight saluted her. "My husband desires to see you, and to
thank you also. Our young friend here must also come up, though, as he
is older than Ernst, we cannot help being angry with him, believing that
he may have led his companion into mischief."

"No, no, I led him!" exclaimed Ernst, quickly and boldly. "I am ready
to suffer punishment, but blame not him, for I deserve it more than he
does."

"We will not talk of punishment," said Sir John, smiling. "Most people
would think that you had had enough, with a week's sojourn in the Fleet
Prison. I hope that you may never again in the course of your lives see
the inside of it. It is difficult in the present time for even honest
men to keep outside, if there are any who have a desire to put them in."

These words were spoken as they were proceeding upstairs. Lady Anne
opened the door of the usual sitting-room, and there, reclining in a
chair, suffering apparently somewhat from sickness, they beheld Master
Gresham himself. He rose to welcome Sir John, and to thank him for the
favour which he had done him. It was no less, indeed, than having
procured his acquittal from the charges which Lord Winchester and others
had brought against him. Not only this, but the Queen's Council,
finding their affairs in the Netherlands greatly disordered, and it
being necessary to raise further loans, had looked about for a fit
person to fill the post of Royal agent, and none was found in whom all
could confide so completely as in Master Gresham. Instead, therefore,
of being committed to the Fleet, and perchance left to die there of
disease, he had received this honourable appointment, the notice of
which had only just before been sent him by Sir John De Leigh.

Master Gresham received Ernst very kindly, but admonished him to be
careful in future, and on no account to allow himself to be led away by
his feelings, or to mingle in any popular disturbance. "Patience and
forbearance will, in the end, gain more than haste and violence," he
observed. "It is seldom that a short road can be found to any great
object--at least, if that object is to be secured permanently. I do not
say that there are not times and seasons when men must fight for objects
they hold dear, but in most cases those objects are most likely to be
secured with the sword sheathed--by perseverance and firm language."

Ernst expected to be sent back to Saint Paul's School, to which A'Dale
had to return; but, by th