like a bosom friend, and tell him what had
passed between the master and her and Jane. Confidence begets
confidence; and so Tom told her in turn that the Squire and the Dame had
come to words over it. "However," said he, "'t is all the priest's
fault: but bide awhile, all of ye."

With this mysterious hint he meant to close his revelations. But Ryder
intended nothing of the kind. Her keen eye had read the looks and
gestures of Gaunt and Leicester, and these had shown her that something
very strange and serious was going on. She had come out expressly to
learn what it was, and Tom was no match for her arts. She so smiled on
him, and agreed with him, and led him, and drew him, and pumped him,
that she got it all out of him on a promise of secrecy. She then entered
into it with spirit, and, being what they called a scholar, undertook to
write a paper for Tom and his helper to pin on the priest's back. No
sooner said than done. She left him, and speedily returned with the
following document, written out in large and somewhat straggling
letters:--

"HONEST FOLK, BEHOLD A

MISCHIEVIOUS PRIEST, WHICH

FOR CAUSING OF STRIFE

'TWIXT MAN AND WYFE

HATH MADE ACQUAINTANCE

WITH SQUIRE'S HORSE-POND."

And so a female conspirator was added to the plot.

Mrs. Gaunt co-operated too, but, need I say, unconsciously.

She was unhappy, and full of regret at what she had said. She took
herself severely to task, and drew a very unfavorable comparison between
herself and Brother Leonard. "How ill," she thought, "am I fitted to
carry out that meek saint's view. See what my ungoverned temper has
done." So then, having made so great a mistake, she thought the best
thing she could do was to seek advice of Leonard at once. She was not
without hopes he would tell her to postpone the projected change in her
household, and so soothe her offended husband directly.

She wrote a line requesting Leonard to call on her as soon as possible,
and advise her in a great difficulty; and she gave this note to Ryder,
and told her to send the groom off with it at once.

Ryder squeezed the letter, and peered into it, and gathered its nature
before she gave it to the groom to take to Leonard.

When he was gone, she went and told Tom Leicester, and he chuckled, and
made his preparations accordingly.

Then she retired to her own room, and went through a certain process I
have indicated before as one of her habits: knitted her