little damsel had been in a manner
confided to her both by the Dean of Saint Paul's and by Tibble
Steelman--and indeed the motherly woman, after nursing and soothing her
through her first despair at the loss of her father, was already loving
her heartily, and was glad to give her a place in the home which Ambrose
was leaving on being made an attendant on Sir Thomas More.

For the interview at the Deanery was satisfactory. The young man, after
a good supper, enlivened by the sweet singing of some chosen pupils of
Saint Paul's school, was called up to where the Dean sat, and with him,
the man of the peculiarly sweet countenance, with the noble and deep
expression, yet withal, something both tender and humorous in it.

They made him tell his whole life, and asked many questions about
Abenali, specially about the fragment of Arabic scroll which had been
clutched in his hand even as he lay dying. They much regretted never
having known of his existence till too late. "Jewels lie before the
unheeding!" said More. Then Ambrose was called on to show a specimen of
his own penmanship, and to write from Sir Thomas's dictation in English
and in Latin. The result was that he was engaged to act as one of the
clerks Sir Thomas employed in his occupations alike as lawyer,
statesman, and scholar.

"Methinks I have seen thy face before," said Sir Thomas, looking keenly
at him. "I have beheld those black eyes, though with a different
favour?"

Ambrose blushed deeply. "Sir, it is but honest to tell you that my
mother's brother is jester to my Lord Cardinal."

"Quipsome Hal Merriman! Patch as the King calleth him!" exclaimed Sir
Thomas. "A man I have ever thought wore the motley rather from excess,
than infirmity, of wit."

"Nay, sir, so please you, it was his good heart that made him a jester,"
said Ambrose, explaining the story of Randall and his Perronel in a few
words, which touched the friends a good deal, and the Dean remembered
that she was in charge of the little Moresco girl. He lost nothing by
dealing thus openly with his new master, who promised to keep his secret
for him, then gave him handsel of his salary, and bade him collect his
possessions, and come to take up his abode in the house of the More
family at Chelsea.

He would still often see his brother in the intervals of attending Sir
Thomas to the courts of law, but the chief present care was to get the
boys into purer air, both to expedite their recovery a