lutely certain that no such person was in the
court. Then, as Stephen entered, doffing his cap to the King's officer,
the alderman continued, "There, fair son, this is what these gentlemen
have come about. Thy kinsman, it seemeth, hath fled from Windsor, and
his Grace is mightily incensed. They say he changed clothes with a
gipsy, and was traced hither this morn, but I have told them the thing
is impossible."

"Will the gentlemen search?" asked Stephen.

The gentlemen did search, but they only saw the smiths in full work; and
in Smallbones' forge, there was a roaring glowing furnace, with a bare-
armed fellow feeding it with coals, so that it fairly scorched them, and
gave them double relish for the good wine and beer that was put out on
the table to do honour to them.

Stephen had just with all civility seen them off the premises when
Perronel came sobbing into the court. They had visited her first, for
Cromwell had evidently known of Randall's haunts; they had turned her
little house upside down, and had threatened her hotly in case she
harboured a disloyal spy, who deserved hanging. She came to consult
Stephen, for the notion of her husband wandering about, as a sort of
outlaw, was almost as terrible as the threat of his being hanged.

Stephen beckoned her to a store-room full of gaunt figures of armour
upon blocks, and there brought up to her his extremely grimy new hand!

There was much gladness between them, but the future had to be
considered. Perronel had a little hoard, the amount of which she was
too shrewd to name to any one, even her husband, but she considered it
sufficient to enable him to fulfil the cherished scheme of his life, of
retiring to some small farm near his old home, and she was for setting
off at once. But Harry Randall declared that he could not go without
having offered his services to his old master. He had heard of his
"good lord" as sick, sad, and deserted by those whom he had cherished,
and the faithful heart was so true in its loyalty that no persuasion
could prevail in making it turn south.

"Nay," said the wife, "did he not cast thee off himself, and serve thee
like one of his dogs! How canst thou be bound to him?"

"There's the rub!" sighed Hal. "He sent me to the King deeming that he
should have one full of faithful love to speak a word on his behalf, and
I, brutish oaf as I was, must needs take it amiss, and sulk and mope
till the occasion was past, and that viper