ers, and he
could listen without being called upon to speak.

Moreover, he was all eagerness to hear what he could of such
topics. He knew so little what was stirring in the country, and was
eager to learn more. He kept hearing the words "Bye" and "Main"
bandied about amongst the speakers, and at last he asked his
neighbour in a whisper what was meant by the terms.

"Marry, two villainous Popish plots," answered Rachel, who was glib
enough with her tongue. "And many heads have fallen already, and
perhaps more will yet fall; for Sir Walter Raleigh is still in the
Tower, and my Lord Grey, too. Confusion to all traitors and
plotters, say I! Why cannot men live pleasantly and easily? They
might well do so, an they would cease from their evil practices,
and from making such a coil about what hurts none. If they would
but go to church like sensible Christians, nobody would have a word
against them; but they are like mules and pigs, and they can
neither be led nor driven straight. I go to church every Sunday of
my life, and what there is to fall foul of I never can guess. But
men be such blind, obstinate fools, they must always be putting a
rope round their necks. They say London is seething now with plots,
and no man can feel safe for a day nor an hour."

Cuthbert gave one swift backward thought to his companion of the
road and the strange words he had uttered; and he asked with
increasing interest of his lively neighbour:

"But what do men think to gain by such plots? What is the object of
them?"

"Beshrew me if I know or care! My father says they be all mad together,
the moonstruck knaves! They say that the 'Bye' was an attempt to make
prisoner of the King's Majesty, and to keep him in captivity till he
had sworn to change his laws and his ministers--as they say was done
once in Scotland, when he was trying to rule his turbulent subjects
there. As for the 'Main,' that was worse; nothing better than the
murder of the King and Royal family, so that the Lady Arabella might
be Queen in his stead. But neither came to good; it seemeth to me that
these villainous plots never do, And all that results from them is that
the laws are made harsher and harsher, and men groan and writhe under
them, and curse the King and his ministers, when they had better be
cursing their own folly and wickedness in trying to overthrow the
government of their lawful rulers."

"That is one side of the question, Mistress Rachel," said Walter
Cole