nd children. This Susan had ascribed to fear that
she should be warned off for her fortune-telling propensities, or the
children's little bargains interfered with. All she could answer for
was that she had once seen a huge pair of grizzled eyebrows, with light
eyes under them, and that the woman, if woman she were, was tall, and
bent a good deal upon a hooked stick, which supported her limping
steps. Cicely could say little more, except that the witch had a deep
awesome voice, like a man, and a long nose terrible to look at.
Indeed, there seemed to have been a sort of awful fascination about her
to all the children, who feared her yet ran after her.

Antony was then sent for. It was not easy to judge of the expression
of his disfigured countenance, but when thus brought to bay he threw
off all tokens of compunction, and stood boldly before the Earl.

"So, Master Babington, I find you have been betraying the trust I
placed in you--"

"What, trust, my Lord?" said Antony, his bright blue eyes looking back
into those of the nobleman.

"The cockerel crows loud," said the Earl. "What trust, quotha! Is
there no trust implied in the coming and going of one of my household,
when such a charge is committed to me and mine?"

"No one ever gave me any charge," said Antony.

"Dost thou bandy words, thou froward imp?" said the Earl. "Thou hast
not the conscience to deny that there was no honesty in smuggling forth
a letter thus hidden. Deny it not. The treasonable cipher hath been
read!"

"I knew nought of what was in it," said the boy.

"I believe thee there, but thou didst know that it was foully disloyal
to me and to her Majesty to bear forth secret letters to disguised
traitors. I am willing to believe that the smooth tongue which hath
deluded many a better man than thou hath led thee astray, and I am
willing to deal as lightly with thee as may be, so thou wilt tell me
openly all thou knowest of this infamous plot."

"I know of no plot, sir."

"They would scarce commit the knowledge to the like of him," said
Richard Talbot.

"May be not," said Lord Shrewsbury, looking at him with a glance that
Antony thought contemptuous, and which prompted him to exclaim, "And if
I did know of one, you may be assured I would never betray it were I
torn with wild horses."

"Betray, sayest thou!" returned the Earl. "Thou hast betrayed my
confidence, Antony, and hast gone as far as in thee lies to betray thy
Queen."

"My