owledge that some ladies' tongues can be as busy with her as with her
poor cousin."

With her own hands Mary tore up her own letter, but Curll's copy
unfortunately escaped destruction, to be discovered in after times.
Lord and Lady Shrewsbury never knew the service Susan had rendered them
by causing it to be suppressed.

CHAPTER XIII.

BEADS AND BRACELETS.

The Countess was by no means pacified by the investigation, and both
she and her family remained at Court, maligning her husband and his
captive. As the season advanced, bringing the time for the Queen's
annual resort to the waters of Buxton, Lord Shrewsbury was obliged to
entreat Mrs. Talbot again to be her companion, declaring that he had
never known so much peace as with that lady in the Queen's chambers.

The journey to Buxton was always the great holiday of the imprisoned
Court. The place was part of the Shrewsbury property, and the Earl had
a great house there, but there were no conveniences for exercising so
strict a watch as at Sheffield, and there was altogether a relaxation
of discipline. Exercise was considered an essential part of the
treatment, and recreations were there provided.

Cis had heard so much of the charms of the expedition, that she was
enraptured to hear that she was to share it, together with Mrs. Talbot.
The only drawback was that Humfrey had promised to come home after this
present voyage, to see whether his little Cis were ready for him; and
his father was much disposed to remain at home, receive him first, and
communicate to him the obstacles in the way of wedding the young lady.
However, my Lord refused to dispense with the attendance of his most
trustworthy kinsman, and leaving Ned at school under charge of the
learned Sniggius, the elder and the younger Richard Talbot rode forth
with the retinue of the Queen and her warder.

Neither Cicely nor Diccon had ever left home before, and they were in
raptures which would have made any journey delightful to them, far more
a ride through some of the wildest and loveliest glades that England
can display. Nay, it may be that they would better have enjoyed
something less like Sheffield Park than the rocks, glens, and woods,
through which they rode. Their real delight was in the towns and
villages at which there was a halt, and every traveller they saw was
such a wonder to them, that at the end of the first day they were
almost as full of exultation in their experiences, as i