embarrassment and
perplexity made the two young people fly apart rather than come
together. They knew not what they wished. Humfrey might in his secret
soul long for a token that Cis remembered his faithful affection, and
yet he knew that to elicit one might do her life-long injury. So,
however he might crave for word or look when out of sight of her, an
honourable reluctance always withheld him from seeking any such sign in
the short intervals when he could have tried to go beneath the surface.
On the other hand, this apparent indifference piqued her pride, and
made her stiff, cold, and almost disdainful whenever there was any
approach between them. Her vanity might be flattered by the knowledge
that she was beyond his reach; but it would have been still more
gratified could she have discovered any symptoms of pining and
languishing after her. She might peep at him from under her eyelashes
in chapel and in hall; but in the former place his gaze always seemed
to be on the minister, in the latter he showed no signs of flagging as
a trencher companion. Both mothers thought her marvellously discreet;
but neither beheld the strange tumult in her heart, where were surging
pride, vanity, ambition, and wounded affection.

In a few days, Sir Ralf Sadler and his son-in-law Mr. Somer arrived at
Sheffield in order to take the charge of the prisoner whilst Shrewsbury
went to London. The conferences and consultations were endless, and
harassing, and it was finally decided that the Earl should escort her
to Wingfield, and, leaving her there under charge of Sadler, should
proceed to London. She made formal application for Mistress Cicely
Talbot to accompany her as one of her suite, and her supposed parents
could not but give their consent, but six gentlewomen had been already
enumerated, and the authorities would not consent to her taking any
more ladies with her, and decreed that Mistress Cicely must remain at
home.

"This unkindness has made the parting from this place less joyous than
I looked for," said Mary, "but courage, ma mignonne. Soon shall I send
for thee to Scotland, and there shalt thou burst thine husk, and show
thyself in thy true colours;" and turning to Susan, "Madam, I must
commit my treasure to her who has so long watched over her."

"Your Grace knows that she is no less my treasure," said Susan.

"I should have known it well," returned the Queen, "from the innocence
and guilelessness of the damsel. Non