was safe?

And so the two sat late that night in the East Chamber; and laid schemes
and discussed movements and probabilities and the like, until the dawn
began to glimmer through the cracks of the shutters and the birds to
chirp in the eaves; and Sir Nicholas at last carried to bed with him an
anxious and a heavy heart. Mr. Stewart, however, did not seem so greatly
disturbed; possibly because on the one side he had not others dearer to
him than his own life involved in these complex issues: and partly
because he at any rate has not the weight of suspense and indecision that
so drew his host two ways at once, for Mr. Stewart was whole-heartedly
committed already, and knew well how he would act should the choice
present itself between Elizabeth and Philip.

The following morning Sir Nicholas still would not allow his guest to
come downstairs, and insisted that all his meals should be served in the
East Chamber, while he himself, as before, received the food at the door
and set it before Mr. Stewart. Mr. Stewart was greatly impressed and
touched by the kindness of the old man, although not by his capacity for
conspiracy. He had intended indeed to tell his host far more than he had
done of the movements of political and religious events, for he could not
but believe, before his arrival, that a Catholic so prominent and
influential as Sir Nicholas was becoming by reputation among the refugees
abroad, was a proper person to be entrusted even with the highest
secrets; but after a very little conversation with him the night before,
he had seen how ingenuous the old man was, with his laughable attempts at
secrecy and his lamentable lack of discretion; and so he had contented
himself with general information and gossip, and had really told Sir
Nicholas very little indeed of any importance.

After dinner Sir Nicholas again conducted his guest to the drawing-room,
where the ladies were ready to receive him. He had obtained Mr. Stewart's
permission the night before to tell his wife and sister-in-law the news
about Dr. Storey; and the four sat for several hours together discussing
the situation. Mr. Stewart was able to tell them too, in greater detail,
the story of Lord Sussex's punitive raid into Scotland in the preceding
April. They had heard of course the main outline of the story with the
kind of embroideries attached that were usual in those days of inaccurate
reporting; but their guest was a Scotchman himself and had had the