She had the little waif in her arms undressed, and with only a
woollen coverlet loosely wrapped round her, and without speaking she
pointed to the little shoulder-blades, where two marks had been
indelibly made--on one side the crowned monogram of the Blessed
Virgin, on the other a device like the Labarum, only that the upright
was surmounted by a fleur-de-lis.

Richard Talbot gave a sort of perplexed grunt of annoyance to
acknowledge that he saw them.

"Poor little maid! how could they be so cruel? They have been
branded with a hot iron," said the lady.

"They that parted from her meant to know her again," returned Talbot.

"Surely they are Popish marks," added Mistress Susan.

"Look you here, Dame Sue, I know you for a discreet woman. Keep this
gear to yourself, both the letter and the marks. Who hath seen
them?"

"I doubt me whether even Colet has seen this mark."

"That is well. Keep all out of sight. Many a man has been brought
into trouble for a less matter swelled by prating tongues."

"Have you made it out?"

"Not I. It may be only the child's horoscope, or some old wife's