charm that is here sewn up, and these marks may be naught but some
sailor's freak; but, on the other hand, they may be concerned with
perilous matter, so the less said the better."

"Should they not be shown to my lord, or to her Grace's Council ?"

"I'm not going to run my head into trouble for making a coil about
what may be naught. That's what befell honest Mark Walton. He
thought he had seized matter of State, and went up to Master
Walsingham, swelling like an Indian turkey-cock, with his secret
letters, and behold they turned out to be a Dutch fishwife's charm to
bring the herrings. I can tell you he has rued the work he made
about it ever since. On the other hand, let it get abroad through
yonder prating fellow, Heatherthwayte, or any other, that Master
Richard Talbot had in his house a child with, I know not what Popish
tokens, and a scroll in an unknown tongue, and I should be had up in
gyves for suspicion of treason, or may be harbouring the Prince of
Scotland himself, when it is only some poor Scottish archer's babe."

"You would not have me part with the poor little one?"

"Am I a Turk or a Pagan? No. Only hold thy peace, as I shall hold
mine, until such time as I can meet some one whom I can trust to read
this riddle. Tell me--what like is the child? Wouldst guess it to
be of gentle, or of clownish blood, if women can tell such things ?"

"Of gentle blood, assuredly," cried the lady, so that he smiled and
said, "I might have known that so thou wouldst answer."

"Nay, but see her little hands and fingers, and the mould of her