cut off; or pressed to death by the peine forte et dure.

Susan had nothing to say to all this, but that her husband thought it
right, and then had a little vigorous advice on her own score against
tamely submitting to any man, a weakness which certainly could not be
laid to the charge of the termagant of Hardwicke.

Cicely herself was glad to go. She loved her mother with a romantic
enthusiastic affection, missed her engaging caresses, and felt her
Bridgefield home eminently dull, flat, and even severe, especially
since she had lost the excitement of Humfrey's presence, and likewise
her companion Diccon. So she made her preparations with a joyful
alacrity, which secretly pained her good foster-parents, and made
Susan almost ready to reproach her with ingratitude.

They lectured her, after the fashion of the time, on the need of
never forgetting her duty to her God in her affection to her mother,
Susan trusting that she would never let herself be led away to the
Romish faith, and Richard warning her strongly against untruth and
falsehood, though she must be exposed to cruel perplexities as to the
right-- "But if thou be true to man, thou wilt be true to God," he
said. "If thou be false to man, thou wilt soon be false to thy God
likewise."

"We will pray for thee, child," said Susan. "Do thou pray earnestly
for thyself that thou mayest ever see the right."

"My queen mother is a right pious woman. She is ever praying and
reading holy books," said Cis. "Mother Susan, I marvel you, who know
her, can speak thus."