The King's Daughters Part 6

"No, Mistress Amy; I do scarce think it."

"Why, wouldst thou better love these yellow ones?"

"To speak truth, Mistress Amy, I think you look best without either."

"Dear heart, to hear the maid! Wouldst not thou fain have a pair, Bess?"

"Nay, Mistress Amy, that would I not."

"Wherefore?"

"Because, as methinks, such tawdry gewgaws be unworthy a Christian profession. If you desire my thought thereon, Mistress Amy, you have it now."

"Forsooth, and thou mightest have kept it, for all I want of it.

'Tawdry gewgaws,' indeed! I tell thee, Bess; these be three shillings the pair."

"They may be. I would not pay three half-pence for them."

"Bess, 'tis ten thousand pities thou art not a nun."

"I would rather be what I am, Mistress."

"I rather not be neither," said Amy flippantly. In those days, they always put two nots together when they meant to speak strongly. They did not see, as we do now, that the one contradicts the other.

"Well, Mistress Amy, you have no need," said Elizabeth quietly.

"And as to Christian profession--why, Bess, every lady in the land wears ear-rings, yea, up to the Queen's Grace herself. Prithee who art thou, to set thee up for better than all the ladies in England, talking of Christian profession as though thou wert a priest?"

"I am Mistress Clere's servant-maid; but I set not myself up to be better than any, so far as I know."

"Thee hold thy peace! Whether goeth this lace or the wide one best with my blue kirtle?"

"The narrower, I would say. Mistress Amy, shall you have need of me this next Wednesday afternoon?"

"Why? What's like to happen Wednesday afternoon?"

"Saint Chrysostom's like to happen, an't please you; and Mistress granted me free leave to visit a friend, if so be you lacked me not."

"What fashion of a friend, trow? A jolly one?" Elizabeth looked a little amused.

"Scarce after your fashion, Mistress Amy."

"What, as sad and sober as thyself?"

"Well-nigh."

"Then I'll not go with thee. I mean to spend Saint Chrysostom with Mary Boswell and Lucy Cheyne, and their friends: and I promise thee we shall not have no sadness nor sedateness in the company."

"That's very like," answered Elizabeth.

"As merry as crickets, _we_ shall be. Dost not long to come withal?"

"I were liefer to visit Rose, if it liked you."

"What a shame to call a sad maid by so fair a name! Oh, thou canst go for all me. Thy company's never so jolly I need shed tears to lose it."

And with this rather uncomplimentary remark, Amy left the room, with the blue ear-rings in her ears and the yellow ones in her hand. Elizabeth waited till her piece of work was finished. Then folding it up and putting it away in a drawer, she ran down to prepare supper,--a task wherein Amy did not offer to help her, though it was usual then for the mistress of the house and her daughters to a.s.sist in the cooking.

About two o'clock on the afternoon of the following Wednesday, a tap on the door of the Blue Bell called Rose to open it, and she greeted her friend Elizabeth with much pleasure. Rose had finished her share of the household work (until supper), and she took her lace pillow and sat down in the window. Elizabeth drew from her pocket a couple of nightcaps, and both girls set to work. Mrs Mount was sewing also in the chimney-corner.

"And how be matters in Colchester, Bess, at this present?"

"The clouds be gathering for rain, or I mistake," said Elizabeth gravely. "You know the thing I mean?"

Alice Mount had put down her work, and she looked grave too.

"Bess! you never mean we shall have last August's doings o'er again?"

"That do I, Alice, and more. I was last night at the King's Head, where you know they of our doctrine be wont to meet, and Master Pulleyne was there, that good man that was sometime chaplain to my Lady's Grace of Suffolk: he mostly puts up at the King's Head when he cometh to town.

And quoth he, 'There shall shortly be another search made for Gospel books,--ay, and Gospellers belike: and they be not like to 'scape so well as they did last year.' And John Love saith--he was there, John Love of the Heath; you know him?--well, he saith he heard Master Simnel the bailiff to swear that the great Doctors of Colchester should find it warm work ere long. There's an ill time coming, friends. Take you heed."

"The good Lord be our aid, if so be!" said Alice.

"But what shall Master Clere do, Bessy?" asked Rose. "He hath ever been a Gospeller."

"He hath borne the name of one, Rose. G.o.d knoweth if he be true. I'm 'feared--"

Elizabeth stopped suddenly.

"That he'll not be staunch?" said Alice.

"He is my master, and I will say no more, Alice. But this may I say-- there's many in Colchester shall bear f.a.ggots ere they burn. Ay, and all over England belike."

Those who recanted had to carry a f.a.ggot, as if owning themselves worthy to be burned.

"Thou'rt right there, Bess. The Lord deliver us!"

"Some thinketh we have been too bold of late. You see, John Love coming home again, and nothing done to him, made folks think the worst was over."

"Isn't it then?" said Rose.

"Master Benold says he mis...o...b..s if 'tis well begun."

"Master Benold the chandler?"

"Of East Hill--ay. He was at the King's Head last night. So was old Mistress Silverside, and Mistress Ewring the miller's wife, and Johnson--they call him Alegar--down at Thorpe."

"Call him Alegar! what on earth for?" asked Rose indignantly.