III
"Yes, sir," said George an hour later, still a little flushed with the amount of drink he had been forced to consume. "I had some trouble to get it. But I think this is what your honour wanted."
He began to search in his deep breast-pocket.
"Tell me," said Mr. Biddell.
"I got the fellow to watch in the pa.s.sage, sir; him that I had made drunk, while I was inside. There were great bundles of papers in the valise.... No, sir, it was strapped up only.... The most of the papers were docketed very legally, sir; so I did not have to search long. There were three or four papers in a little packet by themselves; besides a great packet that was endorsed with Mr. FitzHerbert"s name, as well as Mr. Topcliffe"s and my lord Shrewsbury"s; and I think I should not have had time to look that through. But, by G.o.d"s mercy, it was one of the three or four by themselves."
He had the paper in his hand by now. The lawyer made a movement to take it. Then he restrained himself.
"Tell me, first," he said.
"Well, sir," said George, with a pardonable satisfaction in spinning the matter out, "one was all covered with notes, and was headed "Padley." I read that through, sir. It had to do with the buildings and the acres, and so forth. The second paper I could make nothing out of; it was in cypher, I think. The third paper was the same; and the fourth, sir, was that which I have here."
The lawyer started.
"But I told you--"
"Yes, sir; I should have said that this is the copy--or, at least, an abstract. I made the abstract by the window, sir, crouching down so that none should see me. Then I put all back as before, and came out again; the fellow was fast asleep against the door."
"And Topcliffe--"
"Mr. Topcliffe, sir, returned half an hour afterwards in company again with Mr. Hamilton. I waited a few minutes to see that all was well, and then I came to you, sir."
There was silence in the little room for a moment. It was the small back office of Mr. Biddell, where he did his more intimate business, looking out on to a paved court. The town was for the most part asleep, and hardly a sound came through the closed windows.
Then the lawyer turned and put out his hand for the paper without a word. He nodded to George, who went out, bidding him good-night.
Ten minutes later Mr. Biddell walked quietly through the pa.s.sengers"
gate by the side of the great doors that led to the court beside Babington House, closing it behind him. He knew that it would be left unbarred till eleven o"clock that night. He pa.s.sed on through the court, past the house door, to the steward"s office, where through heavy curtains a light glimmered. As he put his hand on the door it opened, and Marjorie was there. He said nothing, nor did she. Her face was pale and steady, and there was a question in her eyes. For answer he put the paper into her hands, and sat down while she read it. The stillness was as deep here as in the office he had just left.
IV
It was a minute or two before either spoke. The girl read the paper twice through, holding it close to the little hand-lamp that stood on the table.
"You see, mistress," he said, "it is as bad as it can be."
She handed back the paper to him; he slid out his spectacles, put them on, and held the writing to the light.
"Here are the points, you see ..." he went on. "I have annotated them in the margin. First, that Thomas FitzHerbert be released from Derby gaol within three days from the leaving of Topcliffe for London, and that he be no more troubled, neither in fines nor imprisonment; next, that he have secured to him, so far as the laws shall permit, all his inheritance from Sir Thomas, from his father, and from any other bequests whether of his blood-relations or no; thirdly, that Topcliffe do "persecute to the death""--(the lawyer paused, cast a glance at the downcast face of the girl) ""--do persecute to the death" his uncle Sir Thomas, his father John, and William Ba.s.sett his kinsman; and, in return for all this, Thomas FitzHerbert shall become her Grace"s sworn servant--that is, Mistress Manners, her Grace"s spy, pursuivant, informer and what-not--and that he shall grant and secure to Richard Topcliffe, Esquire, and to his heirs for ever, "the manors of Over Padley and Nether Padley, on the Derwent, with six messuages, two cottages, ten gardens, ten orchards, a thousand acres of land, five hundred acres of meadow-land, six hundred acres of pasture, three hundred acres of wood, a thousand acres of furze and heath, in Padley, Grindleford and Lyham, in the parish of Hathersage, in consideration of eight hundred marks of silver, to be paid to Thomas FitzHerbert, Esquire, etc.""
The lawyer put the paper down, and pushed his spectacles on to his forehead.
"That is a legal instrument?" asked the girl quietly, still with downcast eyes.
"It is not yet fully completed, but it is signed and witnessed. It can become a legal instrument by Topcliffe"s act; and it would pa.s.s muster--"
"It is signed by Mr. Thomas?"
He nodded.
She was silent again. He began to tell her of how he had obtained it, and of George"s subtlety and good fortune; but she seemed to pay no attention. She sat perfectly still. When he had ended, she spoke again.
"A sworn servant of her Grace--" she began.
"Topcliffe is a sworn servant of her Grace," he said bitterly; "you may judge by that what Thomas FitzHerbert hath become."
"We shall have his hand, too, against us all, then?"
"Yes, mistress; and, what is worse, this paper I take it--" (he tapped it) "this paper is to be a secret for the present. Mr. Thomas will still feign himself to be a Catholic, with Catholics, until he comes into all his inheritances. And, meantime, he will supply information to his new masters."
"Why cannot we expose him?"
"Where is the proof? He will deny it."
She paused.
"We can at least tell his family. You will draw up the informations?"
"I will do so."
"And send them to Sir Thomas and Mr. Ba.s.sett?"
"I will do so."
"That may perhaps prevent his inheritance coming to him as quickly as he thinks."
The lawyer"s eyes gleamed.
"And what of Mrs. Thomas, mistress?"
Marjorie lifted her eyes.
"I do not think a great deal of Mrs. Thomas," she said. "She is honest, I think; but she could not be trusted with a secret. But I will tell Mistress Babington, and I will warn what priests I can."
"And if it leaks out?"
"It must leak out."
"And yourself? Can you meet Mr. Thomas again just now? He will be out in three days."
Marjorie drew a long breath.