All at once they came pouring out of Aldgate. In front colours were flying and fifes screaming, and behind ran the crowd, their voices drowning the fifes. Isoult began to think of retreating and closing her door, when she caught sight of Gillian Brent [a fict.i.tious person], her neighbour's daughter, who was struggling frantically to reach her mother's house, being nearly carried off her feet by the press of people. Gillian, with much difficulty, fought her way through, and reached Isoult, who had beckoned her to take refuge with her. She came in almost breathless, and sank upon the settle, completely worn out, before she had strength to speak. When she was a little recovered, Gillian said--

"My Lord Protector is quit [acquitted] of all ill, Mistress; and therefore the folk be thus glad."

"In very deed!" said Isoult, "and therefore am I right glad. But, Gillian, are you certain thereof?"

"Nay," said she; "I do know no more than that all the folk say so much."

Two hours more pa.s.sed before John came home.

"Well, Jack!" said Dr Thorpe, so soon as he heard his foot on the threshold, "so my Lord of Somerset is quit of all charges?"

"Who told you so much?" inquired John.

"All the folk say so," answered Isoult.

"All the folk mistake, then," answered he, sadly. "He is quit of high treason, but that only; and is cast for death [Note 6] of felony, and remitted again unto the Tower."

"Cast for death!" cried Dr Thorpe and Isoult together.

Avery sat down with a weary air.

"I have been all this day in Westminster Hall," said he, "for I saw there Mr Bertie, of my Lady of Suffolk's house, and he gat s.p.a.ce for me so soon as he saw me; and we stood together all the day to listen. My Lord of Somerset pleaded his own cause like a gentleman and a Christian, as he is: verily, I never heard man speak better."

"Well!" said Isoult, "then wherefore, thinkest, fared he ill?"

"Ah, dear heart!" replied he, "afore a jury of wolves, a lamb should be convicted of the death of a lion."

"Who tried him?" asked Dr Thorpe.

"My Lord of Northumberland himself hath been on the Bench," said John, "and it is of the act of compa.s.sing and procuring his death that my Lord of Somerset is held guilty."

"Knave! scoundrel! murderer!" cried Dr Thorpe, in no softened tone.

"Jack, if I were that man's physician, I were sore tempted to give him a dose that should end his days and this realm's troubles!"

"Good friend," said John, smiling sadly, "methinks his days shall be over before the troubles of this realm."

"But is there an other such troubler in it?" asked he.

"Methinks I could name two," said John; "the Devil and Dr Stephen Gardiner."

"Dr Gardiner is safe shut up," he answered.

"He may be out to-morrow," said John. "And if not so, the Devil is not yet shut up, nor shall be till the angel be sent with the great chain to bind him."

"Nay, Jack! the wise doctors say that was done under Constantine the Emperor, and we have enjoyed the same ever sithence," answered he.

"Do they so?" replied John, somewhat drily. "We be enjoying it now, trow?--But the thousand years be over, and he is let out again. And if he were ever shut up, methinks all the little devils were left free scope. Nay, dear friend! before the Kingdom, the King. The holy Jerusalem must first come down from Heaven; and _then_ 'there shall be no more pain, neither sorrow, nor crying.'"

When the two were alone, John said to his wife--"Isoult, who thinkest thou is the chief witness against my Lord of Somerset, and he that showed this his supposed plot to the King and Council?"

"Tell me, Jack," said she. "I cannot guess." He said, "Sir Thomas Palmer, sometime of Calais."

"G.o.d forgive that man!" cried Isoult, growing paler. "He did my dear master [Lord Lisle] to death,--will he do my Lord of Somerset also?"

"'Ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake.' They that are so shall have their names written in Heaven." Avery spoke solemnly, and said no more.

Note 1. Crowns were coined with either a rose or a sun on the obverse; and were distinguished accordingly.

Note 2. 872 (Machyn's Diary, page 8); 938 (News Letter, Harl. Ms. 353, folio 107).

Note 3. The line of Grey de Wilton is the youngest branch of the royal House of York.

Note 4. John Earl of Warwick, eldest son of Northumberland, had married Anne, eldest daughter of Somerset.

Note 5. This ancient English shout is always spelt thus; but there is reason to think that the first word was sounded _ah_.

Note 6. Convicted. The Duke was acquitted on the first count, of high treason; and the people, hearing the announcement, "Not Guilty,"

supposed that the trial was ended, and the Duke completely acquitted.

CHAPTER SIX.

A CRIME WHICH WAS A BLUNDER.

"We pa.s.s: the path that each man trod Is dim, or shall be dim, with weeds.

What fame is left for human deeds In endless age? It rests with G.o.d."

Tennyson.

No ill befel Lord Grey de Wilton. There was but little laid to his charge,--only a journey to the North, preceding the Duke of Somerset, to discover who were his friends. Perhaps the Council was ashamed to shed the blood of the man who had but lately put down the rising in Cornwall, and joined in raising the siege of Exeter. Whatever the cause were, he was quietly acquitted on the 19th of December, and suffered to go home.

In came Dr Thorpe, shortly before Christmas, carrying in his hand a new shilling.

"See thee!" said he, "Isoult, look well hereon. Seest it?"

"Well, what of it, Doctor?" said she. "I have seen many afore."

"Dost mark it?" inquired he.

"Ay," she answered, marvelling what he meant.

"Well," pursued he, "thou art not to speak evil of it."

"I am not like," said she, innocently, "for these new shillings be lesser and neater than the broad shilling, and they like me the rather."