Mr Justice Roberts laughed. “Come, Madge, you may as well add ‘Justices of Peace’; you’ve got pretty nigh all else. Prithee look to thy tongue, old woman, or thou shalt find thee indicted for an ill subject unto the Queen. Why, they be her Gracious’ servants (‘Grace’s’ was then frequently spelt ‘Gracious’’), and do her bidding. Thou wouldst not rebel against the Queen’s Majesty?”
“I am as true a woman to the Queen’s Grace as liveth, Mr Anthony; but them folks isn’t the Queen nor the King neither. And they be as cantankerous toads, every one of ’em, as ever jumped in a brook. Do you haste and come, there’s a good lad, as you alway was, when you used to toddle about the house, holding by my gown. It’ll seem like old times to have you back.”
“Well, I can come at once,” said the Justice, with a smile at Margery’s reminiscences; “for my brother hath left me a power of attorney to deal with his lands and goods; and as he is my landlord, I have but to agree with myself over the leaving of mine house. But I shall bring Martha: I trust you’ll not quarrel.”
“No fear o’ that, Mr Anthony. Martha, she’s one of the quiet uns, as neither makes nor meddles; and I’ve had strife enough to last me the rest o’ my life. ’Tis them flaunting young hussies as reckons quarrelling a comfort o’ their lives. And now Osmund’s hence, Martha can wait on you as she’s used, and she and me ’ll shake down like a couple o’ pigeons.”
“Good. Then I’ll be hither in a day or twain: and if any of your pests come meantime, you shake my stick at them, Madge, and tell them I’m at hand.”
“No fear! I’ll see to that!” was the hearty answer.
So the Justice took up his abode at Primrose Croft, and the cantankerous toads did not venture near. Mr Roberts had requested his brother to hold the estate for him, or in the event of his death for Gertrude, until they should return; which, of course, meant, and was quite understood to mean, until the death of the Queen should make way for the accession of the Protestant Princess Elizabeth. Plain speech was often dangerous in those days, and people generally had recourse to some vague form of words which might mean either one thing or another. The Justice went down to the cloth-works on the following Tuesday, and called Roger Hall into the private room.
“Read those, Hall, an’ it like you,” he said, laying before him Mr Roberts’ letter and the power of attorney.
Roger only glanced at them, and then looked up with a smile.
“I looked for something of this kind, Mr Justice,” he said. “When Master left the works on Tuesday evening, he said to me, ‘If my brother come, Hall, you will see his orders looked to—’ and I reckoned it meant somewhat more than an order for grey cloth. We will hold ourselves at your commands, Mr Justice, and I trust you shall find us to your satisfaction.”