"They are all willing enough to grow corn, and turn the sheep off the land, but they must do it as their fathers did generations ago. They do not believe in digging deeply into the soil, and working on the land during the winter for the sake of getting a better harvest the next summer. The old English sports have always held their own in our part of the country, and it is hard to persuade our peasants that the winter is not to be wholly given to sport when the weather does not make it quite impossible."
"Old customs die hard," said Tyndale, but the matter was of small interest to him, and he wondered how Sir Miles could interest himself in such small things as these.
But Sir Miles was not slow to see that his troubles could not touch his student friend, and so he wisely left off complaining, and they both turned with eagerness to discuss their plans for the printing of the New Testament; for Sir Miles had brought a sum of money with him, which he insisted should be his share in the venture; and as Tyndale had set his heart upon going to Hamburg first, it was settled that as soon as a ship was known to be going to that port from London, Monmouth should secure a passage for him, that he might start on his journey without delay.
[CHAPTER XXI.]
AT OXFORD FAIR ONCE MORE.
SIR MILES PATON went to Greenwich, after his visit to "The Golden Fleece," for he had letters and messages from his wife for her mother, father, and sisters, and he wanted Sir Harry Guildford to let him take back one of his younger daughters to spend the summer with Cicely, for it was not deemed prudent that she should visit her home for a year or two. By-and-bye, when the whole affair of her having renounced a conventual life had been forgotten, she would be able to come as Lady Paton with little difficulty, but to come just now might bring her father into trouble with the Queen.
So after some discussion, it was arranged that Maud should ride back with Sir Miles, to see her sister as a happy wife and mistress, instead of a nun, as they had thought at one time that she would be.
Whether the story of Cicely's death was fully believed by the Queen, Sir Harry did not know. She had treated him with some coolness since that time, but had never mentioned Cicely's name; and, of course, it would have been a breach of all etiquette for him to bring it forward—even if she had been killed in the streets of Oxford—as the sisters of the Convent reported she was.
He did not pay a very long visit to his father-in-law; but after arranging to meet Maud on a certain day at the pier at Westminster, he went there by boat, for he wanted to see some of his friends in the household of the Cardinal; and he also desired to see the Cardinal himself, if it was possible, and apologise in person for having to quit his service so suddenly.
It was pleasant to be in the stir and bustle of life in London once more; and for a day or two Sir Miles was quite content to be back in his old quarters, and among his old friends, especially as the Cardinal received him so cordially.