"I think not," I answered. "At all events, I will see what can be done."
She consented at last, giving me a gold piece to pay for the book, and to buy a fairing for myself. As I said, my mistress had given me leave to go spend the day with my friends, and Mistress Curtis sent one of the men to attend me to Master Hall's, where I purposed to go first. I had been used to run back and forth between his house and Master Davis's, but I was now a lady in a great house, so I must needs have a blue-coated serving man at my heels.
I found them all well and overjoyed to see me, but methought Master Hall was more sober than his wont, and Margaret's fair brow had a shade of care. When: we were alone together, I asked her if any ill fortune had befallen.
"Nothing as yet," she answered, "but, Loveday, we are living, as it were, on the edge of a quicksand which may any day open and engulf us. It hath somehow become known that my husband has been engaged in the printing and selling of English Bibles, or at least so we think. We are beset with spies. One of our best workmen, James Wells, hath disappeared, and we can get no news of him."
"He may have been murdered in some street brawl," said I; "you know there have been many of late."
"True; and he may have turned informer, perhaps by force of the rack—who knows? I am glad you came to-day, for nobody knows when we shall meet again."
She looked about her, went to the door to see that it was fast, and then whispered in mine ear: "In a week or two, perhaps in a few days, my husband will go to the Low Countries, and I shall follow him as soon as I can settle up our matters here."
This was news, indeed, and the worst I had heard for many a day. I could not forbear weeping over it, and Margaret joined her tears to mine.
"But we must not spend our last meeting in tears," said she, presently, drying her eyes. "Tell me, dear maid, how it fares with you and what you are doing?"
With that, we fell into our old strain of talk, and it was a wonder to me to see how she seemed to forget her own concerns in mine, when I told her of Mrs. Patience.