Thomas Sprat heard it without surprise.
"I have been expecting as much," said he "A bird of the air is always ready to carry such matters. For myself, I care little. I am an old man, far past the age of ordinary men, and my summons will soon come. It matters little to me whether I go to my Father's house from a dungeon, or a stake, or my own bed. But I am troubled for you, my son, lest I have put your young life in jeopardy."
"As to that," said Jack thoughtfully, "I do not see that it matters so much whether one's life be long or short, so it be used in the best way and spent in God's service. I wish you would not be troubled about me, dear Uncle Thomas. I tell you truly that if I should be thrown into jail tomorrow, with no chance of escaping fagot and stake, I do believe I should still thank you for all you have done for me, and should think what I have learned here worth the price ay, a thousand times over. Besides, we may after all be in no danger; I have a dozen hard places in Horace, ready for Father Barnaby, if I encounter him again," he added, smiling.
The old man smiled also, but somewhat sadly, and shook his head.
"I doubt that bait will hardly take a second time," said he. "He is an hard man—so every one says—and I heard it whispered also among the servants at the Hall, that he was set over Father John's head expressly that he might keep a lookout for heresy."
"There is no love lost between him and Father John, I know that," remarked Jack. "I can clearly see that Father Barnaby tyrannizes over the old man, and that Father John is afraid of him. I do not believe that Father John himself would hurt a fly."
"Not unless the fly were very troublesome indeed," said the shepherd. "I would not be the fly that should keep him from his nap after dinner. These very easy-going people are sometimes hard enough on them that interfere with their beloved laziness. Well, my son, after all that has happened, I see not that we can do better than to put our trust in God and be doing good. We may be sure that what He sends or permits will be for the best in the end, since we have His word that all things work together for good to them that love Him. I wish our good knight would come home."
"I heard he was expected before many days," said Jack. "I made bold to ask my lady, the day I carried her the snails and birds' eggs for the making of her medicine, and she told me Sir John would not be away much longer. She seems a kind lady, though she is so proud and stately in her manners."
"She is a good lady, though as you say she is proud and stately, far more so than the knight himself," said Thomas. "She is more so than she used to be before the death of her son, about whom I told you the other day. I have often wished she had a daughter to comfort her. But poor Master Arthur was the only one of all her children who lived to man's estate. She did not seem to be as much bound up in the young gentleman as his father, while he lived; but she has mourned sorely for him since his death, and expended great sums for masses for him."