“Thank you, Mr. Maxwell,” he said, with a complete dropping of his judicial manner. “I will not pretend not to be disappointed; but I believe what you say about France is true; and that it is no use looking for him further.”
Hubert experienced an extraordinary relief. He had saved Isabel. He drank off a glass of claret. “Tell me everything,” he said.
“Well,” said Lackington, “Mr. Thomas Hamon is my informant. He sent up to Sir Francis the message that a lady of the name of Norris had been introduced to him at Rye; because he thought he remembered some stir in the county several years ago about some reconciliations to Rome connected with that name. Of course we knew everything about that: and we have our agents at the seminaries too; so we concluded that she was one of our birds; the rest, of course, was guesswork. Mr. Norris has certainly left Douai for England; and he may possibly even now be in England; but from your information and others’, I now believe that Mistress Isabel came across first, and that she found the country too hot, what with the Spaniards and all; and that she returned to France at once. Of course during that dreadful week, Mr. Maxwell, we could not be certain of all vessels that came and went; so I think she just slipped across again; and that they are both waiting in France. We shall keep good watch now at the ports, I can promise you.”
Hubert’s emotions were varied during this speech. First shame at having entirely forgotten the mayor of Rye and his own introduction of Isabel to him; then astonishment at the methods of Walsingham’s agents; and lastly intense triumph and relief at having put them off Isabel’s track. For Anthony, too, he had nothing but kindly feelings; so, on the whole, he thought he had done well for his friends.
The two talked a little longer; Lackington was a stimulating companion from both his personality and his position; and Hubert found himself almost sorry when his companion said he must be riding on to Mayfield. As he walked out with him to the front door, he suddenly thought of Mr. Buxton again and his reception in the afternoon. They had wandered in their conversation so far from the Norrises by now that he felt sure he could speak of him without doing them any harm. So, as they stood on the steps together, waiting for Lackington’s horse to come round, he suddenly said:
“Do you know aught of one Buxton, who lives somewhere near Tonbridge, I think?”
“Buxton, Buxton?” said the other.
“I met him in town once,” went on Hubert smoothly; “a little man, dark, with large eyes, and looks somewhat like a Frenchman.”
“Buxton, Buxton?” said the other again. “A Papist, is he not?”
“Yes,” said Hubert, hoping to get some information against him.