"Nay, I meant not that, of course," said Jasper, growing very red in the face, yet passing the matter off with a careless laugh. "You see, in my travels in foreign countries I have come so much in contact with Spaniards and others of the Romish faith that I have, as it were, acquired insensibly their habit of mentioning the saints, to whom they do so constantly appeal."
"Yes, I have heard them oftentimes," said Gilbert; "for there be many Spanish Papists at this present time in Plymouth. Prisoners of war they are—although it seemeth vain to call them prisoners, for they do go about the streets with freedom, and are little different from other men saving that they are not permitted to carry arms."
"They would speedily find that they were prisoners indeed, if they did but attempt to escape from our shores, however," interposed Timothy Trollope.
Jasper Oglander seemed to take a lively interest in this particular subject.
"Prithee, what is their number, and how came they to be prisoners in England?" he asked of his nephew.
"I know not truly how many there be," answered Gilbert; "a good two score, I should say. They were taken on board of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora del Rosario, the flagship of Don Pedro de Valdes, who surrendered to Francis Drake at the time of the Armada fight. Many of their companions were sent back to Spain, but these remain in Plymouth, for I know not what reason other than that Queen Elizabeth hath not chosen to liberate them."
Having learned so much, Jasper hastened to change the subject.
"I have been told," he said, "that you received your injuries yesternight in rescuing one Jacob Hartop, an aged mariner who, as it chanceth, came home with us from the Indies. Was he, too, wounded in this encounter?"
Gilbert turned to Timothy, and Timothy answered:
"No, your worship; he was but robbed."