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Updated: May 20, 2025
"And I heard the fellow say to one of his company that an informer was coming down from London on purpose to deal with Mr. Thomas." Marjorie felt a sudden pang; for she had never forgotten the one she had set eyes on in the Tower. "His name?" she said breathlessly. "Did you hear his name?" "It was Topcliffe, mistress," said Dick indifferently. "The other called it out." Marjorie sat silent.
"Why, but " began the priest. She could bear it no more. His resolute cheerfulness, his frank astonishment, were like knives to her. She gave one cry. "Topcliffe is come ... Topcliffe!..." she cried. Then she flung her arm across the table and dropped her face on it. No tears came from her eyes, but tearing sobs shook and tormented her. It was quite quiet after she had spoken.
Biddell tapped his papers on the table. "If he were an open and confessed enemy, I should fear it less," he repeated. "It is not that. But he must have given some promise to Topcliffe that pleases the fellow more. And what can that be but that " Marjorie turned yet whiter. She sighed once as if to steady herself. She could not speak, but she nodded. "Yes, Mistress Manners," said the old man.
She did not notice the group of men that followed in case protection were needed for the agent of the Council, nor the crowd that swirled behind. For, as the solitary figure came beneath the windows she recognised the man whom she had seen once in the Tower of London. "God smite the man!" growled a voice in her ear. "That is Topcliffe, going to the prison, I daresay."
So that it was as natural as possible that George should rise from his place and sit down again close to the door where the cool air from the passage came in; and from there, once more, he led the talk, in his character of rustic and open-handed boor; he even beat the sullen man who was next him genially over the head to make him give more room, and then he proposed a toast to Mr. Topcliffe.
"Topcliffe is a sworn servant of her Grace," he said bitterly; "you may judge by that what Thomas FitzHerbert hath become." "We shall have his hand, too, against us all, then?" Mr. Thomas will still feign himself to be a Catholic, with Catholics, until he comes into all his inheritances. And, meantime, he will supply information to his new masters." "Why cannot we expose him?"
"He will have given some writing to Mr. Topcliffe, will he not? if this be true. Mr. Topcliffe is not the man " The old man lifted his head sharply; then he nodded. "That is the shrewd truth, mistress. Mr. Topcliffe will not trust to another's honour; he hath none of his own!" "Well," said Marjorie, "if all this be true, Mr. Topcliffe will already have that writing in his possession." She paused.
The dreaded Topcliffe had upon one occasion nearly brought the head of the family, an aged widow lady, to the horrors of the press-yard, but her punishment eventually took the form of imprisonment. Searches at Braddocks had brought forth hiding-places, priests, compromising papers, and armour and weapons. Let us see with what success the house was explored in the Easter of the year 1594.
This is what we looked for, is it not?... Topcliffe is come, is he? Well, let him come. He or another. It is for this that we have all looked since the beginning. Christ His Grace is strong enough, is it not? "This all seems very perfect to me," he went on. "It was yourself who first turned me to this life, and you knew surely what you did.
As he reached the archway where the Lieutenant was waiting, he turned again and saw the sunken eyes of the old man still looking after him; when he turned to the gaoler he saw the same odd look in his face that he had noticed before. "Why do you look like that?" he asked. "Who is that old man?" "That is Mr. Topcliffe," said the keeper.
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