An hour later, the grim work done, Sir Nicholas, thoroughly sobered now, came softly back to the inn. He was frowning a little. This was an ill happening, and had gone otherwise than he had planned. Yet who would have thought that the young fool would play the traitor so? He mounted silently to his chamber again, and sat down on the bed, while Joshua relit the lantern. It was set upon the chest. Beauvallet slowly wiped his sword, and returned it to its scabbard. He drew forth the packet from his breast, and slit open the silk with his dagger. Crackling sheets of paper were inside. Beauvallet bent towards the lamp. His eyes ran over the first sheet frowningly, and came to rest on the signature. A short exclamation broke from him, and he pulled the lantern nearer yet. He held a letter from the Guise to King Philip in his hand, but the bulk of it was writ in cypher. Joshua, inquisitively hovering at hand, ventured a question. "What is it, master? Doth the writing give his name, perchance?" Beauvallet was looking now at a fair-inscribed pass. "It seems, my Joshua," he said, "that I have slain a scion of the house of Guise." "God mend my soul!" quoth Joshua. "Shall it serve, master? Shall we turn it to good account?" "Since these purport to be papers writ to his Catholic Majesty it seems we may turn it to very good account," Sir Nicholas said, poring over the first paper again. "Now, I have some knowledge of cyphers, as I believe...." He looked up. "Get you to bed, rogue, get you to bed!" An hour later Joshua, waking as he turned on his bed, saw Sir Nicholas seated still by the chest, with a soaked cloth bound about a head which Joshua judged had good cause to ache, and his brows close-knit over the papers. Joshua closed his eyes again, and sank back into slumber. He woke again to broad daylight. Sir Nicholas lay asleep in the big bed; there was no sign of the papers. Joshua dressed softly, and stole away downstairs. He found there a perplexed landlord who was loud in abuse of the young gentleman who had stolen away in the night without paying his shot. Joshua's casual interest in this was well acted. He asked the proper questions, exclaimed piously at such behaviour, and thought privately of the night's work. In a little while the voice of Sir Nicholas was heard, calling for his man. Joshua skipped upstairs with a tray bearing his master's breakfast. Sir Nicholas was wide awake, and as brisk as though he had not sat up through the night puzzling over a cypher. His eyes were bright and unclouded; only a damp cloth on the floor bore witness of the night's labours. Joshua set down the tray, and shook out a clean shirt for Sir Nicholas. "Look you, master, there is a deal of pother below, on account of we-know-what. Where is the man gone? why is he gone? I do not presume to answer, me, but I consider it meet we should make all speed over the Frontier."