"I have seen Charles Stuart. He visited the convent in which I was educated. He came once when Colman Killigrew was present. He sought to enlist my sympathies. I do not know why; but both he and Colman Killigrew discussed plans in my presence." "And young Peter Trevisa found out this. How?" "I do not know." "Is your knowledge of such importance that it might be valuable to such as Hugh Boscawen?" "Yes." I longed to ask further questions, but refrained from doing so. "Peter Trevisa believed that if I told him what I knew his son would be able to make use of it. The father is very ambitious for his son. He imagines that if he were to communicate important knowledge to the King it would mean preferment--perhaps knighthood." "I see his plot." "I refused to marry his son." "Yes." "I told him that even were his statements as to my father's marriage true, I would rather be penniless--than be bought." I do not think she meant it, but her words hurt me like a knife-thrust. "After that he changed his ground of attack," she went on quietly; "he said that if I would tell him what I knew of Charles Stuart's plans, his secret should die with him. He represented this as my duty. He said I might be saving the country, as well as giving his son Peter the greatest chance of his life. After this he went on to say that it was a shame for me to be robbed of my rightful heritage because of an unjust law." "And after that?" I broke in eagerly. "He said he would not have my answer that night; he would wait until young Peter came home." "And you, of course, refrained from giving him an answer?" "No. I told him that he could act as he pleased. Did I feel it a duty to inform the authorities concerning what I knew, I should do so without threat." "And what did he say?" "He denied all knowledge of threat. He called it an _arrangement_. He used honeyed terms; he was full of flattery. He professed to be delighted at my refusal to comply with his wishes, even while he used many means to lead me to alter my mind. He called himself all sorts of names for speaking to me in such a brutal way. He was only an old fool, he said, and had not stated the case properly; but when young Peter came back everything would assume a different aspect." I could easily imagine the scheming old wretch while she told me of this interview. I could see his shifty, cunning eyes gleaming. I could hear him using all sorts of honeyed terms in order to gain his ends. "And the conclusion of it all?" I asked at length. "I left the house that night." "How?" "By means of Amelia. She found out the position of the stables. She saddled the horses, and we left Treviscoe without any one knowing about it." "And you came here?" "Yes."