"By Austin Bernher woeful news is come. My Lord Archbishop, that stood so firm for God's truth--that was already doomed for his faithfulness-- that all we have so loved, and honoured, and mourned--Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, is fallen away from Christ, and hath recanted and rejected the truth by which he stood so firm. I knew never any thing that so cut me to the heart after this sort, sithence Sir Will Smith's recanting at Calais. Surely, surely, Christ will rescue this His sheep from the jaws of the wolf whereinto he is fallen! Of them whom the Father hath given Him, can He lose this one?" Mr Underhill came in on the 19th of October strangely sad and pensive for him. "Have you the news this even?" said he. "What news?" inquired John. "Is it death or life?" "It is martyrdom," he answered, solemnly. "Is that death, or life?" His manner fairly frightened Isoult. She was afraid lest he should have come to give them dreadful tidings of Robin; or, it might be, that Mr Rose had been recaptured on his journey through France. "O Mr Underhill!" she cried, tremblingly, "pray you, the name of the martyr?" It was neither Mr Rose's nor Robin's. But no name, short of those two, would have thrilled to her heart straighter than the other two he gave. He said, "Nicholas Ridley, and Hugh Latimer." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Note 1. If the reader think this narrative horrible, let him know that all the worst details have been omitted. They are written in God's book in letters of fire, and shall not be forgotten in the day when He maketh up His jewels. CHAPTER ELEVEN. HOPE DEFERRED. "Ah, would we but only leave All things to our Father! Would we only cease to grieve, Wait His mercy rather! Meek resigning childish choice, Graceless, thankless pressing-- Listen for His gentle voice, `Child, receive this blessing!' Faithless, foolish hearts! see you Seeds' earth-hidden growing? What our God for us will do, He Himself is knowing." It was on the 4th of November 1555, that Annis Holland came home from Spain. Queen Juana was dead, and she had no longer any tie to a country in which she had certainly not been happy. "Please it you, Mistress!" said Ursula's voice at the chamber door, where Isoult sat sewing. "Well, Ursula?" replied her mistress. "Mistress Holland would have speech of you, Mistress," said she. Of course Isoult supposed her visitor to be Roger Holland's wife, and thanked God in her heart that she was better off than Bessy; but she came down into the chamber--not to see Bessy. On another face her eyes lighted, and a cry of gladness broke from her. "What, Annis!" When the first welcomings were over, and they sat down again, Isoult thought she saw a grave, sad look on Annis' face that was not wont to be there.