"So you could not go on living with Mary? Neither could I. She is a good woman, better belike than either you or I, yet--well, different. And when she has once made her decision, angels and archangels could not move her. Never mind, we must win the fight without her." "Oh, Margaret, do you think there is any ray of light?" "Foolish child, waste no energy in wondering when light will come; but stumble on in the darkness as best you may. I have several scouts from Kent Fort scouring the trail between St. Mary's and St. Gabriel's. So far they have met with little success, except for one trifle,--one tiny straw,--yet it may show the set of the wind." "What? Oh, what?" "Why, Master Halfehead found by the side of the path, on the low bough of a bush not ten paces from where the priest's body hung, the tag of a point such as men use to lace hose and breeches together. It had a bit of the green point hanging to it still." "But any might have worn that." "Not such a tag as this. It was made of wrought gold and had an emerald brilliant set at the tip's end. That tiny green gem must be our guiding star." "But how to follow it?" "Listen! where there is one point there are two, and each point has two tags; therefore, somewhere in this province, there must be three tags of wrought gold with a tiny emerald at the tip. It is our business to find them." "But if we find them, what then? Master Huntoon or Giles Brent or one of your scouts might have dropped this." "Nay, I'd stake my life that if we find the tag we find the murderer--" "What gives you such assurance?" "Why, 'tis clear as day. The point was of stout ribbon, somewhat broader than the ordinary lacing. Now that could have been torn off only by some one running and not without the knowledge of the runner. Being of some value, it was well worth picking up or going back to search for, unless the runner had some reason for haste which made him willing to sacrifice the tag rather than stay to look for it." "Oh, Margaret, how many shrewd ideas thou hast! Would I had a tithe of them!" "Ideas come with wrinkles, my dear, and are bought at a cost of years beyond their value. As for shrewdness, 'tis a mean virtue at best, and not to be compared with warmth of heart like thine, that draws all toward thee like bees to the red clover. Yet shrewdness has its value. Therefore am I now full of interest in talk of points and lacings with every man I meet, and I leave not off the subject till I have learned with what manner of points the man and his brothers and his cousins and his wife's relatives do lace together hose and breeches. There, that is the whole of my budget of news." "And thou art an angel to bring it; but having still some human nature, thou must needs eat, and Bride has set out the table with our best linen in honor of thy coming, and has cooked some rare ducks which Master Ingle did bring to the door this morning." "Does Ralph Ingle come here often?"