Then the son answered by his only weapon.
For a sensible pause he stood there, his fresh face paled to chalkiness,
except where the print of five fingers slowly reddened. Then he made a
courteous little gesture, as if to invite his father to sit down; and as
the other did so, slowly and shaking all over, struck at him by careful
and calculated words, delivered with a stilted and pompous air:
"You have beaten me, sir; so, of course, I obey. Yes, I told Mistress
Marjorie Manners that my father no longer counted himself a Catholic,
and would publicly turn Protestant at Easter, so as to please her Grace
and be in favour with the Court and with the county justices. And I have
told Mr. Babington so as well, and also Mr. Thomas FitzHerbert. It will
spare you the pain, sir, of making any public announcement on the
matter. It is always a son's duty to spare his father pain."
Then he bowed, wheeled, and went out of the room.
II
Two hours later Robin was still lying completely dressed on his bed in
the dark.
It was a plain little chamber where he lay, fireless, yet not too cold,
since it was wainscoted from floor to ceiling, and looked out eastwards
upon the pleasaunce, with rooms on either side of it. A couple of
presses sunk in the walls held his clothes and boots; a rush-bottomed
chair stood by the bed; and the bed itself, laid immediately on the
ground, was such as was used in most good houses by all except the
master and mistress, or any sick members of the family--a straw mattress
and a wooden pillow.
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