In secret he composed a long letter giving the history of all that had
happened to him since his kidnapping, and setting forth the entire truth
of that and of the deed that had led to it. His chronicler opines that
it was a letter that must have moved a stone to tears. And, moreover,
it was not a mere matter of passionate protestations of innocence, or of
unsupported accusation of his brother. It told her of the existence of
proofs that must dispel all doubt. It told her of that parchment
indited by Master Baine and witnessed by the parson, which document was
to be delivered to her together with the letter. Further, it bade her
seek confirmation of that document's genuineness, did she doubt it, at
the hands of Master Baine himself. That done, it besought her to lay
the whole matter before the Queen, and thus secure him faculty to return
to England and immunity from any consequences of his subsequent regenade
act to which his sufferings had driven him. He loaded the young
Cornishman with gifts, gave him that letter to deliver in person, and
added instructions that should enable him to find the document he was to
deliver with it. That precious parchment had been left between the
leaves of an old book on falconry in the library at Penarrow, where it
would probably be found still undisturbed since his brother would not
suspect its presence and was himself no scHol?r. Pitt was to seek out
Nicholas at Penarrow and enlist his aid to obtain possession of that
document, if it still existed.
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