“Or the grace of God, my poor wilful child! Who comes to the door?—so quickly, too?”
There was a loud hurried knocking, and in another minute a serving-man hurried in with a letter.
“This to Captain Amyas Leigh with haste, haste!”
It was Sir Richard’s hand. Amyas tore it open; and “a loud laugh laughed he.”
“The Armada is coming! My wish has come true, mother!”
“God help us, it has! Show me the letter.”
It was a hurried scrawl.
“DR. GODSON,—Walsingham sends word that the Ada. sailed from Lisbon to the Groyne the 18. of May. We know no more, but have commandment to stay the ships. Come down, dear lad, and give us counsel; and may the Lord help His Church in this great strait.
“Your loving godfather,
R. G.”
“Forgive me, mother, mother, once for all!” cried Amyas, throwing his arms round her neck.
“I have nothing to forgive, my son, my son! And shall I lose thee, also?”
“If I be killed, you will have two martyrs of your blood, mother!—”
Mrs. Leigh bowed her head, and was silent. Amyas caught up his hat and sword, and darted forth toward Bideford.
Amyas literally danced into Sir Richard’s hall, where he stood talking earnestly with various merchants and captains.
“Gloria, gloria! gentles all! The devil is broke loose at last; and now we know where to have him on the hip!”
“Why so merry, Captain Leigh, when all else are sad?” said a gentle voice by his side.
“Because I have been sad a long time, while all else were merry, dear lady. Is the hawk doleful when his hood is pulled off, and he sees the heron flapping right ahead of him?”
“You seem to forget the danger and the woe of us weak women, sir?”
“I don’t forget the danger and the woe of one weak woman, madam, and she the daughter of a man who once stood in this room,” said Amyas, suddenly collecting himself, in a low stern voice. “And I don’t forget the danger and the woe of one who was worth a thousand even of her. I don’t forget anything, madam.”
“Nor forgive either, it seems.”
“It will be time to talk of forgiveness after the offender has repented and amended; and does the sailing of the Armada look like that?”
“Alas, no! God help us!”
“He will help us, madam,” said Amyas.