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Payne, Dutton

"Mistress Penwick"


Thus she had come gradually to know of the chasm between the two great
religious orders, and had even written her father of the dangers in
which she believed she was placed. These letters of course were kept
by Janet. The seals remained unbroken and the missives were carefully
laid aside until Mistress Penwick should know the truth. And neither
she nor Janet receiving news from him, stirred her to confide her
fears to Cantemir, who questioned her of the letter which her father
wrote, bidding her to depart for England. She became startled and
uneasy, when she remembered that Janet had refused to show her the
letter and having promised herself to Cantemir in marriage, she spoke
of the matter to him. But her love of and confidence in Janet was
deeper than she thought, and at his first words against her, she fell
from him. He said 'twas possible Janet, being so great a Protestant,
she would undoubtedly take his Lordship's part against her, should any
serious trouble arise. He even went so far as to suggest that perhaps
there was a-foot a ruse to get from her those possessions her father
had written of.


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