She was very grave.

"What think you now ?" she asked.
"I can think nothing," said I, "save that, whatever has befallen Ludar, he could not knowingly be guilty of plotting against the life of a woman, even if she be the Queen herself.

Jeannette," said I, "I could no more believe that than I would believe you to be unkind or untrue." She smiled at that and said she, too, could not think so ill of this Ludar of mine.
As the days passed, news came in thick and fast.

The plot, we heard, was a devilish one to murder the Queen and her ministers, and give England up to the heretic Spaniard.

Men stood aghast as they heard of it.