"My Lord, a far smaller matter should be more than enough to pleasure your handmaid. I thank your good Lordship right heartily."
"And what shall I send unto Mistress Annis?" said the Duke thoughtfully, as he turned over some dozen of jewels and trinkets, which were all now left to him of his once splendid fortune. "I would not by my good-will she were had in oblivion, for she was very good unto me, more than once or twice. What say you, Mistress Frideswide, should like her best of these?"
Frideswide glanced rapidly over the articles indicated.
"I am somewhat afeared to pick and choose, under your Lordship’s allowance: for that which may seem the least precious matter unto a stranger, may be the dearest thing in all the treasure-house to him that ought[#] it."
"Nay, go to," replied the Duke. "There is nought dear to me now, save a ring my Nan once gave me—and I put not that on my list of tokens."[#]
Thus invited, Frideswide picked out a plain silver ring, set with the badge of the fiery cresset in minute rubies. "This, methinks, should like her, if your Lordship set no store thereby."
"Certes, none at all: yet this is poor matter."
"It is enough, my gracious Lord, and I thank you right heartily for my sister."
"Tell her, I pray you, Mistress Frideswide, that the last words we spake each to other be the parting message of love[#] that I shall send her,—and may God give me to find it true for myself, as I pray she may for her."
[#] Then a word used generally in the sense of friendship or kindliness.
"What were they, an’ it like your Lordship?"
"They were the words I told Jack Goose to give you as token of his trustworthiness, the which I thought should bring quickly one of our doctrine. ’_Alle thingis, and in all thingis, Crist_.’"
The Duke gave her his hand at parting—an unusual condescension from his position to hers. Frideswide bent low, and kissed the hand of him whom she was no longer to call master, and whose face she would never see any more.
John Goose took her home with a lantern. As they threaded their way along St. Martin’s Lane, which led from Aldersgate to St. Paul’s Churchyard, he said to her,—
"Pray you, my mistress, is aught heard at this time of any ado against them of our doctrine?"