To reveal herself
would only be misery to him, and in his present state of mind would
deprive him of all he needed, since he would never be base enough to
let her toil for him and then cast her off.
She thought it best, or rather she yearned so much for counsel, that
at night, over the fire in the stove, she told what Leonard had said,
to which her host listened with the fatherly sympathy that had grown
up towards her. He was quite determined against her making herself
known. The accusation of sorcery really alarmed him. He said that
to be known as the fugitive heiress of Whitburn who had bewitched the
young squire and many more might bring both her and himself into
imminent danger; and there were Lancastrian exiles who might take up
the report. Her only safety was in being known, to the few who did
meet her, as the convent-bred maiden whose home had been destroyed,
and who was content to gain a livelihood as the assistant whom his
wife's infirmity made needful. As to Sir Leonard, the knight's own
grace and gratitude had endeared him, as well as the professional
pleasure of curing him, and for the lady's sake he should still be
made welcome.
So matters subsided. No one knew Grisell's story except Master
Lambert and her Father Confessor, and whether he really knew it,
through the medium of her imperfect French, might be doubted. Even
Clemence, though of course aware of her identity, did not know all
the details, since no one who could communicate with her had thought
it well to distress her with the witchcraft story.
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