"
Sir John turned on him, laughing still, seeming in very truth as if the
thing amused him.
"When, when?" he said. "Never, I swear!" and held a pinch of snuff in
his fingers daintily, his eyes gleaming blue as sapphires through the
new light in them.
"Swear away!" cried Sir Christopher; "thou wast too drunk to remember.
'Twas the night thou hidst the package in the wall."
Then he burst forth again in laughter, for Sir John had so started that
he forgot his pinch of snuff and scattered it.
"Canst see 'tis no slander, my lady," he cried, pointing at Sir John,
who stood like a man who wakes from long sleep and is bewildered by the
thoughts which rush through his brain. "I laughed till I was like to
crack my sides." Then to Sir John, "Thou hadst but just left Clo
Wildairs and I rode with thee to Essex. Lord, how I laughed to watch
thee groping to find a place safe enough to put it in. 'I'm drunk,'
says thou, 'and I would have it safe till I am sober. 'Twill be safe
here,' and stuffed it in the broken plaster 'neath the window-sill. And
safe it was, for I'll warrant thou hast not thought of it since, and
safe thou'lt find it at the Cow at Wickben still."
Sir John struck one closed hand sudden on the palm of the other.
"It comes back to thee," cried Sir Christopher, with a grimace aside at
his audience.
"Ay, it comes back," answers Sir John; "it comes back.
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