was seated near the Queen. Lord Shrewsbury took the petition from
him, glanced it over, and asked, "Who knew the Guy Norman who sent
it?" Frank Talbot answered for him, that he was a yeoman pricker,
and the Earl permitted the paper to be carried to Mary, watching her
carefully as she read it, when Antony had presented it on one knee.

"Poor woman!" she said, "it is a piteous case. Master Beatoun, hast
thou my purse? Here, Master Babington, wilt thou be the bearer of
this angel for me, since I know that the delight of being the bearer
will be a reward to thy kind heart."

Antony gracefully kissed the fair hand, and ran off joyously with the
Queen's bounty. Little did any one guess what the career thus begun
would bring that fair boy.




CHAPTER V. THE HUCKSTERING WOMAN.



The huckstering woman, Tibbott by name, was tended by Queen Mary's
apothecary, and in due time was sent off well provided, to the great
fair of York, whence she returned with a basket of needles, pins
(such as they were), bodkins, and the like articles, wherewith to
circulate about Hallamshire, but the gate-wards would not relax their
rules so far as to admit her into the park. She was permitted,
however, to bring her wares to the town of Sheffield, and to
Bridgefield, but she might come no farther.