Robert Sadler knew this, and he had quite decided that the
package he carried would properly fall to him when her ladyship should
be left without a son and without treasure. He therefore had bestowed
it carefully out of sight of the king's spies and their borrowed troop,
whom he was now expecting to meet. He had said nothing about the
presence of Hugo at the castle and his great resemblance to Josceline;
for he was of a mind to deliver up Hugo and keep back Josceline, since,
by so doing, he might have hope of winning another reward from the king
in addition to the one he should receive from Sir Thomas.
"It is a long head that I have," he said to himself with pride. "And
these knave spies shall find it not so easy to come to the bottom of my
mind. They think I am but Irish, and so to be despised. And what be
they but English? They shall find I will know how to have the better of
them."
The sun was within half an hour of setting when he drew rein at the oak
which was the scene of their appointed meeting. If he had been eager,
the others had been no less so, and at once Sir Thomas and one of his
aids advanced to meet him, while, at a short distance, halted the troop
of men-at-arms.
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