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blue bedgown and her lovely hair was loose about her shoulders.
    “So you’re not abed?” she said.
    She sat down and looked at me.
    “What did you think of them?”
    “Crude,” I replied.
    “They are far from London and the Court. They are different of course.”
    “It’s not only their ill manners. They are arrogant.”
    “They are men who command rough sailors. It would be necessary for them to show authority.”
    “And intolerant,” I said. “How fierce the father was when he talked of the Spaniards. How foolish they are. As if there is not enough of the world for them all to have what they want.”
    “People always want what other people have. It’s a law of nature.”
    “Not of nature,” I said. “It’s a man-made custom, indulged in by the foolish.”
    “The Captain was impressed by you, Catharine.”
    “It is of no moment to me if he was.”
    “He is a disturbing fellow … they both are.”
    “The father looked as though he would carry you off under Edward’s nose.”
    “Even he would not go as far as that.”
    “I think he would go as far as it is possible to go—his son too. I wouldn’t trust either of them.”
    “Well, they are our neighbors. Edward’s father said we must be neighborly and particularly with the Pennlyons, who are a power in these parts.”
    “I hope we don’t see them again in a hurry.”
    “It would surprise me if we did not. I have an idea that the Captain may come courting you, Catharine.”
    I laughed derisively. “He would do well to stay away. Honey, you have arranged this.”
    “Dear Catharine, do you want to mourn forever?”
    “It is not what I want, Honey. It is what I must do.”
    “If you married and had children you would forget Carey.”
    “I never should.”
    “Then what do you propose to do? Mourn all your life?”
    “What I propose to do is ask you not to parade these country boors to inspect me. Please, Honey, no more of it.”
    “You will change. It is just that you have not met the right one yet.”
    “I certainly did not tonight. How could you imagine that such a man could arouse any desire in me but to get as far from him as possible?”
    “He is handsome, powerful, rich … at least I imagine so. You could look far before you found a more suitable parti.”
    “There speaks the smug matron. Honey, I shall go home to the Abbey if you make any more attempts to find me a husband.”
    “I promise not to.”
    “I suppose Mother suggested that you should.”
    “She grieves for you, Catharine.”
    “I know she does. And it is no fault of hers, bless her dear heart. Oh, let us not speak of my miseries. Shall we indeed be obliged to visit this Lyon Court? They would seem to be obsessed by their connection with that animal.”
    “They have taken the figure of the lion as their insignia. They say there is a lion on all their ships. They are an amazing family. They have come to great power in the second and third generation. I heard that Sir Penn’s father was a humble fisherman plying his trade from a little Cornish fishing village. Then he made several boats and sent men out to fish for him; and he had more and more boats and became a sort of king of his village. He crossed the Tamar and set up business here. Sir Penn grew up as the crown prince, as it were, and he acquired more ships and gave up the calling of fishermen and went out into the world. He was given his knighthood by Henry VIII, who himself loved ships and foresaw that adventurers like the Pennlyons could bring good to England.”
    I yawned.
    “You are tired?” said Honey.
    “Tired of these Pennlyons.”
    “I doubt it will not be long before they are at sea, the son at least.”
    “It will be a pleasure not to see him.”
    Honey stood up and then she gave the real reason for her visit.
    “You gathered they are fanatical in their religious beliefs.”
    “I did, and what astonished me was that they should have any.”
    “We shall have to be careful. It would not be