"But the Earl of Sussex?" said Tressilian.
"He is in little danger from what he has hitherto taken, provided
he swallow the matter of a bean's size of the orvietan every morning
fasting; but let him beware of a relapse."
"And how is that to be guarded against?" said Tressilian.
"Only by such caution as you would use against the devil," answered
Wayland. "Let my lord's clerk of the kitchen kill his lord's meat
himself, and dress it himself, using no spice but what he procures from
the surest hands. Let the sewer serve it up himself, and let the master
of my lord's household see that both clerk and sewer taste the dishes
which the one dresses and the other serves. Let my lord use no perfumes
which come not from well accredited persons; no unguents--no pomades.
Let him, on no account, drink with strangers, or eat fruit with them,
either in the way of nooning or otherwise. Especially, let him observe
such caution if he goes to Kenilworth--the excuse of his illness, and
his being under diet, will, and must, cover the strangeness of such
practice."
"And thou," said Tressilian, "what dost thou think to make of thyself?"
"France, Spain, either India, East or West, shall be my refuge," said
Wayland, "ere I venture my life by residing within ken of Doboobie,
Demetrius, or whatever else he calls himself for the time."
"Well," said Tressilian, "this happens not inopportunely. I had business
for you in Berkshire, but in the opposite extremity to the place where
thou art known; and ere thou hadst found out this new reason for living
private, I had settled to send thee thither upon a secret embassage."
The artist expressed himself willing to receive his commands, and
Tressilian, knowing he was well acquainted with the outline of his
business at court, frankly explained to him the whole, mentioned the
agreement which subsisted betwixt Giles Gosling and him, and told
what had that day been averred in the presence-chamber by Varney, and
supported by Leicester.
"Thou seest," he added, "that, in the circumstances in which I am
placed, it behoves me to keep a narrow watch on the motions of these
unprincipled men, Varney and his complices, Foster and Lambourne, as
well as on those of my Lord Leicester himself, who, I suspect, is partly
a deceiver, and not altogether the deceived in that matter. Here is my
ring, as a pledge to Giles Gosling. Here is besides gold, which shall be
trebled if thou serve me faithfully. Away down to Cumnor, and see what
happens there."