I have sacrificed to the Church my life,
my means, ay, even my daughter, and it has all been in vain. And, like a
beggar, I now stand on the street forsaken and without comfort; and our
holy mother the Church will no longer heed the son who loved her
and sacrificed himself for her, since he was so unfortunate, and his
sacrifice unavailing."

"Despair not!" said Gardiner, solemnly. "Clouds gather above us; but
they are dispersed again. And after the day of storm, comes again the
day of light. Our day also will come, my friend. Now, we go hence, our
heads strewn with ashes, and bowed at heart; but, believe me, we shall
one day come again with shining face and exultant heart; and the flaming
sword of godly wrath will glitter in our hands, and a purple robe will
enfold us, dyed in the blood of heretics whom we offer up to the Lord
our God as a well-pleasing sacrifice. God spares us for a better time;
and our banishment, believe me, friend, is but a refuge that God has
prepared for us this evil time which we are approaching."

"You speak of an evil time, and nevertheless you hope, your highness?"
asked Douglas, gloomily.

"And nevertheless I hope!" said Gardiner, with a strange and horrible
smile, and, bending down closer to Douglas, he whispered: "the king has
only a few days more to live. He does not suspect how near he is to his
death, and nobody has the courage to tell him. But his physician has
confided it to me. His vital forces are consumed, and death stands
already before his door to throttle him."

"And when he is dead," said Earl Douglas, shrugging his shoulders, "his
son Edward will be king, and those heretical Seymours will control the
helm of state! Call you that hope, your highness?"

"I call it so."

"Do you not know that Edward, young as he is, is nevertheless a
fanatical adherent of the heretical doctrine, and at the same time a
furious opponent of the Church in which alone is salvation?"

"I know it, but I know also that Edward is a feeble boy; and there is
current in our Church a holy prophecy which predicts that his reign is
only of short duration. God only knows what his death will be, but the
Church has often before seen her enemies die a sudden death. Death has
been often before this the most effective ally of our holy mother the
Church. Believe me, then, my son and hope, for I tell you Edward's rule
will be of short duration. And after him she will ascend the throne, the
noble and devout Mary,