ing 'Kill and slay,' each
louder than another. Nay, they were not satisfied when our porter and
watch told them that those they pursued had taken refuge in the galilee
of the church, but continued for some minutes clamouring and striking
upon the postern door, demanding that the men who had offended should
be delivered up to them. I was afraid their rude noise might have broken
your Majesty's rest, and raised some surprise."

"My rest might have been broken," said the monarch; "but that sounds of
violence should have occasioned surprise--Alas! reverend father, there
is in Scotland only one place where the shriek of the victim and threats
of the oppressor are not heard, and that, father, is--the grave."

The prior stood in respectful silence, sympathising with the feelings of
a monarch whose tenderness of heart suited so ill with the condition and
manners of his people.

"And what became of the fugitives?" asked Robert, after a minute's
pause.

"Surely, sire," said the prior, "they were dismissed, as they desired
to be, before daylight; and after we had sent out to be assured that no
ambush of their enemies watched them in the vicinity, they went their
way in peace."

"You know nothing," inquired the King, "who the men were, or the cause
of their taking refuge with you?"

"The cause," said the prior, "was a riot with the townsmen; but how
arising is not known to us. The custom of our house is to afford
twenty-four hours of uninterrupted refuge in the sanctuary of St.
Dominic, without asking any question at the poor unfortunates who have
sought relief there. If they desire to remain for a longer space, the
cause of their resorting to sanctuary must be put upon the register of
the convent; and, praised be our holy saint, many persons escape the
weight of the law by this temporary protection, whom, did we know the
character of their crimes, we might have found ourselves obliged to
render up to their pursuers and persecutors."

As the prior spoke, a dim idea occurred to the monarch, that the
privilege of sanctuary thus peremptorily executed must prove a severe
interruption to the course of justice through his realm. But he repelled
the feeling, as if it had been a suggestion of Satan, and took care that
not a single word should escape to betray to the churchman that such a
profane thought had ever occupied his bosom; on the contrary, he hasted
to change the subject.

"The sun," he said, "moves slowly on the index.