uspect them of that sin.

"Brother Emmanuel a heretic!" cried Bertram, with flashing eyes. "I
would force the word down the false throat of any who dared to say
so! Brother Emmanuel is a right holy man. Art thou mad, Edred, to
think such a thing?"

The boy shook his head doubtfully.

"I would I were," he replied; "but methinks Brother Emmanuel
himself thinks that peril may menace him. I understand not rightly
these matters; but I saw that yesterday upon his face which showed
me that he felt he stood something in peril, albeit he has no fear.
He is not of the stuff of which cowards are made."

Julian's eyes were wide with affright.

"They say the Lollards and heretics are to be sought out and
burned, and that right soon," he said, in low, awe-struck tones.
"Some of our people heard it today from those at Mortimer. The Lord
of Mortimer has become very zealous to help the priests and monks
to scent out all suspected of heresy and make a great example of
them.

"Edred, thou dost not think they will take Brother
Emmanuel--and--burn--him?"

The last words were little more than a whisper.

"I will die sooner than see it done!" cried the boy passionately.
"But in these days no man may say who is safe. Therefore went I up
to the chamber this very day to set it in order;" and then he told
his brothers of the difficulty that had beset him there, and how he
felt no security for any person in hiding there so long as the
difficulty of conveying water to him remained so great.

Bertram grasped the situation in a moment. He well knew that if any
person were suspected of lying hidden in the house, a close watch
might well be kept upon every member of the household, and that it
might be hard indeed to pay more than a very occasional visit to
the prisoner. If, for instance, suspicion were to fall upon the
boys in this matter, it would be probable they would be placed
under some restraint; they might be carried off to the priory and
forced to do some penance there. It would never do for the prisoner
to be entirely dependent upon them for supplies of the precious
commodity; and yet what else was to be done?

"I must think about it," cried Bertram. "I shall never rest till I
have thought of some method. Would we had not left it so long! We
have had all these years to make our plans, and we have never
thought of this thing till trouble seems like to be at the very
doors.

"Still it may but be our fantasy. Neither Brother Emman