houlders.

"That tells a tale, my lord. Naught has been disturbed here for
many a long day. Let us pursue our search elsewhere. No fugitive
could have passed by that spot since yesterday, when Brother
Emmanuel was last seen."

The baron could not but assent. He looked once again at the
carving, but he had had no real reason to suspect aught, and he
turned away to go elsewhere. Another grip of the arm showed Edred
how Julian's feelings had been stirred; but the lads did not even
look at each other as they moved on behind the company, and they
now hardly heard or heeded what passed during the remaining hour of
that long search.

For them the crisis had passed when they turned from the room where
the secret lay. If not discovered at that awful moment when Lord
Mortimer's hand was actually upon the bunch of grapes beneath which
lay the spring, they surely need not fear any other manoeuvre on
his part.

And at last the long search ended. Even the Lord of Mortimer had to
own himself beaten. Reluctantly and with scowling brow he followed
the prior back to the long banqueting hall, where the tables had
already been laid with savoury viands. He had been worsted where he
had been most confident of success, and he was as furious as a bear
robbed of her whelps.

The prior was taking Sir Oliver by the hand and speaking words of
goodwill, professing great satisfaction at the result of this
stringent search; his only vexation being that the monk had
contrived to give them the slip. In the back of his head the prior
had a lurking feeling that Sir Oliver had been in some sort
concerned in Brother Emmanuel's escape, and was rejoicing at it;
but inasmuch as he had entirely failed to bring home any charge
against him, and as in all other respects he was a good neighbour
and true son of the Church, he was willing enough to restore him to
favour and confidence, and was not sorry on the whole that the
haughty Lord of Mortimer was not going to have it all his own way.

The astute ecclesiastic knew very well that he himself did better
for holding a neutral position between two adversaries both
desiring his friendship and good opinion, than he would do were
Chad and Mortimer to be in the same hands. He was disappointed at
not finding the monk, but not sorry Sir Oliver stood vindicated. He
set himself down to the board with a hearty goodwill; but the baron
refused the proffered hospitality of his rival, and summoned his
attendants about