whisper in the confessional this deed, nor receive priestly
absolution therefor."

"God will give us His pardon if we have done amiss," said Edred
thoughtfully. "But I have no fear that He regards this deed as a
sin. It was done in His name, and as such will He receive it."

"Yes, verily; though perchance it were better to leave such words
unsaid. And now we must to horse and make all speed back to Chad.
As it is we shall not reach it till after nightfall, and they will
something wonder at our delay."

"They will but think we went far and rested long for thy sake. We
have travelled leisurely today to keep the horses fresh. We can
travel back in the cool right merrily. It is but twenty miles. We
can take the most of it at a hand gallop."

The boys and the horses were alike refreshed and ready for a gallop
through the cool evening air, rushing on as fast as the nature of
the road would let them, they reached Chad in three hours, and rode
beneath the gateway just as the old seneschal was wondering how
much longer he must wait before he closed the gate for the night.

The spies saw them ride in, as they had (to their thinking) seen
them ride out; and all unconscious that the prey had escaped their
vigilance, continued their weary and fruitless watch with the
pertinacity which in so many like cases had given them success at
the last.

One bright evening some three weeks later the bugle at the gate was
loudly blown, and Edred and Julian came flying out to welcome their
eldest brother, who had ridden hither with some dozen servants to
bring news to his brothers at home.

"We have had marvellous good hap. The king received us right
graciously, and heard our story with kingly friendliness and
goodwill. He is none of your bigoted, priest-ridden monarchs; and
although he hates true heresy, and would destroy it root and
branch, he cries shame that all enlightened men who would cleanse
the Church from some of her corrupt practices should be branded by
that evil term. The great and worthy Dean Colet was called in, and
he knows well the pamphlet Brother Emmanuel wrote, and says it is a
work which should be read and taken to heart by all. That such a
man should be dubbed a heretic is vile and wicked; and right glad
were all to hear that he had escaped the malice of his enemies, and
fled where they could not reach him. I did not dare even then to
tell all the tale, but I said how we had laid our heads together
and had helped h