n he cometh again.
As for the woman, bring her before me to-morrow at nine o' the clock.
Be careful what you do, as you value my favour."

Perkins pulled his forelock again, and departed.

"The man is hard as a stone," said the Bishop to one of the Canons, with
whom he was walking: "no impression can be made upon him."

"He is scantly the worse gaoler for that, under your Lordship's
correction," said the Canon carelessly.

"He makes an hard keeper, I cast no doubt," answered the Bishop.

Perkins's demeanour changed as soon as his Lordship had passed out of
sight and hearing.

"Dick o' Dover's in a jolly fume!" he said to one of the vergers whom he
met.

"Why, what's angered him?"

"I have, belike, that I catched not yon man, Mistress Benden's brother,
a-coming to see her. Why, the loon's full o' wiles--never comes at
after sunrise. It'd take an eel to catch him. And I'm not his
thief-catcher, neither. I works hard enough without that. Old Dick may
catch his eels his self if he lacks 'em."

"Work 'll never kill thee, Jack Perkins," replied the verger, with a
laugh. "Thou'dst best not get across with Dick o' Dover; he's an ugly
customer when he's in the mind."

The right reverend prelate to whom allusion was thus unceremoniously
made, was already seated on his judgment bench when, at nine o'clock the
next morning, Perkins threw open the door of Monday's Hole.

"Come forth, Mistress; you're to come afore the Bishop."

"You must needs help me up, then, for I cannot walk," said Alice Benden
faintly.

Perkins seized her by the arm, and dragged her up from the straw on
which she was lying. Alice was unable to repress a slight moan.

"Let be," she panted; "I will essay to go by myself; only it putteth me
to so great pain."

With one hand resting on the wall, she crept to the door, and out into
the passage beyond. Again Perkins seized her--this time by the
shoulder.

"You must make better speed than this, Mistress," he said roughly.
"Will you keep the Lord Bishop a-waiting?"

Partly limping by herself, partly pulled along by Perkins, and at the
cost of exquisite suffering, for she was crippled by rheumatism, Alice
reached the hall wherein the Bishop sat. He received her in the suavest
manner.

"Now, my good daughter, I trust your lesson, which it was needful to
make sharp, hath been well learned during these weeks ye have had time
for meditation. Will you now go home, and go to church, and confo