never, I think, one stranger or more dreadful. What would you do now,
godson?"

"Take sanctuary for myself and Grey Dick because of the slaying of John
Clavering and others, and afterward be married by you to Eve."

"Be married to the sister with the brother's blood upon your hands
without absolution from the Church or pardon from the King; and you but
a merchant's younger son and she to-night one of the greatest heiresses
in East Anglia! Why, how may that be?"

"I blame him not," broke in Eve. "John, whom I never loved, strove to
smoke us out like rats because he was in the pay of the Norman, my Lord
of Acour. John struck Hugh in the face with his hand and slandered him
with his tongue. John was given his life once, and afterwards slain
in fair fight. Oh, I say, I blame him not, nor shall John's blood rise
between him and me!"

"Yet the world will blame him, and you, too, Eve; yes, even those who
love you both. A while must go by, say a year. At least I'll not marry
you at once, and cannot, if I would, with both your fathers living and
unadvised, and the sheriff waiting at the gate. Tell me now, do any know
that you have entered here?"

"Nay," said Dick, looking up from his bow. "The hunt came after us, but
I hid these two in a bush and led it away past Hinton to the Ipswich
road, keeping but just ahead in the snow and talking in three voices.
Then I gave them the slip and returned. They'll not guess that we have
come to Dunwich for a while."

"And when they do even the boldest will not enter this holy sanctuary
while the Church has terrors for men's souls. Yet, here you must not
stay for long, lest in this way or in that your lives pay the price of
it, or a bloody feud break out between the Claverings of Blythburgh and
the de Cressis of Dunwich. Daughter Eve, get you to bed with old Agnes.
You are so weary that you will not mind her snores. To-morrow ere the
dawn I'll talk with you, and, meanwhile, I have words for Hugh. Nay,
have no fear, the windows are all barred, and Archer Dick shall watch
the door."

Eve went, unwillingly enough, although she could scarcely walk, flashing
a good-night to her lover with her fine eyes. Presently Grey Dick also
went to sleep, like a dog with one eye open, in the little ante-chamber,
near to the great door.

"Now, Hugh," said Father Arnold, when they were left alone, "your case
is desperate, for if you stay here certainly these Claverings will have
your blood. Yet, if you