a long row down to the Tower from Southwark against the
in-flowing tide. As they passed beneath the bridge Chris stared up at
the crowding houses, the great gates at either end, and the faces
craning down; and he caught one glimpse as they shot through the narrow
passage between the piers, of the tall wall above the gate, the poles
rising from it, and the severed heads that crowned them. Somewhere among
that forest of grim stems the Carthusian priors looked down.

As he turned in his seat he saw the boatman grinning to himself, and
following his eyes observed the Prior beside him with a white fixed face
looking steadily downwards towards his feet.

They found no difficulty when they landed at the stairs, and showed the
order at the gate. The warder called to a man within the guard-room who
came out and went before them along the walled way that led to the
inner ward. They turned up to the left presently and found themselves in
the great court that surrounded the White Tower.

The Prior walked heavily with his face downcast as if he wished to avoid
notice, and Chris saw that he paid no attention to the men-at-arms and
other persons here and there who saluted his prelate's insignia. There
were plenty of people going about in the evening sunshine, soldiers and
attendants, and here and there at the foot of a tower stood a halberdier
in his buff jacket leaning on his weapon. There were many distinguished
persons in the Tower now, both ecclesiastics and laymen who had refused
to take one or both of the oaths, and Chris eyed the windows
wonderingly, picturing to himself where each lay, and with what courage.

But more and more as he went he wondered why the Prior and he were here,
and who had obtained the order of admittance, for he had not had a sight
of it.

When they reached the foot of the prison-tower the warder said a word to
the sentry, and took the two monks straight past, preceding them up the
narrow stairs that wound into darkness. There were windows here and
there, slits in the heavy masonry, through which Chris caught glimpses,
now of the moat on the west, now of the inner ward with the White Tower
huge and massive on the east.

The Prior, who went behind the warder and in front of Chris, stopped
suddenly, and Chris could hear him whispering to himself; and at the
same time there sounded the creaking of a key in front.

As the young monk stood there waiting, grasping the stone-work on his
right, again the e