tir. The riding-horses had been bestowed in the stables, and the
baggage-beasts were being now unloaded before the door of the
guest-house; there were servants going to and fro in Dr. Layton's
livery, with an anxious-faced monk or two here and there among them, and
a buzz and clatter rose on all sides. One of Dr. Layton's secretaries
who had been at Durford, recognised Ralph and came up immediately,
saluting him deferentially.

"The doctor is with the Sub-Prior, sir," he said. "He gave orders that
you were to be brought to him as soon as you arrived, Mr. Torridon."

Ralph followed him into the guest-house, and up the stairs up which
Chris had come at his first arrival, and was shown into the parlour.
There was a sound of voices as they approached the door, and as Ralph
entered he saw at once that Dr. Layton was busy at his work.

"Come in, sir," he cried cheerfully from behind the table at which he
sat. "Here is desperate work for you and me. No less than rank treason,
Mr. Torridon."

A monk was standing before the table, who turned nervously as Ralph came
in; he was a middle-aged man, grey-haired and brown-faced like a
foreigner, but his eyes were full of terror now, and his lips trembling
piteously.

Ralph greeted Dr. Layton shortly, and sat down beside him.

"Now, sir," went on the other, "your only hope is to submit yourself to
the King's clemency. You have confessed yourself to treason in your
preaching, and even if you did not, it would not signify, for I have the
accusation from the young man at Farley in my bag. You tell me you did
not know it was treason; but are you ready, sir, to tell the King's
Grace that?"

The monk's eyes glanced from one to the other anxiously. Ralph could see
that he was desperately afraid.

"Tell me that, sir," cried the doctor again, rapping the table with his
open hand.

"I--I--what shall I do, sir?" stammered the monk.

"You must throw yourself on the King's mercy, reverend father. And as a
beginning you must throw yourself on mine and Mr. Torridon's here. Now,
listen to this."

Dr. Layton lifted one of the papers that lay before him and rend it
aloud, looking severely at the monk over the top of it between the
sentences. It was in the form of a confession, and declared that on such
a date in the Priory Church of St Pancras at Lewes the undersigned had
preached treason, although ignorant that it was so, in the presence of
the Prior and community; and that the Prior, alt