Anthony
presently came again and sat with Chris; and Mr. Morris, who had been
left as a safeguard to the monks, slipped in soon after and stood behind
the two; and so the three waited.

The sky was beginning to glow again as it had done last night with the
clear radiance of a cloudless sunset; and the tall west tower stood up
bright in the glory. How infinitely far away last night seemed now,
little and yet distinct as a landscape seen through a reversed
telescope! How far away that silent waiting at the cloister door, the
clamour at the gate, the forced entrance, the slipping away through the
church!

The smoke was rising faster than ever now from the great chimney, and
hung in a cloud above the buildings. Perhaps even now the lead was being
cast.

There was a clatter at the corner of the cobbled street below, and Dom
Anthony leaned from the window. He drew back.

"It is the horses," he said.

The servant presently came up to announce that the two gentlemen were
following immediately, and that he had had orders to procure horses and
saddle them at once. He had understood Sir James to say that they must
leave that night.

Mr. Morris hurried out to see to the packing.

In five minutes the gentlemen themselves appeared.

Sir James came quickly across to the two monks.

"We must go to-night, Chris," he said. "We had words with Portinari. You
must not remain longer in the town."

Chris looked at him.

"Yes?" he said.

"And the chapels will be down immediately. Oh! dear God!"

Dom Anthony made room for the old man to sit down in the window-seat;
and himself stood behind the two with Nicholas; and so again they
watched.

The light was fading fast now, and in the windows below lights were
beginning to shine. The square western tower that dominated the whole
priory had lost its splendour, and stood up strong and pale against the
meadows. There was a red flare of light somewhere over the wall of the
court, and the inner side of the gate-turret was illuminated by it.

A tense excitement lay on the watchers; and no sound came from them but
that of quick breathing as they waited for what they knew was imminent.

Outside the evening was wonderfully still; they could hear two men
talking somewhere in the street below; but from the priory came no
sound. The chink of the picks was still, and the cries of the workmen.
Far away beyond the castle on their left came an insistent barking of a
dog; and once, when a hors