ty of the vow of chastity, private masses, and
auricular confession were alike ratified as parts of the Faith held by
the Church of which Henry had made himself head.

Yet as time went on, and there were no signs of the restoration of the
Religious Houses, Chris began to wonder again as to what was best for
Margaret. Perhaps until matters developed it would be well for her to
have some friend in whom she could confide, even if only to relax the
strain for a few weeks. He went to his father one day in the autumn and
laid his views before him.

Sir James nodded and seemed to understand.

"Do you think Mary would be of any service?"

Chris hesitated.

"Yes, sir, I think so--but--"

His father looked at him.

"It is a stranger I think that would help her more. Perhaps another
nun--?"

"My dear lad, I dare not ask another nun. Your mother--"

"I know," said Chris.

"Well, I will think of it," said the other.

A couple of days later Sir James took him aside after supper into his
own private room.

"Chris," he said, "I have been thinking of what you said. And Mary shall
certainly come here for Christmas, with Nick; but--but there is someone
else too I would like to ask."

He looked at his son with an odd expression.

Chris could not imagine what this meant.

"It is Mistress Atherton," went on the other. "You see you know her a
little--at least you have seen her; and there is Ralph. And from all
that I have heard of her--her friendship with Master More and the rest,
I think she might be the very friend for poor Meg. Do you think she
would come, Chris?"

Chris was silent. He could not yet fully dissociate the thought of
Beatrice from the memory of the time when she had taken Ralph's part.
Besides, was it possible to ask her under the circumstances?

"Then there was one more thing that I never told you;" went on his
father, "there was no use in it. But I went to see Mistress Atherton
when she was betrothed to Ralph. I saw her in London; and I think I may
say we made friends. And she has very few now; she keeps herself aloof.
Folks are afraid of her too. I think it would be a kindness to her. I
could not understand how she could marry Ralph; and now that is
explained."

Chris was startled by this news. His father had not breathed a word of
it before.

"She made me promise," went on Sir James, "to tell her if Ralph did
anything unworthy. It was after the first news had reached her of what
the Visitors wer