ed
himself on his pillows, and was speaking in quick, earnest tones.

"Holy father, listen, I pray you, to me," he said, "and trust not
the testimony of yon traitorous fellow, who, if he had had his
will, would have done to death the son of our sainted monarch King
Henry.

"Nay, let him not escape," he cried, as he saw the man make an
attempt to reach the door, which was promptly frustrated by the
sudden appearance of Jack Devenish, who had heard of this sudden
incursion of monks, and had rushed to the house in some fear of
what might be happening there.

"Hold him fast, Jack," cried Paul, with increasing energy, "till I
have told my tale;" and forthwith he described in graphic words how
this man had identified the prince, and had striven to sell him to
the enemy, that the House of York might triumph in his death, or in
possession of the heir whose life alone could redeem the cause of
Lancaster from destruction. The story was listened to with deep
attention and no little sympathy, for the visit, the peril, and the
flight of the prince were becoming known in this part of the
country, and the clergy of all degrees were thankful indeed that
the heir of England was safe, as they were all deeply attached to
the cause of the Red Rose.

So Paul's story roused a great wave of anger against the mean
fellow, who would thus earn his own living by betraying those whose
bread he had eaten, or one whose life it should be his care to
protect; and scarce had Paul done speaking before Brother Lawrence
took up the gauntlet, and addressing himself to the tall monk,
pointed to Paul, as he lay still white and weak upon his pillows.

"And hear farther, reverend father: this youth who now speaks to
you is he of whom I told you as we rode along, who bore torture
without yielding up the name of the hiding place to which he knew
the prince had escaped. But for him young Edward might yet have
fallen into the hands of these robbers; for they would have watched
our Priory and have set upon all who went or came, and ravaged the
whole country, so that even the habit of the monk would not have
protected or disguised him. And these good folks here at this farm
were they who rescued him from the hands of the robbers; for the
maiden alone, without the help of this stalwart youth, could not
have brought him, ill and fainting as he was, all these long weary
miles. And they took him in; and this woman, whom yon informer
would have you believe is a v