in upon his meditations. He now perceived
that the drawbridge was thronged with armed men, the portcullis drawn
up, and the courtyard beyond full of soldiers in mail.

"What is the matter, friend William?" asked Bruno of the porter at the
outer gate.

"Nay, the saints wot, good Father, not I: but of this am I very sure,
that some mischance is come to my Lord. You were a wise man if you kept
away."

"Not so," was Bruno's answer, as he passed on: "it is the hireling, not
the shepherd, that fleeth from the wolf, and leaveth the sheep to be
scattered."

He made his way easily into the hall, for no one thought of staying a
priest. The lower end was thronged with soldiers. On the dais stood
Sir Piers de Rievaulx and half-a-dozen more, confronting Earl Hubert,
who wore an expression of baffled amazement. Just behind him stood the
Countess, evidently possessed by fear and anguish; Sir John de Burgh,
with his hand upon his sword; Doucebelle, very white and frightened; and
furthest in the background, Sir Richard de Clare, who clasped in his
arms the fainting form of Margaret, and bent his head over her with a
look of agonised tenderness.

"Words are fine things, my Lord of Kent," was the first sentence
distinguishable to Father Bruno, and the spokesman was Sir Piers. "But
I beg you to remember that it is of no earthly use talking to _me_ in
this strain. If you can succeed in convincing my Lord the King that you
had no hand in this business, well!"--and Sir Piers' shoulders went up
towards his ears, in a manner which indicated that result to be far from
what he expected. "But those two young fools don't attempt to deny it,
and their faces would give them the lie if they did. As for my Lady--"

The Countess sprang forward and threw herself on her knees, clinging to
the arm of her husband, while she passionately addressed herself to
both.

"Sir Piers, on my life and honour, my Lord knew nothing of this! It was
done while he was away with the Lord King at Merton.--It was my doing,
my Lord, mine! And it is true, what Sir Piers tells you. My daughter
has gone too far with Sir Richard de Clare, ever to be married to
another." [Note 1.]

Sir Piers stood listening with a rather amused set of the lips, as if he
thought the scene very effective. To him, the human agony before his
eyes was no more than a play enacted for his entertainment. Of course
it was in the way of business; but Sir Piers' principle was to get