as open and faces of servants peeped out, and hands were thrust out to
take the burden from their mistress, but she shook her head, and the
three came in together, and the door closed.

As the Norrises went back silently, the Rector passed them, with a little
group accompanying him too; he, too, could hardly walk alone, so
exhausted was he with his furious struggles to rescue his wife.

"Take your sister home," said Mr. Norris to Anthony; and they saw him
slip off and pass his arm through the Rector's, and bend down his
handsome kindly face to the minister's staring eyes and moving lips as he
too led him homewards.

Even Anthony was hushed and impressed, and hardly spoke a word until he
and Isabel turned off down the little dark lane to the Dower House.

"We could do nothing," he said, "father and I--until Lady Maxwell came."

"No," said Isabel softly, "she only could have done it."

CHAPTER X

A CONFESSOR

Sir Nicholas and the party were lodged at East Grinsted the night of
their arrest, in the magistrate's house. Although he was allowed privacy
in his room, after he had given his word of honour not to attempt an
escape, yet he was allowed no conversation with Mr. Stewart or his own
servant except in the presence of the magistrate or one of the
pursuivants; and Mr. Stewart, since he was personally unknown to the
magistrate, and since the charge against him was graver, was not on any
account allowed to be alone for a moment, even in the room in which he
slept. The following day they all rode on to London, and the two
prisoners were lodged in the Marshalsea. This had been for a long while
the place where Bishop Bonner was confined; and where Catholic prisoners
were often sent immediately after their arrest; and Sir Nicholas at any
rate found to his joy that he had several old friends among the
prisoners. He was confined in a separate room; but by the kindness of his
gaoler whom he bribed profusely as the custom was, through his servant,
he had many opportunities of meeting the others; and even of approaching
the sacraments and hearing mass now and then.

He began a letter to his wife on the day of his arrival and finished it
the next day which was Saturday, and it was taken down immediately by the
courier who had heard the news and had called at the prison. In fact, he
was allowed a good deal of liberty; although he was watched and his
conversati