Council treated the old knight very tenderly. They were shrewd enough
to see his character very plainly; and that he was a simple man who knew
nothing of sedition, but only had harboured agents thinking them to be as
guileless as himself. As a matter of fact, Mr. Stewart was an agent of
Dr. Storey's; and was therefore implicated in a number of very grave
charges. This of course was a very serious matter; but both in the
examination of the Council, and in papers in Mr. Stewart's bags, nothing
could be found to implicate Sir Nicholas in any political intrigue at
all. The authorities were unwilling too to put such a man to the torture.
There was always a possibility of public resentment against the torture
of a man for his religion alone; and they were desirous not to arouse
this, since they had many prisoners who would be more productive subjects
of the rack than a plainly simple and loyal old man whose only crime was
his religion. They determined, however, to make an attempt to get a
little more out of Sir Nicholas by a device which would excite no
resentment if it ever transpired, and one which was more suited to the
old man's nature and years.

Sir Nicholas thus described it to his wife.

"Last night, my dearest, I had a great honour and consolation. I was
awakened suddenly towards two o'clock in the morning by the door of my
room opening and a man coming in. It was somewhat dark, and I could not
see the man plainly, but I could see that he limped and walked with a
stick, and he breathed hard as he entered. I sat up and demanded of him
who he was and what he wanted; and telling me to be still, he said that
he was Dr. Storey. You may be sure, sweetheart, that I sprang up at that;
but he would not let me rise; and himself sat down beside me. He said
that by the _kindness_ of a gaoler he had been allowed to come; and that
he must not stay with me long; that he had heard of me from his good
friend Mr. Stewart. I asked him how he did, for I heard that he had been
racked; and he said yes, it was true; but that by the mercy of God and
the prayers of the saints he had held his peace and they knew nothing
from him. Then he asked me a great number of questions about the _men I
had entertained_, and where they were now; and he knew many of their
names. Some of them were friends of his own, he said; especially the
priests. We talked a good while, till the morning light began; and then
he said he must be gone or the head gaoler wou