In the Days of Queen Mary

1556, the third year of

which her reign had been ushe

rland had gone to his doom with no man to pity him; his son Lord Guil

ssion when the young, innocent, and hapless

and Latimer, and the flames of Smithfield aroused the horror of the people; the great

eeble and ineffectual rebellion of Sir Thomas Wyatt-a protest against

terror and distress, the family of the Jefferays

at the Reformation, were duly performed; the Prayer Book was not superseded by the Mi

e in the reign of Henry the Eighth. He had been at Magdalen College, Oxford, with Si

Chiddingly, and the Vicar had returned the good service by acting as tutor to the young people of Chid

nd. The "Marian Persecution" had begun, and the lurid flames of Smithfield had aroused horror and

d which brought him under the censure of the Government, and an apparitor wa

the parish church, and took copious notes of the Vica

ed their fierce animosity, and the appearance of the appari

vely day in July-a Sunday-w

looking, middle-aged man, garbed in black, and as they came out of church

d thither he was allowed for the present to retire unmolested,

murmur among the rustics became distinctly audible as they observe

n of proceeding to the inn, where his horse was stabled; bu

he year about half full of dark slimy water; in the centr

lf surrounded by a band of deter

sternly. "Do you men know that I

"Gie us them papers which we saw thee so busy with in the church instead of minding thy prayers! Gie us

re the coming storm, "fools! do you not know th

trikes me some one else will be hung, or drownded,

rse-pond-and each moment it grew more exci

e, let's see how

e of the pond; then he found himself lifted from the ground, a

in he goes!" cri

ent forth by the man, an

all of

ters of the pond! And there he might have been drowned, bu

and her attention had been arrested by the un

n into the vestry; Susan awaited him in the chur

ry voices of men, and Susan hurried out of the church to as

catastrophe which was being enacted. Instantly she flew to the vestry

his instant, the men are

d thrown a rope over the unhappy apparitor's shoulders, and having secu

es you, men?" he continued; "are you not ashamed of yourselves?

leaded Susan, anxious to ha

apparitor to land, and Susan, stooping dow

looked unnaturally pale in contrast to

me strong waters, Robin," he crie

it is nearer," suggested Susan, and t

garments around his throat, while th

" said the Vicar, i

ved a green froth gurgling at hi

ed from the "Six Bells" with

to moisten the man's lips with the strong spiri

pallid cheeks, and a moment later he ope

sufferer, the Vicar rose to his feet

t all this means," he

but their chief spokesman a

and said in church, and he warned us that he was a Queen's officer, and that to touch him was a hanging matter; so we just 'touched' him, and if yo

ot been human if he had not been secretly touched by this p

"they may have been quite harml

e wrapped them round a big stone and threw th

to a momentary smile; then he b

have brought down unutterable evils on our parish; and remember, men, there is One who hath sa

touched the Vicar o

men carry him to his lodgings at the 'Six Bell

o it: and do you, Mistress Susan, go ho

men, who had not been actively

its hinges and bring it here"-poin

was brought, and the semi-unconsc

o the "Six Bells" Inn, the man was carried to his room, and

landlord. "Let me know how he is to-nigh

and very serious conversation wi

ining-hall, and now the two men were confer

twenty-four hours have passed, and no man can say what will then happen; to-day's uproar will make matters all the worse for us. Take my advice, Vicar, you have neither wife no

Vicar warmly. "Oh no, it cannot be done; and while I thank you, friend Jefferay, with all my heart, I b

sighed, and the

e vicarage with bad news: the apparitor was m

e knowledge of medicine, and he now hastened to the s

s she had constituted herself the "parish nurse" of Chiddingly, and

, Susan rose from her seat at

afraid he is going to be very ill: I

ed the Vicar. "I hope

and ere he saw his patient the Vicar rela

stened with s

this man, considering the errand upon whi

by my people; perhaps he is no foe of mine at all, but if it were so, we remember that it is written, 'If thin

d I honour you for it," replied the doc

men met again in the i

and attention. It is too much for Mistress Susan-I will send you a nu

ngement, declaring that she would rem

men sat upon a seat

ing, and the two men were

ou are able to travel to

for a night at East Grinstead, and so reach

"then you go to make your

my office of apparitor-I take up

, which the man saw depicted on the Vicar's countenance, h

ou know that each time that I saw you by my bedside, each time that I felt your cooling hand on my feverish brow, whensoever I listene

as done! And as I lay on my sick-bed, I surmised that you must have suspected all this; yet you and Mistress Susan watched over m

ondon, and though I abandon the office of apparitor another will take it up, and your life may be in danger. Therefore, I beseech you to take refuge abroad

shook his

d-the shepherd may not flee a

en, 'If they persecute you in one city

nd the hour may come when I may feel the monition to be a

the man solemnly-and so t