Come Rack! Come Rope!

manage the estate that should be his one day. At one time it was to quiet a yeoman whose domain had been ridden over and his sown fields destroyed; at another, to di

er Anthony's visit, set out before dinner to meet him, that th

elf must come to a decision. There was the first, the question as to where he was to go for Easter, and how he was to tell his father; what to do if his father forbade him outright; whether or no the priests of the district should be told; what to do with

out of his house, that had been the priest's lodging, a middle-aged man, made a minister under the new Prayer-Book, and therefore, no priest as were some of the ministers about, who had been made priests under Mary. He was a solid man, of no great wit or learning, but there was not an ounce of harm in

n," he cried, "on s

on," said Robin, smiling heavily. "I am t

d," roared the minister, who wished no better than to b

e safe enough-one of yo

atter as to wh

minister and set his ho

*

broken or rotted through, making it no better than a trap for horses' feet; and it was a full hour before Robin finished his four miles and turned up through the winter woodland to the yeoman's farm where he was to meet Anthony. It was true, as he had said to Mr

come out of the yard-gate and the yeoman with him. Then Anthony mounted hi

h for the man to hear. "It is Dethick that must pay.

d waited till the other c

eath his breath. "I thought I would come out and tell you; and I do not know where we can ta

dinner too," said

you have told me? He is s

so," said Robin. "I do

learned not to talk. Besides, all t

horses back again and

*

from the fire, peeped and smiled from the open door of the living-room that gave immediately upon the yard. For these gentlemen were from three of the principal estates here about. The Babingtons had their country house at Dethick and their town house in Derby; the Audreys owned a matter of fifteen hundred acres at least all about Matstead; and the FitzHerberts, it was said, sca

an, with a little brown beard, and his short hair, when he lifted his flapped cap to them, showed up

n," he said, "if you will bring in tha

dinner before them: he was on his way

the smooth elm-table, and a silver salt stood before Mr. Thomas. There was, of course, an abundance to eat and drink, even though no more than two had been expected; and John Merton himself stood hatless on the further side of the ta

ter Sir Thomas, and openly shook his head when he heard of his sufferings (for he and his wife were as good Catholics as any in the country); and when the room was empty for a moment of the maids, spoke of a priest who, he had been told, would say mas

of them, openly at the end, and

Anthony; "we can go your way. Robi

for a little. I must be at Padley before dark, if I

the kitchen wiping their mouths, telling them to f

obin t

n or two, biting his lower lip a little, and putting

n London now and may send for me. My uncle is in the Fleet. I am here now only to see what money I can raise for the fines and for the solace of my uncl

e four or five places he could go to. He was no

s. "I need all that I can get myself. I am dist

d of the blow that impended; for at those times every apostasy was

leave. I would that they were all discreet, but they are not. We will name no names, if you pleas

bite his b

issioners will visit u

on was te

his perpetual coming and going of priests that enrages her Grace and her counsellors. I do not believe her Grace has any great enmity against us; but she soon will, if men like Mr. Fenton and Mr. Bassett are for ever harbouring priests and encouraging them

r," came in a quiet vo

s, saw Anthony with

ake it, may make mistakes, as I understand it, in such matters, as well as an

air of dignity beyond his years, "that

zeal indeed, as I do in the saints; but we are not bound to imitate

de in s

repent herself; and he had thundered not soon enough, said the other. Whence it may at least be argued that he had been exactly opportune. Yet it could not be denied that since the day when he had declared Elizabeth cut off from the unity of the Church and her subjects absolved from their allegiance-thou