f and
sorrow thou wouldst cause to us, or thou couldst not talk of giving
thyself up."

The boy's earnestness was so deep that it could not but produce an
impression. Although full of heroic courage and capabilities of
self sacrifice, it was against human nature that Brother Emmanuel
should desire to cast away his life, and that not by raising a
protest for any point of conscience, but simply to be quietly put
out of the way, that he might no longer expose the luxury and vice
prevailing in the monastic retreat of which he was a member.

He had seen a row of underground niches, some of which had been
walled up; and tradition asserted that living monks had been thus
buried alive for being untrue to their vows. He quite believed the
prior capable of accusing him of the same sin and ordering him to a
like fate. In the eyes of the haughty ecclesiastic such a betrayal
of cloister secrets would be looked upon as treachery to his vows,
whilst in reality it was his very love for his vows, and his horror
at their violation, which had inspired the pen that had poured
forth burning words of denunciation and scorn. To die openly for
the cause would have been one thing--a martyr has ofttimes spoken
more eloquently by his death than by his life--but to be thus
buried in a living grave would benefit none; and who would not
shrink from such a fate?

The pause which succeeded Edred's impassioned appeal was broken by
the entrance of Julian, flushed and heated.

"It is as we thought. The house is watched. There be six or seven
spies posted around it--most of them lay brothers, but some monks
themselves. Every entrance is watched closely. None can go in or
out unmarked by one or another. Doubtless they have some signal
which may at any time bring all of them together to one spot.

"Brother Emmanuel, thou must not adventure thyself beyond the
courtyard till this watch ceases. Were they spies of my Lord of
Mortimer's, we might go forth and drive them hence. But none may
lay a finger on a monk. They are all ready with a story that they
are on the watch for some heretic in hiding in the woods. I spoke
to one to see what he would say, and he began about the hunchback
of the fair, whom they have not caught yet, and professed to be
watching for him. Doubtless they would all say the same did any
question them; but they strive to keep out of sight as far as may
be, and some have found hollow trees where they might pass days and
nights and no