but beyond this Sir Oliver could be sure
of nothing.

When, however, it became known that the party from Chad had
arrived, a lay brother came out and bid them dismount and send away
their steeds to the meadow beyond, where one or two of the servants
could see to them; and as soon as this had been done, Sir Oliver
was told that he and his lady would occupy certain seats upon one
of the platforms, but that there would not be room for more than
his eldest son to have a place there beside him. The younger boys
must remain in the crowd.

Edred and Julian were well pleased at this, and gave each other a
quick pressure of the hand. Edred was intensely excited; and
gradually edged his way to a good position not far from the
platform, that he might hear and see everything; and Julian stood
beside him, as intent upon the proceedings as anyone.

With a great show of ecclesiastical pomp, forth came the prior with
his monks in attendance, and closely following them the haughty
Lord of Mortimer; with his son-in-law, Sir Edward Chadwell, by his
side, and his daughter following her husband. With these came many
knights and persons of standing in the county; and whilst the prior
and the monks grouped themselves upon one platform, the barons,
knights, and nobles took their appointed places on the other, the
owners of Mortimer and Chad being for once in their lives elbow to
elbow, and constrained to exchange words and looks of greeting.

A deep hush fell upon the crowd, and the people surged back against
the walls, leaving the centre space vacant. At the same time
certain men wearing the garb and the air of jailers or executioners
came forth and stood in the midst of the open space--one of them
bearing the glowing brazier and the branding iron, which he placed
on a slab of stone in the very centre of the enclosure.

When all preparations were complete, the prior arose, and in a loud
and solemn voice commanded that the prisoners should be brought
forth--those persons who had not been merely suspected of heresy,
but had been found with heretical books in their possession, or
were known to be in the habit of meeting together to read such
books and hear the pestilent doctrines which vile and wicked
persons were propagating in the land.

At that command a number of monks appeared, leading bound, and in
scant and miserable clothing, about a score of men and women,
foremost amongst whom was the hunchback, whose face and voice were
alik