n him ourselves, that if the good prior comes to search
for him at Chad we may be able to give him up, though he have
hidden himself never so cunningly?"

"Marry, a good thought. It is certainly something strange that he
did not come at the prior's summons-and he a brother of the order
too. Sure, it looks somewhat as though he were afraid. But if that
be so, we shall scarce find him at Chad. He will have benefited by
the absence of the household to make good his escape.

"Beshrew me, but he is a crafty knave. Who would have thought it of
him?"

"When men turn heretic they seem to be indued with all the cunning
of the devil!" cried Julian hotly. "But let us not dally here; let
us run within and strive to seek and to find him. It may be he will
think he may hide himself the better in some nook or corner of the
house, since he be well known all around; and the good prior said
somewhat of having kept a watch upon him. But I trow he cannot hide
so well but what we shall find him. I would fain earn my
forgiveness for having shielded one heretic by helping to give up
another.

"Come, Edred, let us be going. Those priests are as crafty as foxes
when the heretic leaven gets into them."

The brothers dashed away again towards the house; and when once
within the shelter of the walls, Julian nipped his brother's hand,
saying in a whisper:

"There was a spy overhead who drank in every word. He had no notion
mine eyes had seen him, for he was marvellous well concealed, and I
never should have found his hiding place had I not chanced one day
to see him climbing into it. Nobody will suspect now that we have
had a hand in the hiding of the good brother. But let us make all
haste, for no man knows when the bloodhounds may be upon us to
strive to take him away."

Edred's face was very pale, but steady and resolved. He understood,
better perhaps than his younger brother, the peril of the
enterprise upon which they had embarked. But he did not shrink from
that one whit, only he did hope and trust that his father would
never be implicated by their conduct; for if, after all, the priest
were to be found hidden within the precincts of Chad, it was easy
to prophesy a great reverse of fortune to all who dwelt therein.

However, even that consideration did not move him at this moment.
Brother Emmanuel, their preceptor and friend and comrade (for he
had been all three to his pupils during his residence beneath their
roof), stood in dea