the matter.

"Be seated, my daughter!" said the Abbot. Margery obeyed.

"Holy Church, daughter, hath been sore aggrieved by thine evil doing.
She demandeth of thee an instant yielding of yon heretical and
pernicious book, the which hath led thee astray; and a renunciation of
thy heresy; the which done, thou shalt receive apostolic absolution and
benediction."

"I know not, reverend father, what ye clepe [call] heresy. Wherein have
I sinned?"

"In the reading of yon book, and in thy seldom confession. Moreover, I
trow thou holdest with the way of John Wycliffe, yon evil reprobate!"
replied the Archbishop.

"I cry you mercy, reverend fathers. I take my belief from no man. I
crede [believe] the words of Christ as I find the same written, and
concern not myself with Master Wycliffe or any other. I know not any
Lollards, neither have I allied myself unto them."

The Archbishop and the Abbot both looked at Lord Marnell--a mute inquiry
as to whether Margery spoke the truth.

"I ween it is so, reverend fathers," said he. "I wis nought of my wife
her manner of living ere I wedded her, but soothly sithence [since] she
came hither, I know of a surety that she hath never companied with any
such evil persons as be these Lollards."

"Hold you _not_ with the way of Wycliffe, daughter?" inquired the Abbot.

"I wis not, reverend father," answered she, "for of a truth I know not
wherein it lieth. I hold that which I find in the book; and I trow an'
I keep close by the words of Christ, I cannot stray far from truth."

"The words in yon book be no words of Christ!" said Arundel. "That evil
one Wycliffe, being taught of the devil, hath rendered the holy words of
the Latin into pernicious heresy in English."

"I pray you then, father, will you give me the book in Latin, for I wis
a little the Latin tongue, and moreover I can learn of one that hath the
tongues to wit better the same."

This was not by any means what Arundel intended, and it raised his
anger.

"I will not give thee the Latin!" exclaimed he. "I forbid thee to read
or learn the same, for I well know thou wouldst wrest it to thine evil
purposes."

"How can you put a right meaning to the words, my daughter?" mildly
suggested the Abbot.

"I know well that I could in no wise do the same," replied Margery,
humbly, "had I not read the promise of Christ Jesu that He would send
unto His own `_thilk Spyryt of treuthe_,' who should `_teche them al
treuthe_,'