"`Christ His truth,' persist you in calling your heresy!" cried Arundel,
in a fury. "Choose, then, quickly, for the last time, betwixt `Christ
His truth' and your child!"

She shivered from head to foot as if an ague-fit were on her, and her
sobs almost mounted to a scream. No heart that had any pretension to
humanity could have helped pitying her. Her husband did pity her; but
Arundel was carried away by passion, and Bilson had no heart. Through
all this tempest, however agonised, firm and unwavering came the
answer--

"Christ!"

Arundel, rising, ordered her to kneel. Margery knelt down on the
hearth, her hands clasped on her breast, and her eyes looking up to
heaven. Solemnly, and with all that terrific majesty which the Church
of Rome so well knows how to put into her threats and denunciations, the
Archbishop cited her to appear before the council on the 17th day of the
following September. In the meantime she was to be confined in one of
the State dungeons. Arundel graciously added that he would give her the
remainder of that day to make her preparations. Lord Marnell here
interposed, and begged the Archbishop to reconsider his decision. He
had anticipated Margery's examination by the council, and possibly her
being sentenced to a term of imprisonment, but he had not bargained for
this previous incarceration. Arundel bluntly refused to alter his
sentence.

Margery raised her tearful eyes to Lord Marnell. "My Lord," she said,
"and you, reverend fathers, I have one small thing to ask of you. I
pray you deny me not."

"What is it, Madge?" asked Lord Marnell.

"My good Lord," she said, pleadingly, "suffer me to take one last kiss
of my child, ere ye take me where I shall see him no more!"

The Abbot seemed disposed to grant Margery's petition, though the
Archbishop demurred; but Lord Marnell settled the matter by
authoritatively commanding that the mother should be permitted to take
leave of her child. Arundel, with rather a bad grace, gave way on this
secondary point. Margery was then dismissed.

She went up-stairs as if she were walking in a dream, and found Alice
hiding behind the door for the amusement of little Geoffrey, who was in
high glee. Margery stood a moment on the threshold, looking at them,
and mournfully thinking that it was the last time she would ever look on
that sunny little face, or hear that silvery laugh. As she stood there,
Alice caught sight of her mistress, and her