and a half after. Mr. Sherwood was
not a priest; he had been at Douay, too, but as a scholar only.... Well,
we will speak of Mr. Nelson first. This is what my friend says."

He spread the paper before him on the table; and Marjorie, looking past
her mother, saw that his hands shook as he spread it.

"'Mr. Nelson,'" began the priest, reading aloud with some difficulty,
"'was brought before my lords, and first had tendered to him the oath of
the Queen's supremacy. This he refused to take, saying that no lay
prince could have pre-eminence over Christ's Church; and, upon being
pressed as to who then could have it, answered, Christ's Vicar only, the
successor of Peter. Further, he proceeded to say, under questioning,
that since the religion of England at this time is schismatic and
heretical, so also is the Queen's Grace who is head of it.

"'This, then, was what was wanted; and after a delay of a few weeks, the
same questions being put to him, and his answers being the same, he was
sentenced to death. He was very fortunate in his imprisonment. I had
speech with him two or three times and was the means, by God's blessing,
of bringing another priest to him, to whom he confessed himself; and
with whom he received the Body of Christ a day before he suffered.

"'On the third of February, knowing nothing of his death being so near,
he was brought up to a higher part of the prison, and there told he was
to suffer that day. His kinsmen were admitted to him then, to bid him
farewell; and afterwards two ministers came to turn him from his faith
if they could; but they prevailed nothing.'"

There was a pause in the reading; but there was no movement among any
that listened. Robin, watching from his place at the right-hand table,
cold at heart, ran his eyes along the faces. The priest was as white as
death, with the excitement, it seemed, of having to tell such a tale.
His host beside him seemed downcast and quiet, but perfectly composed.
Mrs. Manners had her eyes closed; Anthony Babington was frowning to
himself with tight lips; Marjorie he could not see.

With a great effort the reader resumed:

"'When he was laid on the hurdle he refused to ask pardon of the Queen's
Grace; for, said he, I have never yet offended her. I was beside him,
and heard it. And he added, when those who stood near stormed at him,
that it was better to be hanged than to burn in hell-fire.

"'There was a great concourse of people at Tyburn, but kept bac