with him; he was leaning
forward, even now, as she looked at him, and seemed laying down the law,
though in what was almost a whisper. Father Campion was watching him,
too, she noticed; and, what she had learned of Father Campion in the
last few hours led her to wonder whether there was not something of
doubtfulness in his opinion of him.

Father Campion suddenly shook his head sharply.

"I am not of that view at all," he said. "I--"

And once more his voice sank so low as to be inaudible; as the rest
leaned closer about him.

II

Mr. Anthony Babington seemed silent and even a little displeased when,
half an hour later, the visitors were all gone downstairs to supper.
Three or four of them were to sleep in the house; the rest, of whom
Robin was one, had Captain Fortescue's instructions as to where lodgings
were prepared. But the whole company was tired out with the long ride
from the coast, and would be seen no more that night.

* * * * *

Marjorie knew enough of the divisions of opinion among Catholics, and of
Mr. Babington in particular, to have a general view as to why her
companion was displeased; but more than that she did not know, nor what
point in particular it was on which the argument had run. The one
party--of Mr. Babington's kind--held that Catholics were, morally, in a
state of war. War had been declared upon them, without justification,
by the secular authorities, and physical instruments, including
pursuivants and the rack, were employed against them. Then why should
not they, too, employ the same kind of instruments, if they could, in
return? The second party held that a religious persecution could not be
held to constitute a state of war; the Apostles Peter and Paul, for
example, not only did not employ the arm of flesh against the Roman
Empire, but actually repudiated it. And this party further held that
even the Pope's bull, relieving Elizabeth's subjects from their
allegiance, did so only in an interior sense--in such a manner that
while they must still regard her personal and individual rights--such
rights as any human being possessed--they were not bound to render
interior loyalty to her as their Queen, and need not, for example
(though they were not forbidden to do so), regard it as a duty to fight
for her, in the event, let us say, of an armed invasion from Spain.

There, then, was the situation; and Mr. Anthony had, plainly, crossed
swords this evening