to his estates.
Mr. Thomas snorted impatiently.

"Yes, he is gone back again," he cried, "and he leaves me to rot here!
He thinks that I can bear it for ever, it seems!"

"Mr. Bassett has done his utmost, sir," said Marjorie. "He exposed
himself here daily."

"Yes, with twenty fellows to guard him, I suppose. I know my Uncle
Bassett's ways.... Tell me, if you please, how matters stand."

Marjorie explained again. There was nothing in the world to be done
until the order came for his trial--or, rather, everything had been done
already. His lawyers were to rely exactly on the defence that had been
spoken of just now; it was to be shown that the prisoner had harboured
no priests; and the witnesses had already been spoken with--men from
Norbury and Padley, who would swear that to their certain knowledge no
priest had been received by Mr. FitzHerbert at least during the previous
year or eighteen months. There was, therefore, no kind of reason why
Mr. Bassett or Mr. John FitzHerbert should remain any longer in Derby.
Mr. John had been there, but had gone again, under advice from the
lawyers; but he was in constant communication with Mr. Biddell, who had
all the papers ready and the names of the witnesses, and had made more
than one application already for the trial to come on.

"And why has neither my father nor my Uncle Bassett come to see me?"
snapped the man.

"They have tried again and again, sir," said Marjorie. "But permission
was refused. They will no doubt try again, now that Mrs. FitzHerbert has
been admitted."

He paced up and down again for a few steps without speaking. Then again
he turned on her, and she could see his face working uncontrolledly.

"And they will enjoy the estates, they think, while I rot here!"

"Oh, my Thomas!" moaned his wife, reaching out to him. But he paid no
attention to her.

"While I rot here!" he cried again. "But I will not! I tell you I will
not!"

"Yes, sir?" said Marjorie gently, suddenly aware that her heart had
begun to beat swiftly.

He glanced at her, and his face changed a little.

"I will not," he murmured. "I must break out of my prison. Only their
accursed--"

Again he interrupted himself, biting sharply on his lip.

* * * * *

For an instant the girl had thought that all her old distrust of him was
justified, and that he contemplated in some way the making of terms that
would be disgraceful to a Catholic. But what terms co