their leader, to desire his praise more passionately than
anything on earth, and even to imitate his manners and dress and gait,
for very loyalty and devotion. Anthony could not take his eyes off him;
he watched the clear-cut profile of his face thrown fearlessly forward,
waited in tense expectation to hear him speak, and paid no attention to
the whisperings of the chaplain beside him.

* * * *

Presently the debate began. It was opened by Dean Nowell from his high
seat, who assured Father Campion of the disinterested motives of himself
and his reverend friends in holding this disputation. It was, after all,
only what the priest had demanded; and they trusted by God's grace that
they would do him good and help him to see the truth. There was no
unfairness, said the Dean, who seemed to think that some apology was
needed, in taking him thus unprepared, since the subject of debate would
be none other than Campion's own book. The Jesuit looked up, nodded his
head, and smiled.

"I thank you, Mr. Dean," he said, in his deep resonant voice, and there
fell a dead hush as he spoke. "I thank you for desiring to do me good,
and to take up my challenge; but I must say that I would I had understood
of your coming, that I might have made myself ready."

Campion's voice thrilled strangely through Anthony, as the glance from
his eyes had done. It was so assured, so strong and delicate an
instrument, and so supremely at its owner's command, that it was hardly
less persuasive than his personality and his learning that made
themselves apparent during the day. And Anthony was not alone in his
impressions of the Jesuit. Lord Arundel afterwards attributed his
conversion to Campion's share in the discussions. Again and again during
the day a murmur of applause followed some of the priest's clean-cut
speeches and arguments, and a murmur of disapproval the fierce thrusts
and taunts of his opponents; and by the end of the day's debate, so
marked was the change of attitude of the crowd that had come to triumph
over the Papist, and so manifest their sympathy with the prisoners, that
it was thought advisable to exclude the public from the subsequent
discussions.

On this first day, all manner of subjects were touched upon, such as the
comparative leniency of Catholic and Protestant governments, the position
of Luther with regard to the Epistle of St. James, and other matters
comparatively unimport