Chapter 23 - Page 2

engaged all night began to put on morning
faces, to do honour to the merrier ceremony which was about to
follow. And further to announce the coming of the day, the pious
of the town began to assemble and fall to prayer before their
favourite shrines, or wait their turn at the confessionals.

Favoured by this stir, it was of course easily possible for any man
to avoid the vigilance of Sir Daniel's sentries at the door; and
presently Dick, looking about him wearily, caught the eye of no
less a person than Will Lawless, still in his monk's habit.

The outlaw, at the same moment, recognised his leader, and privily
signed to him with hand and eye.

Now, Dick was far from having forgiven the old rogue his most
untimely drunkenness, but he had no desire to involve him in his
own predicament; and he signalled back to him, as plain as he was
able, to begone.

Lawless, as though he had understood, disappeared at once behind a
pillar, and Dick breathed again.

What, then, was his dismay to feel himself plucked by the sleeve
and to find the old robber installed beside him, upon the next
seat, and, to all appearance, plunged in his devotions!

Instantly Sir Oliver arose from his place, and, gliding behind the
stalls, made for the soldiers in the aisle. If the priest's
suspicions had been so lightly wakened, the harm was already done,
and Lawless a prisoner in the church.

"Move not," whispered Dick. "We are in the plaguiest pass, thanks,
before all things, to thy swinishness of yestereven. When ye saw
me here, so strangely seated where I have neither right nor
interest, what a murrain I could ye not smell harm and get ye gone
from evil?"

"Nay," returned Lawless, "I thought ye had heard from Ellis, and
were here on duty."

"Ellis!" echoed Dick. "Is Ellis, then, returned?

"For sure," replied the outlaw. "He came last night, and belted me
sore for being in wine - so there ye are avenged, my master. A
furious man is Ellis Duckworth! He hath ridden me hot-spur from
Craven to prevent this marriage; and, Master Dick, ye know the way
of him - do so he will!"

"Nay, then," returned Dick, with composure, "you and I, my poor
brother, are dead men; for I sit here a prisoner upon suspicion,
and my neck was to answer for this very marriage that he purposeth
to mar. I had a fair choice, by the rood! to lose my sweetheart or
else lose my life! Well, the cast is thrown - it is to be my
life."

"By the mass," cried Lawless, half arising, "I am gone!"

But Dick had his hand at once upon his shoulder.

"Friend Lawless, sit ye still," he said. "An ye have eyes, look
yonder at the corner by the chancel arch; see ye not that, even
upon the motion of