He was half afraid of allowing himself to think too much on such themes, and went in search of his brothers.  He found Warbel looking out for him in some anxiety.  He had missed the boy for some little while from his charge, and as the field was filling fast with followers and servants wearing the Mortimer livery, he was glad to have the three boys all together beneath his care.

He would have been glad to get them to leave the place, but Bertram would not hear of it.  He wished to try his own skill at some of the sports; and Julian, of course, must needs follow his example.

The skill and address of the Chadgrove brothers won the hearty admiration of the rustics, but it also brought them more than once into rivalry and collision with some of Mortimer’s gentlemen-at-arms, who were not best pleased to be overmatched by mere striplings.  It was also galling and irritating to them to note the popularity of these lads with the rustics.  Any success of theirs was rewarded by loud shouting and applause, whilst no demonstration of satisfaction followed any feat performed by those wearing the livery of Mortimer.  And if the lads scored a triumph over any of these latter, the undisguised delight of the beholders could not pass unnoticed by the vanquished.

Altogether there were so much jealousy and ill will aroused that little scuffles between the followers of Chad and Mortimer had already taken place in more than one part of the field.  Warbel was getting very uneasy, and had persuaded Edred to use his influence with his brothers to return home before any real collision should have occurred, when a great tumult and shouting suddenly arose to interrupt the whispered colloquy, and Edred saw a great rush being made in the direction of the oak tree, where the hunchback preacher had been keeping his station the whole day long, always surrounded by a little knot of listeners.

Shouts and yells were filling the air, the voices being those of Mortimer’s following.

“A Lollard, a Lollard!  A heretic!  Down with him!  Away with him!  To the fire with him!  A Lollard, a Lollard!”

A deep flush overspread Edred’s face.  He made a spring forward; but Warbel laid a detaining hand upon his arm.

“It is no case for us to interfere in,” he said, with clouded brow.  “If they have a heretic to deal with we must not meddle.  It is not England’s way for a score to attack one; but we must not interpose betwixt Mortimer and a heretic.  That would be too much peril.”

But almost before the man had done speaking Edred broke away, crying out excitedly:  “My brothers, my brothers! they are there in the thick of it!” and with a groan of terror and dismay Warbel recognized the voice of Bertram raised in angry scorn.