“O Julian, I was right glad at the answer thou gavest him about our father.  I trembled lest thou shouldst say he was bound for the coast.”

Both brothers had been too well trained in the creed which allows and encourages the practice of speaking falsehood and even doing evil in a good cause, to feel that any kind of shame attached to a falsehood spoken to conceal from a crafty enemy a thing it would be perilous to others for him to know.  And indeed diplomatic falsehood has never been eradicated from the world even since purer light has shone in upon it.  It is very hard to meet craft, falsehood, and treachery by absolute frankness and truthful honesty.  In the long run it does sometimes prove to be the strongest weapon a man can wield; but the temptation to meet craft by craft, deceit by deceit, is strong in human nature, and until a much later date was openly advocated as the only policy sane men could adopt when they dealt with foes always eager to outwit them.  And certainly these lads would have felt themselves justified in going to far greater lengths to save their father from suspicion, or their preceptor and friend from peril.

“Then thou heardest all?  I scarce know why I spoke as I did, for our father has always been the friend of the brethren of Chadwater.  But the look in the man’s eye made me cautious, and I minded a few parting words spoken by Bertram.  Tell me, Edred, what it is that is stirring; I would know more.”

“Verily it is that Brother Emmanuel stands in some peril from those of his own community.  He has written something they mislike, and they mean to have him back to answer for it.  Both he and our father think that if once he enters Chadwater again he will never come forth alive.  Wherefore our father will not give him up to his enemies, but will contrive for him to escape.  That is what he has gone to the coast for today; and when he knows that a vessel is ready and about to sail, Brother Emmanuel must be spirited away in the dead of the night; and when the prior comes to search for him—­as doubtless he will do when we can find him not—­it will puzzle him to lay hands upon him, for he will be away on the high seas.”

“Good!” cried Julian, delighted.  “Edred, I mislike those cruel, crafty monks.  Methinks they are little like the saintly men of old who fled to the cloister to rid themselves of the trammels of the world.  I—­”

But Edred laid a hand upon his brother’s arm and checked him suddenly, pointing to another stationary figure a short distance away amongst the trees—­a figure wearing the dress of a lay brother of the priory, and engaged in keeping a close and careful watch upon the main entrance to the house.

“Hist!” whispered Edred; “we must not let him hear such words.  Julian, mark my word, this house is watched.  The prior has set his spies upon it.  He fears lest Brother Emmanuel shall escape; or else the watch is set so that any going forth of his may be known, and he will be set upon and swiftly bound, and carried away to the priory, whence, I fear me, no man will ever see him re-issue.”