The Lord of Mortimer then rose and said: 

“Keep the men posted as I have given orders.  Let none stir from his vantage ground.  And be thou there to see that the closest watch is kept.  We go in person to search the house, and if any living thing seeks to make escape by door or window, it will be thine office and that of thy men to seize and hold him.”

“We will not fail, my lord,” said the man, who again saluted and withdrew.

Then the prior rose and called his monks about him, whilst the Lord of Mortimer did the like with his followers.

“Sir Oliver,” said the prior, “I would have spared you this unwelcome formality had it been possible, but my duty must be done.  I will ask you to be our conductor throughout the house, and will crave permission to post my servants hither and thither about the passages as seems to me best, and to take such steps as shall appear needful for proving to the satisfaction of all that this traitor monk is not hidden within your walls.”

Sir Oliver bent his head.

“Take what steps you will, reverend father; I and mine are at your disposal.  Whatever means you desire to use, do so without hesitation.  Shall my people arm themselves with tools to remove panelling or flooring?  You have but to command them; they shall instantly obey.”

The Lord of Mortimer again looked taken aback for a moment.  There was a confidence in Sir Oliver’s manner that did not appear to be assumed.  He would have preferred another aspect in his foe.

“We have brought all things needful for a rigorous search,” answered the prior.  “We hope and trust nothing will be needed.  Is it true that there are secret hiding places in the house, my son?  It would be well, perhaps, to visit any such first.”

“There be two,” answered Sir Oliver quietly, though his heart beat rather fast.  What if Brother Emmanuel had learned the secret of either of those places, and had sought refuge in one?  True, it would have been worse than useless to deny their existence.  Many in the household knew of them and how they might be entered.

Probably the prior or some of his monks had the trick of those chambers by heart.  Chad had been through many vicissitudes, and the monks had often been its guests.  Secrets once known to them were never allowed to be lost.  It would have been idle to seek to put the searchers off the scent.  He led the way to the places where the masked doors lay—­one was much after the pattern of that in the boys’ chamber—­and in each case himself opened the door, letting his guests go in to examine for themselves.

Those were terrible moments for him; but the hearts of the boys did not palpitate.  Each time the search party came forth with looks of baffled disappointment.  Each time the Lord of Mortimer’s face was dark and gloomy.  He had reckoned somewhat confidently on finding the fugitive in one of these known hiding places.  He had hoped Sir Oliver would profess an ignorance of at least one of the two.  His face was fierce and vindictive as the second was “drawn blank.”