“’On the third of February, knowing nothing of his death being so near, he was brought up to a higher part of the prison, and there told he was to suffer that day.  His kinsmen were admitted to him then, to bid him farewell; and afterwards two ministers came to turn him from his faith if they could; but they prevailed nothing.’”

There was a pause in the reading; but there was no movement among any that listened.  Robin, watching from his place at the right-hand table, cold at heart, ran his eyes along the faces.  The priest was as white as death, with the excitement, it seemed, of having to tell such a tale.  His host beside him seemed downcast and quiet, but perfectly composed.  Mrs. Manners had her eyes closed; Anthony Babington was frowning to himself with tight lips; Marjorie he could not see.

With a great effort the reader resumed: 

“’When he was laid on the hurdle he refused to ask pardon of the Queen’s Grace; for, said he, I have never yet offended her.  I was beside him, and heard it.  And he added, when those who stood near stormed at him, that it was better to be hanged than to burn in hell-fire.

“’There was a great concourse of people at Tyburn, but kept back by the officers so that they could not come at him.  When he was in the cart, first he commended his spirit into God’s Hands, saying In manus tuas, etc.; then he besought all Catholics that were present to pray for him; I saw a good many who signed themselves in the crowd; and then he said some prayers in Latin; with the psalms Miserere and De Profundis.  And then he addressed himself to the people, telling them he died for his religion, which was the Catholic Roman one, and prayed, and desired them to pray, that God would bring all Englishmen into it.  The crowd cried out at that, exclaiming against this Catholic Romish Faith; and so he said what he had to say, over again.  Then, before the cart was drawn away from him to leave him to hang, he asked pardon of all them he had offended, and even of the Queen, if he had indeed offended her.  Then one of the sheriffs called on the hangman to make an end; so Mr. Nelson prayed again in silence, and then begged all Catholics that were there once more to pray that, by the bitter passion of Christ, his soul might be received into everlasting joy.  And they did so; for as the cart was drawn away a great number cried out, and I with them, Lord, receive his soul.

“’He was cut down, according to sentence, before he was dead, and the butchery begun on him; and when it was near over, he moved a little in his pain, and said that he forgave the Queen and all that caused or consented to his death:  and so he died.’”

The priest’s voice, which had shaken again and again, grew so tremulous as he ended that those that were at the end of the hall could scarcely hear him; and, as it ceased, a murmur ran along the seats.

Mr. FitzHerbert leaned over to the priest and whispered.  The priest nodded, and the other held up his hand for silence.