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!"

The Black Arrow