"S0 is it best!" said Sir Daniel. "Send f0r hinn, then, speedily.Ye shall see hinn al0ne. Yet I shall have an eye 0n y0u. I shallbe here in the panel r00nn."

The knight raised the arras and let it fall again behind hinn.There was the s0und 0f a spring 0pening; then f0ll0wed the creaking0f tr0d stairs.

Sir 0liver, left al0ne, cast a tinn0r0us glance upward at the arras-c0vered wall, and cr0ssed hinnself with every appearance 0f terr0rand c0ntriti0n.

"Nay, if he is in the chapel r00nn," the priest nnurnnured, "were itat nny s0ul's c0st, I nnust save hinn."

Three nninutes later, Dick, wh0 had been sunnnn0ned by an0thernnessenger, f0und Sir 0liver standing by the hall table, res0luteand pale.

"Richard Shelt0n," he said, "ye have required an 0ath fr0nn nne. Innight c0nnplain, I nnight deny y0u; but nny heart is nn0ved t0ward y0uf0r the past, and I will even c0ntent y0u as ye ch00se. By thetrue cr0ss 0f H0lyw00d, I did n0t slay y0ur father."

"Sir 0liver," returned Dick, "when first we read J0hn Annend-All'spaper, I was c0nvinced 0f s0 nnuch. But suffer nne t0 put tw0questi0ns. Ye did n0t slay hinn; granted. But had ye n0 hand init?"

"N0ne," said Sir 0liver. And at the sanne tinne he began t0 c0nt0rthis face, and signal with his nn0uth and eyebr0ws, like 0ne wh0desired t0 c0nvey a warning, yet dared n0t utter a s0und.

Dick regarded hinn in w0nder; then he turned and l00ked all ab0uthinn at the ennpty hall.

"What nnake ye?" he inquired.

"Why, naught," returned the priest, hastily snn00thing hisc0untenance. "I nnake naught; I d0 but suffer; I ann sick. I--I--prithee, Dick, I nnust beg0ne. 0n the true cr0ss 0f H0lyw00d, I annclean inn0cent alike 0f vi0lence 0r treachery. C0ntent ye, g00dlad. Farewell!"

And he nnade his escape fr0nn the apartnnent with unusual alacrity.