The King's Achievement

  CHAPTER VII

  ST PANCRAS PRIORY

  It was a little more than a month later that Ralph met hisfellow-Visitor at Lewes Priory.

  He had left Rusper in a storm of angry obstinacy, compelled by sheerpride to do what he had not intended. The arrival of his father and Marythere had had exactly the opposite effect to that which they hoped, andRalph had turned Margaret out of the convent simply because he could notbear that they should think that he could be frightened from hispurpose.

  As he had ridden off on that October morning, leaving Margaret standingoutside with her cloak over her arm he had had a very sharp suspicionthat she would be received back again; but he had not felt himselfstrong enough to take any further steps; so he contented himself withsending in his report to Dr. Layton, knowing well that heavy punishmentwould fall on the convent if it was discovered that the Abbess haddisobeyed the Visitors' injunctions.

  Then for a month or so he had ridden about the county, carrying offspoils, appointing new officials, and doing the other duties assigned tohim; he was offered bribes again and again by superiors of ReligiousHouses, but unlike his fellow-Visitors always refused them, and fell themore hardly on those that offered them; he turned out numbers of youngReligious and released elder ones who desired it, and by the time thathe reached Lewes was fairly practised in the duties of his position.

  But the thought of the consequences of his action with regard to hisfuture seldom left him. He had alienated his family, and perhapsBeatrice. As he rode once through Cuckfield, and caught a glimpse of thewoods above Overfield, glorious in their autumn livery, he wonderedwhether he would ever find himself at home there again. It was a gooddeal to give up; but he comforted himself with the thought of his owncareer, and with the pleasant prospect of possessing some such house inhis own right when the work that he now understood had beenaccomplished, and the monastic buildings were empty of occupants.

  He had received one letter, to his surprise, from his mother; that wasbrought to him by a messenger in one of the houses where he stayed. Itinformed him that he had the writer's approval, and that she wasthankful to have one son at least who was a man, and described furtherhow his father and Mary had come back, and without Margaret, and thatshe supposed that the Abbess of Rusper had taken her back.

  "Go on, my son," she ended, "it will be all well. You cannot come home,I know, while your father is in his present mind; but it is a dull placeand you lose nothing. When you are married it will be different. Mr.Carleton is very tiresome, but it does not matter."

  Ralph smiled to himself as he thought of the life that must now beproceeding at his home.

  He had written once to Beatrice, in a rather tentative tone, assuringher that he was doing his best to be just and merciful, and professingto take it for granted that she knew how to discount any exaggeratedstories of the Visitors' doings that might come to her ears. But he hadreceived no answer, and indeed had told her that he did not expect one,for he was continually on the move and could give no fixed address.

  As he came up over the downs above Lewes he was conscious of a keenexcitement; this would be the biggest work he had undertaken, and it hadthe additional zest of being a means of annoying his brother who hadprovoked him so often. Since his quarrel with Chris in his own rooms inthe summer he had retained an angry contempt towards him. Chris had beeninsolent and theatrical, he told himself, and had thrown off all claimsto tenderness, and Ralph's feelings towards him were not improved by theinformation given him by one of his men that his brother had beenpresent at the scene at Rusper, no doubt summoned there by Morris, whohad proved such a desperate traitor to his master by slipping off toOverfield on the morning of the Sunday.

  Ralph was very much puzzled at first by Morris's behaviour; the man hadalways been respectful and obedient, but it was now evident to him thathe had been half-hearted all along, and still retained a superstitiousreverence for ecclesiastical things and persons; and although it wasvery inconvenient and tiresome to lose him, yet it was better to beinadequately than treacherously served.

  * * * * *

  Lewes Priory was a magnificent sight as Ralph came up on to the top ofthe last shoulder below Mount Harry. The town lay below him in the deep,cup-like hollow, piled house above house along the sides. Beyond it inthe evening light, against the rich autumn fields and the gleam ofwater, towered up the tall church with the monastic buildings nestlingbehind.

  The thought crossed his mind that it would do very well for himself;the town was conveniently placed between London and the sea, within aday's ride from either; there would be shops and company there, and thepriory itself would be a dignified and suitable house, when it had beenproperly re-arranged. The only drawback would be Beatrice'sscrupulousness; but he had little doubt that ultimately that could beovercome. It would be ridiculous for a single girl to set herself upagainst the conviction of a country, and refuse to avail herself of theadvantages of a reform that was so sorely needed. She trusted himalready; and it would not need much persuasion he thought to convinceher mind as well as her heart.

  Of course Lewes Priory would be a great prize, and there would be manyapplicants for it, and he realized that more than ever as he came up toits splendid gateway and saw the high tower overhead, and the long tiledroofs to the right; but his own relations with Cromwell were of thebest, and he decided that at least no harm could result from asking.

  It was with considerable excitement that he dismounted in the court, andsaw the throng of Dr. Layton's men going to and fro. As at Durford, sohere, his superior had arrived before him, and the place was alreadyastir. The riding-horses had been bestowed in the stables, and thebaggage-beasts were being now unloaded before the door of theguest-house; there were servants going to and fro in Dr. Layton'slivery, with an anxious-faced monk or two here and there among them, anda buzz and clatter rose on all sides. One of Dr. Layton's secretarieswho had been at Durford, recognised Ralph and came up immediately,saluting him deferentially.

  "The doctor is with the Sub-Prior, sir," he said. "He gave orders thatyou were to be brought to him as soon as you arrived, Mr. Torridon."

  Ralph followed him into the guest-house, and up the stairs up whichChris had come at his first arrival, and was shown into the parlour.There was a sound of voices as they approached the door, and as Ralphentered he saw at once that Dr. Layton was busy at his work.

  "Come in, sir," he cried cheerfully from behind the table at which hesat. "Here is desperate work for you and me. No less than rank treason,Mr. Torridon."

  A monk was standing before the table, who turned nervously as Ralph camein; he was a middle-aged man, grey-haired and brown-faced like aforeigner, but his eyes were full of terror now, and his lips tremblingpiteously.

  Ralph greeted Dr. Layton shortly, and sat down beside him.

  "Now, sir," went on the other, "your only hope is to submit yourself tothe King's clemency. You have confessed yourself to treason in yourpreaching, and even if you did not, it would not signify, for I have theaccusation from the young man at Farley in my bag. You tell me you didnot know it was treason; but are you ready, sir, to tell the King'sGrace that?"

  The monk's eyes glanced from one to the other anxiously. Ralph could seethat he was desperately afraid.

  "Tell me that, sir," cried the doctor again, rapping the table with hisopen hand.

  "I--I--what shall I do, sir?" stammered the monk.

  "You must throw yourself on the King's mercy, reverend father. And as abeginning you must throw yourself on mine and Mr. Torridon's here. Now,listen to this."

  Dr. Layton lifted one of the papers that lay before him and read italoud, looking severely at the monk over the top of it between thesentences. It was in the form of a confession, and declared that on sucha date in the Priory Church of St Pancras at Lewes the undersigned hadpreached treason, although ignorant that it was so, in the presence ofthe Prior and community; and that the Prior, although he knew what wasto be said, and had heard the sermo
n in question, had neither forbiddenit beforehand nor denounced it afterwards, and that the undersignedentreated the King's clemency for the fault and submitted himselfentirely to his Grace's judgment.

  "I--I dare not accuse my superior," stammered the monk.

  Dr. Layton glared at him, laying the paper down.

  "The question is," he cried, "which would you sooner offend--your Prior,who will be prior no longer presently, or the King's Grace, who willremain the King's Grace for many years yet, by the favour of God, andwho has moreover supreme rights of life and death. That is your choice,reverend father."--He lifted the paper by the corners.--"You have onlyto say the word, sir, and I tear up this paper, and write my own reportof the matter."

  The monk again glanced helplessly at the two men. Ralph had a touch ofcontentment at the thought that this was Christopher's superior, rangedlike a naughty boy at the table, and looked at him coldly. Dr. Laytonmade a swift gesture as if to tear the paper, and the Sub-Prior threwout his hands.

  "I will sign it, sir," he said, "I will sign it."

  When the monk had left the room, leaving his signed confession behindhim, Dr. Layton turned beaming to Ralph.

  "Thank God!" he said piously. "I do not know what we should have done ifhe had refused; but now we hold him and his prior too. How have youfared, Mr. Torridon?"

  Ralph told him a little of his experiences since his last report, of anunnery where all but three had been either dismissed or released; of amonastery where he had actually caught a drunken cellarer unconscious bya barrel, and of another where he had reason to fear even worse crimes.

  "Write it all down, Mr. Torridon," cried the priest, "and do not sparethe adjectives. I have some fine tales for you myself. But we mustdespatch this place first. We shall have grand sport in thechapter-house to-morrow. This prior is a poor timid fellow, and we cando what we will with him. Concealed treason is a sharp sword to threatenhim with."

  Ralph remarked presently that he had a brother a monk here.

  "But you can do what you like to him," he said. "I have no love for him.He is an insolent fellow."

  Dr. Layton smiled pleasantly.

  "We will see what can be done," he said.

  * * * * *

  Ralph slept that night in the guest-house, in the same room that Chrishad occupied on his first coming. He awoke once at the sound of thegreat bell from the tower calling the monks to the night-office, andsmiled at the fantastic folly of it all. His work during the last monthhad erased the last remnants of superstitious fear, and to him now morethan ever the Religious Houses were but noisy rookeries, clamant withbells and chanting, and foul with the refuse of idleness. The soonerthey were silenced and purged the better.

  He did not trouble to go to mass in the morning, but lay awake in thewhite-washed room, hearing footsteps and voices below, and watching themorning light brighten on the wall. He found himself wondering once ortwice what Chris was doing, and how he felt; he did not rise till one ofhis men looked in to tell him that Dr. Layton would be ready for him inhalf-an-hour, if he pleased.

  The chapter-house was a strange sight as he entered it from thecloister. It was a high oblong chamber some fifty feet long, with archedroof like a chapel, and a paved floor. On a dozen stones or so were cutinscriptions recording the presence of bodies entombed below, among themthose of Earl William de Warenne and Gundrada, his wife, founders of thepriory five centuries ago. Ralph caught sight of the names as he strodethrough the silent monks at the door and entered the chamber, talkingloudly with his fellow-Visitor. The tall vaulted room looked bare andsevere; the seats ran round it, raised on a step, and before the Prior'schair beneath the crucifix stood a large table covered with papers.Beneath it, and emerging on to the floor lay a great heap of vestmentsand precious things which Dr. Layton had ordered to be piled there forhis inspection, and on the table itself for greater dignity burned twotapers in massive silver candlesticks.

  "Sit here, Mr. Torridon," said the priest, himself taking the Prior'schair, "we represent the supreme head of the Church of England now, youmust remember."

  And he smiled at the other with a solemn joy.

  He glanced over his papers, settled himself judicially, and then signedto one of his men to call the monks in. His two secretaries seatedthemselves at either end of the table that stood before their master.

  Then the two lines began to file in, in reverse order, as the doctor hadcommanded; black silent figures with bowed heads buried in their hoods,and their hands invisible in the great sleeves of their cowls.

  Ralph ran his eyes over them; there were men of all ages there, oldwrinkled faces, and smooth ones; but it was not until they were allstanding in their places that he recognised Chris.

  There stood the young man, at a stall near the door, his eyes bent down,and his face deadly pale, his figure thin and rigid against the pale oakpanelling that rose up some eight feet from the floor. Ralph's heartquickened with triumph. Ah! it was good to be here as judge, with thatbrother of his as culprit!

  The Prior and Sub-prior, whose places were occupied, stood together inthe centre of the room, as the doctor had ordered. It was their casethat was to come first.

  There was an impressive silence; the two Visitors sat motionless,looking severely round them; the secretaries had their clean paperbefore them, and their pens, ready dipped, poised in their fingers.

  Then Dr. Layton began.

  * * * * *

  It was an inexpressibly painful task, he said, that he had before him;the monks were not to think that he gloried in it, or loved to findfault and impose punishments; and, in fact, nothing but the knowledgethat he was there as the representative of the supreme authority inChurch and State could have supplied to him the fortitude necessary forthe performance of so sad a task.

  Ralph marvelled at him as he listened. There was a solemn sound in theman's face and voice, and dignity in his few and impressive gestures. Itcould hardly be believed that he was not in earnest; and yet Ralphremembered too the relish with which the man had dispersed his foultales the evening before, and the cackling laughter with which theirrecital was accompanied. But it was all very wholesome for Chris, hethought.

  "And now," said Dr. Layton, "I must lay before you this grievous matter.It is one of whose end I dare not think, if it should come before theKing's Grace; and yet so it must come. It is no less a matter thantreason."

  His voice rang out with a melancholy triumph, and Ralph, looking at thetwo monks who stood in the centre of the room, saw that they were bothas white as paper. The lips of the Prior were moving in a kind ofagonised entreaty, and his eyes rolled round.

  "You, sir," cried the doctor, glaring at the Sub-Prior, who dropped hisbeseeching eyes at the fierce look, "you, sir, have committed thecrime--in ignorance, you tell me--but at least the crime of preaching inthis priory-church in the presence of his Grace's faithful subjects asermon attacking the King's most certain prerogatives. I can makeperhaps allowances for this--though I do not know whether his Grace willdo so--but I can make allowances for one so foolish as yourself carriedaway by the drunkenness of words; but I can make none--none--" heshouted, crashing his hand upon the table, "none for your superior whostands beside you, and who forebore either to protest at the treason atthe time or to rebuke it afterwards."

  The Prior's hands rose and clasped themselves convulsively, but he madeno answer.

  Dr. Layton proceeded to read out the confession that he had wrung fromthe monk the night before, down to the signature; then he called uponhim to come up.

  "Is this your name, sir?" he asked slowly.

  The Sub-Prior took the paper in his trembling hands.

  "It is sir," he said.

  "You hear it," cried the doctor, staring fiercely round the faces, "hetells you he has subscribed it himself. Go back to your place, reverendfather, and thank our Lord that you had courage to do so.

  "And now, you, sir, Master Prior, what have you to say?" br />
  Dr. Layton dropped his voice as he spoke, and laid his fat handstogether on the table. The Prior looked up with the same dreadfulentreaty as before; his lips moved, but no sound came from them. Themonks round were deadly still; Ralph saw a swift glance or two exchangedbeneath the shrouding hoods, but no one moved.

  "I am waiting, my Lord Prior," cried Layton in a loud terrible voice.

  Again the Prior writhed his lips to speak.

  Dr. Layton rose abruptly and made a violent gesture.

  "Down on your knees, Master Prior, if you need mercy."

  There was a quick murmur and ripple along the two lines as the Priordropped suddenly on to his knees and covered his face with his hands.

  Dr. Layton threw out his hand with a passionate gesture and began tospeak--.

  "There, reverend fathers and brethren," he cried, "you see how low sinbrings a man. This fellow who calls himself prior was bold enough, Idaresay, in the church when treason was preached; and, I doubt not, hasbeen bold enough in private too when he thought none heard him but hisfriends. But you see how treachery,--heinous treachery,--plucks thespirit from him, and how lowly he carries himself when he knows thattrue men are sitting in judgment over him. Take example from that, youwho have served him in the past; you need never fear him more now."

  Dr. Layton dropped his hand and sat down. For one moment Ralph saw thekneeling man lift that white face again, but the doctor was at himinstantly.

  "Do not dare to rise, sir, till I give you leave," he roared. "You hadbest be a penitent. Now tell me, sir, what you have to say. It shall notbe said that we condemned a man unheard. Eh! Mr. Torridon?"

  Ralph nodded sharply, and glanced at Chris; but his brother was staringat the Prior.

  "Now then, sir," cried the doctor again.

  "I entreat you, Master Layton--"

  The Prior's voice was convulsed with terror as he cried this withoutstretched hands.

  "Yes, sir, I will hear you."

  "I entreat you, sir, not to tell his Grace. Indeed I am innocent"--hisvoice rose thin and high in his panic--indeed, I did not know it wastreason that was preached."

  "Did not know?" sneered the doctor, leaning forward over the table."Why, you know your Faith, man--"

  "Master Layton, Master Layton; there be so many changes in these days--"

  "Changes!" shouted the priest; "there be no changes, except of suchknaves as you, Master-Prior; it is the old Faith now as ever. Do youdare to call his Grace a heretic? Must that too go down in the charges?"

  "No, no, Master Layton," screamed the Prior, with his hands strainedforward and twitching fingers. "I did not mean that--Christ is mywitness!"

  "Is it not the same Faith, sir?"

  "Yes, Master Layton--yes--indeed, it is. But I did not know--how could Iknow?"

  "Then why are you Prior," cried the doctor with a dramatic gesture, "ifit is not to keep your subjects true and obedient? Do you mean to tellme--?"

  "I entreat you, sir, for the love of Mary, not to tell his Grace--"

  "Bah!" shouted Dr. Layton, "you may keep your breath till you tell hisGrace that himself. There is enough of this." Again he rose, and swepthis eyes round the white-faced monks. "I am weary of this work. Thefellow has not a word to say--"

  "Master Layton, Master Layton," cried the kneeling man once more,lifting his hands on one of which gleamed the prelatical ring.

  "Silence, sir," roared the doctor. "It is I who am speaking now. We havehad enough of this work. It seems that there be no true men left, exceptin the world; these houses are rotten with crime. Is it not so, MasterTorridon?--rotten with crime! But of all the knaves that I did evermeet, and they are many and strong ones, I do believe Master Prior, thatyou are the worst. Here is my sentence, and see that it be carried out.You, Master Prior, and you Master Sub-Prior, are to appear before MasterCromwell in his court on All-Hallows' Eve, and tell your tales to him.You shall see if he be so soft as I; it may be that he will send youbefore the King's Grace--that I know not--but at least he will know howto get the truth out of you, if I cannot--"

  Once more the Prior broke in, in an agony of terror; but the doctorsilenced him in a moment.

  "Have I not given my sentence, sir? How dare you speak?"

  A murmur again ran round the room, and he lifted his hand furiously.

  "Silence," he shouted, "not one word from a mother's son of you. I havehad enough of sedition already. Clear the room, officer, and let not oneshaveling monk put his nose within again, until I send for him. I amweary of them all--weary and broken-hearted."

  The doctor dropped back into his seat, with a face of profound disgust,and passed his hand over his forehead.

  The monks turned at the signal from the door, and Ralph watched theblack lines once more file out.

  "There, Mr. Torridon," whispered the doctor behind his hand. "Did I nottell you so? Master Cromwell will be able to do what he will with him."