"What I have to say concerns him as much as yourself or your father; and I would gladly have his voice in the matter." "You shall have it, my son," replied a reverend personage, clad in a priestly garb, stepping from out one side of the mantel-piece, which flew suddenly open, disclosing a recess curiously contrived in the thickness of the wall.

"You shall have it," said Father Oldcorne, for he it was, approaching and extending his arms over him.

"Accept my blessing and my welcome." Catesby received the benediction with bowed head and bended knee.
"And now," continued the priest, "what has the bravest soldier of our church to declare to its lowliest servant ?" Catesby then briefly explained, as he had before done to the steward, why he had taken Manchester in his route to North Wales; and, after lamenting his inability to render any assistance to the unfortunate priests, he went on to state that he had accidentally learnt, from a few words let fall by the pursuivant to his attendant, that a warrant had been sent by the Earl of Salisbury for Sir William Radcliffe's arrest.
"My father's arrest!" exclaimed Viviana, trembling violently.
"What--what is laid to his charge ?" "Felony," rejoined Catesby, sternly--"felony, without benefit of clergy--for so it is accounted by the present execrable laws of our land,--in harbouring a Jesuit priest.

If he is convicted of the offence, his punishment will be death--death on the gibbet, accompanied by indignities worse than those shown to a common felon." "Holy Virgin!" ejaculated Father Oldcorne, lifting up his hands, and raising his eyes to heaven.
"From what I gathered, the officers will visit this house to-night," continued Catesby.
"Our Lady be praised, they will not find him!" cried Viviana, who had been thrown into an agony of distress.

"What is to be done in this frightful emergency, holy father ?" she added, turning to the priest, with a supplicating look.
"Heaven only knows, dear daughter," replied Oldcorne.