The six sisters of the valleys : an historical romance - University Library

THE APOSTATES. 69
a regular death-wound to the heretics.
When the standard-bearers have fallen, the
infantry, you know, my Lord—to take a
metaphor from your profession—will soon
fall into disorder. But I expect them up
here shortly to receive their certificates,
and then I propose making them work in
the Church's service."
" Well conceived. Keep them in motion :
it will keep the head from forgetting your
arguments, and the heart from recanting."
" I thought it would be a fine stroke of
policy, if we took them down to some of
their old parishioners, or if we could make
them preach in their late pulpits. It would
be a glorious scandal, and blacken them for
ever in the eyes of their people : a case of
Absalom, an irreparable breach."
"Inform me when it is," rejoined the
Marquis, jocularly, "for I should like to
hear the maiden sermon ; let me know, for
my doctrines are rusting. I want a
polemic hour or two with a barbet just to