Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

'
Why liavc yon rome with such great speed, my Kale?' inquired
IIIT kind benefactress.
1 nave made haste In COH16 and warn you ; for mi my way
liitlirr I met the commissioner, and \villi liim persons from tin;
town, coming to search tbe house for prie rheard them
n.'
Vernation was visible in the faces of the wailing- women,
and they whispered their mutual (ears .-is they stood e\peciing
the orders of Ilicir mistress, who, despatching some in search of
Fatlier Kalph and Austin, herself wont to Sir Reginald, taking
with her Catherine to give all necessary details. Sir Reginald
deemed it prudent to c !6al the priest, fearing the commissioner
might discover him to he such.
Not fur from the chapel was a hiding-place, which was entered
by taking up the tloor near the tire-place. Father Ralph descended
by this means into a small dark closet, and those without
carefully closed up the entrance. The altar furniture was
stowed away, and all ornaments taken from the chapel.
Scarcely had these arrangements been completed, when the
commissioner and his party drew up in the court-yard, and hav-
ing dismounted, entered, announcing to the dismayed servant
who gave admittance to the unwelcome visitors, that they intended
'
forthwith to search the house with much diligence for
Popish priests and the like.'
They were met in the hall by Sir Reginald. 'Sir,' said the
commissioner, in a solemn and pompous tone, '
I presume that
you are Sir Reginald de Courcy, to whom belongeth this mansion.'
The latter having assented he then continued:
'
Having
been appointed by the Sheriff of Cornwall to see that the laws
of the realm are not violated with impunity in these remote
parts, I intend by my zeal in performing my various duties, nay
also by needful severity, if the same become th necessary, to ren-
der myself worthy of the confidence of the high
1 1,'I h 10 I K( b I .
official whom I
represent. Now it hath come to my hearing that a Popish priest
hath entered this town unawares, and doth lie concealed in some
place unknown to us; and moreover, seeing that you and your
hou-ehold refrain from attending the church, I thought you, sir,
might be so rash as, despite the commands of our gracious lady
the Queen, to give harbor to an enemy of the state; and there-
fore it is that I have come hither to search your house.'
Mr. Iliggins considered that lie had a great talent for speaking,
and never lost an opportunity of displaying his oratorical
powers. He now fixed his penetrating gaze on Sir Reginald,
anxious to discover what effect his discourse had produced. But
lie was disappointed, as no fear was portrayed in the calm, almost
stern, look that met his own; nor were there any signs of
agitation in the manly voice that addressed him thus:
'Sir, in this house there is no such a one as you describe;
no enemy of the state has ever found shelter beneath my
roof. But if it please you to search the place, do so; you are
welcome.'
'I do not require your permission to do that to which I have
a right, and which it is my duty to do,' replied the commissioner
'
sharply. Here, men,' he cried, to those who accompanied
him, ' we must begin. But this gentleman must be locked up,
or he may be gone ere we return from our search.'
'
Be satisfied on that point,' replied Sir Reginald, who felt not
a little indignant at the imputation of cowardice which the remark
involved; 'you will find me here when your search is
ended.'
'
Very well," replied the other, reluctantly; '
The parly then spread themselves through the house; but the
commissoner soon perceived that it would be almost impossible
to find any one without some clue to their hiding-place; for the
Manor was a rambling building, with an endless number of passdeep
recesses, queer-shaped rooms, large granaries, and
vaulted cellars. Vainly they felt along the tapestried walls to
let us to work.'
discover if any person were concealed behind; with no better
results they measured the rooms with long poles, so that if any
part were not accounted for, they might pierce into that portion
of the wall.
At length the commissioner found his way to the chapel. A
Catholic place, of worship if had certainly been, hut It:' i
i'-h: and as tho
.'he beautiful lillle (iothic structine were ion"
to their repose. .Mr. i
I
tence. Leaving tin
1
spot, he mounted a small spir.
which led to the room where rather Ralph
lleolfry,' said the commissioner to one of his men. 'do you
sec those bricks near the tire place? They look to me as if they
had been newly put down.'
Certainly, sir, they have that appearance. Is it your
pleasure that we should remove them?'
'Might there not be a place for a man to get down into the,
wall of the chimney below, by lifting up ihU hearth'.'' remarked
another of the pursuivants several of whom had collected round
the spot.
'It is only the rats, yer honor,' said a voice from behind:
and the commissioner, on looking round, saw a tall,
man standing
vi
at the top of the stairs.
'
O, here is Larry O'Toole!' said one of the .
party, who
nized in the new-comer an Irish servant who had been many
years at the Manor.
'
I gave orders for all the serving-folks to be locked up; why
have I not been obeyed?' demanded Mr. Higgins in an an ry
tone. Before his attendants had time to answer, Larry
responded :
'
Sure 'tis out of the house I was until I came in, and then one
of ycr own men told me what ye were looking for. It's not
much they will find, says I. But when I saw ye searching
where we took up the bricks to ; get at them rats why, sure, I
did not like to see a gentleman like your honor troubling him-
self about so small a matter. It's no concern of mine, of course;
so I'll just say no more about it, if yer honor does not wish.'
The commissioner seemed puz/lcd; he looked sternly at Larry,
who was now leaning against the chimney with well-feigned in-
difference, although in truth, he felt
to the resuit of the search.
anything but iudiii'erint as
' You are a Papist, as your master is, I suppose?'
'
Faix, yer honor, I am,' replied the servant.
' Then you are not to be relied on. Here, men, take up these
bricks, and let us see what rats arc under them,' exclaimed Mr.
IlijTgins impatiently.
'I'll defend his reverence to my dying breath, if they do get
him out,' thought Larry to himself, as he saw them removing the
first brick. At that moment a wild shout of joy resounded
through the corridor. All stopped to listen.
'They have found something,' said one of the pursuivants.
'
Shall we go and see ere we try what seems a very unlikely
place for a man to hide in?'
The commissioner, not wishing that any other than himself
should have the honor of a discovery, agreed to this; and they
all left the room to join the rest of the party, who had found a
hollow place in the wall behind a large piece of tapestry, which
thdy had partly torn down. Considerable time and trouble were
expended in piercing the wall, when what evidently had been intended
as a place of concealment was exposed 1o view. Lights
were procured, the mysterious spot carefully examined, anil, to
the great disappointment of the searchers, nothing was found.
The day was now fast declining; the last rays of the sun had
faded from the western side of the old Manor. Discoi:
by their ill success, the pursuivants resolved to depart at -e,
not considering it necessary to make room near the chapel.
any further search in the
The commissioner and his party passed through the hall
where Sir Reginald was still seated. The sharp features of Sir.
Higgins wore an expression of baffled spite; and although he
said little, he appeared much mortified.
'
I have found nothing this time,' were the only words he
uttered; and without waiting for an answer he left the house.
Of the party of townspeople who, at the instigation of the
ever-busy blacksmith, had volunteered to accompany him. some
laughed at his failure, others grumbled at the useless trouble
they had given themselves; one aud all agreed that they would