"I have heard the bell of St. Martin's," answered Leofric, scarce raising his head from his task; "I trow the new Chancellor will have cause for displeasure and stern judgment. This is the third time there has been a disturbance since he arrived within the city."
"But listen, Leofric, there is worse than that. They say that our good friend Hugh has been dragged off to prison for the murder of a citizen, and the whole place is clamouring for his blood—all the citizens, that is!"
Leofric was aroused now, and started up in excitement.
"What—what!—Hugh charged with such a crime? Impossible! It must be some mistake."
"Or some foul play," said Jack significantly. "I could not get at him for the press, but I got near enough to hear them say he declared the murder had been done by a man in a monkish habit, lurking in a doorway, who had vanished the moment the crime was committed, leaving the murdered man lying at Hugh's feet with the stiletto in his heart. But not one word of this story will the crowd believe, and Hugh has been haled off to the Bocardo prison!"
Hardly had Jack finished these words before Gilbert, together with Hal Seaton, hurried in full of the same news.
"It is some vile plot against Hugh!" cried Gilbert. "Have we not suspected for long that his enemies have returned, and are plotting evil against him? For my part, I have long believed that Tito Balzani has returned, and is masquerading beneath the cowl of a monk; and that yon evil-faced, bearded braggart whom men are beginning to know and note in the streets, is none other than our old friend Roger de Horn—much changed by his three years' absence, and by staining his face and growing his beard. If those two are in league together again, be sure they are after no good."
"And it behoves us to do something, and that something quickly," said Hal, "if Hugh is to be saved from disgrace, if not from imprisonment or worse. For upon the day after to-morrow the new Chancellor is to hold a court, and all turbulent citizens and clerks are to be brought before him. I trow if Hugh is charged before him with murder in the open streets—and there be some ready to swear to seeing him strike the blow—it may go hard with him. For all men say that the Chancellor is an upright and just man, and will not favour the clerks more than those of the city; that he has spoken stern things as to the riots so frequent here, and has resolved to put them down with a strong hand."
Leofric stood lost in thought, revolving many things in his mind. The original cause of jealousy between Hugh and Roger had been Linda Balzani. So long as she played no part in Hugh's life it had been undisturbed; but directly he recommenced his wooing, he began to feel himself watched and spied upon, and now this evil thing, carefully and craftily plotted, had happened to him. Did it not all point to some jealousy with regard to the beautiful Linda? They had contrived that her lover should be helpless to fly to her aid; did not that show that some evil was purposed against the maid herself?
Quickly and anxiously did he communicate these thoughts to his companions, and as he spoke Jack smote his hand against his brow and cried excitedly,—