The hidden treasure

by Lucy Ellen Guernsey

Master Fleming had returned to London, carrying with him the thanks and blessings of all the poor in Bridgewater, and of all whom he had led into the knowledge of the Scriptures and the way of life. Dame Barbara continued her school, now as large as she could manage.

Jack had made more than one journey to Holford to visit his uncle and Arthur, between whom and himself had grown up a warm and intimate friendship. This friendship, though approved by Sir John, was not viewed with altogether favorable eyes either by my lady or Master Lucas. My lady, though she acknowledged the obligations of the family to Jack, nevertheless thought it rather beneath her son's dignity to be so familiar with the son of a citizen; and Master Lucas, who was fully as proud in his way as my lady was in hers, did not like to have Jack visit at a house where he was likely to be looked upon as a presumptuous intruder.

However, Arthur's mother was inclined to treat her son with every indulgence, so long as he continued in his present weak state, and, though she gently mourned over the degeneracy of the times which made such a friendship possible, and was sometimes more condescending in her kindness to Jack than was altogether pleasant, still she was kind, and, moreover, acknowledged that the young man had parts and breeding which would not disgrace any station.

It may be guessed that Jack and Arthur never wanted for topics of conversation. Arthur had lived a roving and somewhat wild life for two or three years after he went abroad, till he at last fell dangerously ill at Antwerp. Alone in a strange place, without money and without friends, he was likely to fare badly; when he was found out by those two eminent saints and confessors, Frith and Lambert, then engaged in distributing and preaching the Word of God among their own countrymen abroad. By them Arthur was fed and nursed and cared for till he recovered his health, and by them was he led to see what was the root of all his troubles, to renounce the errors in which he had been brought up, and to profess the truth.

Arthur had naturally a quick and strong mind and a warm heart. He studied eagerly and earnestly, and by the time he was able to be about again, he was fully grounded in the new doctrines. He was desirous of undertaking some useful work to show his thankfulness and sincerity, and taking with him a package of Testaments and tracts, he travelled from city to city and from village to village distributing the seed of truth, especially among his own countrymen.

Moved by the arguments and solicitations of his friend Frith, he at last became convinced that it was his duty to return and make his submission to his father; and he determined to do so, though sorely in doubt about his reception, for his father was a proud man, and it was a boast of the Brydges that no heir of the family had ever brought disgrace upon it.

It was at Brussels, on his way home, that Arthur Brydges was betrayed by one who had come to him pretending to be in want of an English Testament. This man had been in trouble, himself, as a Lutheran, had abjured his so-called errors, and was now endeavoring to atone for them by making himself serviceable as a spy. His former connection with English Protestants enabled him to assume the character to perfection, and perhaps Arthur in his zeal was not so careful as he should have been.

At any rate, he fell into the trap, went as he supposed with his new friend to a secret assembly of Protestants, and found himself in a dungeon of the Inquisition, from which he hardly escaped with life, by the connivance of an English priest who was not yet lost to all feeling of humanity or patriotism.

"The base hound—the infamous, cowardly traitor!" exclaimed Master Lucas when he heard the story. "Did he betray his own countryman to death, and that under the guise of friendship? I would go all the way to Bristol on foot to see him hanged."

"There have been worse cases than this," said Arthur; "cases in which the brother has literally betrayed the brother to death, and the father the son. Nay, I knew of one in which a brother informed against his own twin sister, and believed he was doing God service."