“And when shall I speak?” he asked.
“You must wait; God will make the opportunity—in any case. You must not attempt to make it. That would terrify her.”
“And you will speak for me.”
Mary smiled at him.
“Dear friend,” she said, “sometimes I think you do not know us at all. Do you not see that Isabel is greater than all that? What she knows, she knows. I could tell her nothing.”
The days passed on; the days of the last month of the Norrises’ stay at Stanfield. Half-way through the month came the news of the Oxford executions.
“Ah! listen to this,” cried Mr. Buxton, coming out to them one evening in the garden with a letter in his hand. “‘Humphrey Prichard,’” he read, “‘made a good end. He protested he was condemned for the Catholic Faith; that he willingly died for it; that he was a Catholic. One of their ministers laughed at him, saying he was a poor ignorant fellow who knew not what it was to be a Catholic. ‘I know very well;’ said Humphrey, ‘though I cannot say it in proper divinity language.’ There is the Religion for you!” went on Mr. Buxton; “all meet there, wise and simple alike. There is no difference; no scholarship is needed for faith. ‘I know what it is,’ cried Humphrey, ‘though I cannot explain it!’”
The news came to Anthony just when he needed it; he felt he had done so little to teach his flock now he was to leave them; but if he had only done something to keep alive the fire of faith, he had not lost his time; and so he went about his spiritual affairs with new heart, encouraging the wavering, whom he was to leave, warning the over-confident, urging the hesitating, and saying good-bye to them all. Isabel went with him sometimes; or sometimes walked or rode with Mary, and was silent for the most part in public. The master of the house himself did his affairs, and carried a heavier heart each day. And at last the opportunity came which Mary had predicted.
He had come in one evening after a hot ride alone over to Tonbridge on some business with the priest there; and had dressed for supper immediately on coming in.