The old man’s face broke up into lines of emotion.
“Are you sure, my son?”
Chris nodded steadily.
“Then we will all be together,” said Sir James; and he turned to lead his horse to the stable.
There was a little council held in the guest-house a few minutes later. Dom Anthony hurried to it, his habit splashed with whitewash, for he had been cleaning the dormitory, and the four sat down together.
It seemed that Nicholas had ridden over from Great Keynes to Overfield earlier in the afternoon, and had brought the news that a company of men had passed through the village an hour before, and that one of them had asked which turn to take to Lewes. Sir Nicholas had ridden after them and enquired their business, and had gathered that they were bound for the priory, and he then turned his horse and made off to Overfield. His horse was spent when he arrived there; but he had changed horses and came on immediately with Sir James, to warn the monks of the approach of the men, and to give them an opportunity of making their escape if they thought it necessary.
“Who were the leaders?” asked the elder monk.
Nicholas shook his head.
“They were in front; I dared not ride up.”