The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-07-31
CHAPTER XNvII-Continued.

tine mite lower, WneH tIle tunult
arose. His attendants, foremost among
them our gay friend Reginald Harde-
lot, who showed in that trying hour
that he carried the heart of a brave
man behind his outward show of levity,
hurried to lock the door. The arch
bishop called upon them to desist.
"Do not endanger your lives, my chill
dren," he said, in gentler voice than
he was accustomed to use in issuing his
commands. at is my life that they
seek, and know how to die. Let the
servant of God depart in peace. l am
old, and have lived long enough. Do
not anger them by resistance.
Nevertheless the door was locked.
They we're not kept long in suspense.
For a minute or two, in spite of the
deafening din from without, they heard
footsteps and voices dispersed through
the building in vain quest, but present.
ly a thunder at the door, which sent
tomb.like echoes through the vaulted
chapel, announced that the blood
thirsty mob had found its victim.
Again the archbishop adjured his at
tendants to offer no resistance. Regin-
aid drew his dagger and he and the
boldest of his companions stood in line
in front of the door, resolved to sell
their lives dear.
The door burst open with q clang,
and the foremost of the mob tumbled
hesdlong in. The thin line of defend
ers struck out wildly, but they were
borne down by the weight of the mass
precipitated on them. A ringleader of
the mob, furious released prisoner
from one of the jails, who was armed
with his letters and had been holding
them aloft battering at the door when
it suddenly gave way, was hurled upon
Reginald and the letters felled him to
the floor.
A burst of yells and laughter signal
lied this triumph. Then there was an
involuntary hush, produced by the
spectacle that met their eyes at the
upper end of the chapel. The arch
bishop stood before the altar, cross
in his left hand, his right raised in the
attitude OF benediction, his command
ing figure at its full height. BY his
side stood chaplain, who raised aloft
the corpus dominicum.
The mob was awestruck and hushed
for moment, and the doomed man
seized the opportunity to speak.
81 am he whom ye seek" he said,
"your archbishop and father in God.
What would We, my children, with this
unseemly brawl? Dispense in peace,
lest"
A voice interrupted him. eve seek
the chancellor, not the archbishop"
Then the clamor broke out again.
eyes, the chancellor" they cried.
"The traitor to the king!" "The
plunderer of the commons!" "Where
are your accounts?' "Where is the
money of the commons
They yelled and spat at him.
Then two or three stole along behind
the great round pillars of the aisle, and
got between him and the altar, and
suddenly his arms were pinioned from
behind.
A cry was raised, "To the council
chamber" and thither the unfortunate
man was dragged by his yelling
captors.
mockery of Justice was enacted. The
ribald clown who had played the part
of Herod seated himself in the kings
chair. The other buffoon in the fan.
tastic dress of the Devil kept the door
as usher. Others flung themselves into
the seats of the counsellors, and tickled
the spectators vastly with their ribald
assumptions of dignity. Nothing could
be imagined more hideous and appall-
ing than this truculent mirth; it cam
not unhappily be fairly called inhuman
man only is capable of such extremes
of deviltry.
Presently the mock president of the
court spoke with horrible stares and
frowns in his Herodian character:
"Sir Chancellor, you are on your
trial before the commons of England,
impeached of being heinuos traitor to
the king, and a most outrageous ex-
tortioner of the commons. Have you
aught to say why you should not be
adjudged to the death of such male
factors?"
The archbishop, looked at him stern
ly. "Profane and ribald WRETCH" he
began, al am no traitor." But his
voice was lost in tempest of angry
sound.
Herod frowned and commanded
silence in a voice of thunder. "Dost
dare" he cried, 'to insult your royal
majesty"
The archbishop turned from him in
contempt, and addressed the throng
with unbendipg dignity. Take