Mr. John, indeed,
gave news, of his brother Sir Thomas, and said how he did; and read a
letter, too, from Italy, from his younger brother Nicholas, who was fled
abroad after a year's prison at Oxford; but the climax of the talk came
when dinner was over, and the muscadel, with the mould-jellies, had been
put upon the tables. It was at this moment that Mr. John nodded to his
son, who went to the door, to see the servants out, and stood by it to
see that none listened. Then his father struck his hands together for
silence, and himself spoke.
"Mr. Simpson," he said, "has something to say to us all. It is not a
matter to be spoken of lightly, as you will understand presently.... Mr.
Simpson."
The priest looked up timidly, pulling out a paper from his pocket.
"You have heard of Mr. Nelson?" he said to the company. "Well, he was a
priest; and I have news of his death. He was executed in London on the
third of February for his religion. And another man, a Mr. Sherwood, was
executed a few days afterwards."
There was a rustle along the benches. Some there had heard of the fact,
but no more; some had heard nothing of either the man or his death. Two
or three faces turned a shade paler; and then the silence settled down
again. For here was a matter that touched them all closely enough; since
up to now scarcely a priest except Mr. Cuthbert Maine had suffered death
for his religion; and even of him some of the more tolerant said that it
was treason with which he was charged.
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