Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

416 RAVENSHOE.
with all the particulars. It had been confessed to him. He told
it to me the day gMrs. Ravenshoe died, after Densil Ravenshoe
had told me that his second son was to be brought up to the Protestant faith. I went to him in a furious passion, and he told me
about this previous marriage which had been confessed to him, to
quiet me. It showed me, that if the worst were to happen, and
Cuthbert were to die, and Ravenshoe go to a Protestant, I could
still bring in a Catholic as a last resource. For if Cuthbert had
died, and Norah had not confessed about the changing of the
children, I should have brought in James, and after him William,
both Catholics, believing William to be the son of James and
Norah. Do you understand?
" Why did I not? I loved that boy Cuthbert, and it was told
under seal of confession, and must not be used save in deadly extremity, and William was a turbulent boy. Which would have
been the greater crime at that time? It was only a choice of
evils, for the Church is very dear to me.
" Then Norah confessed to me about the change of children,
and then I saw, that by speaking of Petre Ravenshoe's marriage
I should only bring in a Protestant heir. But I saw also, that by
using her confession only, I could prove Charles Ravenshoe to be
merely a gamekeeper's son, and turn him out into the world.
And so I used it, sir. You used to irritate and insult me, sir," he
said, turning to Charles, "and I was not so near death then as
now. If you can forgive me, in God's name say so."
Charles went over to him, and put his arm round him. "Forgive you?" he said; "dear Mackworth, can you forgive me?"
"Well, well!" he continued, " what have I to forgive, Charles?
At one time, I thought if I spoke that it would be better, because
Ellen, the only daughter of the house, would have had a great
dower, as Ravenshoe girls have. But I loved Cuthbert too well.
And Lord Welter stopped my even thinking of doing so, by coming to Ravenshoe. And- and —,we.were all gentlemen here.
The day that you hunted the black hare, I had been scolding her
for writing to him. And William and I made her mad between
us, and she ran away to him. And she is with the army now,
Charles. I should not fetch her back, Charles. She is doing
very good work there."
By this time she had drawn the black hood over her face, and
was standing behind him, motionless.
"I will answer any more questions you will like to-morrow.
Petre Ravenshoe's marriage took place at Finchampstead, remember. Charles, my dear boy, would you mind kissing me?
I think I always loved you, Charles. Murtagh Tiernay, take me
to my room."
And so he went tottering away through the darkness. Charles