"
"Then I will excommunicate thee, and deliver thy soul to Satan."
And he began to utter some awful Latin imprecation, which so aroused the
superstition of the sentinel that he made no further opposition, which
perhaps saved his life, for the retainers of Aescendune were meditating
instant violence, indignant at the delay and the outrage to their lady.
They themselves let the drawbridge down and guarded the sad cortege over
the plain. Their numbers increased every moment, and before they reached
the neighbourhood of the priory they had little cause to fear any
attack, should Redwald have arrived and have been rash enough to attempt
one.
The old parsonage house, which had served for the residence of each
successive parish prior or mass-thane, was a large and commodious
building, containing all such accommodation as the family absolutely
required in the emergency, while furniture, provision and comforts of
all kinds were sent over from the priory, for the good fathers did not
forget at this hour of need that they owed their own home to the
liberality of Ella and his father.
So when they had deposited the loved remains before the altar of the
church, and had knelt a brief season in prayer, the exiled family took
possession of their temporary home. It was hard--very hard--to give
up their loved dwelling at such a season of affliction, but the dread
which Redwald had somehow inspired made it a great relief to be removed
from his immediate presence.
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