"Strange to say," the lawyer went on, "the woman survived her sentence; and this being an undoubted miracle, she received pardon to the laud of God and the honour of His glorious mother, Dame Mary. [Such a case really happened at Nottingham in 1357.] But if you were supposing a case without any such miraculous intervention--" "Oh, we weren't thinking of miracles, any way," answered Roscius. "Then I should say the sentence would remain in force. There is of course a faint possibility that it might not be put in force; but if the man came to me for advice, I should not counsel him to build much upon that. Especially if he happened to have an enemy." "Well, it does not seem just, to my thinking, that a man should suffer a penalty twice over." "Just!" repeated the lawyer, with a laugh and a shrug of his shoulders. "Were you under the impression, Cousin Roscius, that law and justice were interchangeable terms?" "I certainly was," said Roscius. "Then, you'd better get out of it," was the retort. "I daren't take Ermine, after that," said Stephen, rather sorrowfully, "The only hope would be that she might be so changed, nobody would know her; and then, as my wife, she might pass unharmed But the risk seems too great." "She's scarcely changed enough for that," replied Leuesa. "Very likely she would not be recognised by those to whom she was a comparative stranger; but such as had known her well would guess in a moment. Otherwise--" "Then her name would tell tales," suggested Stephen. "Oh, you might change that," said Roscius. "Call her Emma or Aymeria-- folks would never think." "And tell lies?" responded Stephen. "Why, you'd never call that telling lies, surely?" "It's a bit too like it to please me. Is Father Dolfin still at Saint Frideswide's?" "Ay, he's still there, but he's growing an old man, and does not get outside much now. He has resigned Saint Aldate's." "Then that settles it. He'd know." "But he's not an unkindly man, Stephen." "No, he isn't. But he's a priest. And maybe the priest might be stronger than the man. Let's keep on the safe side." "Let us wait," said Ermine quietly. "I don't see how waiting is to help you, unless you wait till every body is dead and buried--and it won't be much good going then." "Perhaps we may have to wait for the Better Country. There will be no sumners and sentences there." "But are you sure of knowing folks there?" "Saint Paul would scarcely have anticipated meeting his friends with joy in the resurrection if they were not to know each other when they met. There are many passages in Scripture which make it very plain that we shall know each other." "Are you so sure of getting there yourself?" was the query put by Roscius, with raised eyebrows. "I am quite sure," was Ermine's calm answer, "because Christ is there, and I am a part of Christ. He wills that His people shall be with Him where He is." "But does not holy Church teach rather different?" [Note 3.]