Arthur had naturally a quick and strong mind and a warm heart. He studied eagerly and earnestly, and by the time he was able to be about again, he was fully grounded in the new doctrines. He was desirous of undertaking some useful work to show his thankfulness and sincerity, and taking with him a package of Testaments and tracts, he travelled from city to city and from village to village distributing the seed of truth, especially among his own countrymen. Moved by the arguments and solicitations of his friend Frith, he at last became convinced that it was his duty to return and make his submission to his father; and he determined to do so, though sorely in doubt about his reception, for his father was a proud man, and it was a boast of the Brydges that no heir of the family had ever brought disgrace upon it. It was at Brussels, on his way home, that Arthur Brydges was betrayed by one who had come to him pretending to be in want of an English Testament. This man had been in trouble, himself, as a Lutheran, had abjured his so-called errors, and was now endeavoring to atone for them by making himself serviceable as a spy. His former connection with English Protestants enabled him to assume the character to perfection, and perhaps Arthur in his zeal was not so careful as he should have been. At any rate, he fell into the trap, went as he supposed with his new friend to a secret assembly of Protestants, and found himself in a dungeon of the Inquisition, from which he hardly escaped with life, by the connivance of an English priest who was not yet lost to all feeling of humanity or patriotism. "The base hound—the infamous, cowardly traitor!" exclaimed Master Lucas when he heard the story. "Did he betray his own countryman to death, and that under the guise of friendship? I would go all the way to Bristol on foot to see him hanged." "There have been worse cases than this," said Arthur; "cases in which the brother has literally betrayed the brother to death, and the father the son. Nay, I knew of one in which a brother informed against his own twin sister, and believed he was doing God service." "Such things seem impossible," said Master Lucas. "I wonder what his parents said." "They may have approved," said Anne, bending closely over her work as she spoke. "If the sister were an heretic and a blasphemer, the brother's duty to the Church—" "Tell me not of duty to the Church!" interrupted the baker. "I say the man was a villain, unfit to live, not worthy of the name of hound, since even brutes know the ties of affection and friendship. Why, the very old cat there, thief that she is, would fight to the death for her kittens. But here I am growing as hot as one of mine own ovens," said he, wiping his forehead and smiling at his own vehemence. "Only, Anne, thou shouldst not vex thine old father by taking the contrary side."