"Don't you see you disturb the father's devotions?
He has enough to do to take care of his own soul, without minding yours." "Take this, daughter," cried the priest who had been first addressed, offering her a small volume, which he took from his vest, "and fail not to remember in your prayers the sinful soul of Robert Woodroofe, a brother of the order of Jesus." The woman put out her hand to take the book; but before it could be delivered to her, it was seized by the soldier.
"Your priests have seldom anything to leave behind them," he shouted, with a brutal laugh, "except some worthless and superstitious relic of a saint or martyr.

What's this?
Ah! a breviary--a mass-book.

I've too much regard for your spiritual welfare to allow you to receive it," he added, about to place it in his doublet.
"Give it her," exclaimed a young man, snatching it from him, and handing it to the woman, who disappeared as soon as she had obtained possession of it.
The soldier eyed the new-comer as if disposed to resent the interference, but a glance at his apparel, which, though plain, and of a sober hue, was rather above the middle class, as well as a murmur from the crowd, who were evidently disposed to take part with the young man, induced him to stay his hand.

He, therefore, contented himself with crying, "A recusant! a Papist!" "I am neither recusant nor Papist, knave!" replied the other, sternly; "and I counsel you to mend your manners, and show more humanity, or you shall find I have interest enough to procure your dismissal from a service which you disgrace." This reply elicited a shout of applause from the mob.
"Who is that bold speaker ?" demanded the pursuivant from one of his attendants.
"Humphrey Chetham of Crumpsall," answered the man: "son to one of the wealthiest merchants of the town, and a zealous upholder of the true faith." "He has a strange way of showing his zeal," rejoined the pursuivant, entering the answer in his note-book.

"And who is the woman he befriended ?" "A half-crazed being called Elizabeth Orton," replied the attendant.
"She was scourged and tortured during Queen Elizabeth's reign for pretending to the gift of prophecy, and was compelled to utter her recantation within yonder church.