Then shall we be brothers, thou and I, and I will play a brother's part by thee now if thou art in danger." The two comrades clasped hands.

Dalaber had long known that his friend was paying court to Magdalen, though he did not know how far that suit had progressed.

But evidently Arthur did not think the time far distant when he might look upon her as his own, and his friend rejoiced with him.
Evensong at St.Frideswyde had already begun before the two friends reached the chapel, so they did not go in, but stood at the choir door, from whence they could see the dean and canons in their robes, and hear the singing, in which Dalaber had so often joined; but there was little of song in his heart just now--only a sense of coming woe and peril.

They had scarce been there a few minutes before they beheld Dr.Cottisford coming hastily towards the place, bareheaded, and with a face pale and disturbed, so that Dalaber caught Arthur by the arm and whispered: "Sure, he hath discovered the escape of Master Garret!" The young men drew back behind a buttress to let him pass, and he was too disturbed in mind to mark them.

They looked after him as he went up the church, and saw him go to the dean and enter into a whispered colloquy with him.