But if your purpose be bloody , it shall return upon your head . Amen ! '' And the priest devoutly crossed himself , and turned and louted to the altar . With that , he spoke a few words more to the soldiers , and taking Dick by the hand , led him up to the choir , and placed him in the stall beside his own , where , for mere decency , the lad had instantly to kneel and appear to be busy with his devotions . His mind and his eyes , however , were continually wandering . Three of the soldiers , he observed , instead of returning to the house , had got them quietly into a point of vantage in the aisle ; and he could not doubt that they had done so by Sir Oliver 's command . Here , then , he was trapped . Here he must spend the night in the ghostly glimmer and shadow of the church , and looking on the pale face of him he slew ; and here , in the morning , he must see his sweetheart married to another man before his eyes . But , for all that , he obtained a command upon his mind , and built himself up in patience to await the issue . CHAPTER IV -- IN THE ABBEY CHURCH In Shoreby Abbey Church the prayers were kept up all night without cessation , now with the singing of psalms , now with a note or two upon the bell . Rutter , the spy , was nobly waked . There he lay , meanwhile , as they had arranged him , his dead hands crossed upon his bosom , his dead eyes staring on the roof ; and hard by , in the stall , the lad who had slain him waited , in sore disquietude , the coming of the morning . Once only , in the course of the hours , Sir Oliver leaned across to his captive . `` Richard , '' he whispered , `` my son , if ye mean me evil , I will certify , on my soul 's welfare , ye design upon an innocent man . Sinful in the eye of Heaven I do declare myself ; but sinful as against you I am not , neither have been ever . '' `` My father , '' returned Dick , in the same tone of voice , `` trust me , I design nothing ; but as for your innocence , I may not forget that ye cleared yourself but lamely . '' `` A man may be innocently guilty , '' replied the priest . `` He may be set blindfolded upon a mission , ignorant of its true scope . So it was with me . I did decoy your father to his death ; but as Heaven sees us in this sacred place , I knew not what I did . ''
`` It may be , '' returned XXXXX .
Church Dick Oliver Richard Rutter decoy hours morning night slew