\"Lockwoodknowsnothingofmybeinghere，mindyou，\"hesaid;\"norwouldyou，youlittlewretch！hadyousleptbetter。YoumustforgetthatIhavebeenhere;andnowfarewell。Closethedoor，andgotoyourownroom，anddon\'tcomeouttill——stay，whyshouldyounotknowonesecretmore？Iknowyouwillneverbetrayme。\"
IntheChaplain\'sroomweretwowindows;theonelookingintothecourtfacingwestwardstothefountain;theother，asmallcasementstronglybarred，andlookingontothegreeninfrontoftheHall。
Thiswindowwastoohightoreachfromtheground;but，mountingonabuffetwhichstoodbeneathit，FatherHoltshowedmehow，bypressingonthebaseofthewindow，thewholeframeworkoflead，glass，andironstanchionsdescendedintoacavityworkedbelow，fromwhichitcouldbedrawnandrestoredtoitsusualplacefromwithout;abrokenpanebeingpurposelyopentoadmitthehandwhichwastoworkuponthespringofthemachine。
\"WhenIamgone，\"FatherHoltsaid，\"youmaypushawaythebuffet，sothatnoonemayfancythatanexithasbeenmadethatway;lockthedoor;placethekey——whereshallweputthekey？——under\'Chrysostom\'onthebook—shelf;andifanyaskforit，sayIkeepitthere，andtoldyouwheretofindit，ifyouhadneedtogotomyroom。Thedescentiseasydownthewallintotheditch;andso，oncemorefarewell，untilIseetheeagain，mydearson。\"AndwiththistheintrepidFathermountedthebuffetwithgreatagilityandbriskness，steppedacrossthewindow，liftingupthebarsandframeworkagainfromtheotherside，andonlyleavingroomforHarryEsmondtostandontiptoeandkisshishandbeforethecasementclosed，thebarsfixingasfirmlyasever，seemingly，inthestonearchoverhead。WhenFatherHoltnextarrivedatCastlewood，itwasbythepublicgateonhorseback;andheneversomuchasalludedtotheexistenceoftheprivateissuetoHarry，exceptwhenhehadneedofaprivatemessengerfromwithin，forwhichend，nodoubt，hehadinstructedhisyoungpupilinthemeansofquittingtheHall。
Esmond，youngashewas，wouldhavediedsoonerthanbetrayhisfriendandmaster，asMr。Holtwellknew;forhehadtriedtheboymorethanonce，puttingtemptationsinhisway，toseewhetherhewouldyieldtothemandconfessafterwards，orwhetherhewouldresistthem，ashedidsometimes，orwhetherhewouldlie，whichheneverdid。Holtinstructingtheboyonthispoint，however，thatiftokeepsilenceisnottolie，asitcertainlyisnot，yetsilenceis，afterall，equivalenttoanegation——andthereforeadownrightNo，intheinterestofjusticeoryourfriend，andinreplytoaquestionthatmaybeprejudicialtoeither，isnotcriminal，but，onthecontrary，praiseworthy;andaslawfulawayastheotherofeludingawrongfuldemand。Forinstance（sayshe），supposeagoodcitizen，whohadseenhisMajestytakerefugethere，hadbeenasked，\"IsKingCharlesupthatoak—tree？\"hisdutywouldhavebeennottosay，Yes——sothattheCromwelliansshouldseizethekingandmurderhimlikehisfather——butNo;hisMajestybeingprivateinthetree，andthereforenottobeseentherebyloyaleyes:allwhichinstruction，inreligionandmorals，aswellasintherudimentsofthetonguesandsciences，theboytookeagerlyandwithgratitudefromhistutor。When，then，Holtwasgone，andtoldHarrynottoseehim，itwasasifhehadneverbeen。Andhehadthisanswerpatwhenhecametobequestionedafewdaysafter。