ess, through the passage and into the guard-room.

There was a table set there on a step at the upper end with a chair
behind it; and at the lower end was a couple of men cleaning their
harness beneath a gallery that was held up by posts; the rest were out
changing guard. The door into the court was wide at first, and the sweet
air streamed in, refreshing Master Richard like wine after the stench
that was in his nostrils, and making him think upon the country again
and running water and birds, but Master-Lieutenant, when he had taken
his seat, bade them close it, and to set Master Richard before him; all
of which they did, and so held him.

Then he began to speak.

"Now, sir," he said roughly, "my lord King is at the point of death, and
I am here to examine you. What is it that you have done to his grace?"

Now Master Richard knew that the King could not die, else where were the
passion he was to undergo? And if the officer could lie in this matter,
why should he not lie in other matters?

"Where is your authority," he said "to examine me?"

"What sir! do you question that? You shall see my authority by and bye."

"I am willing to answer you as one man to another" said Master Richard
softly, "but not to plead, until I have seen your authority."

"Oh! you are willing to answer!" said the officer, smiling like an angry
dog. "Very well, then. What have you done to his grace?"

"I have done nothing," said Master Richard, "save give the message that
our Lord bade me give."

Master-Lieutenant laughed short and sharp at that, and the two men that
held Master Richard laughed with him. (The other two men were gone to
the other end of the hall, and Master Richard could not see what they
were doing.)

"Oho!" said the officer, "that is all that you have done to his grace! I
would advise you, sir, not to play the fool with me. We know very well
what you have done; but we would know from you how and when you did it."

Master Richard said nothing to that. He felt very light in the head,
what with his wounds and the bad air, and the strangeness of the
position. He knew that he was smiling, but he could not prevent it. His
smiling angered the man.

"You dare smile at me, sir!" he cried. "I will teach you to smile!"--and
he struck the table with his hand, so that the ink-horn danced upon it.

"I cannot help smiling," said Master Richard. "I think I am faint, sir."

One of the men shook him by the arm, and Master Richard's