the better light. The soft glow of the candles fell upon
her shining hair, and upon cheek and brow; and I could see her bosom
rise and fall with the quick-coming breath, and the pulse throbbing in
her fair white neck. And with the seeing I became a fool of love again
in very earnest, and was within a hair's breadth of sinking honor and
all else in an outpouring of such words as a man may say once to one
woman in all the world--and having said them may never unsay them.

'Twas a most practical little thing she did that saved me from falling
headlong into this last ditch of dishonor. Twisting the letter into a
spill she stood on tiptoe to light it at one of the candles, saying:
"'Twas a foolish thing to put on paper, and might well hang the writer
in such times as these. He says you are a king's man and well known to
him, and you are neither." But when the letter was a crisp of blackened
paper-ash she turned upon me, and once again the changeful eyes were
cold and her words were stranger-formal.

"What is it you would have me do, Captain Ireton?"

"Nothing," I made haste to say; "nothing save to believe that I came
here unwittingly--and to let me go."

"Where will you go? The town is alive with those who would--who would--"

"Who would show me scant mercy, you would say. True; and yet I came
hither--to the town, I mean--of my own free will."

Her mood changed in the pivoting fraction of an instant, and now the
beautiful eyes were alight and warm and pleadingly eloquent.

"Oh, why did you come? Are you--are you what they said you were?"

"A spy? If I am, you would scarce expect me to confess it, even to you."

"'Tis dishonorable--most dishonorable!" she cried. "I could respect a
brave soldier enemy; but a spy--"

There was a clattering of hoofs in the street and a jingle of
sword-scabbards on the door-stone. I wheeled to face the newcomers,
determined now to front it boldly as a desperate man at bay. But before
the fumbling hands without could find the door-knob Margery was beside
me, all a-flutter in a trembling-fit of excitement.

"Up the stair, quickly, _pour l'amour de Dieu!_" she whispered; and we
were at the clock landing when the great door opened and some half-dozen
king's officers came in. We crouched together behind the balustrade till
they should pass beyond the sight of us, and in the group I marked a man
stout and heavy built, walking full solidly for his two-and-forty years.
He wore his own hair d