'mayhaps' or 'possible chances of a change of mind with the King.'
Thou must make up quickly a whole catalogue of the horrors enacted at
Tyburn. Go, go, hasten thyself, good nurse. I will wait for her here."

Hardly had Janet disappeared when the door again was thrown open and
the footman announced a gentleman upon the King's errand. 'Twas indeed
his Majesty's guardsman with his order, and Cedric listened with
flushed face and beating heart, not to what he said, but for the sound
of a silken rustle upon the great hall parquetry; and as he heard it,
he raised his voice and said sternly to the courier,--

"And this means Tyburn-tree--a farewell forever to my friends--" There
was at these last words a suspicious trembling in his tones that was
not wholly natural,--"an _adieu_ to all this world that begun for me
only--yesterday at the singing of the nightingale--" the sentence was
left unfinished, for Katherine now fell at his feet and embraced his
knees and said with blanched lips,--

"What is this horrible tale, my lord? Say 'tis not so!" Great unbroken
sobs made her voice tremble, and there was such extreme misery in her
face and attitude the guardsman was about to utter a protest, for the
order had said nothing of Tyburn, and at such unwarranted display of
grief at a summons--why he would put a stop to it; but his lordship
put up his hand. "Say 'tis not so," she repeated.

"Nay, I cannot say it, for I know not what lies before me." Katherine
was unable to control her grief, and as it broke out, the guardsman
discreetly walked to the farther end of the room. Cedric had raised
her from the floor and half-supported her as she poured out her grief
in words of pleading and entreaty; but Cedric was as adamant, he would
not bend to offer any hope. This unbending quality she could not
understand, and took it as an omen of ill. In very truth she felt she
was to lose for all time her heart's idol. And when Cedric spoke to
the guard and told him he was ready to go, she cried "Nay, nay, nay!"
in such awful agony he came near relenting. She turned white and would
have fallen, had not Cedric supported her. Janet had already entered
the room and now came running to her mistress, whom she took in her
arms. Cedric turned to the guardsman, saying,--

"My wife is ill. If thou wilt return to London, I will follow within a
day or so!"

"In the name of the King I beg my Lord of Crandlemar--"

Janet broke in at this and said with a rin