rian land in which he found himself, and the
bloodthirsty tigers with whom, like a second Daniel, he himself had to
consort; he expatiated on the horrible risk that he ran in venturing
forth from the castle on such an errand, saying that Sir Amyas would
wring his neck like a hen's, if he so much as suspected the nature of
his business. He denounced, with feeble venom, the wickedness of these
murderers, who would not only slay his mistress's body, but her soul as
well, if they could, by depriving her of a priest. Incidentally,
however, he disclosed that at present there was no plan at all for
Robin's admission. Mr. Bourgoign had sent for him, hoping that he might
be able to reintroduce him once more on the same pretext as at Chartley;
but the incident of Monday, when the white rod had been forbidden, and
the conversation of Sir Amyas to Mr. Melville had made it evident that
an attempt at present would be worse than useless.

"You must yourself choose!" he cried, with an abominable accent. "If you
will imperil your life by remaining, our Lord will no doubt reward you
in eternity; but, if not, and you flee, not a man will blame you--least
of all myself, who would, no doubt, flee too, if I but dared."

This was frank and humble, at any rate. Robin smiled.

"I will remain," he said.

The Frenchman seized his hands and kissed them.

"You are a hero and a martyr, monsieur! We will perish together,
therefore."

II

After the Frenchman's departure, and an hour's sleep in that profundity
of unconsciousness that follows prolonged effort, Robin put on his sword
and hat and cloak, having dressed himself with care, and went slowly out
of the inn to inspect the battlefield. He carried himself deliberately,
with a kind of assured insolence, as if he had supreme rights in this
place, and were one of that crowd of persons--great lords, lawyers,
agents of the court--to whom for the last few months Fotheringay had
become accustomed. He turned first to the right towards the castle, and
presently was passing down its long length.

It looked, indeed, a royal prison. A low wall on his right protected the
road from the huge outer moat that ran, in the shape of a fetterlock,
completely round all the buildings; and beyond it, springing immediately
from the edge of the water, rose the massive outer wall, pierced here
and there with windows. He thought that he could make out the tops of
the hall windows in one place, beyond the skirting