ye shall purify it; with your clemencies ye should it chasten
and amerce. Ye ask me to be a queen. Shall I be a queen and not such a
queen? No, I tell you; if a woman may swear a great oath, I swear by
Leonidas that saved Sparta and by Christ Jesus that saved this world,
so will I come by my queenship and so act in it that, if God give me
strength the whole world never shall find speck upon mine honour--or
upon thine if I may sway thee.'

'Why,' he said, 'thy voice is like little flutes.'

He considered, patting his square, soft-shod feet upon the bricks of
the arbour floor.

'By Guy! I will have thee,' he said; 'though ye twist my senses as
never woman twisted them--and it is not good for a man to be swayed by
his women.'

'My lord,' she said, 'in naught would I sway a man save in where my
conscience pricks and impels me.' She rubbed her hand across her eyes.
'It is difficult to see the right in these matters. The only way is to
be firm for God and for the cause of the saints.' She looked down at
her feet. 'I will be ceaseless in my entreaties to you for them,' she
uttered. Suddenly again she stretched forth both her hands that had
sunk to her sides:

'Dear lord,' and her voice was full of pity for herself and for
entreaty; 'let me go to a convent to pray unceasing for thee.'

He shook his head.

'Dear lord,' she repeated; 'use me as thou wilt and I will stay beside
thee and urge thee to the cause of God.'

Again he shook his head.

'The saints would pardon me it,' she whispered; 'or if I even be
damned to save England, it were a good burnt-offering.'

'Wench,' he said; 'I was never a man to go a-whoring. I ha' done it,
but had no savour with it.' His boastfulness returned to the heavy
voice. 'I am a king that will give. I will give a crown, a realm,
jewels, honours, monies. All I have I will give; but thou shalt wed
me.' He threw out his chest and gazed down at her. 'I was ever thus,'
he said.

'And I ever thus,' she answered him swiftly. 'Mary hath put this thing
in my mind; and though ye scourge me, ye shall not have it otherwise.'

'Even how?' he said.

'My lord,' she answered; 'if the Queen, so it be true, will say she be
no wife of thine, I will wed thee. If the Queen, seeing that it is for
the good of this suffering realm, will give to me her crown, I will
wed with thee. I wot ye may get for yourself another woman with
another gear of conscience to bear t'ee children. All the ills of this
real