e, and from the sparkle in his eyes it was plain that he
was aroused at last to some purpose.

"Good citizens," he said at length, "since our worthy Mayor has
proved himself a fool and a poltroon, I must needs use such tools
as I have under my hand.

"Bring me pen and paper, knave!" he cried to a servant who was in
attendance; and when the man returned, the King hastily scrawled a
few lines upon the paper, and gave it into the hands of the
citizens.

"My good fellows," he said, in his easy and familiar way, "take
there your authority under my hand, and go and save the Tower. The
Tower must not and shall not perish. Pull down, blow up, sacrifice
as you will, but save you the Tower. As for me, I will forth
instantly and see what may be done in this quarter. The people
shall not say that their King cared no whit whilst the whole city
was burned to ashes. Would I had known more before, but each
messenger brought news that something was about to be done.

"About to be done, forsooth! that is ever the way. Zounds! I would
like to pitch yon cowardly Mayor and his whole corporation into the
heart of the flames! And if something be not done to save what
remains of the city, I will make good my word!"

Then, with a complete change of manner, he rose and came forward to
the corner where Gertrude stood shrinking and quivering, half
frightened by this strange man, yet impressed by some indescribably
kingly quality in him that fascinated her imagination in spite of
all she had heard of him.

"Fair mistress," he said gallantly, "hast thou nothing to ask?
These good citizens have all had their word to say. Am I not to
hear the music of thy voice also?"

Gertrude, startled and abashed, dropped her eyes, and knew not what
to say; but something in the King's glance compelled an answer of
some kind, and a sudden inspiration flashed upon her.

"Sire," she said, in a sweet tremulous voice, her colour coming and
going in her cheek in a most becoming fashion, "may I ask a boon of
your gracious Majesty?"

"A hundred if thou wilt, fair mistress; there is nothing so sweet
to me as obeying the behests of beauty."

She shrank a little from his glance, and her grasp tightened upon
her husband's arm; but she took courage, and went on bravely:

"I have but one boon to crave, gracious Sire. For myself I have all
that heart of woman could crave; but there is still one small
trouble in my life. My dear father, who stands before you now, wa