tightened lips
and her hostile eyes, and he wished himself again in bed at
Mickleton. But it was too late to retreat, and he advanced in bad
order under the silent fire of her disdain till he paused at what he
deemed to be the proper place for ceremonious salutation. He
uncovered, describing so magnificent a sweep of extended hat that its
plumes brushed the grasses at her feet. He bowed so low that his pink
face disappeared from view in the forward fall of his lovelocks. When
the rising inflection shook these back and the pink face again
confronted her, he seemed to have recovered some measure of
assertion.

"Lady," he said, sighingly, "I kiss your mellifluous fingers and
believe myself in Elysium."

The languishing glance that accompanied these languishing syllables
had no immediate effect upon the lady to whom they were addressed.
Still Brilliana looked fixedly at her visitor, and still Sir Blaise
found little ease under her steady gaze. He blinked uncomfortably;
his fingers twitched; he tried to moisten his dry lips. At length,
out of what seemed a wellnigh ageless silence, the lady spoke, and
her words were an arraignment.

"Why did you not come to Harby when Harby needed help?"

Sir Blaise felt weak in the knees, weak in the back, weak in the
wits; he would have given much for a seat, more for a sup of brandy.
But he had to speak, and did so after such gasping and stammering as
spoiled his false bravado.

"I came to speak of that," he protested, forcing a jauntiness that he
was far from feeling. "I feared you might misunderstand--"

"Indeed," interrupted Brilliana, "I think there is no
misunderstanding."

Sir Blaise made an appealing gesture.

"Hear me out," he pleaded. "Hear me and pity me. The news of his
Majesty's quarrel with his Parliament threw me into such a distemper
as hath kept me to my bed these three weeks. My people held all news
from me for my life's sake. It was but this morning I was judged
sound enough to hear of all that has passed. How otherwise should I
not have flown to your succor? I could wish your siege had lasted a
while longer to give me the glory of delivering you."

The sternness faded from Brilliana's gaze. She was not really angry
with this overcareful gentleman; she would only have been grieved had
he proved the man to serve her well. He was no more for such
enterprises than your lap-dog for bull-baiting. Ridiculous in his
finery, pitiful in his subterfuge, he was only a