the door closed, put thy hand across his mouth.'

'But the King----' the Lady Rochford said. 'And----'

'Merciful God!' Katharine cried out again. 'I am the Queen. Kneel
there.'

The Lady Rochford trembled down upon her knees; she was in fear for her
life by the axe if the King came in.

'I thank God that the King is come,' the Queen said. 'If he had not,
this man must have gone from hence in the sight of other men. So I will
pardon thee for having cried out if now thou hold him silent till the
King be in.'

There came from very near a blare of trumpets. Katharine rose up, and
went again to gaze upon her cousin. The dagger she laid upon her table.

'He may hold still yet,' she said. 'But I charge you that you muzzle him
if he move or squeak.'

There came great blows upon the door, and through the heavy wood, the
Ha-ha of many voices. Slowly the Queen moved to the bed, and from it
took the key where she had thrown it. There came again the heavy
knocking, and she unlocked the door, slowly still.

In the corridor there were many torches, and beneath them the figure of
the King in scarlet. Behind him was Norfolk all in black and with his
yellow face, and Cranmer in black and with his anxious eyes, and behind
them many other lords. The King came in, and, slow and stately, the
Queen went down on her knees to greet him. The torch-light shone upon
her jewels and her garments; her fair face was immobile, and her eyes
upon the ground. The King raised her up, bent his knee to her, and
kissed her on the hands, and so, turning to the men without, he uttered,
roundly and fully, and his cheeks were ruddy with joy, and his eyes
smiled--

'My lords, I am beholden to the King o' Scots. For had he met me I had
not yet been here. Get you to your beds; I could wish ye had such
wives----'

'The King! the King!' a voice muttered.

Henry said--

'Ha, who spoke?'

There was a faint squeak, a dull rustle.

'My cousin Kat----' the voice said.

The King said--

'Ha!' again, and incredulous and haughty he raised his brows.

Above the mirror, in the great light of the candles, there showed the
pale face, the fishy, wide-open and bewildered eyes of Culpepper. His
hair was dishevelled in points; his mouth was open in amazement. He
uttered--

'The King!' as if that were the most astonishing thing, and, standing
behind the table, staggered and clutched the arras to sustain himself.

Henry said--

'Ha! Treason!'

But Kathar