d in mine,
I kissed it. She smiled at that, and laid her other hand upon my head.

"You have strange customs in your country," she said.

I could not but smile at that when I thought how strange it would seem
to my countrymen could they but see me kneeling there on the site of
London, kissing the hand of England's queen.

"And now," I said, as I rose, "you must return to the safety of your
camp. I will go with you until you are near enough to continue alone
in safety. Then I shall try to return to my comrades."

"I will not return to the camp," she replied.

"But what shall you do?" I asked.

"I do not know. Only I shall never go back while Buckingham lives. I
should rather die than go back to him. Mary came to me, after they had
taken you from the camp, and told me. I found your strange weapons and
followed with them. It took me a little longer, for often I had to
hide in the trees that the lions might not get me, but I came in time,
and now you are free to go back to your friends."

"And leave you here?" I exclaimed.

She nodded, but I could see through all her brave front that she was
frightened at the thought. I could not leave her, of course, but what
in the world I was to do, cumbered with the care of a young woman, and
a queen at that, I was at a loss to know. I pointed out that phase of
it to her, but she only shrugged her shapely shoulders and pointed to
her knife.

It was evident that she felt entirely competent to protect herself.

As we stood there we heard the sound of voices. They were coming from
the forest through which we had passed when we had come from camp.

"They are searching for me," said the girl. "Where shall we hide?"

I didn't relish hiding. But when I thought of the innumerable dangers
which surrounded us and the comparatively small amount of ammunition
that I had with me, I hesitated to provoke a battle with Buckingham and
his warriors when, by flight, I could avoid them and preserve my
cartridges against emergencies which could not be escaped.

"Would they follow us there?" I asked, pointing through the archway
into the Camp of the Lions.

"Never," she replied, "for, in the first place, they would know that we
would not dare go there, and in the second they themselves would not
dare."

"Then we shall take refuge in the Camp of the Lions," I said.

She shuddered and drew closer to me.

"You dare?" she asked.

"Why not?" I returned. "We shall be safe from B