him. I was passing on with a slight bow, when the Secretary
caught me by the sleeve. At the Governor's house wine had been set forth
to revive the jaded Council, and he was already half seas over. "Tarry
with us, captain!" he cried. "Good wine's good wine, no matter who pours
it! 'S bud! in my young days men called a truce and forgot they were
foes when the bottle went round!"

"If Captain Percy will stay," quoth my lord, "I will give him welcome
and good wine. As Master Pory says, men cannot be always fighting. A
breathing spell to-day gives to-morrow's struggle new zest."

He spoke frankly, with open face and candid eyes. I was not fooled.
If yesterday he would have slain me only in fair fight, it was not so
to-day. Under the lace that fell over his wrist was a red cirque, the
mark of the thong with which I had bound him. As if he had told me, I
knew that he had thrown his scruples to the winds, and that he cared not
what foul play he used to sweep me from his path. My spirit and my
wit rose to meet the danger. Of a sudden I resolved to accept his
invitation.

"So be it," I said, with a laugh and a shrug of my shoulders. "A cup of
wine is no great matter. I'll take it at your hands, my lord, and drink
to our better acquaintance."

We all three went up into my lord's room. The King had fitted out his
minion bravely for the Virginia voyage, and the riches that had decked
the state cabin aboard the Santa Teresa now served to transform the bare
room in the guest house at Jamestown into a corner of Whitehall. The
walls were hung with arras, there was a noble carpet beneath as well as
upon the table, and against the wall stood richly carved trunks. On the
table, beside a bowl of late flowers were a great silver flagon and
a number of goblets, some of chased silver and some of colored glass,
strangely shaped and fragile as an eggshell. The late sun now shining in
at the open window made the glass to glow like precious stones.

My lord rang a little silver bell, and a door behind us was opened.
"Wine, Giles!" cried my lord in a raised voice. "Wine for Master Pory,
Captain Percy, and myself! And Giles, my two choice goblets."

Giles, whom I had never seen before, advanced to the table, took the
flagon, and went toward the door, which he had shut behind him. I
negligently turned in my seat, and so came in for a glimpse, as he
slipped through the door, of a figure in black in the next room.

The wine was brought, and with