ack of a judge. Sit! sit!--and let me call for
wine!"

She spoke to a lacquey and bade him bring the drink, for even as she sank
into her place Anne's cheeks grew whiter.

When 'twas brought, her ladyship poured it forth and gave it to her
sister with her own hand, obliging her to drink enough to bring her
colour back. Having seen to this, she addressed the servant who had
obeyed her order.

"Hath Jenfry returned from Sir John Oxon?" she demanded, in that clear,
ringing voice of hers, whose music ever arrested those surrounding her,
whether they were concerned in her speech or no; but now all felt
sufficient interest to prick up ears and hearken to what was said.

"No, my lady," the lacquey answered. "He said that you had bidden him to
wait."

"But not all day, poor fool," she said, setting down Anne's empty glass
upon the salver. "Did he think I bade him stand about the door all
night? Bring me his message when he comes."

"'Tis ever thus with these dull serving folk," she said to those nearest
her. "One cannot pay for wit with wages and livery. They can but obey
the literal word. Sir John, leaving me in haste this morning, I forgot a
question I would have asked, and sent a lacquey to recall him."

Anne sat upright.

"Sister--I pray you--another glass of wine."

My lady gave it to her at once, and she drained it eagerly.

"Was he overtaken?" said a curious matron, who wished not to see the
subject closed.

"No," quoth her ladyship, with a light laugh--"though he must have been
in haste, for the man was sent after him in but a moment's time. 'Twas
then I told the fellow to go later to his lodgings and deliver my message
into Sir John's own hand, whence it seems that he thinks that he must
await him till he comes."

Upon a table near there lay the loaded whip; for she had felt it bolder
to let it lie there as if forgotten, because her pulse had sprung so at
first sight of it when she came down, and she had so quailed before the
desire to thrust it away, to hide it from her sight. "And that I quail
before," she had said, "I must have the will to face--or I am lost." So
she had let it stay.

A languishing beauty, with melting blue eyes and a pretty fashion of ever
keeping before the world of her admirers her waxen delicacy, lifted the
heavy thing in her frail white hand.

"How can your ladyship wield it?" she said. "It is so heavy for a
woman--but your ladyship is--is not--"

"Not quite a wo