ragingly.

"Well, insolence, go on."

"It is on behalf of one who has been pronounced a felon and a traitor by
your Grace's laws, that I am pleading; but one who is a very gallant
Christian gentleman as well."

"Your friend lacks not courage," interrupted Elizabeth to Mary.

"No, your Grace," said the other, "that has never been considered his
failing."

Anthony waited, and then the voice spoke again harshly.

"Go on with the tale, sir. I cannot be here all day."

"He is a popish priest, your Majesty; and he was taken at mass in his
vestments, and is now in the Tower; and he hath been questioned on the
rack. And, madam, it is piteous to think of it. He is but a young man
still, but passing strong and tall."

"What has this to do with me, sir?" interrupted the Queen harshly. "I
cannot pardon every proper young priest in the kingdom. What else is
there to be said for him?"

"He was taken through the foul treachery of a spy, who imposed upon me,
his friend, and caused me all unknowing to say the very words that
brought him into the net."

And then, more and more, Anthony began to lose his self-consciousness,
and poured out the story from the beginning; telling how he had been
brought up in the same village with James Maxwell; and what a loyal
gentleman he was; and then the story of the trick by which he had been
deceived. As he spoke his whole appearance seemed to change; instead of
the shy and rather clumsy manner with which he had begun, he was now
natural and free; he moved his hands in slight gestures; his blue eyes
looked the Queen fairly in the face; he moved a little forward on his
knees as he pleaded, and he spoke with a passion that astonished both
Mary and himself afterwards when he thought of it, in spite of his short
and broken sentences. He was conscious all the while of an intense
external strain and pressure, as if he were pleading for his life, and
the time was short. Elizabeth relaxed her rigid attitude, and leaned her
chin on her hand and her elbow on the table and watched him, her thin
lips parted, the pearl rope and crown on her head, and the pearl pendants
in her ears moving slightly as she nodded at points in his story.

"Ah! your Grace," he cried, lifting his open hands towards her a little,
"you have a woman's heart; all your people say so. You cannot allow this
man to be so trapped to his death! Treachery never helped a cause yet. If
your men cannot catch these priests fairly, then a-G