he had told him not to stride like a man, but to take
little mincing steps, so that the guards should not notice any
difference. But there was one thing she could not hide, and that was his
beard, and she had no time to cut it off; so she tucked it into his
cloak in front, and told him to keep his head down and hold his
handkerchief to his face and pretend to be crying bitterly. It was now
getting dusky, and she was afraid that if they waited any longer the
gaolers would bring candles and see what was being done. How the hearts
of both husband and wife must have been beating when they opened the
door and stepped forth into the anteroom where the guards were! Lady
Nithsdale talked a good deal rather loudly, and said she could not
understand why her maid had not come, and that she must come at once;
and she begged her husband, whom she called 'Mrs. Betty,' to run down to
her lodgings to see if the maid were there and send her to the prison.
And when they got to the outer door she let him go, and ran back to the
cell herself. Then she talked again as if she were talking to her
husband, so that the gaolers should hear, and made answers for him in a
deep man's voice. Brave heart! she must have been well-nigh fainting
with terror, and expecting to hear every minute a noise which would
tell her she had been discovered. But after a time, when all seemed
right, and when she could talk no more, she left the cell very slowly,
and, shutting the door behind her, said to the gaolers that they need
not take in lights until Lord Nithsdale asked for them, for he was
praying, and did not wish to be disturbed. Then she went down to her
coach.

And he really did get safely away; and the King was furious, and said
Lady Nithsdale had given him more trouble than any woman in Europe. But
Lady Nithsdale went and waited at a friend's house until she heard where
her husband was in hiding in a little poor house, and then she joined
him, and they stayed there together until things could be arranged for
him to get over to France. A friend brought them a bottle of wine and
some bread, and on this they lived from Thursday to Saturday. But I do
not expect they cared much what they ate, they must have been so happy
to be together again.

It was very seldom indeed anyone had escaped from the Tower. Once a man
tried to, and let himself down by a rope from his window; but the rope
broke, and he fell headlong and was killed. The countess's plan was much
b