her that the room was quite empty, and that
in addition to the main doorway at the lower end of the apartment, where
she had entered, there was but one other door leading from the hall.
This was at one side, and as it stood ajar she could see that it led
into a small room, apparently a bedchamber.

As she stood facing the main doorway, a panel opened quietly behind her
and directly back of where the thrones had stood in past times. From the
black mouth of the aperture stepped Peter of Colfax. Silently, he closed
the panel after him, and with soundless steps, advanced toward the girl.
At the edge of the raised dais he halted, rattling his sword to attract
her attention.

If his aim had been to unnerve her by the suddenness and mystery of his
appearance, he failed signally, for she did not even turn her head as
she said:

"What explanation hast thou to make, Sir Peter, for this base treachery
against thy neighbor's daughter and thy sovereign's niece?"

"When fond hearts be thwarted by a cruel parent," replied the
pot-bellied old beast in a soft and fawning tone, "love must still find
its way; and so thy gallant swain hath dared the wrath of thy great
father and majestic uncle, and lays his heart at thy feet, O beauteous
Bertrade, knowing full well that thine hath been hungering after it
since we didst first avow our love to thy hard-hearted sire. See, I
kneel to thee, my dove!" And with cracking joints the fat baron plumped
down upon his marrow bones.

Bertrade turned and as she saw him her haughty countenance relaxed into
a sneering smile.

"Thou art a fool, Sir Peter," she said, "and, at that, the worst species
of fool--an ancient fool. It is useless to pursue thy cause, for I will
have none of thee. Let me hence, if thou be a gentleman, and no word of
what hath transpired shall ever pass my lips. But let me go, 'tis all
I ask, and it is useless to detain me for I cannot give what you would
have. I do not love you, nor ever can I."

Her first words had caused the red of humiliation to mottle his already
ruby visage to a semblance of purple, and now, as he attempted to rise
with dignity, he was still further covered with confusion by the fact
that his huge stomach made it necessary for him to go upon all fours
before he could rise, so that he got up much after the manner of a cow,
raising his stern high in air in a most ludicrous fashion. As he gained
his feet he saw the girl turn her head from him to hide the la