held him fast, and it was well that she did, for she seemed almost to
swoon when their entry was denied.

All permits to see the prisoner had been revoked at sundown, the
fellow said. The prisoner's case had come before the court that
afternoon. He was to be sentenced in the morning at ten o'clock. No,
Lord Grimsby had not been present. Lord Grimsby had been summoned from
Padusey, however, to pronounce the highwayman's doom.

For an instant the Lady Barbara seemed about to fall forward. Her
entire weight hung on Lindley's arm. He supported her as best he
could, but his own voice shook as he whispered once more:

"Courage, courage, my lady!"

Then his anger vented itself upon the guard.

"Have you no sense, blockhead?" he cried. "How dare you blurt out your
tidings in such a careless fashion? Do you not see the lady? Did I not
tell you that it was the Lady Barbara Gordon's name in that permit?
You've likely killed her with your words."

For, indeed, it seemed a dead weight that he held in his arms. The
guard thrust forward a bench, and Lindley tried to place the lady down
upon it, but she clung to him almost convulsively. When he attempted
to take the cloak from over her mouth, he heard her whispered words.

"Ah, get me away from here, away from here--anywhere. I can walk,
I----Indeed I can walk!"

Then she stood erect and turned away from the guarded door, but
Lindley still hesitated there.

"At ten o'clock you said the prisoner would be sentenced?" he asked.

"Ay, at ten o'clock, they said."

Then Lindley heard the Lady Barbara's voice.

"You said Lord Grimsby would come to-night from Padusey?" she asked,
faintly.

"Yes, from Padusey, to-night," the guard answered once again.

Why did she care from where Lord Grimsby would come, Lindley demanded,
savagely, of himself. Was this a time to think of trivial things like
that? And although he supported her as tenderly, as courteously, as he
could, he felt in every fiber of him that it was this woman alone who
was responsible for Lord Farquhart's fate, and he longed to be free
from her. Monotonously he was counting the distance that must be
traversed with her clinging to his arm, when suddenly she drew away
from him and stopped short.

"Enough of this, Master Lindley!" It was Johan's voice that came from
the hidden hooded face.

"Johan!" cried Lindley, now in a frenzy of indignation. "What do you
mean by bringing your cursed play acting into a tragedy like