was heard
from the chamber a wailing, despairing voice, repeating loudly and in
tones of anguish: "Mercy, your majesty, mercy!" The king turned round
impetuously, and his face assumed a dark, wrathful expression. He
fastened his searching eyes on Catharine, as though he would read in her
looks whether she knew who had dared to interrupt their conversation.

But Catharine's countenance expressed unconcealed astonishment. "Mercy,
mercy!" repeated the voice from the interior of the chamber.

The king uttered an angry exclamation, and hastily withdrew from the
balcony.

CHAPTER IV. KING BY THE WRATH OF GOD.

"Who dares interrupt us?" cried the king, as with headlong step he
returned to the chamber--"who dares speak of mercy?"

"I dare!" said a young lady, who, pale, with distorted features, in
frightful agitation, now hastened to the king and prostrated herself
before him. "Anne Askew!" cried Catharine, amazed. "Anne, what want you
here?"

"I want mercy, mercy for those wretched ones, who are suffering yonder,"
cried the young maiden, pointing with an expression of horror to the
reddened sky. "I want mercy for the king himself, who is so cruel as
to send the noblest and the best of his subjects to the slaughter like
miserable brutes!"

"Oh, sire, have compassion on this poor child!" besought Catharine,
turning to Henry, "compassion on her impassioned excitement and
her youthful ardor! She is as yet unaccustomed to these frightful
scenes--she knows not yet that it is the sad duty of kings to be
constrained to punish, where they might prefer to pardon!"

Henry smiled; but the look which he cast on the kneeling girl made
Catharine tremble. There was a death-warrant in that look!

"Anne Askew, if I mistake not, is your second maid of honor?" asked the
king; "and it was at your express wish that she received that place?"

"Yes sire."

"You knew her, then?"

"No, sire! I saw her a few days ago for the first time. But she had
already won my heart at our first meeting, and I feel that I shall love
her. Exercise forbearance, then, your majesty!"

But the king was still thoughtful, and Catharine's answers did not yet
satisfy him.

"Why, then, do you interest yourself for this young lady, if you did not
know her?"

"She has been so warmly recommended to me."

"By whom?"

Catharine hesitated a moment; she felt that she had, perhaps, in her
zeal, gone too far, and that it was imprudent to tell the king the