ovely face was turned in anxious expectation toward
the king, in whose stern and rigid features she sought to read the
development of this scene.

Not far from her still knelt the young maiden, hiding in her hands her
face drenched in tears; while farther away, in the background, were the
two bishops observing with grave, cool tranquillity the group before
them. Through the open hall doors were descried the expectant and
curious countenances of the courtiers standing with their heads crowded
close together in the space before the doors; and opposite to them,
through the open door leading to the balcony, was seen the fiery,
blazing sky, and heard the clanging of the bells and the rolling of the
drama, the piercing shrieks and the yells of the people.

A deep silence ensued, and when the king spoke, the tone of his voice
was so hard and cold, that an involuntary shudder ran through all
present.

"My Lord Bishops of Winchester and Canterbury," said the king, "we have
called you that you may, by the might of your prayers and the wisdom of
your words, rid this young girl here from the devil, who, without doubt,
has the mastery over her, since she dares charge her king and master
with cruelty and injustice."

The two bishops drew nearer to the kneeling girl; each laid a hand
upon her shoulder, and bent over her, but the one with an expression of
countenance wholly different from that of the other.

Cranmer's look was gentle and serious, and at the same time a
compassionate and encouraging smile played about his thin lips.

Gardiner's features on the contrary bore the expression of cruel,
cold-hearted irony; and the smile which rested on his thick, protruding
lips was the joyful and merciless smile of a priest ready to sacrifice a
victim to his idol.

"Courage, my daughter, courage and prudence!" whispered Cranmer.

"God, who blesses the righteous and punishes and destroys sinners, be
with thee and with us all!" said Gardiner.

But Anne Askew recoiled with a shudder from the touch of his hand, and
with an impetuous movement pushed it away from her shoulder.

"Touch me not; you are the hangman of those poor people whom they are
putting to death down yonder," said she impetuously; and as she turned
to the king and extended her hands imploringly toward him, she cried:

"Mercy, King Henry, mercy!"

"Mercy!" repeated the king, "mercy, and for whom? Who are they that they
are putting to death down there? Tell me, forso