ed that love which you have so often and with such
transporting reality sworn to me. I would have done it in order to see
whether my Geraldine could at last gain courage and strength to lover.
He saw how he pressed her hands to his lips; how he put his hand to her
head to raise it from the floor."

The king was speechless with rage. He could only lift his arm to beckon
the soldiers to approach; to point to Henry Howard, who had not yet
succeeded in raising the queen's head from the floor.

"Arrest him!" said Earl Douglas, lending words to the king's mute sign.
"In the king's name arrest him, and conduct him to the Tower!"

"Yes, arrest him!" said the king; and, as with youthful speed he walked
up to Henry Howard and put his hand heavily on his shoulder, he
with terrible calmness continued: "Henry Howard, your wish shall be
fulfilled; you shall mount the scaffold for which you have so much
longed!"

The earl's noble countenance remained calm and unmoved; his bright
beaming eye fearlessly encountered the eye of the king flashing with
wrath.

"Sire," said he, "my life is in your hand, and I very well know that you
will not spare it. I do not even ask you to do so. But spare this noble
and beautiful woman, whose only crime is that she has followed the voice
of her heart. Sire, I alone am the guilty one. Punish me, then--torture
me, if you like--but be merciful to her."

The king broke out into a loud laugh. "Ah, he begs for her!" said
he. "This little Earl Surrey presumes to think that his sentimental
love-plaint can exercise an influence on the heart of his judge! No,
no, Henry Howard; you know me better. You say, indeed, that I am a cruel
man, and that blood cleaves to my crown. Well, now, it is our pleasure
to set in our crown a new blood-red ruby; and if we want to take it from
Geraldine's heart's blood, your sonnets will not hinder us from doing
so, my good little earl. That is all the reply I have to make to you;
and I think it will be the last time that we shall meet on earth!"

"There above we shall see each other again, King Henry of England!"
said Earl Surrey, solemnly. "There. But still this hour was hers, and
she would enjoy it. She clung fast to his breast; she drew him with
irresistible force to her heart, which now trembled no longer for love,
but from a nameless anxiety.

"Let us fly! Let us fly!" repeated she, breathlessly. "See! This hour is
yet ours. Let us avail ourselves of it; for who knows wh