It shall no longer do so, even here on earth," whispered Geraldine.
"Come, my beloved; let us fly far, far hence, where no one knows
us--where we can cast from us all this hated splendor, to live for each
other and for love."

She threw her arms about her lover, and in the ecstasy of her love she
had wholly forgotten that she could never indeed think to flee with him,
that he belonged to her only so long as he saw her not.

An inexplicable anxiety overpowered her heart; and in this anxiety she
forgot everything--even the queen and the vengeance she had vowed.

She now remembered her father's words, and she trembled for her lover's
life.

If now her father had not told her the truth--if now he had
notwithstanding sacrificed Henry Howard in order to ruin the queen--if
she was not able to save him, and through her fault he were to perish on
the scaffold--above Henry the Eighth will no more be the judge, but
the condemned criminal; "and your bloody and accursed deeds will witness
against you!"

The king laughed. "You avail yourself of your advantage," said he.
"Because you have nothing more to lose and the scaffold is sure of you,
you do not stick at heaping up the measure of your sins a little more,
and you revile your legitimate, God-appointed king! But you should bear
in mind, earl, that before the scaffold there is yet the rack, and that
it is very possible indeed that a painful question might there be put
to the noble Earl Surrey, to which his agonies might prevent him from
returning an answer. Now, away with you! We have nothing more to say to
each other on earth!"

He motioned to the soldiers, who approached the Earl of Surrey. As they
reached their hands toward him, he turned on them a look so proud and
commanding that they involuntarily recoiled a step.

"Follow me!" said Henry Howard, calmly; and, without even deigning the
king a single look more, with head proudly erect, he walked to the door.

Geraldine still lay on the ground--her face turned to the floor. She
stirred not. She seemed to have fallen into a deep swoon.

Only as the door with a sullen sound closed behind Earl Surrey, a low
wail and moan was perceived--such as is wont to struggle forth at the
last hour from the breast of the dying.

The king did not heed it. He still gazed, with eyes stern and flashing
with anger, toward the door through which Earl Surrey had passed.

"He is unyielding," muttered he. "Not even the rack affrights him;
a