de, or from
window-place to window-place in the empty rooms, till at length they
cast themselves down upon some bed to sleep a while, giving over the
watch to others. Only Emlyn never seemed to sleep. But at length their
companions did begin to murmur.

One morning at the dawn, after a very bitter night, they waited upon
Christopher and told him that they were willing to fight for his sake
and his lady's, but that, as there was no hope of help, they could no
longer freeze and starve; in short, that they must either escape from
the house or surrender. He listened to them patiently, knowing that
what they said was true, and then consulted for a while with Cicely and
Emlyn.

"Our case is desperate, dear wife. Now what shall we do, who have no
chance of succour, since none know of our plight? Yield, or strive to
escape through the darkness?"

"Not yield, I think," answered Cicely, choking back a sob. "If we yield
certainly they will separate us, and that merciless Abbot will bring you
to your death and me to a nunnery."

"That may happen in any case," muttered Christopher, turning his head
aside. "But what say you, Nurse?"

"I say fight for it," answered Emlyn boldly. "It is certain that we
cannot stay here, for, to be plain, Sir Christopher, there are some
among us whom I do not trust. What wonder? Their stomachs are empty,
their hands are blue, their wives and children are they know not where,
and the heavy curse of the Church hangs over them, all of which things
may be mended if they play you false. Let us take what horses remain and
slip away at dead of night if we can; or if we cannot, then let us die,
as many better folk have done before."

So they agreed to try their fortune, thinking that it was so bad it
could not be worse, and spent the rest of that day in getting ready
as best they could. The seven horses still stood in the stable, and
although they were stiff from want of exercise, had been hay-fed and
watered. On these they proposed to ride, but first they must tell the
truth to those who had stood by them. So about three o'clock of the
afternoon Christopher called all the men together beneath the gateway
and sorrowfully set out his tale. Here, he showed them, they could bide
no longer, and to surrender meant that his new-wed wife would soon be
made a widow. Therefore they must fly, taking with them as many as there
were horses for them to ride, if they cared to risk such a journey. If
not, he and the t