o conceal her
fear.

"The jest hath been played," she said, with as much firmness as she
could assume; "may I entreat that your Highness will now unhand me?" for
he still kept hold of her arm.

"Nay, my pretty captive, struggle not--why should you fear?"

"I do not struggle, my lord. As you are pleased to detain me, I will
not, by striving, provoke you to use me ill, and give pain to yourself,
when you have time to think."

"Why, thou traitress, thou hast held me captive for months," said the
Prince, "and wilt thou not let me hold thee for a moment?"

"This were gallantry, my lord, were it in the streets of Perth, where I
might listen or escape as I listed; it is tyranny here."

"And if I did let thee go, whither wouldst thou fly?" said Rothsay.
"The bridges are up, the portcullis down, and the men who follow me are
strangely deaf to a peevish maiden's squalls. Be kind, therefore, and
you shall know what it is to oblige a prince."

"Unloose me, then, my lord, and hear me appeal from thyself to thyself,
from Rothsay to the Prince of Scotland. I am the daughter of an humble
but honest citizen. I am, I may well nigh say, the spouse of a brave and
honest man. If I have given your Highness any encouragement for what you
have done, it has been unintentional. Thus forewarned, I entreat you to
forego your power over me, and suffer me to depart. Your Highness can
obtain nothing from me, save by means equally unworthy of knighthood or
manhood."

"You are bold, Catharine," said the Prince, "but neither as a knight
nor a man can I avoid accepting a defiance. I must teach you the risk of
such challenges."

While he spoke, he attempted to throw his arms again around her; but she
eluded his grasp, and proceeded in the same tone of firm decision.

"My strength, my lord, is as great to defend myself in an honourable
strife as yours can be to assail me with a most dishonourable purpose.
Do not shame yourself and me by putting it to the combat. You may stun
me with blows, or you may call aid to overpower me; but otherwise you
will fail of your purpose."

"What a brute you would make me!" said the Prince. "The force I would
use is no more than excuses women in yielding to their own weakness."

He sat down in some emotion.

"Then keep it," said Catharine, "for those women who desire such an
excuse. My resistance is that of the most determined mind which love
of honour and fear of shame ever inspired. Alas! my lord, could you