useless to
express them, seeing that thy fate hangs not entirely upon me. With no
unnecessary severity," he continued, in a kinder tone than he had
hitherto adopted during the conversation, "will I treat one, whom,
before these unhappy suspicions were raised, I was beginning to love
as a brother; and, if thou wilt pledge me thine honor neither to
attempt escape, nor by word or deed to practise aught against the
Commonwealth, thou shalt have liberty of the precincts of the
settlement until the Council shall take further orders."

"I accept thine offer," answered Sir Christopher, "and plight thee my
knightly troth to observe the conditions. And in this, my adversity,
it is a consolation to know that the noblest spirit who is to sit in
judgment on me, believes me not wholly lost to the duties and
sensibilities of a gentleman."

The Governor, without reply, summoned Lieutenant Venn, who was in
waiting; and, after communicating to him the conclusion to which he
had come, requested him to escort the Knight to his lodging.

A few days passed, during which Sir Christopher was seemingly in the
full enjoyment of freedom, though closely watched. He attempted to
speak with the Lady Geraldine, but was refused permission; and upon
her being told of his desire, she sent him word that she had no wish
to see him. No objection, however, was interposed to his intercourse
with Arundel, who, with his lovely mistress, did all in their power to
console the Knight and the unhappy lady in their misfortunes. The
relation which the latter stood to the colony affected not the young
people, except to excite their sympathies for those whom they
considered unjustly suspected and prosecuted.

It might be supposed that in these circumstances Sir Christopher would
betray some anxiety or gloom. Far from it. The command over his
emotions which nature and discipline had given him, concealed his
trouble of mind. He seemed to think but little of himself, and to be
principally occupied with the approaching nuptials of Arundel and
Eveline, who, immediately thereafter, were to sail for England in the
ship commanded by the jolly Captain Sparhawk. The ceremony, in order
to give it the greater dignity, was to be performed by Winthrop
himself, the right to tie the mystical knot being, among these
planters of new customs in a new world, confined to the civil
magistrate. Strongly, at first, did the young lady object, and it
needed all the eloquence of her lover,