could easily be thrown to the winds, once the
negotiable securities were actually in his hands. What he could convert
into money, he would do immediately, going to Amsterdam first, to
withdraw the sum standing at the bank there on deposit, and for which
anon, he would possess the receipt; after that the sale of the grant of
monopolies should be easy of accomplishment. Sir Marmaduke had boundless
faith in his own ability to carry through his own business. He might
stand to lose some of the money perhaps; prudence and caution might
necessitate the relinquishing of certain advantages, but even then he
would be rich and passing rich, and he knew that he ran but little risk
of detection. The girl was young, inexperienced and singularly
friendless: Sir Marmaduke felt convinced that none of the foreign
transactions could ever be directly traced to himself.

He would be prudent and Europe was wide, and he meant to leave English
grants and securities severely alone.

He had mused and pondered on his plans all day. The evening found him
half-exhausted with nerve-strain, febrile and almost sick with the agony
of waiting.

He had calculated that Sue would be free towards seven o'clock, as he
had given Editha strict injunctions to keep discreetly out of the way,
whilst at a previous meeting in the park, it had been arranged that the
young girl should come to the cottage with the money, on the evening of
her twenty-first birthday and there hand her fortune over to her
rightful lord.

Now Sir Marmaduke cursed himself and his folly for having made this
arrangement. He had not known--when he made it--that Richard would be
back at Acol then. Adam the smith, never came home before eight o'clock
and the old Quakeress herself would not have been much in the way.

Even now she had shuffled back into her kitchen, leaving her ill-humored
lodger to puff away at the malodorous weed as he chose. But Richard
might return at any moment, and then ...

Sir Marmaduke had never thought of that possible contingency. If
Richard Lambert came face to face with him, he would of a surety pierce
the disguise of the prince, and recognize the man who had so deeply
wronged poor, unsuspecting Lady Sue. If only a kindly Fate had kept the
young man away another twenty-four hours! or better still, if it led the
despairing lover's footsteps to the extremest edge of the cliffs!

Sir Marmaduke now paced the narrow room up and down in an agony of
impatience. Ni