d unto
Ahab, 'Because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the
Lord--behold! I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy
posterity. And I will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the
son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the
provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to
sin.'"

"Now the muckle Diel seize thee, villain!" exclaimed James furiously.
"Is it to listen to thy texts that thou hast brought me hither?" And as
Hugh Calveley, exhausted by the effort he had made, fell back with a
groan, he bent his head towards him, crying, "The secret, man, the
secret! or the tormenter shall wring it from thee?"

The Puritan essayed to speak, but his voice was so low that it did not
reach the ears of the King.

"What sayest thou?" he demanded. "Speak louder. Saul of our body!" he
exclaimed, after a moment's pause, during which the sudden alteration
that took place in the prisoner's features made him suspect that all was
over. "Our belief is he will never speak again. He hath escaped us, and
ta'en his secret wi' him."

A loud shriek burst from Aveline, as she fell upon her father's lifeless
body.

"Let us forth," cried the King, stopping his ears. "We carena to be
present at scenes like this. We hae had a gude riddance o' this traitor,
though we wad hae gladly heard what he had to tell. Sir Jocelyn
Mounchensey, ye will see that this young woman be cared for; and when ye
have caused her to be removed elsewhere, follow us to the tennis-court,
to which we shall incontinently adjourn."

So saying, he quitted the vault with his physician.

CHAPTER XXIX.

Luke Hatton.

Feigning sudden indisposition (and the excuse was not altogether without
foundation), the Countess of Exeter quitted Theobalds Palace on the day
after her unlucky visit to Lord Roos's chamber, and proceeded to her
husband's residence at Wimbledon, where she was speedily joined by her
lover, who brought her word of the advantage he had gained over their
foe.

"I have fairly checkmated my gracious mother-in-law," he cried, with a
laugh; "and it would have diverted you as much as it did me and De
Gondomar, who was present on the occasion, if you could have witnessed
her rage and mortification, when she discovered the change that had been
effected; and that in place of your magnificent black ringlet (which I
now wear next my heart, and shall ever keep as a love-token), s