ight have
screamed, and I might have fought him, but I could not have hurt him, and
he would have had his way, and--and," with a sigh, "I should have had my
way."

After a brief pause devoted to thought, she continued:--

"If I were a man and were wooing a woman, I would first learn what she
wanted to do and then--and then, by my word, I would make her do it."

I went from Dorothy's room to breakfast, where I found Sir George. I took
my seat at the table and he said:--

"Who, in God's name, suppose you, could have taken the keys from my
pillow?"

"Is there any one whom you suspect?" I asked for lack of anything else to
say.

"I at first thought, of course, that Dorothy had taken them," he answered.
"But Madge would not lie, neither would my sister. Dorothy would not
hesitate to lie herself blue in the face, but for some reason I believed
her when she told me she knew nothing of the affair. Her words sounded
like truth for once."

"I think, Sir George," said I, "you should have left off 'for once.'
Dorothy is not a liar. She has spoken falsely to you only because she
fears you. I am sure that a lie is hateful to her."

"Malcolm, I wish I could have your faith," he responded. "By the way,
Malcolm, have you ever seen the Earl of Leicester?"

"I saw him only once. He visited Scotland during the ceremonies at Queen
Mary's return from France. I saw him once, and then but briefly. Why do
you ask?"

"It is whispered among the servants," said Sir George, "that Leicester is
at Chatsworth in disguise."

Chatsworth was the home of the Duke of Devonshire, and was but a short
distance from Haddon. After Sir George spoke, I remembered the words of
old Bess.

"Still, I do not know why you ask." I said.

"My reason is this," replied Sir George; "Dorothy declared the fellow was
of noble blood. It is said that Leicester loves gallant adventure
incognito. He fears her Majesty's jealousy if in such matters he acts
openly. You remember the sad case of Mistress Robsart. I wonder what
became of the girl? He made way with her in some murderous fashion, I am
sure." Sir George remained in revery for a moment, and then the poor old
man cried in tones of distress: "Malcolm, if that fellow whom I struck
last night was Leicester, and if he has been trying his hellish tricks on
my Doll I--I should pity her; I should not abuse her. I may have been
wrong. If he has wronged Doll--if he has wronged my girl, I will pursue
him to the ends