pted by a warning knock upon the dungeon door.

Lord Rutland, whose heart was like twenty-two carat gold, soft, pure, and
precious, kissed Dorothy's hand when she was about to leave, and said:
"Dear lady, grieve not for our sake. I can easily see that more pain has
come to you than to us. I thank you for the great fearless love you bear
my son. It has brought him trouble, but it is worth its cost. You have my
forgiveness freely, and I pray God's choicest benediction may be with
you." She kissed the old lord and said, "I hope some day to make you love
me."

"That will be an easy task," said his Lordship, gallantly. Dorothy was
about to leave. Just at the doorway she remembered the chief purpose of
her visit; so she ran back to John, put her hand over his mouth to insure
silence, and whispered in his ear.

On hearing Dorothy's whispered words, signs of joy were so apparent in
John's face that they could not be mistaken. He said nothing, but kissed
her hand and she hurriedly left the dungeon.

After the dungeon door closed upon Dorothy, John went to his father and
whispered a few words to him. Then he came to me, and in the same
secretive manner said:--

"The queen has promised Dorothy our liberty." I was not at all sure that
"our liberty" included me,--I greatly doubted it,--but I was glad for the
sake of my friends, and, in truth, cared little for myself.

Dorothy went from our dungeon to the queen, and that afternoon, according
to promise, Elizabeth gave orders for the release of John and his father.
Sir George, of course, was greatly chagrined when his enemies slipped from
his grasp; but he dared not show his ill humor in the presence of the
queen nor to any one who would be apt to enlighten her Majesty on the
subject.

Dorothy did not know the hour when her lover would leave Haddon; but she
sat patiently at her window till at last John and Lord Rutland appeared.
She called to Madge, telling her of the joyous event, and Madge, asked:--

"Is Malcolm with them?"

"No," replied Dorothy, "he has been left in the dungeon, where he
deserves to remain."

After a short pause, Madge said:--

"If John had acted toward the Scottish queen as Malcolm did, would you
forgive him?"

"Yes, of course. I would forgive him anything."

"Then why shall we not forgive Malcolm?" asked Madge.

"Because he is not John," was the absurd reply.

"No," said Madge, promptly; "but he is 'John' to me."

"That is true," responded Do