et, and watched the men come out. Ralph walked in the centre
as a prisoner. She had followed them to the river; had mixed with the
crowd that gathered there; and had heard the order given to the
wherryman to pull to the Tower. That was all that she knew.

"Thank God for your son, sir. He bore himself gallantly."

There was a silence as she ended. The old man looked at her wondering
and dazed. It was so sad, that the news scarcely yet conveyed its
message.

"And my Lord Essex?" he said.

"My Lord is in the Tower too. He was arrested at the Council by the Duke
of Norfolk."

The old lady intervened then, and insisted on their going down to
supper. It would be ready by now, she said, in the parlour downstairs.

They supped, themselves silent, with Beatrice leaning her arms on the
table, and talking to them in a low voice, telling them all that was
said. She did not attempt to prophesy smoothly. The feeling against
Cromwell, she said, passed all belief. The streets had been filled with
a roaring crowd last night. She had heard them bellowing till long after
dark. The bells were pealed in the City churches hour after hour, in
triumph over the minister's fall.

"The dogs!" she said fiercely. "I never thought to say it, but my heart
goes out to him."

Her spirit was infections. Chris felt a kind of half-joyful recklessness
tingle in his veins, as he listened to her talk, and watched her black
eyes hot with indignation and firm with purpose. What if Ralph were
cast? At least it was for faithfulness--of a kind. Even the father's
face grew steadier; that piteous trembling of the lower lip ceased, and
the horror left his eyes. It was hard to remain in panic with that girl
beside them.

They had scarcely done supper when the bell of the outer door rang
again, and a moment later Nicholas was with them, flushed with hard
riding. He strode into the room, blinking at the lights, and tossed his
riding whip on to the table.

"I have been to the Lieutenant of the Tower," he said; "I know him of
old. He promises nothing. He tells me that Ralph is well-lodged. Mary is
gone to Overfield. God damn the King!"

He had no more news to give. He had sent off his wife at once on
receiving the tidings, and had started half an hour later for London. He
had been ahead of them all the way, it seemed; but had spent a couple of
hours first in trying to get admittance to the Tower, and then in
interviewing the Lieutenant; but there was no sat