atrice and then Sir James, and their eyes flashed
joy across and across as the four souls met.

* * * * *

Five minutes later again they were at the Tower Stairs.

Mr. Morris, who had been sent on by Mistress Jane Atherton when she had
heard the news, was there holding his horse by the bridle; and behind
him had collected a little crowd of idlers. He gave the bridle to one of
them, and came down the steps to help them out of the boat.

"You have heard?" said Chris as he stepped out last.

"Yes, father," said the servant.

Chris looked at him; and his mask-like face too seemed strangely lighted
up. There was still across his cheek the shadow of a mark as of an old
whip-cut.

As they passed up the steps they became aware that the little crowd that
had waited at the top was only the detached fringe of a multitude that
had assembled further up the slope. It stretched under the trees as far
as they could see to right and left, from the outer wall of the Tower on
the one side, to where the rising ground on the left was hidden under
the thick foliage in the foreground. There was a murmur of talking and
laughter, the ringing of hand-bells, the cracking of whips and the cries
of children. The backs of the crowd were turned to the steps: there was
plainly something going on higher up the slope, and it seemed somewhat
away to the left.

For a moment Chris did not understand, and he turned to Morris.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The scaffold," said the servant tersely.

At the same moment high above the murmur of the crowd came the sound of
heavy resounding blows, as of wood on wood.

Then Chris remembered; and for one moment he sickened as he walked. His
father turned and looked over his shoulder as he went with Beatrice in
front, and his eyes were eloquent.

"I had forgotten," said Chris softly. "God help him!"

* * * * *

They turned in towards the right almost immediately to the low outer
gate of the fortress; and those for the first time remembered that the
order they carried was for four only.

Nicholas instantly offered to wait outside and let Morris go in. Morris
flatly refused. There was a short consultation, and then Nicholas went
up to the sentry on guard with the order in his hand.

The man looked at it, glanced at the party, and then turned and knocked
with his halberd on the great door behind, and in a minute or two an
officer came out in