er feet and clutched at her hand.

'Leave all this,' he said. 'Ye know not how dangerous a place this
is.' He began to whisper softly and passionately. 'Come away from
here. Well ye know that I love 'ee better than any man in land. Well
ye know. Well ye know. And well ye know no man could so well fend for
ye or jump nimbly to thy thoughts. The men here be boars and bulls.
Leave all these dangers; here is a straight issue. Ye shall not sway
the wild boar king for ever. Come with me.'

As she did not at once find words to stop his speech, he whispered on:

'I have gold enow to buy me a baron's fee in Almain. I have been
there: in castles in the thick woods, silken bowers may be built----'

But suddenly again he rose to his feet and laughed:

'Why,' he said, 'I hunger for thee: at times 'tis a madness. But 'tis
past.'

His eyes twinkled again and he waved a hand.

'Mayhap 'tis well that ye go to the Queen,' he said drily. 'If the
Queen say, "Yea," ye ha' gained all; if "Nay" ye ha' lost naught, for
ye may alway change your mind. And a true and steadfast cause, a large
and godly innocence is a thing that gaineth men's hearts and voices.'
He paused for a moment. 'Ye ha' need o' man's good words,' he said
drily; then he laughed again. 'Aye: _Nolo episcopari_ was always a
good cry,' he said.

Katharine looked at him tenderly.

'Ye know my aims are other,' she said, 'or else you would not love me.
I think ye love me better than any man ever did--though I ha' had a
store of lovers.'

'Aye,' he nodded at her gravely, 'it is pleasant to be loved.'

She was sitting by her table and leant her hand upon her cheek; she
had been sewing a white band with pearls and silken roses in red and
leaves in green, and it fell now to her feet from her lap. Suddenly he
said:

'Answer me one question of three?'

She did not move, for a feeling of languor that often overcame her in
Throckmorton's presence made her feel lazy and apt to listen. She
itched to be Queen--on the morrow or next day; she desired to have the
King for her own, to wear fair gowns and a crown; to be beloved of the
poor people and beloved of the saints. But her fate lay upon the knees
of the gods then: on the morrow the Queen would speak--betwixt then
and now there was naught for it but to rest. And to hearken to
Throckmorton was to be surprised as if she listened at a comedy.

'One question of three may be answered,' she said.

'On the forfeit of a kiss,' he