and the
crenellations, stood out of a purply black plainly marked against the
sky.

There were at least twenty men marching to and fro where at the most he
had had two; and he groaned in spirit for a time as he went over again
the occurrences of the past night. But far on high the sky began to be
dappled with orange and golden clouds, which increased in brightness
till the whole east was one glory of light, bringing with it hope; while
the soft cool breeze he drank in gave him fresh courage and the strength
to act the part he had to play,--that of one too proud to be cast down,
so that his men should speak of him ever after as his father's son.

"Better than being in one of the dungeons," he thought, as he indulged
in a good bathe, and dressed himself simply; after which he carefully
hung up his armour, with the helmet above, and longed for his sword that
it might occupy its old place.

"Better be lying rusting in the moat than resting in such hands as his,"
he muttered.

After spending some time at the window gazing across the court at the
windows of the long chamber used for the hospital, and at the opening to
the stabling down below, he fell to wondering as to how the poor fellows
who were wounded had passed the night; and this brought a shudder, and
he ran across to the little slit in the thickness of the wall to open
the tiny casement, and look down at the moat, peering to right and left
with starting eyes in expectant dread of seeing some ghastly sign of the
horrible struggle that had taken place upon the tower platforms. But
the lilies floated peacefully enough, and displayed their great white
cups, and the fish played about beneath the leaves, making rings in the
smooth patches where they rose--rings which spread and spread till they
slightly swayed the reeds and rushes at the edge.

But he saw no dead white face gazing up at the sunlit heavens, and,
search the waters as he would, there was not a sign to send a shudder
through his frame.

All at once there was the tramp of feet overhead, and he went back to
the other window, where he stood and looked across, and on the eastern
rampart saw the guard relieved, the sun burnishing the men's steel caps;
and soon after, as he watched, wondering what the day would bring forth,
he heard the sentries at his door relieved in turn.

This ended, the echoes of the place were awakened by the blast of a
trumpet, and the boy stood looking in wonder at the strength of