yestereven. When ye saw me
here, so strangely seated where I have neither right nor interest, what
a murrain! could ye not smell harm and get ye gone from evil?"

"Nay," returned Lawless, "I thought ye had heard from Ellis, and were
here on duty."

"Ellis!" echoed Dick. "Is Ellis, then, returned?"

"For sure," replied the outlaw. "He came last night, and belted me sore
for being in wine--so there ye are avenged, my master. A furious man is
Ellis Duckworth! He hath ridden me hot-spur from Craven to prevent this
marriage; and, Master Dick, ye know the way of him--do so he will!"

"Nay, then," returned Dick, with composure, "you and I, my poor brother,
are dead men; for I sit here a prisoner upon suspicion, and my neck was
to answer for this very marriage that he purposeth to mar. I had a fair
choice, by the rood! to lose my sweetheart or else lose my life! Well,
the cast is thrown--it is to be my life."

"By the mass," cried Lawless, half arising, "I am gone!"

But Dick had his hand at once upon his shoulder.

"Friend Lawless, sit ye still," he said. "An ye have eyes, look yonder
at the corner by the chancel arch; see ye not that, even upon the motion
of your rising, yon armed men are up and ready to intercept you? Yield
ye, friend. Ye were bold aboard ship, when ye thought to die a
sea-death; be bold again, now that y'are to die presently upon the
gallows."

"Master Dick," gasped Lawless, "the thing hath come upon me somewhat of
the suddenest. But give me a moment till I fetch my breath again; and,
by the mass, I will be as stout-hearted as yourself."

"Here is my bold fellow!" returned Dick. "And yet, Lawless, it goes
hard against the grain with me to die; but where whining mendeth
nothing, wherefore whine?"

"Nay, that indeed!" chimed Lawless. "And a fig for death, at worst! It
has to be done, my master, soon or late. And hanging in a good quarrel
is an easy death, they say, though I could never hear of any that came
back to say so."

And so saying, the stout old rascal leaned back in his stall, folded his
arms, and began to look about him with the greatest air of insolence and
unconcern.

"And for the matter of that," Dick added, "it is yet our best chance to
keep quiet. We wot not yet what Duckworth purposes; and when all is
said, and if the worst befall, we may yet clear our feet of it."

Now that they ceased talking, they were aware of a very distant and thin
strain of mirthful music which steadily