n, but for Diana's remonstrances, she had gone forth in
quest of news. Bad news were better than this horror of suspense. What
if Wilding's warning should have procured help, and Richard were slain
in consequence? Oh, it was unthinkable! Diana, white of face, listened
to and shared her fears. Even her shallow nature was stirred by the
tragedy of Ruth's position, by dread lest Richard should indeed have met
his end that night. In these moments of distress, she forgot her hopes
of triumphing over Blake, of punishing him for his indifference to
herself.

At last, at something after midnight, there came a fevered rapping at
the outer door. Both women started up, and with arms about each other,
in their sudden panic, stood there waiting for the news that must be
here at last.

The door of the dining-room was flung open; the women recoiled in
their dread of what might come; then Richard entered, Jasper's startled
countenance showing behind him.

He closed the door, shutting out the wondering servant, and they saw
that, though his face was ashen and his limbs all a-tremble, he showed
no sign of any hurt or effort. His dress was as meticulous as when last
they had seen him. Ruth flew to him, flung her arms about his neck, and
pressed him to her.

"Oh, Richard, Richard!" she sobbed in the immensity of her relief.
"Thank God! Thank God!"

He wriggled peevishly in her embrace, disengaged her arms, and put her
from him almost roughly. "Have done!" he growled, and, lurching past
her, he reached the table, took up a bottle, and brimmed himself a
measure. He gulped the wine avidly, set down the cup, and shivered.
"Where is Blake?" he asked.

"Blake?" echoed Ruth, her lips white. Diana sank into a chair,
watchful, fearful and silent, taking now no glory in the thing she had
encompassed.

Richard beat his hands together in a passion of dismay. "Is he not
here?" he asked, and groaned, "O God!" He flung himself all limp into a
chair. "You have heard the news, I see," he said.

"Not all of it," said Diana hoarsely, leaning forward. "Tell us what
passed."

He moistened his lips with his tongue. "We were betrayed," he said in a
quivering voice. "Betrayed! Did I but know by whom..." He broke off with
a bitter laugh and shrugged, rubbing his hands together and shivering
till his shoulders shook. "Blake's party was set upon by half a company
of musketeers. Their corpses are strewn about old Newlington's orchard.
Not one of them esc