cried, 'I have seen too much of it.'

'Aye, I am a good man,' he boasted, 'but when I come back you shall
see me a great one. There shall be patents for farms given me. There
shall be gold. There shall be never such another as I. I will give
thee such gowns, Kat.'

She sat still, but smoothed back a lock of her fair hair that glowed
in the firelight.

'When I am a great man,' he babbled on, 'I will not wed thee, for who
art thou to wed with a great man? Thou art more cheaply won. But I
will give thee....'

'Thou fool,' she shrieked suddenly at him. 'These men shall slay thee.
Get thee to Paris to murder as thou wilt. Thou shalt never come back
and I shall be well rid of thee.'

He gave her a snarling laugh:

'Toy thou with no man when I am gone,' he said with sudden ferocity,
so that his blue eyes appeared to start from his head.

'Poor fool, thou shalt never come back,' she answered.

He had an air of cunning and triumph.

'I have settled all this with that man that's no man, Viridus; thou
art here as in a cloister amongst the maids of the Court. No man shall
see thee; thou shalt speak with none that wears not a petticoat. I
have so contracted with that man.'

'I tell thee they have contrived this to be rid of thee,' she said.

His tone became patronising.

'Wherefore should they?' he asked. When there came no answer from her
he boasted, 'Aye, thou wouldst not have me go because thou lovest me
too well.'

'Stay here,' she said. 'I will give thee money.' He stood gazing at
her with his jaw fallen. 'Thou art a drunkard and a foul tongue,' she
said, 'but if thou goest to Paris to murder a cardinal thou shalt
never come out of that town alive. Be sure thou shalt be rendered up
to death.'

He staggered towards her and caught one of her hands.

'Why, it is but cutting of a man's throat,' he said. 'I have cut many
throats and have taken no harm. Be not sad! This man is a cardinal.
But 'tis all one. It shall make me a great man.'

She muttered, 'Poor fool.'

'I have sworn to go,' he said. 'I am to have great farms and a great
man shall watch over thee to keep thee virtuous. They have promised it
or I had not gone.'

'Do you believe their promises?' she asked derisively.

'Why, 'tis a good knave, yon Viridus. He promised or ever I asked it.'

He was on his knees before her as she sat, with his arms about her
waist.

'Sha't not cry, dear dove,' he mumbled. 'Sha't go with me to Paris.'

She sighed: