as
swiftly as a bird to its nest. None had thought to see her for at least
ten days.

Upon all there fell a sudden realization that it was the word of the
King, feathered by the command of the Company, that was hurrying,
arrow-like, toward us. All knew what the Company's orders would
be,--must needs be,--and the Tudor sovereigns were not so long in the
grave that men had forgot to fear the wrath of kings. The crowd drew
back from me as from a man plague-spotted. Only Rolfe, Sparrow, and the
Indian stood their ground.

The Governor turned from staring downstream. "The game is played,
gentlemen," he announced abruptly. "The wind grows colder, too, and
clouds are gathering. This fair company will pardon me if I dismiss them
somewhat sooner than is our wont. The next sunny day we will play again.
Give you God den, gentles."

The crowd stood not upon the order of its going, but streamed away to
the river bank, whence it could best watch the oncoming ship. My lord,
after a most triumphant bow, swept off with his train in the direction
of the guest house. With him went Master Pory. The Governor drew nearer
to me. "Captain Percy," he said, lowering his voice, "I am going now to
mine own house. The letters which yonder ship brings will be in my hands
in less than an hour. When I have read them, I shall perforce obey their
instructions. Before I have them I will see you, if you so wish."

"I will be with your Honor in five minutes."

He nodded, and strode off across the green to his garden. I turned to
Rolfe. "Will you take her home?" I said briefly. She was so white and
sat so still in her chair that I feared to see her swoon. But when
I spoke to her she answered clearly and steadily enough, even with a
smile, and she would not lean upon Rolfe's arm. "I will walk alone," she
said. "None that see me shall think that I am stricken down." I watched
her move away, Rolfe beside her, and the Indian following with his
noiseless step; then I went to the Governor's house. Master Jeremy
Sparrow had disappeared some minutes before, I knew not whither.

I found Yeardley in his great room, standing before a fire and staring
down into its hollows. "Captain Percy," he said, as I went up to him, "I
am most heartily sorry for you and for the lady whom you so ignorantly
married."

"I shall not plead ignorance," I told him.

"You married, not the Lady Jocelyn Leigh, but a waiting woman named
Patience Worth. The Lady Jocelyn Leigh, a nob