not knowing what
to do next. Then she seized on me again as the steps came near.

"Stand back," she said, "stand back, sir. I must see--"

There came a knocking on the door as I sprang back away from the hearth,
and stood out of the firelight. Then the door opened, as Her Grace made
no answer, and the page whom I had seen just now stood bowing upon the
threshold.

"Madame," said he. "M. Barillon, the French ambassador--"

She made a swift gesture, and he fell back. There was a pause; and then,
through the door came M. Barillon, very upright and lean, walking
quickly, all alone. He stopped short when he saw Her Grace, put his
heels together and bowed very low.

She was at him in an instant.

"Monsieur!" she cried. "Yon are come in the very nick of time. How is
His Majesty?"

He said nothing as he walked with her towards the hearth. She stood,
waiting, with her hands clasped, and a face of extraordinary anguish.

"Madame," he said, "there is very bad news. I am come on behalf of His
Majesty King Louis--"

"Sh!" she hissed at him, with a quick gesture to where I stood. He had
not observed me. He straightened himself, as he saw me, and then bowed a
little.

The Duchess went on with extraordinary rapidity, still talking in
French.

"This is Mr. Mallock," said she, "Mr. Mallock--but just now come from
His Majesty. He brings me very grave news. Monsieur Barillon, you will
help us, will you not? You will help us, surely?"

All her anguish had passed into an extraordinary pleading: she was as a
child begging for life.

"Madame--" began the ambassador.

"Ah! listen, Monsieur, the king desires a priest. He is a Catholic at
heart, you know. He hath been a Catholic at heart a long time, ever
since--" she broke off. "You will help us, will you not, Monsieur?"

He threw out his hands: but she paid no attention.

"Monsieur, I swear to you that it is so. Yet what can I do? I cannot go
to him, with decency. The Queen is there continually, I hear. The Duke
is taken up with a thousand affairs and does not think of it. Go to the
Duke, I entreat you, Monsieur l'Ambassadeur; go to the Duke and tell him
what I say. Mr. Mallock shall go with you. He is a friend of the Duke.
He will bear me out. Monsieur, for the love of God lose no time. Come
and see me again; but go now, or it may be too late. Monsieur, I entreat
you."

She had seized him by the arm as she spoke. Even his rigid face twitched
a little at the violence of h