can aid me."

"Will you be occupied very late?" she asked, as he held back the arras.

"Only a short time, my dear. I will come to you presently," and
himself closed the door behind her.

"Are you very weary?" he asked De Lacy.

"Fit for any service Your Majesty may wish."

"It will be your own service."

"Mine! Mine! . . . You cannot mean----" taking a step forward.

"Steady, man, steady! I mean only that Sir John's riderless horse has
just been found near the castle, with severed rein and bloody saddle."

De Lacy passed his hand across his forehead.

"And Beatrix?" he asked huskily.

The King shook his head.

Again Aymer passed his hand across his eyes; his brain was working very
slowly how.

"You have given orders?" he asked.

"One hundred men-at-arms are seeking for a clue. Fifty others will
await you at the barbican at daybreak."

"Meanwhile I, too, will seek," and he sprang toward the door--and into
Ratcliffe's arms.

"Stay, Sir Aymer," said the King; "it would do no good for you to
search at night--you may go far astray. All that can be done till
daybreak the scouts will do. . . You gave the orders, Ratcliffe?"

"I did, and venture to amplify them by sending twenty men along the
North road as far as the Aire for any trace of Sir John or of the
fight--for, of course, there was a fight."

"And a passing hard one ere De Bury was unhorsed," said Richard.

"The remaining eighty," Ratcliffe continued, "I divided into bands of
ten and five, bidding them follow every cross-road or bridle-path, and
inquire for information from every traveler and at every habitation.
The instant aught is discovered you will be advised."

The King turned to De Lacy. "You rescued Sir John when he was attacked
last April near his own castle; might this be the same band?"

Aymer shook his head. "We killed all of them but one."

"True, I remember now. . . The flat-nosed one alone escaped. . . Did
De Bury ever speak to you of enemies in these parts?"

"Never directly; though, as you know, he seemed to dislike the Abbot of
Kirkstall and suspected him of being, at least, party to the other
attack."

"Well, we must wait for even a plausible solution until we have a few
facts. Yet I would wager much it is an abduction--and God grant it be
so. . . Of course, it may be the villains did not molest the Countess.
In that case, find Sir John and you find her, too."

"The chance is slight," De Lacy said quickly, "