,' he explained.

"Listen, Gorges,' I said. 'What will you have to take me back to
Pontefract? Name your price, man--I am rich and can pay a royal
ransom--and you shall enter the King's own guard.'

"He shook his head. 'I have served the Lords of Darby all my life, and
my sire and my grandsire before me. No gold nor rank can buy me from
my duty. To me you have been committed, pending my lord's return; and
so long as I have power to keep you, I must obey.'

"'It is an ignoble task you are assigned,' I began.

"But he would not hear me. 'You forget, my lady, that I am of those
you and your station deem ignoble. Yet, none the less, am I ashamed of
this business--though, since my lord commands, it is not for me to
question nor delay. Therefore, I pray you, let us mount and be going?'

"I saw he neither could be bought nor persuaded, so I let him lift me
into saddle and we set out for Roxford. On the way, I asked why I was
being so moved about, though I had no hope he would tell me; and for a
while he made no answer. Then, to my surprise, he said: 'What do you
think would be the reason?'

"'Can it be that Lord Darby is suspected of my abduction?' I cried.
And the hope that had almost died came back to life with a bound.

"'Will you promise never to betray me to him?'

"'I promise,' I answered, all a tremble.

"So he detailed how, as Flat-Nose, he had been sought over all England;
how at Sheffield, you, Aymer, had come upon him and Lord Darby
together, and had carried his master to the King at Lincoln; how he,
himself, escaping, had galloped back and hurried me to Kirkstall,
assuming that Roxford would be visited by Richard's order; how Darby
had bested you with the King; and how Buckingham's rebellion had sent
you and Darby with the army to the South.

"'For the time Roxford will be in no danger of a searching party, so
you are being returned there,' he ended. 'But if I know aught of Sir
Aymer de Lacy, my lord has not yet won his bride.'

"'Lord Darby told me that the King had promised him my hand--and that
Sir Aymer de Lacy had gone to France.' I said.

"He looked at me with a smile.

"'I never contradict my master,' he replied; but there was vast
encouragement for me in his tones.

"And I slept that night as I had not for weeks; nor troubled that I lay
once more at Roxford Castle. For after my heavy gloom and dark
despair, even the smallest hope was mountain size and promised sure
release. And