d," said the dame of Longueville. "Then she would
renounce the poor gentleman if the parent ordain her to marry a rich
lord. Ah, you hesitate, for a woman's ambition is pleased with the
excuse of a child's obedience."

Hastings said this so bitterly that Sibyll could not but perceive that
some personal feeling gave significance to his words. Yet how could they
be applied to him,--to one now in rank and repute equal to the highest
below the throne?

"If the demoiselle should so choose," said the dame of Longueville, "it
seemeth to me that the rejected suitor might find it facile to disdain
and to forget."

Hastings made no reply; but that remarkable and deep shade of melancholy
which sometimes in his gayest hours startled those who beheld it, and
which had, perhaps, induced many of the prophecies that circulated as
to the untimely and violent death that should close his bright career,
gathered like a cloud over his brow. At this moment the door opened
gently, and Robert Hilyard stood at the aperture. He was clad in the
dress of a friar, but the raised cowl showed his features to the lady of
Longueville, to whom alone he was visible; and those bold features were
literally haggard with agitation and alarm. He lifted his finger to his
lips, and motioning the lady to follow him, closed the door.

The dame of Longueville rose, and praying her visitors to excuse her
absence for a few moments, she left Hastings and Sibyll to themselves.

"Lady," said Hilyard, in a hollow whisper, as soon as the dame appeared
in the low hall, communicating on the one hand with the room just left,
on the other with the street, "I fear all will be detected. Hush!
Adam and the iron coffer that contains the precious papers have been
conducted to Edward's presence. A terrible explosion, possibly connected
with the contrivance, caused such confusion among the guards that Hugh
escaped to scare me with his news. Stationed near the gate in this
disguise, I ventured to enter the courtyard, and saw--saw--the
TORMENTOR! the torturer, the hideous, masked minister of agony, led
towards the chambers in which our hapless messenger is examined by the
ruthless tyrants. Gloucester, the lynx-eyed mannikin, is there!"

"O Margaret, my queen," exclaimed the lady of Longueville, "the papers
will reveal her whereabout."

"No, she is safe!" returned Hilyard; "but thy poor scholar, I tremble
for him, and for the heads of all whom the papers name."

"What can be