At this she smiled again. "Of what value your life may be to you or to your countrymen I know not," she said, "but at this present time it is of some worth to me." "I am honoured, madam," said I in some puzzlement. And then, seeing my wonder writ on my face, she laughed outright. "I fear me, good sir, we are scarcely of one mind," she said. "Loth as I am to enforce you with any restraint, yet needs must I tell you that for a time you shall rest content to remain my guest." "Shall, madam?" said I, with a lift of the eyes. "Shall, sir," she repeated. "You shall be a hostage, a pledge for the fair treatment of my father." "What have I to do with your father?" I asked, in my bewilderment. "This: that your general has sworn to hang my father so soon as he lays hands on him, wherefore I have despatched a letter to your general to let him know that I have you in ward, and will surely execute upon you any violence or indignity that my father may suffer." [Illustration: "I WILL SURELY EXECUTE UPON YOU ANY VIOLENCE OR INDIGNITY THAT MY FATHER MAY SUFFER"] This she said with a firm voice, smiting the table with her little hand; and I knew in my heart that what she said, that the fair termagant would surely do. "And may I presume to ask, madam," said I, "the name of the gentleman upon whose safety my own salvation hangs?" "His name, sir, is Kedagh O’Hagan: and yours?" "A name of much less mark: Christopher Rudd, at your service." "A knight?" "Nay, madam, a plain gentleman." She smiled a little at this, and continued— "Well, Master Christopher Rudd, give me the word of a plain gentleman that you will use no endeavour to flee away, and I give you the freedom of this castle, such as it is." "I thank you, madam, for your good will," said I, "but I have a larger notion of freedom. With your leave I will put no fetters on my discretion." "Nor I on your limbs, and yet you shall be confined," said she; and after the exchange of sundry civil nothings between us, she departed with the ancient dame, who had stood by the while with arms folded upon her hips, and lips pressed together grimly. The door was closed upon them, and by the voices that came to me through the timber I knew that two men had been set to guard me. I had much to speculate upon in my solitude. This Kedagh O’Hagan, the damsel’s father, was a notorious rebel, and a doughty lieutenant of the O’Neill. I knew that my general, Sir Arthur Chichester, had vowed to hang him, as she had said; but seeing that the fellow was slippery as an eel and had escaped us not a few times, I saw myself doomed in all likelihood to a long imprisonment unless peradventure I could make my escape. Moreover, if by any foul chance he should lose his life, the gallows was my certain destination, an ignominious end which I could not contemplate with any comfort or serenity.