"Nothing that you can do or say, or any one else here, will please me in the least degree," I retorted, with what carelessness and firmness I could muster. "Your ladyship grieves me beyond expression," was his sneering answer. "However, I shall leave the task of pleasing you to an abler and nobler being than my poor self." "Meaner and baser would be better words, if that were possible," said I. His face flushed, he glowered at me darkly, he even instinctively touched his sword-hilt. "Madam, you will live to bless me for this adventure," he said. "If I live at all, sir," I returned, "I shall curse you to the last day of my life or yours." "If you would take a fool's advice, madam..." "A knave's rather," I interposed. "'Tis much the same thing. We are all of us fools or knaves--some of us both; and the only wise man is he who recognises and admits his knavery or his foolery," he ran on cynically, striving to recover his equanimity. "You speak capably from your own experience," said I. "I doubt you have met many gentlemen and gentlewomen in your evil life and service, but, if you have, I am sure you have no personal knowledge or experience that would enable you to recognise either." "Madam, do you know how defenceless you are?" he cried, apparently provoked beyond control by my flings at him. "Do you not know that the King will tire of you as quickly as he fancied you? Do you realise what it would mean to you then, to have a friend in me?" He approached me threateningly as he spoke. "I am not so defenceless as you think, Lord Stenwold, and, weak as I am, I have a Friend still who..." "Your husband?" he interposed sneeringly. "Almighty God," said I. "God!" His jaw dropped; I never met such a look of astonishment as I saw in his face, and then he laughed sardonically. "God may be all right in His heaven, doubtless," he continued, "but we are on earth, and here the King's word rules." "'Tis more like hell," I returned. "And I am devil-in-chief, madam," he said, bowing. "Saving, of course, the King's royal grace and precedence," he added. "But enough of this; His Majesty, I am informed, desires to consult your pleasure in every way. He is kindness itself toward the fair." "Let him release me then, and restore me to my father." "In every way but that." "I have no other pleasure, no other wish, no other will." "What! not a thought for thy cowardly, treacherous, money-loving husband?" There he wounded me. I am ashamed to say it, but I thrust my face into my hands and turned away, to hear again that mocking laugh. May God and my husband forgive me, I never can. It was Stenwold who broke the silence that fell between us. "I shall have something to eat and drink brought to you here. After that, my charge of you is over; I shall deliver you to my royal master." "May I eat alone?"