"Jeffreys!" cried the King. "Your Majesty hath wit enough to identify him from my meagre description evidently," said I. "And what of him?" "He is my prisoner." "It is a lie." "I have not rank enough to lie. Here is the evidence." I forced into his hands Jeffreys' letter. "'Tis forged," he protested. "And is this, too, forged?" I asked, as I showed him my lord's signet ring. "Does the fool believe," said the King bitterly, "that I would allow his life or anybody's to stand between me and my will?" As for that, I could quite believe that in his present mood the King would have sacrificed Jeffreys, or anybody, or anything but his life for revenge upon me and mine, and power to work his will upon both of us. "To tell you the truth, sir," I answered smoothly, "even he does not think that highly of you, but even Your Majesty could scarcely afford to have it known that he wilfully sacrificed his Lord Chief Justice for a woman." "Enough," said the King; "you have what you came for; now, go!" "But one thing more remains to be said," I began. "For the sake of the honourable gentlemen, the honest and gallant men over whom for yet a little space you are permitted to rule, and not to bring shame to them by showing them what a coward their monarch is, my wife and I will keep silent concerning the events of this night, and, if they be mooted abroad, the news will come from you, not from us. I wish Your Majesty a good-night." "Go, go!" cried the King. "Come, Kate," I said. I sheathed my sword and then I kissed her before him. I confess I wanted him to see it, that kiss which he had been denied. Then I took her hand and we turned happily away. The King sank down into a chair and lay sprawled there, trembling and shaking as if in an ague, while we made toward the door. The desperate game had been played out, and I had won. I was happy, exultant, triumphant. Ten minutes would see us on the water and away, if Macleod had been faithful which I did not doubt. _Chapter_ XX _How Sir Hugh and Lady Katharine, with some Assistance from General Feversham, at last and finally overcame the Majesty of England_ There was a sudden clamour in the great hall outside. My heart stopped beating. I halted with my left hand on the closed door. I released my wife and drew my sword again. "If anything happens," I whispered to her, "do you go to the window, dearest Kate! I'll hold them in play until you leap, and if I can I'll follow you." "I understand," she answered, her eyes shining with love for me and brave determination to die rather than yield to the King.