"Silence, wench," roared the King. But I shoved my pistol harder into his side. "Give the lady free speech," I said grimly, "and do not use that word again to my wife if you love life." "And my husband came here in the nick of time to rescue me from His Majesty----" "And to avenge you had I been too late," I added. "What man of you would not do the same, for one he loved?" she cried, appealing to the rest. "You, Lord Feversham, are a French gentleman, one of the _haute noblesse_ of your gallant land, an honourable soldier; what say you? Is my husband to be blamed for that? Is his life to be forfeit because he sought to protect me from this dishonoured King?" Never had she been so royally beautiful herself as in that hour. I knew not till then how fortunate I had been in winning her to wife. I almost forgot our lives hung upon her word in admiration for her, but nevertheless I kept tight hold of the King. Louis de Duras looked greatly troubled. "Your Majesty," he said at last, "deny this for God's love, and for the sake of your kingly fame!" "Why should I deny it?" snarled the King. "The woman is my subject, the daughter of one traitor, the wife of another--she ought to be honoured." "It is ill done, Sire," said the soldier, shaking his head. "The King can do no wrong," roared Judge Jeffreys. "I should have left you where I found you by chance," said Feversham, looking contemptuously at the red-faced travesty of justice, "the soiled rag thrust within your lips consorts well with what falls from them now and ever." "Lord Feversham," cried the King, as Jeffreys shrank away from the fierce gaze of the proud, brave soldier, "on your allegiance I command you to obey my order." "One step nearer, General Feversham," cried I, tapping the King on the shoulder--he was as a child in my hands!--"and I blow His Majesty's brains out before you all." "Would you murder your King?" cried Jeffreys. "Ay, and die regretting that I had not a second shot for you." Feversham stood uncertain. Jeffreys gnashed his teeth in baffled rage and terror. "Good God, gentlemen!" protested the Lord Chief Justice, "is all the power of England in this vagabond's hands?" How the situation might have terminated I cannot say. We had reached a position in which advance or retreat were alike impossible on either side. It was my bonny Kate who intervened again. God bless her woman's wit. It saved us both. She suddenly stepped past the Earl of Feversham toward me. The soldier bowed, but made as if he would interrupt her progress. "Madam," he said, "I respect you, but I must guard as I may the person of the King; your husband alone sufficiently menaces him. What want you now?"