"Your despatch-bag and the wallet you were good enough to hand me lie yonder," I said, "their contents otherwise intact." He turned to them, picked them up, examined them carefully, thrust the wallet into the breast pocket of his coat, and turned to me, holding the despatch-bag in his hand. "I see," said he, "that you have burned your father's warrant. Why did you do this, may I ask?" "You were an enemy..." I began. "Certainly not your enemy, madam," he interrupted quickly. "I simply serve my King and obey his orders. I have no personal feeling against you or against the Earl. That should be obvious." "'Tis a matter of indifference, your feeling toward me or mine," I replied coolly, at which he flushed darkly. "May I ask what you expect to gain beyond delay by this most extraordinary action, which is fraught with consequences to yourself infinitely more serious than you can imagine?" "I know to the full, sir, what are the consequences to myself, and, knowing them, I took the risk to save my father's life." "But you cannot save his life by this means. It will be not difficult to procure another warrant, and your action has removed the last vestige of possibility of royal clemency. You have gained nothing but a brief delay for your father, while for yourself..." "And that, sir," I returned, "is all that I desire. New evidence hath been disclosed which will be laid before the King, with application for pardon signed by most of the great and loyal gentlemen of Scotland. I played for time. They cannot execute my father without the warrant, and, while one is being sent there, I shall be on my way south to London, to plead with His Majesty the Earl's cause." "Humph!" said Sir Hugh, "you have forgotten one thing." "And what is that, pray?" "That you are now a prisoner attainted of treason; that to-night I turn you over to the commandant at Edinburgh, and your place will be a cell beside your father's. Two heads, one of them a fair one, may go to the block instead of one." He spoke slowly and with cool deliberation, which lent tremendous emphasis to every word he said. I stared at him, bewildered, the truth of what he said coming over me like a wave. Was it indeed possible that I had risked everything and to no avail? "Sir, sir," I began, and then I hid my face in my hands once more. The pause was broken by the soldier. "I never could abide to see a woman weep. The thought that many a hard adventure and many a bold attempt ends in a woman's tears has oft taken the joy out of some gallant undertaking," he said uncomfortably. "I pray your ladyship control your grief." "Control my grief!" I flashed out. "Put yourself in my place. I have staked everything, full of hope that I might thus insure my father's life, and you tell me that I have but made his death more certain." "And have only involved yourself in his evil fortune." "For that I care not." "And there is no one for whom you care enough to regret this life?"