"It was not as a woman that I did it." "What mean you?" "In man's attire I won his friendship, Sire, and then unsuspecting shot him. My bullet fortunately, however, glanced across his forehead and merely stunned him. His bullet tore its way through my shoulder." "Here is no collusion between ye then," said the King. "Nay, Your Majesty. But afterward when I had burned the warrant, Sir Hugh overtook me, discovered me to be a woman, had compassion on me, failed to report my assault, did not deliver me to the authorities, and now languishes in the Tolbooth in my place." "That accounts for your short hair," said the King irrelevantly. "I had wondered why you came thus out of the mode. You cut it off to pass for boy?" "Your Majesty's penetration does you high honour," said I, passing him the sweet compliment deftly. "I should like to see thee as lad," laughed the King. "What think ye, Jeffreys?" "Saving your grace," cried the Justice, "I think her an impudent, traitorous wench who deserveth nothing whatever from Your Majesty's hands but a place on the block beside her father and her paramour." "You coward!" I cried. "You low, base, ineffable cur!" "Did ye not pay a price to Sir Hugh for his complacence, answer me that, you little baggage?" he roared. "Your Majesty," cried I, flaming, "I appeal to you as the first gentleman of your kingdom to protect me from the insults of this man. Naught, I declare upon my word of honour as my father's daughter, hath passed between Sir Hugh Richmond and myself that the whole world might not know." "You go too far, Jeffreys," said the King, turning upon the Chief Justice. "This passeth even my easy permission." "I shall be pleased, madam, with the King's gracious permission," said Feversham with the chivalric gallantry of his race and ancestry, "to make your cause my own." He touched his sword and looked threateningly at Jeffreys. There was kindly blood in this courteous soldier. I thanked him by a grateful look. It was the good Bishop who interposed in the angry scene. "Your Majesty," he said, "I have read here the papers. 'Tis as the maiden declares. The petition is signed by the most noble and most loyal gentlemen of Scotland. The affidavits indicate the Earl of Clanranald's reluctance, his endeavour to restrain his fellow-conspirators. Here is surely a case for clemency." "Did you ever see a case that was not for clemency?" roared Jeffreys. "Few indeed, sir," said the Bishop, confronting him without blenching. The King took the papers and stood looking at me thoughtfully. He was hesitating. With a prayer I played my last card. "Your Majesty," I said, "out of the wreck of my father's fortune I have here some five thousand pounds, which should Your Majesty incline to mercy, I will gladly place in Your Majesty's hands." "Bribery, woman!" cried the King. But I had wit enough to see the answer.