"Sire," he burst out, "this is unendurable. Your Majesty hath made me the protector and guardian of this lady. As a man of the sword I usually have little to do with those of the robe, but on my word..." "I shall myself protect this lady's honour," interposed the King loftily. It seemed to me that the protection was like to be that afforded by the wolf to the lamb. Still, however, bad as he might be, he did not equal Jeffreys in baseness. There was something apparently in being a king. "And I think you go too far, Jeffreys," His Majesty ran on. "Why, you wanted to see for yourself," the other muttered. "Will you be silent, sir?" cried the King, now thoroughly aroused and indignant at being thus shamed before the rest, at which Jeffreys slunk back, abashed. "Your story, madam," continued the monarch, addressing me, "seemed so incredible to me that I wished to see for my own eyes what appearance you made, and by our Lady, what hath been disclosed of your temper makes me the more inclined to credit it. We have deliberated carefully with the Lord Bishop as to your future punishment, and..." He stopped. "Wouldst like to stay at our court and win our royal favour?" he asked, with a certain eager solicitation in his bearing. At this Jeffreys' lip curled, and the Bishop looked gravely anxious. They both knew very well what he meant and so, in sooth, did I. "Your Majesty," said I, "I must share the fortunes of my father, and I take it that his presence will not be acceptable at your court." "Very well then," said the King, looking very much disappointed at my refusal to his sudden proposition, "we will say no more on't, save to add this, should your inclinations ever change, you will find a warm welcome here ... I mean at court." "I thank Your Majesty," said I. The King turned to the Bishop, who arose, bowed, and presented three sealed documents. The King took them in his hand and then extended them to me. "Here," said he, "is the pardon of your father, that of Sir Hugh Richmond, and..." he paused as he lifted the third paper, "and your own sentence." "And may I ask what that is, Sire?" "You may ask," was the answer, "but you are not to be told what it is until you reach Edinburgh." "Whatever it may be," said I, "I shall submit to it gladly in view of Your Majesty's clemency to those I came hither to save." The King laughed uproariously. "Don't be too sure of that," he said. "Now, Feversham, will you have this lady and these documents delivered to General Ramesay and Sir Alexander Forfair at Edinburgh on pain of our displeasure and without delay?" "Your Majesty," I cried, "let me take the pardons there alone. I give you my word of honour, Sire, that I will not break the seal or look within that which concerns me personally, but I will deliver it as it stands, and the others also, to the Lord Chief Justice." "Your word of honour as a man?" "As a woman, Sire." "And why do you wish to go alone?"