"No, I am no fighter. I do not see what I should gain now that the
affair has gone so far; besides it matters not to me who is king."
I detected young Peter Trevisa's voice, and instantly my mind was on the
alert. What had these two worthies been planning? I remembered that
Treviscoe was but a few miles from Restormel. Had Otho been visiting the
Trevisas? If so, Nancy had been the subject of their discussion.
"But the other matter is settled?"
"Yes."
"Then good-night. I have much to do ere midnight. But I can trust you?
And you can trust your men?"
"To be sure. They will do aught that I tell them."
"Mind, if you betray me or fail me----" this was spoken in a threatening
voice.
"I will see that my part is done, if you do yours."
"And I will."
The men separated. Their words conveyed but little meaning to me. That
together they had concocted some plan concerning Nancy I was sure.
I saw Otho stand still, as if thinking deeply, after young Peter Trevisa
had gone; then he made his way towards the shrubbery through which I
had come early that morning. Silently I followed. I ill liked the part I
was playing, but I thought of my love, and determined that I would do
all a man could. For my love grew stronger each hour, even although I
had no hope that she I loved cared aught for me. How my heart hungered
for some token of a possible affection for me no words of mine can
write. Again and again I tried to comfort myself with the thought that
did she not care for me more than ordinary she would never have braved
the dangers of helping me to escape from Launceston Castle, that she
would not have been so anxious for my welfare. But I remembered again
how she had told me that what she had done for me she would have done
for any one who rendered a service. Nevertheless, I knew that if she
could never care for me, I had still given my life to her, and that
until my limbs lay cold in death I must seek to serve her. For when a
man who is past thirty really loves for the first time, it is love
forever. True, I loved my country, and I had espoused the cause of
liberty and truth, because I could not help it, but Nancy's welfare was
more to me than these.
Thus I could not help following Otho Killigrew, and although my wound
pained me, I knew that strength would not fail.
Presently Otho walked down the very path along which I had come, and
made his way towards the door which Nancy had thought secret. Evidently
he knew the road well, for he hesitated not. Having reached the door, he
knocked three times, just as Mistress Nancy had told me to knock. What
did this mean? How did any one know of this?
I did not spend much time in surmising concerning the matter, for I knew
that Otho would have many ways of finding out things unknown to most
men.
The door opened as if by magic. I heard no footsteps nor noise of any
sort. Evidently the sound of his knock must have reached some one who
knew the secret of the opening thereof.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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