She had told of the lascivious revels and partings, in the maid's garret at the old Duchess's, when Katharine had been a child there. She had told how Marnock the musicker had called her his mistress, and how Dearham, Katharine's cousin, had beaten him. And how Dearham had given Katharine a half of a silver coin. 'Well, that is all true,' the Lady Mary said. 'How did you perjure yourself?' 'In the matter of the Queen's age,' the woman faltered. 'How that?' the Lady Mary asked. 'The Duke would have me say that she was more than a young child.' The Lady Mary said, 'Ah! ah! there is the yellow dog!' She thought for a moment. 'And you said?' she asked at last. 'The Duke threated me and threated me. And say I, "Your Grace must know how young she was." And says he, "I would swear that at that date she was no child, but that I do not know how many of these nauseous Howard brats there be. Nor yet the order in which they came. But this I will swear that I think there has been some change of the Queen with a whelp that died in the litter, that she might seem more young. And of a surety she was always learned beyond her assumed years, so that it was not to be believed."' Mary Lascelles closed her eyes and appeared about to faint. 'Speak on, dog,' Mary said. The woman roused herself to say with a solemn piteousness-- 'This I swear that before this trial, when my brother pressed me and threated me thus to perjure myself, I abhorred it and spat in his face. There was none more firm--nor one half so firm as I--against him. But oh, the Duke and the terror--and to be in a ring of so many villainous men....' 'So that you swore that the Queen's Highness, to your knowledge, was older than a child,' the Lady Mary pressed her. 'Ay; they would have me say that it was she that commanded to have these revels....' She leaned forward with both her hands on the floor, in the attitude of a beast that goes four-footed. She cried out-- 'Ask me no more! ask me no more!' 'Tell! tell! Beast!' the Lady Mary said. 'They threated me with torture,' the woman panted. 'I could do no less. I heard Margot Poins scream.' 'They have tortured her?' the Lady Mary said. 'Ay, and she was in her pains elsewise,' the woman said. 'Did she say aught?' the Lady Mary said. 'No! no!' the woman panted. Her hair had fallen loose in her coif, it depended on to her shoulder. 'Tell on! tell on!' the Lady Mary said. 'They tortured her, and she did not say one word more, but ever in her agony cried out, "Virtuous! virtuous!" till her senses went.' Mary Hall again raised herself to her knees. 'Let me go, let me go,' she moaned. 'I will not speak before the Queen. I had been as loyal as Margot Poins.... But I will not speak before the Queen. I love her as well as Margot Poins. But ... I will not----'