'Get ye gone, all you minions and hounds,' he cried. And running in upon them he assailed them with huge blows and curses, sobbing lamentably, so that they fled up the steps and out on to the rooms behind the throne. He came sobbing, swift and maddened, panting and crying out, back to where she awaited him. 'Unsay! unsay!' he cried out. She stood calmly. 'Never will I unsay,' she said. 'For it is right that such a King as thou should be punished, and I do believe this: that there can no agony come upon you such as shall come if you do believe me false to you.' The coloured sunlight fell upon his face just down to the chin; his eyes glared horribly. She confronted him, being in the shadow. High up above them, painted and moulded angels soared on the roof with golden wings. He clutched at his throat. 'I do not believe it,' he cried out. 'Then,' she said, 'I believe that it shall be only a second greater agony to you: for you shall have done me to death believing me guiltless.' A great motion of despair went over his whole body. 'Kat!' he said; 'Body of God, Kat! I would not have you done to death. I have saved your life from your enemies.' She made him no answer, and he protested desperately-- 'All this afternoon I have wrestled with a woman to make her say that you are older than your age, and precontracted to a cousin of yours. I have made her say it at last, so your life is saved.' She turned half to go from him, but he ran round in front of her. 'Your life is saved!' he said desperately, 'for if you were precontracted to Dearham your marriage with me is void. And if your marriage with me is void, though it be proved against you that you were false to me, yet it is not treason, for you are not my wife.' Again she moved to circumvent him, and again he came before her. 'Speak!' he said, 'speak!' But she folded her lips close. He cast his arms abroad in a passion of despair. 'You shall be put away into a castle where you shall have such state as never empress had yet. All your will I will do. Always I will live near you in secret fashion.' 'I will not be your leman,' she said. 'But once you offered it!' he answered. 'Then you appeared in the guise of a king!' she said. He withered beneath her tone. 'All you would have you shall have,' he said. 'I will call in a messenger and here and now send the letter that you wot of to Rome.' 'Your Highness,' she said, 'I would not have the Church brought back to this land by one deemed an adult'ress. Assuredly, it should not prosper.' Again he sought to stay her going, holding out his arms to enfold her. She stepped back. 'Your Highness,' she said, 'I will speak some last words. And, as you know me well, you know that these irrevocably shall be my last to you!' He cried--'Delay till you hear----' 'There shall be no delay,' she said; 'I will not hear.' She smoothed a strand of hair that had fallen over her forehead in a gesture that she always had when she was deep in thoughts.