"And beg him to spare my girl until I bring Vavasour. Entreat him to be so far merciful, Master Nicholas!" "I will let you know his lordship's pleasure," answered the steward, and crossed the passage to the room in which I awaited him. "And what is your business, my man?" he asked loftily, toying with his gold chain of office. "To give up the man that killed my Lord Sheffield and get my reward," I answered in rustic fashion. "And where is the man?" "By your leave, that is for his lordship's ear." "Art insolent, knave? May'st take thyself off. Thy information is late. We happen to have one of the murderer's familiars on the rack." "Who knows no more than you do." "Which chances to be all that is needful. In a few hours we shall have the villain." "If I give him up to you, not else. 'Tis a fool's errand to go to Lindholme to look for him." "Ah! how know you that? To be sure the doors were open. There's a big reward offered for the apprehension of the rascal, and a percentage is due----" "You shall have one pound out of every ten," I broke in. While this man delayed and chaffered, poor Bess might be suffering horribly. "'Tis a bargain; follow me," he said. He led me to the chamber in the tower which, I knew, was used for "questioning" accused prisoners and stubborn witnesses. Bidding me remain outside, he entered, closing the door behind him, and in a minute reappeared and beckoned me in. The old earl sat wrapped in furs on one side of the hexagonal room. Behind him stood a man whom I took to be a physician; in the corner, to the earl's right hand, stood another with writing materials on a small, high table in front of him. The rack lay at his lordship's feet, two stout fellows at each end of it, with long staves in their hands, the ends inserted in the sockets of the poles on which the cords are wound. Bess was stretched by the wrists and ankles, so that no part of her body touched the floor, with nothing to cover her save a short smock. On the instant she knew me, and a hot flush came into her face; and I turned away my eyes unable to bear the sight of her pain and shame. For a moment the same red haze came over my sight as I saw when Staniforth fell by my side at Thorne, and a mad humour of smiting them that did the cruelty seized me. But I was brought to my senses by the thin, piping voice of the old nobleman-- "My steward informs me you pretend to know where Vavasour is to be found." How hard he strove to control himself! But his voice shook with eager desire. "You shall have him safe within the hour, my lord, if you will give me the reward I ask." "You speak positively, fellow, of the capture of a man who has evaded all pursuits for more than a month." "He has not the ghost of a chance to escape me, my lord. You shall have him as fast as a bird in a cage." "But you want a larger reward than a hundred pounds? How much?" "I don't want a penny, my lord. I ask for what will cost you nothing."