His thin, shrivelled form was scarce distinguishable in the gloom, only his old face, with large bottle-nose, and his pale, watery eyes appeared grotesque and quaint in the yellowish light of his lanthorn. "Then fulfil thy duties, friend," rejoined the Cardinal, who made it a point always to speak kindly and urbanely, even to the meanest lout. The man made a low obeisance and would have kissed His Eminence's hand, but the latter withdrew it gently. "Are there marauders about, friend watchman?" he condescended to ask, as the man prepared to go. "Thou dost not appear to be very strong, nor yet stoutly armed." "Your Eminence's pardon," replied the man, "'tis for a woman I am told to watch." "A woman?" "By Her Grace the Duchess of Lincoln's orders." "Ah!" remarked His Eminence, with sudden interest. "Mayhap some thief or vagrant, Your Eminence." "Aye, mayhap! Then go thy way, good watchman; we'll not hinder thee." Slowly the man shuffled off, dangling his lanthorn before him. The Cardinal watched the patch of brilliant light until it disappeared behind a projecting bosquet. His Eminence had been exceedingly thoughtful. "Know you aught of this, my lord?" he asked of Lord Everingham, who also seemed wrapped in meditation. "I suspect something of it," replied the young man slowly. "There is a story afloat--gossip, I thought it--that one of the Queen's maids-of-honour has been playing some curious pranks at night . . . and in disguise. . . ." "Indeed? Know you who the lady is?" "No! nor can I even guess. All the maids-of-honour are young and full of fun, and no doubt the girlish pranks were harmless enough, but Her Majesty is very austere and rigidly stern where questions of decorum are concerned." "So the Duchess of Lincoln, like a watchful dragon, would catch the fair miscreant _in flagrante delicto_, eh?" continued His Eminence. Mechanically he turned to walk along the path recently followed by the night watchman. His Eminence would have scorned the idea of any superstition influencing his precise, calculating mind, but, nevertheless, he had a strange belief in the guiding hand of Chance, and somehow at the present moment he had an unaccountable presentiment, that this gossip anent some young girl's frolic would in some way exercise an influence on his present schemes. As if in immediate answer to these very thoughts a woman's frightened scream was suddenly heard close by, followed by muttered curses in the watchman's gruff voice. "What was that?" exclaimed Everingham involuntarily. "The lady _in flagrante delicto_, meseems," rejoined the Cardinal quietly.