II.—­The Twelfth Day Queen

While Renard’s intrigues were maturing, and the Duke of Northumberland had left the Tower on a campaign against the Princess Mary, Cuthbert Cholmondeley was kept languishing in his terrible dungeon.

At long intervals Nightgall visited him, and once the wretched prisoner, whom the gaoler called Alexia, came to him, entreating his help against Nightgall.

At last Cuthbert decided upon a daring plan of escape.  After several days’ imprisonment he feigned to be dead.  Nightgall, seeing him stretched on the ground, apparently lifeless, chuckled with delight, and, releasing the chain that bound his leg, bent over him with the intention of carrying his body into the burial vault near the moat.  But a suspicion crossed his mind, and he drew his dagger, determined to make sure that his prisoner had passed away.  As he did so, the young esquire sprang to his feet, and wrested the poniard from his grasp.  In another second Nightgall was lying chained to the floor, where his prisoner had been a moment before.

Despite the gaoler’s threats, Cuthbert set out, determined to liberate Alexia and made good his own escape.  He wandered through the terrible torture chambers, released an old man confined in a cell called Little Ease, a cell so low and so contrived that the wretched inmate could not stand, walk, sit, or lie at full length within, and then, unable to discover the whereabouts of the ill-fated Alexia, returned to the gaoler, and, possessing himself of his keys and cloak, started forth once more.  After wandering for a long time, chance at last brought him to a secret door, which led into St. John’s Chapel in the White Tower.

While these events were in progress Cicely, despairing of her lover’s safety, sought an audience of Queen Jane, and poured out her story.  Moved by compassion, the queen gave directions for a search to be made, and, delighted by the grace and charm of Cicely, appointed her one of her attendants.  Lord Guildford Dudley, procuring the assistance of Magog, burst open the door leading to the subterranean dungeons beneath the Devilin Tower, and eventually discovered Nightgall, who made a full confession of his crime as the price of his release.

Cholmondeley’s arrival in St. John’s Chapel was opportune.  Renard, with Pembroke by his side, had just demanded the resignation of the crown by Queen Jane, and the queen, helpless but courageous, had ordered Lord Pembroke to arrest the Spaniard.  Pembroke had refused to move, and at this juncture Cholmondeley stepped forward, and, advancing towards the ambassador, said, “M.  Simon Renard, you are the queen’s prisoner.”

The Spaniard drew his sword, and, with the assistance of the Earl of Pembroke, kept Cuthbert at bay until they were both able to slip through the secret door.