“He is safe, my lord!”

“Nay, nay, by God! he is not nor ever will be again.  He hath so dealt with me and my honour, even though I stand within mine own threshold ’twould be heinous to allow him to leave it with life in his accursed body.  I tell thee now, there is nothing of hell or heaven that can take thee from me.  Dost hear—­dost hear, maid?” He again wiped his brow and looked about him.  “It does somewhat appear as if my brain were turning!—­Janet—­bring thy maid here to me!  Janet made a step forward, but was checked by Katherine’s warning look.

“Mistress Penwick, remove thyself from the table; Tompkins, set it, set it, set it quickly I say!” Tompkins put the basket upon the table and turned to a linen closet and brought therefrom a cloth and made as if to spread it upon a small table near him.  His Lordship saw his move, and broke forth in angry tones,—­“The table of honour, there, there Tompkins!” As he shook his fingers toward it, his hand fell back upon the hilt of his sword.

“Nay, I forbid him to do it,” said Katherine.

“By all the foul fiends! raise the leaves or I smite thee down,” said Lord Cedric to the frightened Tompkins.  And he drew and leaned forward his body well nigh to the floor.  His eyes were wild and bloodshot.  As Tompkins raised the leaves Mistress Penwick threw herself between his Lordship and the table.  With one bound Cedric swayed aside and like one frenzied, gazed beneath the table, and there looked out to him the white face of Christopher.

His Lordship broke forth into such a wild laugh, even the affrighted and condemned servant crept from his hiding and looked on amazed.  Finally, when his laughing had well-nigh ceased, his Lordship drew from his belt the dagger and threw it across the room at Hiary, saying,—­“There; stick him as thou wouldst a wild boar—­no probing, mind; but death!”

“Nay, nay, my lord! my lord!” broke from Mistress Pen wick, and Janet ran to her crying,—­“My lord, not so harsh a deed before my lady’s eyes!”

“Ah! ah! and she hath carved my heart to pieces!  Commit thy office, Hiary!” The lithe lackey sprang upon Christopher and drove the knife, it appeared, to the hilt, and with a gurgling cry the lad fell.

Mistress Penwick looked on wild-eyed with terror.  His Lordship came near and leant close to her ear and said,—­

“Thou hast turned thy charms to ill account, thou stirrest me to evil deeds.  Didst thy love help thee to this rendezvous, and was he satisfied to leave thee when he heard my sword flap upon the chair without to fight thy battles alone, or did he sate his desire on thy innocent face and fled aforetime to prepare for a greater sating?  Now by God, none shall wrest thee from me again.  Arouse the chaplain!  Come, Mistress, thou shalt have a husband who loves thee within the hour, and the morrow’s sun will look in on a sweet young wife with a light heart.”

He laid hold on her without violence, she drew from him even more frightened than heretofore.