CHAPTER

     I. Poison
    II.  Counter-Poison
   III.  Showing that “our pleasant vices are made the whips to scourge us.” 
    IV.  How the forged Confession was produced
     V. A visit to Sir Giles Mompesson’s habitation near the fleet
    VI.  Of the Wager between the Conde de Gondomar and the Marquis
        of Buckingham
   VII.  A Cloud in the Horizon
  VIII.  Whitehall
    IX.  Prince Charles
     X. The old Palace-Yard of Westminster
    XI.  The Tilt-Yard
   XII.  The Tilting-Match
  XIII.  The Felon Knight
   XIV.  The private Cabinet of Sir Giles Mompesson
    XV.  Clement Lanyere’s Story
   XVI.  Sir Jocelyn’s rupture with de Gondomar
  XVII.  Disgrace
 XVIII.  How Sir Jocelyn’s cause was espoused by the ’prentices
   XIX.  A Noble Revenge
    XX.  A Place of Refuge
   XXI.  The Arrest
  XXII.  The Old Fleet Prison
 XXIII.  How Sir Jocelyn was brought to the Fleet
  XXIV.  The Abduction
   XXV.  The “Stone Coffin.” 
  XXVI.  A Secret Friend
 XXVII.  Showing how judgment was given by King James in the Star-Chamber
        in the great cause of the Countess of Exeter against Sir Thomas
        and Lady Lake
XXVIII.  The two warrants
  XXIX.  The Silver Coffer
   XXX.  How the Marriage was interrupted
  XXXI.  Accusations
 XXXII.  Judgment

Concluding chapter.—­Retribution

CHAPTER I.

Poison.

The execution of Lady Lake’s criminal and vindictive project would not have been long deferred, after the defeat she had sustained from Lord Roos, but for her husband’s determined opposition.  This may appear surprising in a man so completely under his wife’s governance as was Sir Thomas; but the more he reflected upon the possible consequences of the scheme, the more averse to it he became; and finding all arguments unavailing to dissuade his lady from her purpose, he at last summoned up resolution enough positively to interdict it.

But the project was only deferred, and not abandoned.  The forged confession was kept in readiness by Lady Lake for production on the first favourable opportunity.

Not less disinclined to the measure than her father was Lady Roos, though the contrary had been represented to Sir Thomas by his lady; but accustomed to yield blind obedience to her mother’s wishes, she had been easily worked upon to acquiesce in the scheme, especially as the fabricated confession did not appear to hurt her husband, for whom (though she did not dare to exhibit it) she maintained a deep and unchanging affection.  So utterly heart-broken was she by the prolonged and painful struggle she had undergone, that she was now almost indifferent to its issue.