Dorothy did not know the hour when her lover would leave Haddon; but she sat patiently at her window till at last John and Lord Rutland appeared.  She called to Madge, telling her of the joyous event, and Madge, asked:—­

“Is Malcolm with them?”

“No,” replied Dorothy, “he has been left in the dungeon, where he deserves to remain.”

After a short pause, Madge said:—­

“If John had acted toward the Scottish queen as Malcolm did, would you forgive him?”

“Yes, of course.  I would forgive him anything.”

“Then why shall we not forgive Malcolm?” asked Madge.

“Because he is not John,” was the absurd reply.

“No,” said Madge, promptly; “but he is ‘John’ to me.”

“That is true,” responded Dorothy, “and I will forgive him if you will.”

“I don’t believe it makes much difference to Malcolm whether or not you forgive him,” said Madge, who was provoked at Dorothy’s condescending offer.  “My forgiveness, I hope, is what he desires.”

“That is true, Madge,” replied Dorothy, laughingly; “but may not I, also, forgive him?”

“If you choose,” responded Madge, quietly; “as for me, I know not what I wish to do.”

You remember that Dorothy during her visit to the dungeon spoke of Jennie Faxton.  The girl’s name reached Sir George’s ear through the listening-tube and she was at once brought in and put to the question.

Jennie, contrary to her wont, became frightened and told all she knew concerning John and Dorothy, including my part in their affairs.  In Sir George’s mind, my bad faith to him was a greater crime than my treason to Elizabeth, and he at once went to the queen with his tale of woe.

Elizabeth, the most sentimental of women, had heard from Dorothy the story of her tempestuous love, and also of mine, and the queen was greatly interested in the situation.

I will try to be brief.

Through the influence of Dorothy and Madge, as I afterward learned, and by the help of a good word from Cecil, the queen was induced to order my liberation on condition that I should thenceforth reside in France.  So one morning, three days after John’s departure from Haddon, I was overjoyed to hear the words, “You are free.”

I did not know that Jennie Faxton had given Sir George her large stock of disturbing information concerning my connection with the affairs of Dorothy and John.  So when I left the dungeon, I, supposing that my stormy cousin would be glad to forgive me if Queen Elizabeth would, sought and found him in Aunt Dorothy’s room.  Lady Crawford and Sir George were sitting near the fire and Madge was standing near the door in the next room beyond.  When I entered, Sir George sprang to his feet and cried out angrily:—­

“You traitorous dog, the queen has seen fit to liberate you, and I cannot interfere with her orders; but if you do not leave my Hall at once I shall set the hounds on you.  Your effects will be sent to The Peacock, and the sooner you quit England the safer you will be.”  There was of course nothing for me to do but to go.