Through the swift denunciation Lord Darby had stood with impassive face and eyes that never flinched, looking straight at the Countess; then he shifted his glance to the King.  He knew that the words just uttered had confirmed his doom—­that in all that throng there was no friend for him, nor even one to do him favor.  A score of lies or a flood of denials would be unavailing to win so much as a glance of sympathy.  He had essayed a game with Destiny; he had lost and must pay penalty—­and he never doubted what that penalty would be with Richard Plantagenet his judge.  But at least, he would wring a cry of pain from the heart of his enemy—­and he smiled and waited.

Then the King spoke:  “We will hear you now, Lord Darby.”

“I thank Your Gracious Majesty for the stern impartialness of this trial,” he said with biting sarcasm.  “It was planned as skillfully as was a certain other in the White Tower, adown the Thames, when Hastings was the victim”—­and he gave his sneering laugh; and then repeated it, as he remarked the shudder it brought to the Countess.  “Nathless I am not whimpering.  I have been rash; and rashness is justified only by success.  For I did abduct the Countess of Clare, and have her carried to my Castle of Roxford.  So much is truth.”  Then he faced Sir Aymer de Lacy and went on with a malevolent smile.  “But she was not a prisoner there, nor did I take her against her wish.  She went by prearrangement, and remained with me of her own free will.  I thought she loved me, and believed her protestations of loathing for the upstart De Lacy who, she said, was pursuing her with his suit, And when she begged me to take her with me and risk your Majesty’s anger, I yielded; and to the end that we might wed, I did embark, in the plottings of the Duke of Buckingham, upon his engagement, for the Tudor Henry, that our union would be sanctioned.  Later, when the lady seemed so happy with me at Roxford, methought the marriage could bide a bit, and so resolved to wait until the battle to choose between Plantagenet and Tudor.  Having the girl, I could then get the estates as payment of my service to the victor.  But it would seem I risked too much upon the lady’s love.  For while I was at the wars, either she tired of me and so deserted Roxford, or having been found there by De Bury and the Frenchman, as she says, she deemed it wise to play the innocent and wronged maiden held in durance by her foul abductor.  Leastwise, whoso desires her now is welcome to her,” and he laughed again.

Then could De Lacy endure it no longer; and casting off De Bury’s restraining arm, he flashed forth his dagger and sprang toward Darby.  But as he leaped Sir Richard Ratcliffe caught him round the neck and held him for the space that was needful for him to gather back his wits.

“For God’s sake, man, be calm!” he said, as he loosed him.  “Let Richard deal with him.”

And the Countess, as Darby’s vile insinuations reached her ears, drew herself up and gently putting aside the Queen, turned and faced him.  And her mouth set hard, and her fingers clenched her palms convulsively.  So, she heard him to the end, proudly and defiantly; and when he had done, she raised her hand and pointed at him once again.