Berenger scarcely finished the letter through his burning tears of agony, and then, casting it from him, began to pace the room in fierce agitation, bursting out into incoherent exclamations, grasping at his hair, even launching himself against the massive window with such frenzied gestures and wild words that Philip, who had read through all with his usual silent obtuseness, became dismayed, and, laying hold of him, said, ’Prithee, brother, do not thus!  What serves such passion?’

Berenger burst into a strange loud laugh at the matter-of-fact tone.  ‘What serves it! what serves anything!’ he cried, ’but to make me feel what a miserable wretch I am?  But he will die, Philip—­he will die—­not having believed me!  How shall we keep ourselves from the smooth-tongued villain’s throat?  That I should be thus judged a traitor by my grandfather——­’

And with a cry as of bodily anguish, he hid his face on the table, and groaned as he felt the utter helplessness of his strong youth in bonds.

‘It can’t be helped,’ was the next of the unconsolatory platitudes uttered by Philip, who always grew sullen and dogged when his brother’s French temperament broke forth under any sudden stroke.  ’If they will believe such things, let them!  You have not heard what my father says to it.’

‘It will be all the same,’ groaned Berenger.

’Nay! now that’s a foul slander, and you should be ashamed of doing my father such wrong,’ said Philip, ‘Listen;’ and he read:  ’I will believe no ill of the lad no more than of thee, Phil.  It is but a wild-goose chase, and the poor young woman is scarce like to be above ground; but, as I daily tell them, ’tis hard a man should forfeit his land for seeking his wife.  My Lord North sends rumours that he is under Papist guiding, and sworn brother with the Black Ribaumonts; and my Lady, his grandmother, is like to break her heart, and my Lord credits them more than he ought, and never a line as a token comes from you.  Then there’s Dame Annora, as proud of the babe as though neither she nor woman born ever had a son before, and plains over him, that both his brothers should be endowed, and he but a younger son.  What will be the end on’t I cannot tell.  I will stand up for the right as best man may do, and never forget that Berry is her first-born, and that his child may be living; but the matter is none of mine, and my Lord is very aged, nor can a man meddle between his wife and her father.  So this I tell you that you may make your brother lay it to heart.  The sooner he is here the better, if he be still, as I verily believe and maintain him to be, an honest English heart that snaps his fingers at French papistry.’  ‘There,’ conclude Philip triumphantly, ’he knows an honest man!  He’s friend and good father to you as much as ever.  Heed none of the rest.  He’ll never let this little rogue stand in your light.’