’And were there then that night no women in the castle but mistress Dorothy?’

‘Why, who else could it have been, my lord?’

’Why not thine own mother, Tom—­rode thither on her broomstick to deliver her darling?’

Tom gaped with fresh terror at the awful suggestion.

‘Now, hear me, Thomas Rees,’ his lordship went on.

‘Yes, my lord,’ answered Tom.

‘An’ ever it come to my knowledge that thou say thou then saw mistress Dorothy, when all thou sawest was, as thou knowest, a woman who might have been thine own mother talking to the roundhead, as thou callest a man who might indeed have been Caspar Kaltoff in his shirt sleeves, I will set every devil at my command upon thy back and thy belly, thy sides and thy soles.  Be warned, and not only speak the truth, as thou hast for a whole half-hour been trying hard to do, but learn to distinguish between thy fancies and God’s facts; for verily thou art a greater fool than I took thee for, and that was no small one.  Get thee gone, and send me hither mistress Watson.’

Tom crawled away, and presently mistress Watson appeared, looking offended, possibly at being called to the workshop, and a little frightened.

’I cannot but think thee somewhat remiss in thy ministrations to a sick man, mistress Watson,’ he said, ’to leave him so long to himself.  Had he been a king’s officer now, wouldst thou not have shown him more favour?’

‘That indeed may be, my lord,’ returned mistress Watson with dignity.  ‘But an’ the young fellow had been very sick, he had not made his escape.’

’And left the blame thereof with thee.  Besides, that he did for his escape he may have done in the strength of the fever that followeth on such a wound.’

’My lord, I gave him a potion, wherefrom he should have slept until I sought him again.’

’Was he or thou to blame that he did not feel the obligation?  When a man instead of sleeping runneth away, the potion was ill mingled, I doubt, mistress Watson—­drove him crazy perchance.’

’She who waked him when he ought to have slept hath to bear the blame, not I, my lord.’

’Thou shouldst, I say, have kept better watch.  But tell me whom meanest thou by that same she?’

‘She who was found in his chamber, my lord,’ said mistress Watson, compressing her lips, as if, come what might, she would stand on the foundation of the truth.

’Ah?—­By the way, I would gladly understand how it came to be known throughout the castle that thou didst find her there?  I have the assurance of my lady, my lord marquis, and my lord Charles, that never did one of them utter word so to slander an orphan as thou hast now done in my hearing.  Who then can it be but her who is at the head of the meinie of this house, who hath misdemeaned herself thus to the spreading amongst those under her of evil reports and surmises affecting her lord’s cousin, mistress Dorothy Vaughan?’