Unable to deliver the ring herself to Lord Dudley, Cicely entrusted that
task to Xit. But the vanity of the dwarf prevented the execution of the
plan. As he was exhibiting the ring to Og, Nightgall suddenly
approached, and snatched it from him, and, without taking any notice of
the little man's threats, made his way to Cicely. When he displayed the
ring as the token that her lover had been set free, Cicely, shrieking
"Lost! Lost!" fell senseless on the floor.


_II.--The Twelfth Day Queen_


While Renard's intrigues were maturing, and the Duke of Northumberland
had left the Tower on a campaign against the Princess Mary, Cuthbert
Cholmondeley was kept languishing in his terrible dungeon.

At long intervals Nightgall visited him, and once the wretched prisoner,
whom the gaoler called Alexia, came to him, entreating his help against
Nightgall.

At last Cuthbert decided upon a daring plan of escape. After several
days' imprisonment he feigned to be dead. Nightgall, seeing him
stretched on the ground, apparently lifeless, chuckled with delight,
and, releasing the chain that bound his leg, bent over him with the
intention of carrying his body into the burial vault near the moat. But
a suspicion crossed his mind, and he drew his dagger, determined to make
sure that his prisoner had passed away. As he did so, the young esquire
sprang to his feet, and wrested the poniard from his grasp. In another
second Nightgall was lying chained to the floor, where his prisoner had