times. But thus much we know, that Alain Le Gallais was tried before the
Lieutenant-Bailiff and six jurats, and, in spite of a strenuous defence
by Advocate Falle, was found guilty and sentenced to death.

It would be impossible to describe the anguish of the ladies of Maufant,
who had remained in town during these proceedings. Rose had already
spent in the conduct of the case money that she could ill afford. But
she knew that her husband would never forgive her if she neglected any
means of delivering their champion. Nor was she in any way disposed to
do so. Secret service money was laid out to the full extent of Mme. de
Maufant's powers of borrowing.

Meanwhile the political horizon grew darker day by day. Charles fretted
and yawned; but he continued to attend Divine service in the town
church. He also dined in public, "touched" for the king's evil, and
exercised such functions of royalty (as understood in that period of
transition) as the conditions of the place permitted. Just before the
end of the Stuart dynasty kingship in England was in much the same
condition among the English as it is now among the German nations. The
monarch was still regarded as the head of the feudal State, while a
number of the leading men were beginning to perceive more or less
clearly that society had passed out of a condition in which it could be
deeply or permanently swayed by the absolute will of one individual,
however highly placed by what one called the Divine pleasure, and
another the accident of birth. Among the personal prerogatives of the
Crown was the pardon of persons condemned to death.

On the morning of the day when Mr. Secretary Nicholas was ordered to
bring up the papers in the case of Rex _v._ Le Gallais, the
Lieutenant-Governor of the small territory to which Charles's sway was