trial than I revealed yesterday; but I would remind you that there is a
danger that the leader of yon ruffians, who is probably alone acquainted
with the name of his employer, may, under the influence of the torture,
reveal it."

"That fear is for the present past, since a messenger arrived from Kingston
but a few minutes since, saying that yester-even, under the threat of
torture, the prisoners had pointed out the one among their number who was
their chief. This morning, however, it was found that the warder who had
charge of them had been bribed; he was missing from his post, and the door
of the cell wherein the principal villain had been immured, apart from the
others, was opened, and he had escaped."

"Then," Walter said, "it is now open to you to speak or be silent as you
will. You will pardon my forwardness if I say that my master, in talking
the matter over with me, suggested that this evil knight might be scared
from attempting any future enterprise against you were he informed that it
was known to several persons that he was the author of this outrage, and
that if any further attempts were at any time made against you, the proofs
of his crime would be laid before the king."

"Thanks, good lad," the lady said, "for your suggestion. Should I decide
to keep the matter secret, I will myself send him a message to that effect,
in such guise that he would not know whence it comes. And now, I would fain
reward you for what you have done for us; and," she went on, seeing a flush
suddenly mount upon the lad's face, as he made a half step backwards,
"before I saw you, had thought of offering you a purse of gold, which,
although it would but poorly reward your services, would yet have proved
useful to you when the time came for you to start as a craftsman on your
own account; but now that I have seen you, I feel that although there are