Elsalill," said Sir Archie. "Are you thinking that now there is an
end of all your joy, Elsalill? Are you thinking that now there is
an end of my hope of atoning for my crime?"

"Sir Archie," whispered Elsalill, rising from her seat in her
terror; "now the men are all posted. Now they will catch and seize
you. Make haste and fly! I shall come out to your ship, Sir
Archie, if only you will fly."

"You need not be so frightened, Elsalill," said Sir Archie. "We
have some time left to talk together. These fellows have no
stomach to set upon me here, where I can defend myself. They mean
to take me in the narrow stair. They think to spit me on their
long pikes. And that is what you have always wished me, Elsalill."

But the more her terror gained on Elsalill, the calmer became Sir
Archie. She never ceased praying him to fly, but he laughed at
her.

"You need not be so sure, mistress, that these fellows can take
me. I have come through greater dangers than this. I'll warrant I
was harder put to it some months since in Sweden. Some slanderers
had told King John that his Scots guard was disloyal to him. And
the King believed them. He threw the three commanders into dungeon
and sent their men out of his realm, and had them guarded till
they had passed the border."

"Fly, Sir Archie, fly!" begged Elsalill.

"You need not be troubled for me, Elsalill," said Sir Archie with