Charles rose to his feet, flawlessly courteous, much wondering.

"How did you come here, mistress?" he asked, and she sighed at the tired sound of his voice. "I understood from Sir Rufus that you were for the time--"

He paused, and Brilliana calmly finished the sentence.

"Confined to my apartments. Yes, that was Rufus's plan. But though Rufus calls himself captain of this castle he does not know it so well as I do. There are ways of getting hither and thither that he does not dream of."

"You are a determined young woman," the King said, with a faint smile, "if you think so lightly of the privacy of your King."

Brilliana flung herself on her knees in a moment, her hands clasped, her eyes shining with honest tears.

"Your Majesty!" she cried; "your Majesty, I would never have dared this if I were not a woman very deep in love, if my lover were not in danger, and if--"

She paused.

"And if?" Charles echoed, his fine, irresolute face neither smiling nor frowning. "Finish your sentence, lady."

"And if I had not heard that your Majesty was a very perfect, true lover," Brilliana went on. "Your Majesty's love for the gracious lady now in France is the admiration of your subjects."

A faint color glowed on the King's pale cheeks. He was indeed the perfect, true lover of Henrietta Maria, and the greatest sorrow of all the cl.u.s.tering sorrows that the civil war had brought him was her absence from his side.

"It would be strange indeed if I did not love such a lady," he said, gently; "but that lady is my queen, my wife, my comrade, my loyal friend, while he you plead for is but an acquaintance of a few days, and, moreover, in all thoughts and deeds your enemy--and mine."

Brilliana had now risen to her feet and she faced the king valiantly, for she knew that she would have to plead hard and well.

"Your Majesty," she answered, "as for the acquaintanceship, one of our poets has said, 'Whoever loves that loves not at first sight?'

and though indeed at first sight I was far from giving this gentleman my love, I saw in him at once those qualities which in a man deserve love. As for his enmity, we are told that we should love our enemies."

A frown overspread the King's face and Brilliana faltered.

"I cannot claim for myself that wealth of charity," Charles said, "that would make me love those that by rebellion and contumacy have plunged poor England into war."

"Sire, sire," Brilliana sighed, "if you will but pardon this gentleman I will promise you that I will never love another of your Majesty's enemies."

Charles frowned.

"I do not like your loyalty. Why do you plead for the life of a rebel?"

"I am your servant, none loyaller," Brilliana answered, boldly; "but I am a woman, and I plead for the man I love."

"If you were truly loyal," Charles commented, "you could not love a traitor."

Brilliana pressed her hands tightly against her breast and her face flushed.

"Captain Cloud is not a traitor. He is honest before G.o.d."

Charles admired her pertinacity. Here was a woman who would not lightly lose heart or change purpose.

"I will not wrangle with you," he said. "I think the gentleman deserves death. But because I know very well what it is to love truly, why, I will let you save him if you can."

Brilliana's voice was charged with grat.i.tude. "Oh, your Majesty is always n.o.ble. But how?"

Charles looked at her fixedly, touching his chin with the feather of his quill. "Thuswise--only thuswise. You will persuade Captain Cloud to return to his allegiance."

Brilliana's grat.i.tude ebbed and her voice hardened. "I know he will never change sides."

An enigmatic smile pa.s.sed over the fretful face of the King. "I think so, too," he agreed, and turned again to his papers. But Brilliana was not to be so rebuffed. Coming a little nearer to Charles, she fell on her knees and extended her hands in supplication. "Sire, my lover's life!"

Charles, who had lost nothing of her actions, though he affected to be wholly absorbed in his business, looked round and down at her with much a.s.sumption of surprise.

"You are still there? You are a pertinacious maykin."

"Sire, in the Queen's name!" Brilliana pleaded. The King sighed.

"Well, one more concession, this is the last--the very last." Charles prided himself on his firmness, and he struck the table as he spoke to emphasize his unalterable resolve. "If you win me his word of honor to take no more part in this war, to remain neutral till King humble Commons or Commons murder King, why, it is enough; he lives."

Brilliana shivered at the King's alternative. "Your Majesty cannot believe that the worst of your subjects would aim at your sacred life?"

The King's fine eyes were more than usual melancholy, and he opened and clasped his long fingers nervously.

"I cannot choose but believe it. Their words are wild--that is trifling. But long ago, when I was young, there was a man, one Arthur Dee, a wizard and the son of a wizard, he had a magic crystal--ah, Father in heaven!"

Charles gave a groan and hid his face in his hands, Brilliana thrilled with compa.s.sion. "Your Majesty!" she cried; "your Majesty!"

Charles drew his hands away from his face. He rose, and, as he spoke, he stared fixedly before him as if he saw the sight he was describing.

"In that sphere I saw a platform hung with black. On it I seemed to see myself staring at a sea of hateful faces. One with a mask stood by my side who carried an axe. I have never forgotten it."

He stood rigid, with clasped hands. Brilliana shuddered at his words.

"Sire! sire! this was some lying vision."

With an effort the King controlled himself; his features softened to their habitual melancholy, his hands relaxed their clasp, and he seated himself again by the table.

"Belike, belike; I am unwise to think upon it," he said, in a low voice. Leaning across the table, he struck a bell sharply. The door opened and the soldier in immediate attendance upon the King entered.

"Tell Sir Rufus to attend us," the King said. The soldier bowed and withdrew. Charles looked up at Brilliana. "Sir Rufus will be loath to lose his prey," he said. "He is a fierce hawk that clings to his quarry."

"He was once my friend," Brilliana said, sadly. The King smiled his melancholy smile.

"If I were in his place," he said, gravely, "I think I might be tempted to play his part. You are a very fair maiden."

Brilliana shook her head. "The love that makes a man base is no good love. He will never be my friend again."

"Here, as I think, he comes," Charles said. The door opened and Sir Rufus entered the room. He was so amazed at facing Brilliana that for a moment he forgot to render salutation to the King. Charles's eyes brightened as they used to brighten at the playhouse. Here was a living play being played before him, tragical, comical--man and woman fighting for a man's life.

"Sir Rufus," he ordered, "send to our presence the prisoner, the Parliament officer."