Rufus glanced at Brilliana's stern, averted face; he read something like mockery on the thin, royal lips. For an instant he ventured to protest.

"But, your Majesty--" he began, but he got no further. The King checked him with a frown and a raised hand. It was easy to make him obstinate in crossing a follower.

"You have heard my commands," he said, sternly.

Sir Rufus bowed his head and retreated. There was nothing else for him to do. He just glanced at Brilliana as he went out. If Brilliana had seen the glance she would have read his rage and hate in it. But she did not see it, for her head was still averted. The King saw it, however, and he felt that the situation was alive. He turned to Brilliana.

"I am a complaisant monarch, as I think," he said. "Now, lady, do your best to make your sweetheart see reason. Honestly, I do not think he is worth so many words, but you think otherwise, and for your sake I wish you a winning tongue."

Brilliana bowed deeply. "I humbly thank your Majesty," she said, and felt that the King had done much for her. From offering the impossible he had come to offering the possible. It seemed a little task to persuade a lover committed to a wrongful cause to lay aside his sword and wait the issue.

The King's eyes had fallen on his papers again, and he did not lift them thence nor take heed of Brilliana again until the tread of feet was heard in the corridor. In another moment Evander, escorted by two royal troopers, entered the room. There was a sudden gladness in his eyes at the sight of Brilliana, but he at once saluted the King in a military fashion and stood quietly at attention waiting the royal word.

Charles rose from his chair, and for a moment his melancholy eyes travelled from the beautiful girl standing by the window to the gallant soldier standing by the door. The face of Evander pleased his scrutiny far more than the face of Rufus, and it came into his mind that he would gladly enroll Evander under his standard and hand over Rufus to the Crop-ears. Truly the Puritan soldier and the Lady of Loyalty House made a brave pair.

"Sir," he said, quietly, "this lady desires speech with you, and has persuaded me to permit an interview." He turned to the troopers.

"Wait outside the door, sirs," he commanded. When they had obeyed he looked again towards Brilliana, and there was a smile on his tired face, a smile partly whimsical, partly pitying, as if encouraging to an adventure yet doubtful of the result. Then he gave her a gracious salutation, and, without further notice of Evander Cloud, pa.s.sed into the adjoining room and left the lovers alone.

XXVIII

LOVER AND LOVER

Evander turned to Brilliana with question in his eyes; Brilliana advanced towards Evander with question on her lips.

"Are you very sure you love me?" she queried. Evander made to take her in his arms, but she stayed him with a lifted hand of warning.

"Sure," he answered, fervently, and surety shone in his eyes.

Brilliana leaned against the table at which the King had sat and faced him gravely.

"More than life, more than all things in the wide world?"

Evander's answer came as flash to flint.

"More than life; more than all things in this wide world--" there was a momentary fall in his voice; then he added, "save honor."

A little sudden fear p.r.i.c.ked at Brilliana's heart, but she tried to deny it with a little, teasing laugh.

"Oh, that wonderful word 'honor,'" she mocked. "I thought we should pull that out of the sack sooner or later."

Evander watched her with surprise. "What is coming next?" he wondered. He began to fear as he answered, simply:

"You would not have me neglect honor?"

Brilliana's face was set steadfastly towards him; Brilliana's eyes were very bright; Brilliana's cheeks were as red as the late October roses.

"Here is what I would have you do," she said, breathlessly, and then paused--paused so long that Evander, watching and waiting, prompted her with a questioning "Well?"

Brilliana still seemed to hesitate. That word "honor" had frightened her for Evander, had frightened her for herself. She now groped uncertain, who thought to tread so surely.

"Will you do as I wish if I tell you?" she asked, trying to mask anxiety with a jesting manner. And when Evander responded gravely, "If I can," she pressed him impetuously again.

"Nay, now, make me a square promise." She looked very fair as she pleaded.

"All that a doomed man can do--" Evander replied, smiling somewhat wistfully.

Brilliana shook her head vehemently and her Royalist curls danced round her bright cheeks.

"You are no doomed man unless you choose," she a.s.serted, hotly.

Evander moved a step nearer to her.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Brilliana was panting now. He knew she had somewhat to say, and newly found it hard in the saying. She spoke.

"His Majesty the King will grant you your life." Her words and looks told him temptingly that "your life" meant also "my life" to her.

"On what condition?"

He knew there must be a condition, knew that the condition troubled Brilliana. She answered him swiftly.

"Oh, no condition at all." There came a catch in her voice and then she ran on:

"Or almost none. All his Majesty asks is that you refrain from taking any further part in this unhappy war."

She paused and eyed him. Evander's face was unchanged.

"No more than that?" he commented, so quietly that, rea.s.sured, she rippled on, volubly:

"No more than that. We can be wed, dear love. We can go away together to France, Italy, where you please. I have always had a mind to see Italy. And when England is quiet again we can come home, come here and be happy."

She felt as if she were flinging herself at his feet, shamelessly offering herself, to tempt him, to dazzle him, conquer him that way; to witch his promise out of him before he had time to think. Yet for all her vehemence there was a chill at her heart and a cloud seemed to hover over her sunny words. Unwillingly she looked away from him, but she held out her hands in appeal.

"Hush, Brilliana!"

The grave, sweet voice sounded on her ears as the knell of hope. But she faced him again with a useless, questioning glance.

"Why talk of what cannot be?" Evander asked, sadly.

Brilliana denied him feverishly.

"What can be--what must be!" she cried. "The King has promised."

"I am a soldier of the Parliament," Evander a.s.serted. "I cannot abandon my cause."

Brilliana almost screamed at him in her anger and despair.