ignominious death, I could but reverence his character the more deeply for its natural courage. The wretched fellow's audacious strength had forged yet another bond about my heart.
Presently the Captain dismissed the Corporal, and thereby held himself responsible for his prisoner's safe keeping.
"I can also bid you good-night, madam, or, rather, good-morning," the Captain says. "The day has been most arduous for you, and I am sure you need some recuperation."
"You are very kind," says I.
Knowing that all was hopeless now, and that neither prayers nor tears could prevail against the prisoner's scruples, I decided to retire.
"You will not be gone for some hours yet," I said as I opened the door.
"One of us may," the Captain said.
Had I been in a brighter frame of mind I should have perhaps heeded this mysterious speech more closely, and found in it a prophecy of that which followed. But I went dismally to bed without thinking of its import. Despite the extremity of the hour, I found Emblem the picture of woe, sitting beside the fire in my chamber. Her customary smiling prettiness was faded with weeping; she hung her head, and rose on my entrance with a peculiar frightened air. Clasping her hands, she whispered:
"They've ta'en him, my lady."
"And a very right thing, too," says I.
"But will they not carry him to London to be
