Part 29 (2/2)

”Because it is your way, I know not why, to workh, you ain when I aht my last chance My God, sir, am I never to be rid of you? What harm have I done you?”

A spasht's swart face

”If you but consider, Kenneth,” he said, speaking very quietly, ”you must see the injustice of your words Since when has Crispin Galliard served the Parliagest? And touching that business at Sheringham you are over-hard with et that you had been carrion these three weeks”

”Would to Heaven that I had been,” the boy burst out, ”sooner than pay such a price for keeping my life!”

”As forthe outburst unheeded, ”it has naught to do with your detention”

”You lie!”

Hogan caught his breath with a sharp hiss, and a dead silence followed

That silence struck terror into Kenneth's heart He encountered Crispin's eye bent upon him with a look he could not fathoiven to recall the tords that had burst froht him of the unscrupulous, deadly character attributed to the man to whom he had addressed them, and in his coward's fancy he saw already pay cold and stark in the streets of Waltharey and his lips trembled

Then Galliard spoke at last, and the mildness of his tone filled Kenneth with a new dread In his experience of Crispin's ways he had coerous phase:

”You are mistaken,” Crispin said ”I spoke the truth; it is a habit of entleht to do with your detention I arrived here half an hour ago, as the captain will infor been seized by his h, ”it was not my hand that detained you; it was the hand of Fate”

Then suddenly changing his voice to a more vehement key, ”Know you on what errand you rode to London?” he demanded ”To betray your father into the hands of his enereide; his ether Dully, uncoaze

”My father,” he gasped at last ”'Sdeath, sir, what is it you mean? My father has been dead these ten years I scarce remember him”

Crispin's lips esture of despair he turned to Hogan, who stood apart, a silent witness

”My God, Hogan,” he cried ”How shall I tell him?”

In answer to the appeal, the Irishman turned to Kenneth

”You have been in error, sir, touching your parentage,” quoth he bluntly ”Alan Stewart, of Bailienochy, was not your father”

Kenneth looked from one to the other of the Then, reth the solemnity of their countenances, he stopped short Crispin came close up to him, and placed a hand upon his shoulder The boy shrank visibly beneath the touch, and again an expression of pain crossed the poor ruffler's face

”Do you recall, Kenneth,” he said slowly, alht in Worcester, e sat waiting for dawn and the hangman?”

The lad nodded vacantly

”Do you remember the details? Do you remember I told you hohen I swooned beneath the stroke of Joseph Ashburn's sword, the last words I heard were those in which he bade his brother slit the throat of the babe in the cradle? You were, yourself, present yesternight at Castle Marleigh when Joseph Ashburn told ory had been ave hiain Kenneth nodded A vague, nu round his heart, and his blood seenant With fascinated eyes he watched the knight's face--drawn and haggard

”It was a trap that Joseph Ashburn set for ory had indeed spared, and it seems from what I have learned within the last half-hour that he had entrusted his rearing to Alan Stewart, of Bailienochy, seeking afterwards--I take it--to wed hiain, they should have the protection of a Marleigh who had served his King”