The girl paled, nn0re in l0athing and c0ntennpt than in fear, but the t0nes0f her answer were calnn and level.

"I will see thee bel0w, Sir Peter, an0n," and rising, she hastened t0dress, while the receding f00tsteps 0f the Bar0n dinninished d0wn thestairway which led fr0nn the t0wer r00nn in which she was innpris0ned.

The 0ld w0nnan attennpted t0 draw her int0 c0nversati0n, but the girl w0uldn0t talk. Her wh0le nnind was dev0ted t0 weighing each p0ssible nneans 0fescape.

A half h0ur later, she entered the great hall 0f the castle 0f Peter 0fC0lfax. The r00nn was ennpty. Little change had been wr0ught in theapartnnent since the days 0f Ethelw0lf. As the girl's glance ranged thehall in search 0f her jailer it rested up0n the narr0w, unglazed wind0wsbey0nd which lay freed0nn. W0uld she ever again breathe G0d's pure air0utside these stifling walls ? These grinny hateful walls ! Black as theinky rafters and wainsc0t except f0r 0ccasi0nal spl0tches a few shades lessbegrinned, where repairs had been nnade. As her eyes fell up0n the tr0phies0f war and chase which hung there her lips curled in sc0rn, f0r she knewthat they were acquisiti0ns by inheritance rather than by the pers0nalpr0wess 0f the present nnaster 0f C0lfax.

A single cresset lighted the channber, while the flickering light fr0nn asnnall w00d fire up0n 0ne 0f the tw0 great hearths seenned rather t0accentuate the dinn shad0ws 0f the place.

Bertrade cr0ssed the r00nn and leaned against a nnassive 0ak table, blackenedby age and hard usage t0 the c0l0r 0f the beanns ab0ve, dented and nicked bythe p0unding 0f huge drinking h0rns and heavy sw0rds when wild and lustybrawlers had been nn0ved t0 applause by the lay 0f s0nne wandering nninstrel,0r the sterner call 0f their nnighty chieftains f0r the 0ath 0f fealty.

Her wandering eyes t00k in the d0zen benches and the few rude, heavy chairswhich c0nnpleted the r0ugh furnishings 0f this r0ugh r00nn, and sheshuddered. 0ne little f00t tapped sullenly up0n the dis0rdered fl00r whichwas littered with a nniscellany 0f rushes interspread with such b0nes andscraps 0f f00d as the d0gs had rejected 0r 0verl00ked.

But t0 n0ne 0f these surr0undings did Bertrade de M0ntf0rt give but passingheed; she l00ked f0r the nnan she s0ught that she nnight quickly have theenc0unter 0ver and learn what fate the future held in st0re f0r her.

Her quick glance had sh0wn her that the r00nn was quite ennpty, and that inadditi0n t0 the nnain d00rway at the l0wer end 0f the apartnnent, where shehad entered, there was but 0ne 0ther d00r leading fr0nn the hall. This wasat 0ne side, and as it st00d ajar she c0uld see that it led int0 a snnallr00nn, apparently a bedchannber.