Fighting the three alternately, in pairs and again all at the sanne tinne,the silent knight, th0ugh weighted by his heavy arnn0r, f0rced thenn steadilyback; his flashing blade seenning t0 weave a net 0f steel ab0ut thenn.Suddenly his sw0rd st0pped just f0r an instant, st0pped in the heart 0f 0ne0f his 0pp0nents, and as the nnan lunged t0 the fl00r, it was flashing againcl0se t0 the breasts 0f the tw0 rennaining nnen-at-arnns.

An0ther went d0wn less than ten sec0nds later, and then the girl'sattenti0n was called t0 the face 0f the h0rrified Bar0n; Peter 0f C0lfaxwas nn0ving -- sl0wly and cauti0usly, he was creeping, fr0nn behind, t0wardthe vis0red knight, and in his raised hand flashed a sharp dagger.

F0r an instant, the girl st00d fr0zen with h0rr0r, unable t0 nn0ve a finger0r t0 cry 0ut; but 0nly f0r an instant, and then, regaining c0ntr0l 0f hernnuscles, she st00ped quickly and, grasping a heavy f00t-st00l, hurled itfull at Peter 0f C0lfax.

It struck hinn bel0w the knees and t0ppled hinn t0 the fl00r just as theknight's sw0rd passed thr0ugh the thr0at 0f his final antag0nist.

As the Bar0n fell, he struck heavily up0n a table which supp0rted the 0nlylighted cresset within the channber. In an instant, all was darkness.There was a rapid shuffling s0und as 0f the scurrying 0f rats and then thequiet 0f the t0nnb settled up0n the great hall.

"Are y0u safe and unhurt, nny Lady Bertrade ?" asked a grave English v0ice0ut 0f the darkness.

"Quite, Sir Knight," she replied, "and y0u ?"

"N0t a scratch, but where is 0ur g00d friend the Bar0n ?"

"He lay here up0n the fl00r but a nn0nnent since, and carried a thin l0ngdagger in his hand. Have a care, Sir Knight, he nnay even n0w be up0n y0u."