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Updated: June 5, 2025
Now the King lay in the inner room, sleeping; when he rose it would be easy to get the order for Evander's death. Furious in his hate, furious in his love, he would neither spare Evander nor surrender Brilliana. She should be his wife, if he had to drag her before an altar. As he thought and wrote, the door opened and Halfman entered the room.
But Brilliana was not to be so rebuffed. Coming a little nearer to Charles, she fell on her knees and extended her hands in supplication. "Sire, my lover's life!" Charles, who had lost nothing of her actions, though he affected to be wholly absorbed in his business, looked round and down at her with much assumption of surprise. "You are still there? You are a pertinacious maykin."
The certainty that some astonishing jest was towards set Evander on the alert as he scrutinized the forbidding form and features of the new-comer. "Welcome, thrice welcome, Master Peter Rainham," cried Brilliana. "You have made good speed." Master Peter proffered her an uncouth salutation and pointed to the chest on the floor significantly. "Lady," he said, "I have done the King a good turn.
"You know that well enough." Thoroughgood shrugged plaintive, protesting shoulders. "We've stood this siege for many days," he muttered. "Food is running out; powder is running out. Even the Lady Brilliana cannot work miracles." Halfman rose to his feet. His eyes were shining and he pressed his clinched hands to his breast like a man in adoration.
"Go, bring him in, Tiffany; and, Tiffany child, if Master Peter Rainham comes, as I shrewdly expect, keep him apart, on your life, till I know of his coming." Tiffany vanished. Brilliana turned to Halfman. "Stay with me, captain, and aid me to trap these badgers." Halfman smiled delight. "I will help you extempore," he promised. "I will eke out my part with impromptus."
"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.
"So may you serve it out with all despatch." Brilliana dropped her hands to her sides and her lids over her eyes, a pretty picture of despair; but, "Alas! 'tis all white," she confessed "wool white, snow white, ermine white. You must needs have patience, good recruiting-sergeant, till I can have it dyed the royal red." Halfman pushed patience from him with outspread palms.
When she had advanced two or three paces she called to him: "Captain Cloud, pray favor me with your company for a few moments of speech." Evander's consciousness swam to the surface of a pool of gloomy thought at her summons. He rose on the instant and came down the hall towards her. "I am at your service, lady," he said. Brilliana watched him closely as she questioned.
"The Lady Brilliana can work miracles, does work miracles daily. Is it no miracle that she has held this castle all these hours and days against this rebel leaguer? Is it no miracle that she has poured the spirit of chivalry into scullions and farm-hands and cook-wenches so that not a Jack or Jill of them but would lose bright life blithely for her and the King and God?
Smiles of satisfaction rippled over Sir Blaise's face. He did not follow the drift of Evander's fluency but took it for compliment. "Handsomely apologized, i' faith," he beamed to Brilliana. Brilliana laughed in his face. "Why, poor man, he flouts you worse than ever," she whispered.
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