"Mary," she said, "listen to me. 'Tis the best way to save him, to
leave him."
Then Mary rolled her piteous blue eyes at her over Sir Humphrey's
shoulder from her gold tangle of hair.
"What mean you?" she cried. "I tell you, Catherine, I will never
leave him!"
"If we remain, we shall all be in custody," replied Catherine in her
clear voice, though her face was white as if she were dead, "and our
estates may be forfeited, and we have no power to help him. And he
must be taken in the end in any case. And if we be free, we can save
him."
"I will not go without him," cried Mary. "Set me down, Humphrey, and
take up Harry, and I will help thee carry him. Do as I tell thee,
Humphrey."
"Harry will be taken in any case," replied Catherine, "and if you
take him, you will be arrested with him, and then we can do nothing
for him. I tell thee, sweet, the only way to save him is to leave
him."
Then Mary gave one look at me.
"Harry, is this the truth they tell me?" she cried.
"As God is my witness, dear child," I replied. Then she twisted her
white face around toward Sir Humphrey's, who stood pinioning her
arms with a look himself as if he were dying.
"Let me loose, Humphrey," she said, "let me loose, then I swear I
will go with you and Catherine."
Then Sir Humphrey loosed her, and straight to me she came and bent
over me and kissed me. "Harry," she said in a whisper which was of
that strange quality that it seemed to be unable to be heard by any
in the whole world save us two, though it was clear enough--"I
leave thee because thou tellest me that this is the only way to save
thee, but I am thine for life and for death, and nothing shall ever
come forever between thee and me, not even thine own self, nor the
grave, nor all the wideness of life."
Then she rose and turned to Sir Humphrey and Catherine.
"I am ready," said she, and Sir Humphrey gave my hand one last
wring, and said that he would stand by me. Then they fled and, as I
lay there alone, I heard their footsteps on the cellar stairs, and
presently the dip of the boat as she was launched, and heard it
above all the din outside, so keen were my ears for aught that
concerned her.