Already he pictured himself lying cold and stark in the streets of Waltham with a sword-wound through his middle.

His face went grey 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 come to look upon mildness as the man's most dangerous phase: "You are mistaken," Crispin said.

"I spoke the truth; it is a habit of mine--haply the only gentlemanly habit left me.

I repeat, I have had naught to do with your detention.