The brothers were bareheaded, and to the eyes of those who looked on they seemed to be conversing together of light matters of love and ladies' favours.
High above upon a balcony, hung like an iron cage upon the castle wall, appeared the Chancellor and the tutor.

The young King was with them, weeping and crying out, "Do nothing to my dear cousins--I command you--I am the King!" But the tutor roughly bade him be still, telling him that he would never reign if these young men lived, and presently another came there and stood beside him.

The Marshal de Retz it was, who, with a fiendish smile upon his sleek parchment face, conducted the Lady Sybilla to see the end.

But it was a good end to see, and nobler far than most lives that are lived to fourscore years.
The brothers embraced as they came to the block, kneeled down, and said a short prayer like Christians of a good house.

So great was their enemies' haste that they were not allowed even a priest to shrive them, but they did what they could.
The executioner motioned first to David.