Nigel sprung forward, but was held back with a grasp of iron by the Earl of Gloucester, nor did he relinquish his hold till Buchan had passed through the doorway, till the heavy hinges had firmly closed again, and the step of the departing earl had entirely faded in distance.
"Now, then, we are safe," he said; "thank heaven!" but his words were scarcely heard, for the page had bounded within the extended arms of Nigel, had clung so closely to his heart, he could feel nothing, see nothing, save that slender form; could hear nothing but those deep, agonized sobs, which are so terrible when unaccompanied by the relief of tears.

For a while Nigel could not speak--he could not utter aught of comfort, for he felt it not; that moment was the bitterness of death.
"Torture! did he not speak of torture?
will he not come again ?" were the words that at length fell, shudderingly, from the lips of Agnes.

"Nigel, Nigel, if it must be, give me up; he cannot inflict aught more of misery now." "Fear not, lady; he dare not," hastily rejoined Gloucester.

"The torture dare not be administered without consent of Edward, and that now cannot be obtained; he will not have sufficient--" time, he was going to say, but checked himself; for the agonized look of Agnes told him his meaning was more than sufficiently understood.

"Nigel," he added, laying his hand on the young man's shoulder, "Nigel, my noble, gallant friend--for so I will call thee, though I sat in judgment on thee, aye, and tacitly acquiesced in thy sentence--shrink not, oh, shrink not now! I saw not a quiver on thy lip, a pallor on thy cheek, nay, nor faltering in thy step, when they read a doom at which I have marked the bravest blench; oh, let not, that noble spirit fail thee now!" "Gloucester, it shall not!" he said, with suddenly regained firmness, as supporting Agnes with his right arm he convulsively wrung the hand of his friend with the other.