“But, good heavens, my lord!” exclaimed the Duke—­“how is that possible?  I believe that Laura would do anything to save her father’s life; but she is not prepared for such a thing.  Then the marriage must be celebrated with unbecoming haste.  No, my lord, oh no!  This is quite impossible.  I am very willing to promise that I will give my consent to their marriage afterwards; but for their marriage to take place before we go is quite impossible—­especially while I am a prisoner in the Tower of London—­quite impossible!”

“I am sorry your grace thinks so,” replied the Earl, drily; “for under those circumstances I fear that your escape from the Tower will be found impossible also.”

A momentary spirit of resistance was raised in the Duke’s breast by feelings of indignation, and he tried for an instant to persuade himself that his case might not be so desperate as the Earl depicted it; that in some points of view it might be better to remain and stand his trial, and that the King’s mercy would very likely be obtained even if he were condemned.  But that spirit died away in a moment, and the more rapidly, because the Earl of Byerdale employed not the slightest argument to induce him to follow the plan proposed.

“My lord, this is a very painful case,” he said, “a very painful case, indeed.”

“It is, Duke,” replied the Earl, “it is a painful case; a choice of difficulties, which none can decide but yourself.  Pray do not let anything that I can say affect you.  I thought it right, as an old friend, to lay before you a means of saving yourself; and no one can judge whether that means be too painful to you to be adopted, as nobody can tell at what rate you value life.  But you will remember, also, that forfeiture accompanies the sentence of death in matters of high treason, and that Lady Laura will therefore be left in a painful situation.”

“Nay, my lord, nay,” said the Duke, “if it must come to that, of course I must consent to any terms, rather than sacrifice everything.  But I did not think Wilton would have proposed such conditions to me.”

“Nor does he, my lord,” replied the Earl:  “he is totally ignorant of the whole matter.  He has never, even, that I know of, contemplated your escape as possible.  One word from me, however, whispered in his ear, will open his eyes in a minute.  But, my lord, it must be upon the condition that I mention.  Wilton’s father-in-law may go forth from this prison before twelve to-morrow night, but no other prisoner within it shall, or indeed can.”

“Well, my lord, well,” replied the Duke, somewhat impatiently, “I will throw no obstacle in the way.  Laura and Wilton must settle it between them.  But I do not see how the matter can be managed here in a prison.”

“Oh, that is easily arranged,” replied the Earl—­“nothing can be more easy.  There is a chaplain to the Tower, you know.  The place has its own privileges likewise, and all the rest shall be done by me.  Am I to understand your grace, that you consider yourself pledged upon this subject?”