"You know who I am," he said, looking the man steadily in the face, "one of the King's gentlemen whom they call the Queen's favourite page. I bring a message to Lady Fentham from her husband, the Secretary to the Prince's council; do you think your lord will wish you to stop me?"
As he spoke he made a step forward as though to enter, and the man, evidently in doubt, stepped slightly on one side, making it possible to enter the house. The rest took this movement to imply surrender, and one of the youngest, probably to gain favour, said, "The lady is in the room opposite the stairs, sir." Inglesant walked up the low oak staircase to the door, the men crowding together in silence at the bottom of the stairs.
Inglesant tried the latch of the door, though he did not intend to go in without knocking.
The door was fastened, and he knocked.
For a moment there was silence, and then a voice said, angrily, "Who is there?"
"A message from Sir Richard Fentham," said Inglesant.
There was another and a longer pause, and then the same voice said,—
"Is Sir Richard without?"
"No," replied Inglesant; "but he may be here any moment; he is on the road."
The door was immediately opened by his lordship, and Inglesant walked in.