Peter Trevisa and his son had started to their feet and were staring at us, but were at first too frightened to speak; near them was a man dressed as a minister of the gospel, and there was no need to take a second look at him to know that he was a disgrace to his calling. Doubtless he was one of those outcast clergymen who were notorious in that day, and who would for a fee perform the marriage ceremony under the most outrageous circumstances. The country had for a long time been disgraced by its marriage laws, for thereby all sorts of outrages had been committed. Young squires owning much property had been dragged into inns, drugged, or made drunk, and had then been married even to fallen women on the streets. It is true that such scenes, though common in London, had not so often happened in Cornwall; at the same time, some in our county had been forced into unholy alliances. All this became impossible a few years after, when Lord Hardwick's famous marriage act was passed; but at that time, had I not come upon the scene, I believe that Otho Killigrew, in spite of my dear maid's continuous refusal, would have used means to have gone through an unholy farce, and this vile clergyman's signature would have made it legal.
Not far from the rest Otho Killigrew had stood, and as I entered I had seen the look of cruel determination on his face, the look which made his brothers fear him and which told them that he would surely gain his ends. Doubtless he had prepared for all exigencies, and had bargained with the two Trevisas, for they, after failing to gain their way with Nancy, would be willing to sell their secret to the highest bidder.
My dear maid's face had been turned from me, but I saw she stood upright before them, and was in an attitude of defiance, even although she stood helpless and alone.
She had not seen me; her eyes had been turned towards Hugh Boscawen, who had gone straight to Otho Killigrew; neither, I think, had any one noticed me. Doubtless they all fancied I was dead, killed by Benet Killigrew's hand, even as Otho had said.
"It is a dangerous thing to arrest the King's faithful subjects," went on Otho quietly, although his lips twitched nervously, "and I am faithful. True, evil reports may have been circulated about me; but who is the man who can prove treason against me? No man, my lord."
"There is one, Otho Killigrew," I said quietly.
He stared like one who had seen a ghost, and stammered incoherently, but I paid but little heed to him, for my dear maid had heard my voice, and with a cry of joy and hands outstretched came towards me.
CHAPTER XXIX. THE KING'S GRATITUDE.
For the next few minutes every one in the room was in a state of consternation, for so certain had they all been of my death that they seemed to have difficulty in believing that I could indeed be Roger Trevanion. Even Nancy, who had been cool and defiant up to now, broke quite down, and asked me again and again, sobbing and laughing at the same time, all sort of fond, foolish questions which I will not write down.