Then, as he watched, it came again, without warning and
without sound--that same brilliant flare of light, against which the
towers and walls stood out pitch-black. A third time it came, and all
was dark once more.
* * * * *
In the morning, as he sat over his ale in the tavern below, he listened,
without lifting his eyes, engrossed, it seemed, in a little book he was
reading, to the excited talk of a group of soldiers. One of them, he
said, had been on guard beneath the Queen's windows last night, and
between midnight and one o'clock had seen three times a brilliant light
explode itself, like soundless gunpowder, immediately over the room
where she slept. And this he asserted, over and over again.
IV
On the following Saturday John Merton came up into the room where the
priest was sleeping after dinner and awakened him.
"If you will come at once with me, sir, you can have speech with Mr.
Bourgoign. My master has sent me to tell you so; Mr. Bourgoign has leave
to go out."
Robin said nothing. It was the kind of opportunity that must not be
imperilled by a single word that might be overheard. He threw on his
great cloak, buckled his sword on, and followed with every nerve awake.
They went up the street leading towards the church, and turned down a
little passage-way between two of the larger houses; the young man
pushed on a door in the wall; and Robin went through, to find himself in
a little enclosed garden with Mr.
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