Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/276

248 castle, and ransom poor Amabel! What is it but a pile of stone? She has risked her life for us, shall we grudge her anything we have?"

But Edgar, hoping that the Friar was right, made no reply. He was afraid to express himself. He was as ready as his mother to sacrifice anything to save Amabel's life, but he remembered his father's words, commanding him to defend the castle to the last; and he also remembered that the Count demanded the surrender of the Friar—the good Friar, who had worked early and late in their service, giving all his learning to strengthen the defense.

Fortunately, Lady Mortimer did not press him for an answer, and the Friar soon returned. The men who were in charge of the prisoner now separated, leaving her standing in the center of a square of which they occupied the four corners. Roger Bacon, handing the tube he had brought to Lady Mortimer, directed her how to look through it. For a moment she could not adjust her sight to the instrument, but when she saw clearly, a cry of astonishment burst from her lips.

"Ah—h!" she almost screamed, "what magic is this, good Friar! It is as if the whole field moved toward me—I can see almost the blades of grass. Let me find poor Amabel!"

She moved the glass to and fro, and at length