the dame never feigned aught of love or reverence, but plainly showed how greatly she begrudged me the place of that noble knight-which, truly, I had desired as little to hold as she to grant it me, if I had but known all that hath since been revealed to me. And, by my fay, I may not complain of her churlishness to myself, seeing she hath alway lacked natural love to thee, dear Gillian, meek and dutiful as thou hast ever been to her. But who, then, beside thee, hath said nay to the new lord's proffer, for my small wit is wholly now at fault?"

"A wight, lady, who I had well deemed would have held by alecup and trencher so long as he had leave to tarry-not to speak of the friendship he hath alway vaunted toward our dame-the old man Gauchet."

"St. Peter! Why, what cause assigned he for this choice?"

"Some reason he was about to offer, though what it matters little, since the old pikard cares not to speak his real thought on any business; but scantly had he begun, ere there was a noise of one running like mad toward the hall; and therewith in came Madame Pauncefort, her clothing all smirched and torn, and with the look of one distraught, crying out for help and justice from my lord prior as lustily as if she had twenty tongues."

"Ben'cite, how looked the bride thereupon ?-for now do I vow to the peacock this had been all along of some of her devices !"

"In good sooth, the bride looked with full pale face at sight of her; but she waxed paler far afterward, when Madam Joyce told, in presence of all, (for my lord himself bade her speak out, in the fear that some harm had befallen you, lady,) how she had been trained out to the courtyard at early morning by Madam Eglantine's damosel, with some cunning tale, and then suddenly thrust by her-with Jankin and the page to aid-into an outer office, the door whereof they made fast upon her; from which durance she had only 'scaped, since she was out of hearing of any living wight, by climbing, with peril of her life, out by a hole in the roof-the cause of such outrage being, that, in anger at the thankless insolence of her niece the overnight, she had threatened to reveal somewhat that should haply mar her marriage. But here my lord prior courteously prayed her to cease, and come and take her place with them at the meat-board, whilst the lady Eglantine cried to put her forth of the hall altogether, as one beside herself; when suddenly the new married knight, who had sat the while as he were pondering the meaning of Madam Pauncefort's words, rose up, and spurning away his seat, swore all manner of fearful oaths that he would never stir from that place until he had heard the uttermost of the matter. Whereupon Madam Joyce, without further importuning, straightway began to relate, in her wrath, such things touching the new lady Hacquingay, and her behaviour in the house of the great lady formerly her mistress, as might well have moved the choler of the meekest man, who was within an hour become her husbandwhich things, since haply the most part may be untrue, and spoken but in heat of ill-blood, needs not as at this time to relate to you, my lady dear. Yea, and it seemed as if she would have gone on until curfew bell without stopping, despite my lord prior himself, who now prayed her to cease, and let be what was past and gone, but that the

lady Eglantine all at once, with a piercing shriek, fell back as in a swoon, and was forced to be borne into the chamber hard by, which causing much noise and confusion, and some running one way, some another, in the end Madam Pauncefort was thrust back of the press. And so soon as the sick lady was somewhat recovered from her faint, she sent in all haste to pray the company of the knight her spouse, as also of my lord prior; but Sir Lancilot would neither go nor see her, and stamped and roared like a madman, swearing he would take horse and set forth to Bedfordshire all alone. Nor was it until my lord had vouchsafed to pass more than once or twice between them, with many arguments and reasonings on her behalf, that the knight at last gave consent to her going-though even then he would neither speak, nor so much as look toward her; but the whole having quickly made them ready for the journey, the lady Hacquingay was helped to her saddle by her yeoman Jankin, and one and all forthwith went on their way, God and our lady be praised therefore !'

"Yea, thanks to both in very deed!" said the damosel," though, by my fay, I cannot choose but pity her, for the life she shall lead upon this with yonder rude, evil knight-unless, in sooth, she can cunningly persuade him, as out of doubt she will essay it, that all he heard from my fair aunt hath been but dreams and fables. And how looked she, Gillian, when she saw them depart in this guise?"

"By good hap Madam Joyce knew not thereof until they were gone, my lord having commanded her to tarry his pleasure in this very chamber, so that she might neither see nor hear aught of their hasty setting forth. But straightway thereupon he himself came hither, and held private talk with her by the space of an hour or more; after which he also mounted and rode away, bidding me say his message to you, dear lady, and pray you from him to take good heart, and hope for a speedy ending to all this annoy."

"Amen, Gille, and bring it to pass !--methinks that better times are come already, in this blessed quiet and stillness in the house-of which I am so blithe, that soothly I shall desire you to keep my fair aunt and all others from me to-day, that I may be the fitter to wait on my lord in the evening."

Verily Gillian found this no hard task; those of the house having little will to show kindness where their service was no longer owing; and Madam Pauncefort, who might gladly have brought to the one niece her complaints against the other, being withheld from troubling her by the strict commands of the Lord Gilbert.

That noble prelate came again toward the eventide, as he had said; but in place of ordering the maiden to attend on him below, as was his wont, he bade Gillian lead him at once to the parlour where she sat, as if he designed, by such condescension, to make her amends for the discourtesies of others.

"Think not, my poor child," he said, "that I had forgotten thee and thy wrong, even for a moment, in that I have shown some favour and honour towards this rude knight in the matter of his marriage; since verily, but for thine own sake, I had not come this day one step over the threshold of my cell. But in faith, maiden, they who find might against them in a just cause, must thrive as they best may, by

help of fair persuasions and a gracious behaviour—a saying hard to be credited at thy age, which deems of truth as alway sufficient to the mastery, without other aid. Yet so it is that I, who on my bargaining with this man on thy behalf, could obtain nothing from his compassion for thy despoiled estate, nor yet from his honesty as touching the repayment of thy sire's gold, was glad to get that which I sought, at the last from his folly, in desiring to be held in the eyes of all men for the rightful heir of those noble gentlemen whose fiefs he hath gotten into his possession. Wherefore, finding that he was earnestly bent to obtain my presence and countenance at his bridal, as deeming that both by reason of my own place and my alliance with the Mourtrays, it should much avail in these parts to his credit-by my troth, damosel, I was not slow to grant him this small boon, and to gain for thee, as I have done, in recompence thereof, the lodge, where now dwelleth Reeve Bernard, with the farm thereunto adjoining; in full possession of which I have seen thee duly feoffed by script and bond, or ever I would say the benison over the knight and his gay lady this morning-a new proof, if old experience were wanting, that men will oft accord that to an idle fantasy, which they have denied to right and

reason.

"For the rest, my child, as thou already knowest, both house and lands must be rendered up, and somewhat more suddenly than I, in sooth, had looked for; since this Sir Lance, finding his hand the stronger in this matter, had begun, as now appears, to move his plea against us in the law courts, even before his coming hither. To which suit, since neither cost nor labour should avail, save only to delay the issue, I have offered no counterplea; but assented to give him peaceable entrance by the vigil of Saint Peter, an eight days hence. And now, maiden, hear what I have concluded upon, as touching the place and manner of thy living in time to come. The house that is left to thee, though less spacious and goodly by far than this of Malthorpe, is yet a strong and convenient dwelling, and the site thereof both fair and pleasant. There shalt thou make thine abode for a space, with thy true and faithful Gillian, and a yeoman to thine attendance. Also that stout-hearted Englishman, Bernard the Reeve, whose worth I have long and fully proved, shall still dwell on in the house for thy greater security in these perilous and evil times, until I can make for thee some better disposition, as truly I have good hope to do ere long. My people are now busied in furnishing the chambers, and setting all things in order against to-morrow's even; at which time, God willing, thou shalt remove thither, and out of a house where thou art now held for an alien and a stranger. Further, damosel-since at thy years, and in thine estate, it were unseemly to dwell without some woman of discreet age for company and countenance, I purpose yet awhile to continue to thee the fellowship of thy kinswoman, Dame Joyce; albeit, Avisa-with sorrow, as well as shame for my own misjudging, must I bid thee beware how thou followest her counsel in weightier matters; for truly, the kind of wisdom that she knoweth alone to teach thee, is not such as beseemeth an upright, truth-loving maiden to learn.

"Lastly, my child, I would speak to thee of that young squire, whose time of banishment from thy presence shall be ended with the

morrow. Verily, he shall be mine own guest at the cell, for as long as his tarriance may pleasure or profit you both-it being against the usage for him to make abode under thy roof. Of his coming I little doubt-seeing I hold a pledge for him in his yeoman, still in my ward, who I well believe he would not lightly adventure to anger."

May Avis, at these last words, looked quickly up, astonished that her lord should count on Piers Bradestone's coming for any other sake than hers; and she fancied she read in his face a deep and earnest compassion; but ere she could shape out an answer that might help her to discover his meaning without presumptuous questioning, he, having ended his discourse, rose up, and took his leave of her.

A sorrowful and weary task had May Avis and her faithful Gillian, for the next night and day-the last, in sorting and making ready all things for their departing, and the first in visiting, with many a tear and sigh, all the old places she had been wont to haunt from infancy, in the fellowship of John Ashtoft; whose gentle, kindly image, and the hard measure she had dealt out to him, now arose so freshly and sadly to her remembrance, that she wept thereat even more bitterly than at parting from her ancient home. Yet amidst all her mournful musings, the time went by so swiftly, that ere she was aware the evening was drawing on, Gauchet came in search of her, with news that my lord prior himself had that instant lighted down at the door, and bade array her palfreys without delay.

In short space both beasts and riders were made ready for the journey, which was verily little more than an arrowflight from the Manor Place; but it was the Lord Gilbert's pleasure that the damosel should set forth thus attended, to do her honour in the sight of the folk about them. Wherefore, when they were to depart, that noble lord himself taking her by the hand, led her in grave and solemn wise to the doorporch, where the household were all marshalled to show him reverence, dame Muriel in the front, waiting to proffer the stirrup-cup, with as hardy and assured a countenance as formerly. But he only inclined his head after a stately manner, as they louted low on either hand; and waving back the dame as she would have stepped forward, he quickly gained the back of his courser, whilst his ancient squire Gerveis courteously lifted May Avis to the saddle of her gennet.

"May it please your high lordship of your goodness to grant me a grace at this time?" said old Gauchet, making his humblest obeisance at the stirrup of the Lord Gilbert.

"Say on boldly, friend!" answered that gracious prelate; "if I err not, thou hast a service to seek."

"Truly, my lord," said Gauchet, "I am over well content with my present one, to desire such quest, and would therefore humbly crave of your gracious lordship that I may still abide in the service of my young lady."

"That shalt thou freely, by my fay, and fare never the worse for thy stedfastness, old man," answered the Lord Gilbert. "Hie thee over to the lodge betimes in the morning, and Bernard shall put thee anon into thine office. Here is wherewith to purvey thee night lodging in the meantime."

Grandmercy, my lord! God send your gracious lordship all joy

and prosperity!" shouted the old pikard, above the rattle of the horses' hoofs; and forthwith turned back towards the house, with design to make his mails, and take a parting cup, if he could haply steal to the spance, unperceived of dame Muriel. But time for this was not accorded him since no sooner had the hindmost of the lord prior's train passed out at the court gate, than the old wife, whose wrath had been inflamed to the highest by the Lord Gilbert's public refusal of her courtesies, suddenly confronted him in the doorway, as he would have entered, with furious voice and mien, crying out, "Avoid, traitor ! begone, false Judas !-dissembler! liar! to the devil with thee, without more!"