door
and the click of her sobs to be heard dying swiftly away down the
corridor.
alleyne stared open-eyed at this tigress who had sprung so
suddenly to his rescue. "there is no need for such anger," he
said mildly. "the maid's words have done me no scath. it is you
yourself who have erred."
"i know it," she cried, "i am a most wicked woman. but it is bad
enough that one should misuse you. ma foi! i will see that there
is not a second one."
"nay, nay, no one has misused me," he answered. "but the fault
lies in your hot and bitter words. you have called her a baggage
and a lack-brain, and i know not what."
"and you are he who taught me to speak the truth," she cried.
"now i have spoken it, and yet i cannot please you. lack-brain
she is, and lack-brain i shall call her."
such was a sample of the sudden janglings which marred the peace
of that little class. as the weeks passed, however, they became
fewer and less violent, as alleyne's firm and constant nature
gained sway and influence over the lady maude. and yet, sooth to
say, there were times when he had to ask himself whether it was
not the lady maude who was gaining sway and influence over him.
if she were changing, so was he. in drawing her up from the
world, he was day by day being himself dragged down towards it.
in vain he strove and reasoned with himself as to the madness of
letting his mind rest upon sir nigel's daughter. what was he--a
younger son, a penniless clerk, a squire unable to pay for his
own harness--that he should dare to raise his eyes to the
fairest maid in hampshire? so spake reason; but, in spite of all,
her voice was ever in his ears and her image in his heart.
stronger than reason, stronger than cloister teachings, stronger
than all that might hold him back, was that old, old tyrant who
will brook no rival in the kingdom of youth.
and yet it was a surprise and a shock to himself to find how
deeply she had entered into his life; how completely those vague
ambitions and yearnings which had filled his spiritual nature
centred themselves now upon this thing of earth. he had scarce
dared to face the change which had come upon him, when a few
sudden chance words showed it all up hard and clear, like a
lightning flash in the darkness.
he had ridden over to poole, one november day, with his fellow-
squire, peter terlake, in quest of certain yew-staves from wat
swathling, the dorsetshire armorer. the day for their departure
had almost come, and the two youths spurred it over the lonely
downs at the top of their speed on their homeward course, for
evening had fallen and there was much to be done. peter was a
hard, wiry, brown faced, country-bred lad who looked on the
coming war as the schoolboy looks on his holidays this day,
however, he had been sombre and mute, with scarce a word a mile
to bestow upon his comrade.
"tell me alleyne edricson," he broke out, suddenly, as they
clattered along the winding track which leads over the
bournemouth hills, "has it not seemed to you that of late the
lady maude is paler and more silent than is her wont?"
"it may be so," the other answered shortly.
"and would rather sit distrait by her oriel than ride gayly to
the chase as of old. methinks, alleyne, it is this learning
which you have taught her that has taken all the life and sap
from her. it is more than she can master, like a heavy spear to a
light rider."
"her lady-mother has so ordered it," said alleyne.
"by our lady! and withouten disrespect," quoth terlake, "it is in
my mind that her lady-mother is more fitted to lead a company to
a storming than to have the upbringing of this tender and milk-
white maid. hark ye, lad alleyne, to what i never told man or
woman yet. i love the fair lady maude, and would give the last
drop of my heart's blood to serve her. he spoke with a gasping
voice, and his face flushed crimson in the moonlight.
alleyne said nothing, but his heart seemed to turn to a lump of
ice in his bosom.
"my father has broad acres," the other continued, "from fareham
creek to the slope of the portsdown hill. there is filling of
granges, hewing of wood, malting of grain, and herding of sheep
as much as heart could wish, and i the only son. sure am i that
sir nigel would be blithe at such a match."
"but how of the lady?" asked alleyne, with dry lips.
"ah, lad, there lies my trouble. it is a toss of the head and a
droop of the eyes if i say one word of what is in my mind.
'twere as easy to woo the snow-dame that we shaped last winter in
our castle yard. i did but ask her yesternight for her green
veil, that i might bear it as a token or lambrequin upon my helm;
but she flashed out at me that she kept it for a better man, and
then all in a breath asked pardon for that she had spoke so
rudely. yet she would not t
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