death, were as eager to help us as they had been fearful before. It has
all been brought up for you to see; and a monstrous hoard it is. It must
almost be true, I trow, that the old man had the golden secret. So much
gold I have never seen in one place."

"It is ill-gotten gold," said the Prince, sternly, as he rose, and,
followed by the nobles and Master Bernard de Brocas, went to look at the
coffers containing the treasure hoarded up and amassed by the Sanghursts
during a long period of years. "But I trow since the Black Death has so
ravaged these parts, it would be idle to strive to seek out the owners,
and it would but raise a host of false claims that no man might sift.

"Master Bernard de Brocas, I award this treasure to Raymond de Brocas,
the true lord of Basildene, to whom and to whose heirs shall be secured
this house and all that belongs to it. Into your hands I now intrust the
gold and the lands, to be kept by you until the rightful owner appears
to lay claim to them. Let a part of this gold be spent upon making fit
this house for the reception of its master and this fair maiden, who
will one day be the mistress here with him. Let it be thy part, good
Master Bernard, to remove from these walls the curse which has been
brought upon them by the vile sorceries and cruelties of this wicked
father and more wicked son. Let Holy Church do her part to cleanse and
purify the place, and then let it be made meet for the reception of its
lord and lady when they shall return hither to receive their own."

The good Bernard's face glowed with satisfaction at this charge. It was
just such a one as pleased him best, and such as he was well able to
fulfil. Nobody more capable could well have been found for the
guardianship and restoration of Basildene; and with this hoard to draw
upon, the old house might well grow to a beauty and grandeur it had
never known before.

"Gracious Prince, I give you thanks on behalf of my nephew, and I will
gladly do all that I may to carry out your behest. The day will come
when Raymond de Brocas shall come in person to thank you for your
princely liberality and generosity."

"Tush, man, the gold is not mine; and some of it may have been come by
honestly, and belong fairly enough to the Sanghurst family. You say the
mother of these bold Gascon youths was a Sanghurst: it follows, then,
that Basildene and all pertaining to it should be theirs. Raymond de
Brocas has suffered much from the Sang