d be as a sweet sister to him, whom
he would guard as he could from every shadow of care; the thought of
her sadness, and of her fear of the Earl worked strongly in his heart;
but he saw no way out of that; and indeed believed, or tried to
believe in his heart, that she would love the Earl for his might, and
that he would love her for her grace, and that so all would be well.

The next day he rose very early, and was soon summoned to the chapel.
There were few present; there seemed indeed, from soft movements and
whisperings, to be ladies in a gallery beside the altar, but they were
hidden in a lattice. The sons of the Lord Bigod were there, looking
full of joyful excitement; other lords and knights sate within the
chapel, and an old priest, in stiff vestments, with a worn and patient
face, knelt by the altar, his lips moving as in prayer. Presently the
Lord Bigod came in, as pale as death and sore troubled, and with him
walked the Lady Mary, who seemed to bring the very peace of God with
her. She was pale, but clear of complexion, and with a great
brightness in her eyes, as of one whose will was strong. Then Hugh
drew near to the altar, and plighted the Earl's troth to her, putting
the great ring, with its ruby as red as blood, upon her finger. He
noticed, as he waited to put the ring upon her hand, that a ray of
light from the window darted through the signet, and cast a light,
like a drop of blood, upon the maiden's white palm; and then the voice
of the priest, raised softly in blessing, fell upon his ear with a
tender hope; and at the end he knelt down very gently, and kissed the
Lady Mary's hand in token of fealty; and the thought of the Earl's
jest about bidding him to kiss her on the lips came like a shameful
thought into his mind.

Then the day passed slowly and sadly; but he saw not the Lady Mary
save once, when, as he walked in the wood, trying to cool his hot
brain with the quiet, he saw her stand on a balcony looking out over
the forest with an infinite and patient sadness of air, as of one that
bade farewell.

And again the sun went down, and the night passed; and at daybreak he
heard the clatter of horsehoofs in the court, the jingling of the
stirrups, and the voices of his troop, who made merry adieux to their
new comrades.

Then he came down himself; and saw beside his horse a smaller horse
richly caparisoned; then in a moment, very swiftly, came the Lady Mary
down the stairs, with the Lord Bigod an