n he went out; and presently the Lady Alice came in to see her
husband. Henry seemed to her a little brighter already, and a hope
flickered up in her heart. He smiled at her and said, "My Alice, I
think well of your monk; he is a shrewd fellow, and knows his trade. I
think somewhat better of his kind--he seems to me, indeed, in some way
familiar, or reminds me of one that I know; let him be well bestowed,
and to-morrow he will tell me, as he said, what he thinks of my case."

But the monk went to the chapel, and there he wrestled sore in
prayer; and then he fasted and watched; but at last, wearied out, he
fell asleep just before the dawn, and there came a dream to him. He
dreamed that he stood in the castle yard, and he had in his hand two
pots of flowers, one of lilies and one of roses; and there came to him
a tall and strange man, with a look of command in his face, yet full
of love; and the monk thought that he turned to the stranger and
offered him the flowers, and the man laid his hand upon the roses; but
the monk said, "Nay, my lord, rather take the lilies;" and the other
said, "The roses are mine and the lilies are mine; one will I take and
leave the other awhile; but at thy prayer I will take the lilies
first, because thou hast been faithful in a few things." Then the monk
gave him the lilies, but with a sore pang; and the other laid his hand
upon them, and the lilies withered away. Then the monk said, "And now,
my lord, they are not worthy to be given thee," but the other said,
"They shall revive and bloom," and then he smiled.

Then the monk awoke, and the dawn came faintly in at the east: and he
shivered in his vigil, and fell to pondering on his dream; for he
doubted not that it came from God. So, when he had pondered a little,
he was amazed and said in his prayer, "Woe is me that I cannot see
light." And as he said the words the sun brightened up the sky, and in
a moment the monk saw what the Lord would have him to do.

Then, when it was day, he sought the Lady Alice, and she came and
stood before him, and he said, "Lady, God will give back your lord to
you--for a time; only believe!" Then she fell to weeping for joy, and
the monk checked her not, but said, "These be gracious tears." Then he
said, "And now I must return in haste; I must not linger." And she
prayed him to go with her to the Baron; but he said he must not; but
one thing he said he would have her promise, that if it were needful
for him to s