him, and to
have him continue his training in the beautiful art of illumination.

The messenger, having thus received his orders, at once set out again
for Normandy; and he found this second journey much more pleasant than
the one he had made before, through the winter snows. For this time he
rode under tall poplar-trees and between green hedgerows, where the
cuckoos and fieldfares sang all day long. And when, after several days'
travelling, he drew near St. Martin's Abbey, the country on either side
of the road was pink with wild roses and meadowsweet, just as it had
been a year before, when Gabriel used to gather the clusters of
field-flowers for Brother Stephen to paint in the beautiful book.

Indeed, Gabriel still gathered the wild flowers every day, but only
because he loved them; for though, since their better fortunes, he was
again studying and working with Brother Stephen, the latter was then
busy on a long book of monastery rules, with only here and there a
coloured initial letter, and which altogether was not nearly so
interesting as had been the book of hours with its lovely painted
borders.

And so when the messenger reached the Abbey, and made known his errand,
they were both overjoyed at the prospect King Louis offered them.

After talking with the messenger, the Abbot, true to his word, in a
solemn ceremony, freed Brother Stephen from his vows of obedience to
the rules of St. Martin's brotherhood; and then he gave both him and
Gabriel his blessing.

Brother Stephen, who had been too proud to ask a second time for his
freedom, was now delighted that it had all come about in the way it did,
and that he could devote his time to painting anything he chose.

Gabriel, too, was enchanted at the thought of all that he could do and
learn in the king's palace; and though he felt it hard to leave his
home, Queen Anne had kindly made it easier for him by promising that
sometimes he might come back for a little visit.

So in a few days he and Brother Stephen had made all their preparations
to leave; and they set out, Gabriel going with the messenger directly to
King Louis's palace in Paris; while Brother Stephen, taking the bag of
gold pieces which the king and queen had sent for him, travelled to many
of the great cities of Europe, where he studied the wonderful paintings
of the world's most famous masters, and where he himself made many
beautiful pictures. In this way he spent a number of happy months.

An