g with her high and truthful nature. But Constantia was still
Constantia, and could not depart from truth, so as successfully to feign
what she did not feel: her sentence consequently remained unfinished,
and Lady Frances was left at full liberty to draw her own conclusions
therefrom,--a matter of no great difficulty.

"I have received a letter from my sister Mary," she said, kindly
changing the subject, "and it will please you to know that my lordly
father is inclined to listen to reason, and manifests a disposition to
admit the reasonableness of his daughter Frances becoming Rich. Beshrew
me! but most fathers like that distinction for their children; only,
alas! in this instance, Rich and riches are not synonymous. What think
you of that? His Highness has not said a word to me on the subject.
There is your prim Barbara smiling. Ah! you too, I suppose, will soon be
saluted as Mistress or Dame Hays. Fie, fie, Barbara! I thought you had
better taste. But never mind, I will not say a word to his
disparagement--no, nor suffer one of the court curs to growl at Crisp
when he visits the buttery at Whitehall or Hampton. What have you done
with the Lady Zillah?"

"So please you, madam," replied Barbara, "the Rabbi would not be
separated from his daughter. He seems to think her only safe under his
own eye. So he forced her to lie on his own bed, and she has fallen,
poor lady, into a deep sleep--and he sits by her side, sometimes gazing
upon a dim old book, full of strange marks and characters, but more
often looking upon the face of his child, until his eyes fill with
tears; and then he clasps his hands, and mutters, what I know must be a
blessing, it is so earnest; and then, if perchance she moves and the
pillow swells, or the coverlet be disturbed, he smooths it so gently you
would think it was a woman's hand, and not that of a man. Ah, my lady!
love makes all things gentle."

"I wonder," observed Lady Frances, "will she turn Christian?"

"She has been a kind nurse to me, in my trouble," replied the puritan;
"but our good preacher says her heart is far from being humbled. She has
a high mind, and is proud of her tribe. While we were in the cell,
Master Fleetword took a deal of pains with her, and expoundiated most
wonderfully for hours together; but I fear me the seed fell upon stony
ground: for, though she sat still enough, I know she did not listen."

"Where is your father?"

Barbara started at the abruptness of the qu