lty of pursuing the way. Here
too flowers were sweet and the birds busy. The way was enough to
delight any lover of nature; and it was impossible not to be delighted.
Nevertheless Eleanor hailed for a sake not its own, every bit of broken
ground and rough walking that made connected conversation impossible;
and then was glad to see the grey walls of the priory, where the horses
were to meet them. Once in the saddle again--she would be glad to be
there!

The horses were not in sight yet; they strolled into the ruin. It was
lovely to-day; the sunlight adding its brightening touch to all that
moss and ivy and lichen and fern had done. They sauntered up what had
been an aisle of the church; carpeted now with soft shaven turf, close
and smooth.

"The priory was founded a great while ago," said Mr. Carlisle, "by one
of the first Lords of Rythdale, on account of the fact that he had
slain his own brother in mortal combat. It troubled his mind, I
suppose, even in those rough times."

"And he built the church to soothe it."

"Built the church and founded the establishment; gave it all the lands
we have passed through to-day, and much more; and great rights on hill
and dale and moor. We have them nearly all back again--by one happy
chance and another."

"What was this?" said Eleanor, seating herself on a great block of
stone, the surface of which was rough with decay.

"This was a tombstone--tradition says, of that same slain Lord of
Rythdale--but I think it very hypothetical. However, your fancy can
conjure back his image, if you like, lying where you sit; covered with
the armour he lived his life in, and probably with hands joined to make
the prayers his life had rendered desirable."

"He had not the helmet--" thought Eleanor. She got up to look at the
stone; but it was worn away; no trace of the knight in armour who had
lain there was any longer to be seen. What long ago times those were!

"And then the old monks did nothing else but pray," she remarked.

"A few other things," said her companion; "if report is true. But they
said a great many prayers, it is certain. It was what they were
specially put here for--to do masses for that old stone figure that
used to lie there. They were paid well for doing it. I hope they did
it."

The wind stirred gently through the ruin, bringing a sweet scent of
herbs and flowers, and a fern or an ivy leaf here and there just moved
lightly on its stalk.

"They must have lived a p