rom her promise to
thee?"

Cantemir, filled with his own ideas, gave perfunctory acquiescence and
continued in his own line of thought. And what with a busy brain that
was not over-strong, and a ride of some length and dampness, with a
sore leg, he became feverish and the monk took him to bed in great
haste, where he remained for the best part of a week; the seriousness
of his disease not a little augmented by the desire for immediate
action.

CHAPTER XII

CASTLE AND MONASTERY

The next morning after Christopher's sudden disaster, the castle
seemed to have awakened from a long apathy. The servants clattered
under breath of their wounded fellow. The arrival of his Grace of
Ellswold's physicians held gossip in the castle in abeyance, as all
were anxious of their decision; but the presence of Sir Julian seemed
to fill the sails of the becalmed household with a stiff breeze, which
at a favourable moment would raise anchor and fly forth on a joyous
sea.

The physicians gave out that there was no immediate danger, but his
illness was serious and there must neither be noise nor excitement. It
was out of the question to move his Grace either to his own estates or
elsewhere for baths or sea air.

Lord Cedric and Sir Julian sat with him an hour after the doctor's
examination, Sir Julian, conversing of the freshest gossip at court,
without the usual condiment of inflammables which would be apt to
rouse his Grace not a little.

There being now no traitor--unless perchance Constance might be termed
one--in the house, and no danger of Mistress Pen wick being left
without the close surveillance of Janet, she was no longer kept
prisoner. And, while she was greatly wrought upon by the sad havoc of
the previous night, her youth and gay spirits and Janet's exhortations
upon the age, giving license to all sorts of uprisings and display of
temper and unwarranted vengeance, somewhat quieted her, and she arose
as sprightly as ever, all the more determined to free herself from
Lord Cedric. If she had stopped for self-analysis, she would have
found that she was bent on gaining her independence at no matter
what cost; regardless of consequences. That her desire was more of
adventure than ambition. And she also would have found that she cared
naught for Cantemir and a very great deal for Lord Cedric. She had
never given thought to a separation from her beloved Janet; while even
classing her as antagonistic to her desires, she n