en thou art culpable?"

"Aye, I fear I am, for he now suffers for my fault, or rather for his
love of me."

"But if he greets thee with all love and holds out his arms to thee?"

"Then I shall be most happy, but shall act indifferently."

"I am afraid thou dost treat a serious matter lightly; for 'tis a
fickle thing; if he meets thee with open arms, thou wilt be cruel;
if he greets thee coldly, thou wilt be indifferent--for fear of thy
maiden scruples. What if he takes thee unawares?"

"How, unawares?"

"He might trick thee into a thing thou couldst not recede from. If
thou didst find thyself so placed, wouldst thou forgive him and love
him just the same?"

"I must always love him, no matter what trick he plays;--but he will
play me no trick. If he should again threaten to lock me up, as he has
done heretofore, I would go to him and say,--'Nay, I will marry thee
now, Cedric!'"

"God, Kate! Kate!" And the priest threw his arms about her, almost
crushing her in his great embrace. The cowl slipt from his head and
his dark curls swept her face as he bent over her. Instantly she knew
him and straightway fell into a rage.

"Thou, thou, Lord Cedric, dare to receive confession from one whose
life thou hast no part in. Dost thou know the penalty of such
wickedness? All evil will be visited upon thee for playing the part of
a holy priest. Indeed, of all the sins I had deemed thee capable, I
had ne'er thought of one so wicked as this!" She fell back in
the corner of the coach in such fury, she could not find further
utterance.

CHAPTER XX

UNPROCLAIMED BANNS

"Indeed, Mistress Penwick, I asked not for thy confessions. But now
that I have heard them, 'tis my meed to be punished by thy sharp
tongue for that I could not help. Come, Sweet, forgive and love me.
Have I not suffered enough?"

"Lambkin, I am out of all humour with thee. Thou art half a termagant,
I admit!"

"And thou, too, wert privy to this deception. I am truly without
friends!" and the maid began to weep softly behind her handkerchief.
Lord Cedric was beside himself with his folly.

"If I only could have withstood thee; but how could I with thy tender
words and thy closeness--"

"There is nothing accomplished but mistakes!" Janet ventured, being
impatient with both Cedric and Kate.

"--Kate!--Kate! dost not thou know how I have longed for thee; how my
heart has ached in thine absence? Those two whole days I lay abed were
like so many ye