so nice, you see," she said; "just a match to the Lady."

"Nice, indeed!" said Reginald, pulling a terrible face. "Thou hast not
spent a fortnight at Ashridge."

"Well, but he would not want to make a monk of thee," answered Olympias,
rather blankly.

"He would not manage it, if he tried," responded her lord and master.

When the Earl's intentions were stated, it appeared that he had no
further occasion for the services of Sir Reginald and Olympias, and he
had secured for them situations, if they chose to accept them, in the
household of the royal bride. Olympias was in ecstasies; to live in
France was a most delicious fate in her eyes, nor did Reginald in the
least object to it. Filomena and Sabina were provided for with the
Countess of Lincoln and the Princess Elizabeth, Mistress Underdone,
Heliet, and Sir Ademar would remain at Berkhamsted. And then the Earl,
turning to Vivian and Clarice, requested as a favour to himself that
they would remain also. It was necessary to have a lady of rank--
namely, a knight's wife--at the head of the establishment. The Earl had
no sister who could take that position; and his brother's widow, the
Lady Constance d'Almayne, had preferred to return to her own home in
Bearn rather than live in England. Heliet might have answered, but the
Earl felt, with his usual considerate gentleness, that her lameness
would make it a great charge and trouble to her. He wished Clarice to
take it, if her husband would allow her, and was willing to continue in
his service.

"And, truth to tell," said the Earl, with a sad smile at Rosie, who was
making frantic efforts to compass the fearful distance of three yards
between the Earl's chair and Clarice's outstretched hand, "you have here
a jewel which I were very loth to lose from my empty casket. So, Sir
Vivian, what say you?"

What became of either Clarice or Rosie was a matter of very little
importance to Vivian, for he considered them both in the light of
encumbrances--which was rather hard on Clarice at least, as she would
thankfully have got out of his way if duty had allowed it. But, as he
had once said, he knew when he was well off, and he had no wish to pass
into the service either of a meaner nobleman or of a harder master.
Vivian assented without a qualifying word.

Thus, with Clarice, life sank back into its old groove, and time sped
on, uneventful except for the two items that every day little Rosie grew
in intelligence and a