y dragged heavily. Mistress Underdone sat with Heliet and Clarice
at work; but not much work was gone through, for in everybody's opinion
it was too hot to do anything. The tower in which they were was at the
back of the Castle, and looked upon the inner court. The Earl's
apartments were in the next tower, and there, despite the heat, he was
going over sundry grants and indentures with Father Bevis and his
bailiff, always considering the comfort and advantage of his serfs and
tenants. The sound of a horn outside warned the ladies that in all
probability Vivian was returning home; and whether his temper were good,
bad, or indifferent was likely to depend on the condition of his
hunting-bags. Good, was almost too much to hope for. With a little
smothered sigh Clarice ventured to hope that it might not be worse than
indifferent. Her comfort for the next day or two would be much affected
by it.

They looked out of the window, but all they saw was Ademar crossing the
inner court with rapid steps, and disappearing within the Earl's tower.
There was some noise in the outer court, but no discernible solution of
it. The ladies went back to their work. Much to their surprise, ten
minutes later, the Earl himself entered the chamber. It was not at all
his wont to come there. When he had occasion to send orders to Clarice
concerning his household arrangements, he either sent for her or
conveyed them through Vivian. These were the Countess's rooms which
they were now occupying, and the Earl had never crossed the threshold
since she left the Castle.

They looked up, and saw in his face that he had news to tell them. And
all at once Clarice rose and exclaimed--"Vivian!"

"Dame, I grieve to tell you that your knight has been somewhat hurt in
his hunting."

Clarice was not conscious of any feeling but the necessity of knowing
all. And that she had not yet been told all she felt certain.

"Much hurt?" she asked.

"I fear so," answered the Earl.

"My Lord, will you tell me all?"

The Earl took her hand and looked kindly at her. "Dame, he is dead."

Mistress Underdone raised her hands with an exclamation of shocked
surprise, to which Heliet's look of horror formed a fitting corollary.
Clarice was conscious only of a confused medley of feelings, from which
none but a sense of amazement stood out in the foreground. Then the
Earl quietly told her that, in leaping a wide ditch, Vivian had been
thrown from his horse, a