yed upon her lips. Then a determined look
came into her bright eyes.

He stirred in his sleep, laughed out, said "mamma," and then opened
his eyes. She stooped and touched his lips with her finger. "Hush!
Speak only in a whisper. Eat this, and then I will take you to your
mother."

After he had eaten, she wrapped a cloak about him, and together they
stole up and out past the sleeping, drunken sentinel, to the stables.
She lead out a white horse, her own horse, Arthur was sure, for the
creature caressed her with his head, and as she saddled him she talked
to him in low tones, sweet, musical words of some foreign tongue. The
handsome horse seemed to understand the necessity of silence, for
he did not even whinny to the touch of his mistress' hand, and trod
daintily and noiselessly as she led him to the mounting block, his
small ears pricking forward and backward, as though knowing the need
of watchful listening.

Leaping to the saddle and stooping, she lifted Arthur in front of her,
and with a word they were off. A slow walk at first, and then a rapid
canter. Arthur never forgot that long night ride with the beautiful
lady on the white horse, over the country flooded with the brilliancy
of the full moon. Once or twice she asked him if he was cold, as she
drew the cloak more closely about him, and sometimes she would murmur
softly to herself words in that silvery, foreign tongue. As they drew
near Hartland, she asked him to point out his father's house, and
when they were quite near, only a little distance off, she stopped the
horse.

"I leave you here, you brave, darling boy," she said. "Kiss me once,
and then jump down. And don't forget me."

Arthur threw his arms around her neck and kissed her, first on one
cheek and then on the other, and looking up into the beautiful face
with its starry eyes, said:

"I will never, never forget you, for you are the loveliest lady I ever
saw--except mamma."

She laughed a pleased laugh, like a child, then took a ring from her
hand and put it on one of Arthur's fingers. Her hand was so slender it
fitted his chubby little hand very well.

"Keep this," she said, "and by and by give it to some lady good and
true, like mamma."

"Will you be punished?" he said, keeping her hand. She laughed again,
with a proud, daring toss of her dainty head, and rode away.

Arthur watched her out of sight, and then turned towards home. Mrs.
Heath was still keeping her lonely watch, when the la