no hound within the castle
nor has there been for years. Even the presence of a lap-dog will fret
my mother, so in my father's time they were every one removed to the
kennels at the further end of the isle of Thrieve, whence even their
howling cannot be heard. But let us proceed to the Lady Margaret, and
on our way examine the place where you saw the apparition."

Sholto stood aside for the Earl to pass, but with a wave of his hand
the latter said courteously, "Nay, but do you lead the way, captain of
the guard."

They passed the door of the chamber where lay the Lady Sybilla. The
niece of the ambassador must have been a heavy sleeper, for there was
no sound within. Opposite was the chamber of the Earl's mother. She
also appeared to be undisturbed, but the increasing deafness of the
Countess offered a complete explanation of her tranquillity.

Next the two young men came to the door of the marshal's chamber. As
they were about to pass, it opened silently, and a man-servant with a
closely cropped obsequious head appeared within. He unclosed the door
no further than would permit of his exit, and then he shut it again
behind him, and stood holding the latch in his hand.

"His Excellency, being overfatigued, hath need of a little strong
spirit," he said, with a curious gobbling movement of his throat as if
he himself had been either thirsty or in deadly and overmastering
fear.

The Earl ordered Sholto to wake the cellarer and bid him bring the
ambassador of France that which he required. He himself would go
onward to his sister's chamber. Sholto somewhat sullenly obeyed, for
his heart was hot and angry within him. He thought that he began to
see clearly the motive of the Earl's presence in the castle. The youth
was himself so deeply and hopelessly in love with Mistress Maud
Lindesay that he could not understand any other of his sex being
insensible to the charm of her beauty and myriad winsome graces.

As he went down the stairs he recalled a thousand circumstances to
mind which now seemed capable of but one explanation. It was evident
that the Earl William came to visit some one by means of the private
staircase under cloud of night. Nay, more, Maud Lindesay and he might
be already privately married, and the matter kept secret on account of
the pride of his family, who devised another match for him. For though
the daughter of a knight, Maud Lindesay was assuredly no fit mate for
the head of the more than regal house