ike, those
two little things!--both young, soft, lovely--and both dumb! I
marvelled sometimes whether they understood each other."

"And did she not get any better, Aunt?"

"Yes; for a time she did. The country air and food and quiet did seem
to do her good. She was so much better that she came back to Windsor
for the winter. But it was not thought well by Master Thomas that she
should go to London to be present at the great rejoicings that were made
when the Lady Alianora came from Spain--our Queen that now is, the holy
saints bless her! There were grand doings then, I heard; all London
city was curtained in her honour, and processions in every church, and
all superbly decorated; and the poor fed in the halls at Westminster, as
many as could get in; and the Lord King presented a silver cross to the
Abbey, and a golden plate of an ounce weight. Oh, it must have been a
grand sight!"

"Who paid that bill, I wonder?" said Bertha, laughing.

"Bless thee, child! how do I know? That was the autumn when there was
so much ado here at Lincoln touching the crucifixion of the blessed
Hugh, son of Beatrice, by the wicked Jews; one hundred and more of them
were brought to prison, first here, and afterwards at Westminster; and
when eighteen had been hanged, the rest were graciously allowed to buy
their lives for eighteen thousand marks. I daresay some of that went
for it--that is, for as much of it as got paid for."

That sum would now be equal to about two hundred and sixteen thousand
pounds. It never came into Avice's head to doubt whether the Jews had
crucified little Hugh. Such charges were often enough brought against
them--when those who called themselves Christians wanted an excuse for
stealing the jews' money and jewels. There has never been a single
instance, in this country or any other, in which the charge has been
proved true. A further favourite accusation, that the Jews used the
blood of Christian children to make their passover cakes, we know cannot
have been true; for the Bible tells us that the Jews were strictly
forbidden to eat blood. But what absurdity might not be expected from
people who had no Bibles, and of whom not more than one in a thousand
could have read it if he had had one? Are we half thankful enough for
our own privileges?

"Well!" continued Avice, "after this, the Lady Alianora came down to
Windsor with the Lady Queen, and our little Lady and she took to one
another wonderfully.