om your king is to
marry, if he is cruel enough."

At this point one of the women, who had stationed herself near the
door, came running towards the group and warned them that somebody
was approaching. The attendants, who had hitherto remained passive,
probably with some womanly curiosity regarding the strange interview,
now became wild with excitement, and joined their mistress in begging
the stranger to depart.

"Not until I have whispered in your ear," he said stoutly.

"I cannot permit it; I cannot permit it. Go, go at once, I implore
you."

"Then I escort you within the hall to meet whoever comes."

"Sir, you are importunate. Well, it doesn't matter; whisper."

He bent toward her and said:--

"Madeleine, you must meet me here alone at this time to-morrow."

"Never, never," she cried resolutely.

"Very well then; here I stay until you consent."

"You are cruel," she said, tears springing in her eyes. Then
appealingly, as a knock sounded against the door, she added, "I
promise. Go at once."

The young man precipitated himself over the parapet into the tree. The
fortune which attends lovers and drunkards favoured him, and the last
bending branch lowered him as gently to the gravel of the walk as if
he were a son of the forest. He glanced upward, and saw that the
luminous face, in its diaphanous environment of dark hair was again
bent over the parapet, the lips apart and still, saying nothing, but
the eloquent eyes questioning; indeed he fancied he saw in them some
slight solicitude for his safety. He doffed his hat, kissed the tips
of his fingers and wafted the salutation toward her, while a glow of
satisfaction filled his breast as he actually saw a similar movement
on the part of her own fair fingers, which was quickly translated
into a gesture pointing to the garden door, and then she placed a
finger-tip to her lips, a silent injunction for silence. He knew when
to obey, as well as when to disobey, and vanished quickly through the
door. He retreated in no such despairing phase of mind as he had
advanced, but now paid some attention to the geography of the place
that he might return unquestioning to his tryst. Arriving at the more
public corridors of the palace, his first encounter was with the
Constable of Falaise. Talbot's dress was travel-stained, and his
youthful face wore almost the haggardness of age. He looked like a man
who had ridden hard and slept little, finding now small comfort at the
end