ned over the stiff leaves, one after another, till she reached the
Book of Esther. Yes, surely that was the picture she remembered. There
sat the King Ahasuerus on a curule chair, wearing a floriated crown and
a mantle clasped at the neck with a golden fibula; and there fainted
Queen Esther in the arms of her ladies, arrayed in the tight gown, the
pocketing sleeve, the wimple, and all other monstrosities of the early
Plantagenet era. A Persian satrap, enclosed in a coat of mail and a
surcoat with a silver shield, whereon an exceedingly rampant red lion
was disporting itself, appeared to be coming to the help of his liege
lady; while a tall white lily, in a flower-pot about twice the size of
the throne, occupied one side of the picture. To all these details
Belasez paid no attention. The one thing at which she looked was the
face of the fainting Queen, which was turned full towards the spectator.
It was a very lovely face of a decidedly Jewish type. But what made
Belasez glance from it to the brazen mirror fixed to the wall opposite?
Was it Anegay of whom Bruno had been thinking when he murmured that she
was so like some one? Undoubtedly there was a likeness. The same pure
oval face, the smooth calm brow, the dark glossy hair: but it struck
Belasez that her own features, as seen in the mirror, were the less
prominently Jewish.

And, once more, who was Anegay?

How little it is possible to know of the innermost heart of our nearest
friends! Belasez went through all her duties that day, without rousing
the faintest suspicion in the mind of her mother that she had heard a
syllable of the conversation between her parents the night before. Yet
she thought of little else. Her household work was finished, and she
sat in the deep recess of the window at her embroidery, when Delecresse
came and stood beside her.

"Belasez, who was that damsel that sat talking with my Lord of
Gloucester in the hall when we passed through?"

"That was the Damsel Margaret, daughter of Sir Hubert the Earl."

"What sort of a maiden is she?"

"Very sweet and gentle. I liked her extremely. She was always most
kind to me."

"Is she attached to my Lord of Gloucester?"

It was a new idea to Belasez.

"Really, I never thought of that, Cress. But I should not at all wonder
if she be. She is constantly talking of him."

"Does he care for her?"

"I fancy he does, by the way I have seen him look up at her windows."

"Yes, I could t