ho were sure his Grace had
but to proffer his suit to gain it, and their sole wonder lay in that he
did not speak more quickly.

"But being a man of such noble mind, it may be that he would leave her to
her freedom yet a few months, because, despite her stateliness, she is
but young, and 'twould be like his honourableness to wish that she should
see many men while she is free to choose, as she has never been before.
For these days she is not a poor beauty as she was when she took
Dunstanwolde."

The less serious, or less worldly, especially the sentimental spinsters
and matrons and romantic young, who had heard and enjoyed the rumours of
Mistress Clorinda Wildairs' strange early days, were prone to build much
upon a certain story of that time.

"Sir John Oxon was her first love," they said. "He went to her father's
house a beautiful young man in his earliest bloom, and she had never
encountered such an one before, having only known country dolts and her
father's friends. 'Twas said they loved each other, but were both
passionate and proud, and quarrelled bitterly. Sir John went to France
to strive to forget her in gay living; he even obeyed his mother and paid
court to another woman, and Mistress Clorinda, being of fierce
haughtiness, revenged herself by marrying Lord Dunstanwolde."

"But she has never deigned to forgive him," 'twas also said. "She is too
haughty and of too high a temper to forgive easily that a man should seem
to desert her for another woman's favour. Even when 'twas whispered that
she favoured him, she was disdainful, and sometimes flouted him bitterly,
as was her way with all men. She was never gentle, and had always a
cutting wit. She will use him hardly before she relents; but if he sues
patiently enough with such grace as he uses with other women, love will
conquer her at last, for 'twas her first."

She showed him no great favour, it was true; and yet it seemed she
granted him more privilege than she had done during her lord's life, for
he was persistent in his following her, and would come to her house
whether of her will or of his own. Sometimes he came there when the Duke
of Osmonde was with her--this happened more than once--and then her
ladyship's face, which was ever warmly beautiful when Osmonde was near,
would curiously change. It would grow pale and cold; but in her eyes
would burn a strange light which one man knew was as the light in the
eyes of a tigress lying chained, b