.

"That true love means self-sacrifice," he said. "Come, my beloved.
Let us walk in the gardens, where we can talk at ease of our plans for
the days to come."

CHAPTER XL

THE HEART OF A NUN

Hugh and Mora passed together through the great hall, along the
armoury, down the winding stair and so out into the gardens.

The Knight led the way across the lawn and through the rose garden,
toward the yew hedge and the bowling-green.

Old Debbie, looking from her casement, thought them beautiful beyond
words as she watched them cross the lawn--she in white and gold, he in
white and silver; his dark head towering above her fair one, though she
was uncommon tall. And, falling upon her knees, old Debbie prayed to
the Angel Gabriel that she might live to hold in her arms, and rock to
sleep upon her bosom, sweet babes, both fair and dark: "Fair little
maids," she said, "and fine, dark boys," explaining to Gabriel that
which she thought would be most fit.

Meanwhile Hugh and Mora, walking a yard apart--all unconscious of these
family plans, being so anxiously made for them at an upper
casement--bent their tall heads and passed under the arch in the yew
hedge, crossed the bowling-green, and entered the arbour of the golden
roses.

Hugh led the way; yet Mora gladly followed. The Bishop's presence
seemed to abide here, in comfort and protection.

All signs of the early repast were gone from the rustic table.

Mora took her seat there where in the early morning she had sat; while
Hugh, not knowing he did so, passed into the Bishop's place.

The sun shone through the golden roses, hanging in clusters over the
entrance.

The sense of the Bishop's presence so strongly pervaded the place, that
almost at once Mora felt constrained to speak of him.

"Hugh," she said, "very early this morning, long before you were awake,
the Bishop and I broke our fast, in this arbour, together."

The Knight smiled.

"I knew that," he said. "In his own characteristic way the Bishop told
it me. 'My son,' he said, 'you have reversed the sacred parable. In
your case it was the bride-groom who, this morning, slumbered and
slept.' 'True, my lord,' said I. 'But there were no foolish virgins
about.' 'Nay, verily!' replied the Bishop. 'The two virgins awake at
that hour were pre-eminently wise: the one, making as the sun rose most
golden pats of butter and crusty rolls; the other, rising early to
partake of them with appetite. Trul