s; and soon Isabel
joined him.

"I have made up five beds," she said, and her voice and lips were steady,
and her eyes grave and serene again.

The five supped together in the wrecked kitchen, a fine room on the east
of the house, supported by a great oak pillar to which the horses of
guests were sometimes attached when the stable was full.

Isabel managed to make a fire and to boil some soup; but they hung thick
curtains across the shattered windows, and quenched the fire as soon as
the soup was made, for fear that either the light or the smoke from the
chimney should arouse attention.

When supper was over, and the two men-servants and Isabel's French maid
were washing up in the scullery, Isabel suddenly turned to Anthony as
they sat together near the fireplace.

"I had forgotten," she said, "what we arranged as we rode up. I must go
and tell her still."

Anthony looked at her steadily a moment.

"God keep you," he said.

She kissed him and took her riding-cloak, drew the hood over her head,
and went out into the dark.

* * * *

It was with the keenest relief that, half an hour later, Anthony heard
her footstep again in the red-tiled hall outside. The servants were gone
upstairs by now, and the house was quiet. She came in, and sat by him
again and took his hand.

"Thank God I went," she said. "I have left her so happy."

"Tell me all," said Anthony.

"I went through the garden," said Isabel, "but came round to the front of
the house so that they might not think I came from here. When the servant
came to the door--he was a stranger, and a Protestant no doubt--I said at
once that I brought news of Mr. Maxwell from Rye; and he took me straight
in and asked me to come in while he fetched her woman. Then her woman
came out and took me upstairs, up into Lady Maxwell's old room; and there
she was lying in bed under the great canopy. Oh, Anthony, she is so
pretty! her golden hair was lying out all over the pillow, and her face
is so sweet. She cried out when I came in, and lifted herself on her
elbow; so I just said at once, 'He is safe and well'; and then she went
off into sobs and laughter; so that I had to go and soothe her--her woman
was so foolish and helpless; and very soon she was quiet: and then she
called me her darling, and she kissed me again and again; and told the
woman to go and leave us together; and then she lifted the sheet; and
showed me the fac