trade de
Montfort's lips would always be more to him than all the allurements
possessed by the balance of the women of the world, no matter how
charming, or how beautiful.

Another thing, a painful thing he had learned from it, too, that the
attitude of Joan de Tany, daughter of an old and noble house, was but
the attitude which the Outlaw of Torn must expect from any good woman
of her class; what he must expect from Bertrade de Montfort when she
learned that Roger de Conde was Norman of Torn.

The outlaw had scarce passed out of sight upon the road to Derby ere the
girl, who still stood in an embrasure of the south tower, gazing with
strangely drawn, sad face up the road which had swallowed him, saw a
body of soldiers galloping rapidly toward Tany from the south.

The King's banner waved above their heads, and intuitively, Joan de Tany
knew for whom they sought at her father's castle. Quickly she hastened
to the outer barbican that it might be she who answered their hail
rather than one of the men-at-arms on watch there.

She had scarcely reached the ramparts of the outer gate ere the King's
men drew rein before the castle.

In reply to their hail, Joan de Tany asked their mission.

"We seek the outlaw, Norman of Torn, who hides now within this castle,"
replied the officer.

"There be no outlaw here," replied the girl, "but, if you wish, you may
enter with half a dozen men and search the castle."

This the officer did and, when he had assured himself that Norman of
Torn was not within, an hour had passed, and Joan de Tany felt certain
that the Outlaw of Torn was too far ahead to be caught by the King's
men; so she said:

"There was one here just before you came who called himself though by
another name than Norman of Torn. Possibly it is he ye seek."

"Which way rode he?" cried the officer.

"Straight toward the west by the middle road," lied Joan de Tany. And,
as the officer hurried from the castle and, with his men at his back,
galloped furiously away toward the west, the girl sank down upon a
bench, pressing her little hands to her throbbing temples.

Then she opened the packet which Norman of Torn had handed her, and
within found two others. In one of these was a beautiful jeweled locket,
and on the outside were the initials JT, and on the inside the initials
NT; in the other was a golden hair ornament set with precious stones,
and about it was wound a strand of her own silken tresses.

She looked l