ew he thou shouldst see me?"

"I am not well assured, but methinks rather ay than nay."

"And what word sent he by thee?"

"None."

"What, not one word?"

"Nay."

Constance's voice sank to a less animated tone.

"And what did he?"

"They were about going in the hall to supper."

"Handed he thee?"

"Nay, my cousin the King's Grace handed me."

"Then who was with my Lord?"

"The Lady Lucy of Milan."

"Lucy of Milan!--is she not rarely beauteous?"

"I wis nought about beauty. If it lie in great staring black eyes, and
a soft, debonere [amiable, pleasant] manner, like a black cat, belike
so."

For the first time, Constance fairly noticed Isabel's peculiar smile.
She sat up in her bed, with contracted brow.

"Isabel, there is worser behind."

"There is more behind, Custance," said Isabel coolly.

"Speak, and quickly!"

"Well, mayhap better so. Wit thou then, fair Cousin, that thy wedding
with my Lord of Kent is found not good, sith--"

"Not good!" Constance said, or rather shrieked. "God in Heaven have
mercy!--not good!"

"Not good, fair Cousin mine," resumed Isabel's even tones, "seeing that
the priest which wedded you was ere that day excommunicate of heresy,
nor could lawfully marry any."

Maude's face grew as white as her lady's, though she gave no audible
sign of her terrible apprehension that her marriage was invalid also.
Isabel, who seemed to notice nothing, yet saw everything, turned quietly
to her. And though the sisters of Saint Clare might be no news-mongers,
the royal nun had evidently received full information on that subject.

"There is no cause for your travail [trouble, vexation], Dame Lyngern,"
she said calmly. "The writ bare date but on Sunday, and you were wed
the even afore; so you be no wise touched.--Marry, Custance, thou seest
that so being, my Lord of Kent--and thou likewise--be left free to wed;
wherefore it pleased the King's Grace, of his rare goodness, to commend
him unto the Lady Lucy of Milan by way of marriage. They shall be wed
this next January."

Isabel spoke as quietly as people generally do who are not personally
concerned in the calamity they proclaim. But perhaps she hardly
anticipated what followed. Her eyes were scarcely ready for the sight
of that white livid face, quivering in every nerve with human agony, nor
her ears for the fierce cry which broke from the parched bloodless lips.

"Thou liest!"

Isabel shrank back with a look of uneasy