to
need them.

Maude was waiting for her mistress. The latter lay down on the
trussing-bed--the medieval sofa--and turned her face away towards the
wall. Maude quietly sat down with her work; and the slow hours passed
on. Custance was totally silent, beyond a simple "Nay" when asked if
she wanted anything. With more consideration than might have been
expected, the King did not require her presence at the wedding-banquet;
he permitted her to be served in her own room. But the sufferer
declined to eat.

The twilight came at last, and Maude folded her needlework, unable to
see longer, and doubtful whether her mistress would wish the lamp to be
lighted. She had sat idle only for a' few minutes when at last Custance
spoke--her words having evidently a meaning deeper than the surface.

"The light has died out!" she said.

"In the City of God," answered Maude gently, "`night schal not be
there,' for the lantern of it is the Lamb, and He is `the schynyng
morewe sterre.' And He is `with us in alle daies, into the endyng of
the world.'"

"Maude, is not somewhat spoken in the Evangel, touching the taking up on
us of His cross?"

"Ay, dear my Lady:--`He that berith not his cross and cometh after Me,
may not be My disciple.' And moreover:--`He that takith not his cross
and sueth [followeth] Me is not worthi to Me.'"

"I can never be worthy to Him!" she said, with a new, strange lowliness
which touched Maude deeply. "But hitherto I have but lain charing under
the cross--I have not taken ne borne it, neither sued Him any whither.
I will essay now to take it on me, humbly submitting me, and
endeavouring myself to come after Him."

"Methinks, Lady mine, that so doing, ye shall find that He beareth the
heavier end. At the least, He shall bear _you_, and He must needs bear
your burden with you. Yet in very sooth there is some gear we must
needs get by rote ere we be witful enough to conceive the use thereof.
The littlemaster [a schoolmaster] witteth what he doth in setting the
task to his scholar. How much rather the great Master of all things?"

"Me feareth I shall be slow scholar, Maude. And I have all to learn!"

"Nor loved any yet the learning of letters, Madam. Yet meseemeth, an' I
speak not too boldly, that beside the lessons which be especial, that He
only learneth [teaches], all this world is God's great picture-book to
help His children at their tasks. Our Lord likeneth Him unto all manner
of gear--ea