illumination.
Remembering her mother's charge, to let "none beguile her of it," Maude
had striven to keep its possession a secret from every one, first from
the nuns, and then from Ursula Drew. Strange to say, she had succeeded
until that morning. It was to her a priceless treasure--all the more
inestimable because she could not read a word of it. But on that
unlucky morning, Parnel had caught a glimpse of the precious parcel,
always hidden in Maude's bosom, and had immediately endeavoured to
snatch it from her. Contriving to elude her grasp, yet fearful of its
repetition, Maude rushed out of the kitchen door, and finding that her
tormentor followed, fled across the base court, took refuge in an open
archway, dashed up a flight of steps, and sped along a wide corridor,
neither knowing nor caring that her flying feet were bearing her
straight in the direction of the royal apartments. Parnel was the first
to see where they were going, and at the last corner she stayed her
pursuit, daring to proceed no further. But Maude did not know that
Parnel was no longer on her track, and she fled wildly on, till her foot
tripped at an inequality in the stone passage, and she came down just
opposite an open door.

For a minute the child was too much stunned by her fall to think of any
thing. Then, as her recollection returned, she cast a terrified glance
behind her, and saw that her pursuer had not yet appeared round the
corner. And then, before she could rise, she heard a voice in front of
her.

"What is this, my child?"

Maude looked up, past a gorgeous spread of blue and gold drapery, into a
meek, quiet face--a face whose expression reassured and comforted her.
A calm, pale, oval face, in which were set eyes of sapphire blue, framed
by soft, light hair, and wearing a look of suffering, past or present.
Maude answered the gentle voice which belonged to that face as she might
have answered her mother.

"I pray you of pardon, Mistress! Parnel, my fellow, ran after me and
affrighted me."

"Wherefore ran she after thee?"

"Because she would needs see what I bare in my bosom, and I was loth she
so should, lest she should do it hurt."

"What is that? I will do it no hurt."

Maude looked up again, and felt as if she could trust that face with any
thing. So merely saying--"You will not give it Parnel, Mistress?" she
drew forth her treasure and put it into the lady's hand.

"I will give it to none saving thine own sel