to thee now."

Wan and white and wasted did Raymond indeed appear, as though a breath
would blow him away. Upon his face was that faraway, ethereal look of
one who has been lingering long beside the portal of another world, and
scarce knows to which he belongs. It sometimes seemed as though the
angel song of the unseen realm was oftener heard and understood by him
than the voices of those about him. But the fever cloud was slowly
lifting from his brain, and today the first impulse to a real recovery
had been given by these few words with his brother.

Raymond's recollection of past events was coming back to him
connectedly, and the thought of Joan acted like a tonic upon him. For
her sake he would live; for her sake he would make a battle for his
life. Had he not vowed himself to her service? and did any woman stand
more in need of her lover's strong arm than the daughter of Sir Hugh
Vavasour?

Raymond had gauged the character of that knight before, and knew that he
would sell his daughter without scruple to any person who would make it
worth his while. It had been notorious in old days that the Sanghursts
had some peculiar hold upon him, and was it likely that Peter Sanghurst,
who was plainly resolved to make Joan his wife, would allow that power
to rest unused when it might be employed for the furtherance of his
purpose? To send Gaston forth upon the quest for Joan was much; but he
himself must fight this wasting sickness, that he might be ready to go
to her when the summons came that she was found, and was ready to
welcome her faithful knight.

From that hour Raymond began to amend; and although his progress was
slow, and seemed doubly slow to his impatience, it was steady and sure,
and he was as one given back from the dead.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mistress Joan Vavasour, boy? why, all the world is making that inquiry.
How comes it that thou, by thine own account but just home from Gascony,
shouldst be likewise asking the same question?"

Master Bernard de Brocas turned his kindly face towards Gaston with a
look of shrewd inquiry in his eyes. His nephew had arrived but a short
half-hour at his house, somewhat jaded by rapid travelling, and after
hurriedly removing the stains of the journey from his person, was seated
before a well-supplied board, whilst the cleric sat beside him, always
eager for news, and exceedingly curious to know the history of the twin