ty. Be it done, be it
done!" [Note 1.]

Amphillis almost held her breath as she listened, for the first time in
her life, to the grand roll of those sonorous verses.

"That were a King!" she said.

"That shall be a King," answered Perrote, softly. "Not yet is His
kingdom of this world. But He is King of Israel, and King of kings, and
King of the everlasting ages; and the day cometh when He shall be King
of nations, when there shall be one Lord over all the earth, and His
Name one. Is He thy King, Amphillis Neville?"

"Signify you our blessed Lord, Mistress Perrote?"

"Surely, my maid. Could any other answer thereto?"

"I reckon so," said Amphillis, calmly, as she put away her brush, and
began undressing.

"I would make sure, if I were thou. For the subjects be like to dwell
in the Court when they be preferred to higher place. `Ye ben servantis
to that thing to which ye han obeisched.' [Note 2.] Whose servant art
thou? Who reigns in thine inner soul, Phyllis?"

"Soothly, Mistress, I myself. None other, I ween."

"Nay, one other must there needs be. Thou obeyest the rule of one of
two masters--either Christ our Lord, or Satan His enemy."

"In very deed, Mistress, I serve God."

"Then thou art concerned to please God in everything. Or is it rather,
that thou art willing to please God in such matters as shall not
displease Amphillis Neville?"

Amphillis folded up sundry new and not altogether agreeable thoughts in
the garments which she was taking off and laying in neat order on the
top of her chest for the morning. Perrote waited for the answer. It
did not come until Amphillis's head was on the pillow.

"Cannot I please God and myself both?"

"That canst thou, full well and sweetly, if so be thou put God first.
Otherwise, nay."

"Soothly, Mistress, I know not well what you would be at."

"What our Saviour would be at Himself, which is, thy true bliss and
blessedness, Phyllis. My maid, to be assured of fair ending and good
welcome at the end of the journey makes not the journeying wearier. To
know not whither thou art wending, save that it is into the dark; to be
met of a stranger, that may be likewise an enemy; to be had up afore the
judge's bar, with no advocate to plead for thee, and no surety of
acquittal,--that is evil journeying, Phyllis, Dost not think so much?"

Perrote listened in vain for any answer.

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