eized the opportunity to initiate
her husband into the part he was to play. He found to his annoyance
that Lord Basset hesitated to perform the task assigned to him. Had the
letter come from an insignificant layman, he would have posted it into
the fire without more ado; but Lord Basset, who was aware of sundry
habits of his own that he was not able to flatter himself were the
fashion in Heaven, could not afford to quarrel with the Church, which,
in his belief, held the keys of that eligible locality.

"Nay, verily!" said he. "I cannot thwart the delivering of his Grace's
letter."

"Then will my Lady go to Hazelwood, and the whole matter shall be blazed
abroad. It is sure to creep forth at some corner."

"As like as not. Well, I would not so much care--should it serve you if
I gave her strict forbiddance for to go?"

"Would she obey?"

Lord Basset laughed. "That's as may be. She's commonly an easy mare to
drive, but there be times when she takes the bit betwixt her teeth, and
bolts down the contrary road. You can only try her."

"Then under your leave, may I deliver the letter to her?"

"Here, De Sucherche!" said Lord Basset, raising his voice. "Bid
Emeriarde lead this gentleman to thy Lady; he hath a privy word to
deliver unto her."

Emeriarde made her appearance in the guise of a highly respectable,
middle-aged upper servant, and led Godfrey up the staircase from the
hall to Lady Basset's ante-chamber, where, leaving him for a moment,
while she announced a visitor to her mistress, she returned and
conducted him into the presence of the Princess of Bretagne.

He saw a woman of thirty-six years of age, tall and somewhat stately,
only moderately good-looking, and with an expression of intense
weariness and listlessness in her dark eyes. The face was a true index
to the feelings, for few lonelier women have ever shut their sorrows in
their hearts than the Princess Jeanne of Bretagne. She had no child;
and her husband followed the usual rule of people who spend life in
amusing themselves, and who are apt to be far from amusing to their own
families. His interest, his attractions, and his powers of
entertainment were kept for the world outside. When his wife saw him,
he was generally either vexed, and consequently irritable, or tired and
somewhat sulky. All the sufferings of reaction which fell to him were
visited on her. She was naturally a woman of strong but silent
character; a woman who locked