of the heavenly light, they were unable to hide it
altogether.

"Very dear Lady," she said, "God loveth sinners; and He must then love
other than nuns. Shall they not love Him back, though they be not in
cloister?"

"Thou hadst better win in cloister thyself, when thou art rid of me,"
was the answer, in a tone which was a mixture of languor and sarcasm.
"Thou art scarce fit to tarry without, old woman."

"I will do that which God shall show me," said Perrote, calmly. "Dame,
were it not well your Grace should essay to sleep?"

"Nay, not so. I have my Jeanne to look at, that I have not seen for
five-and-twenty years. I shall sleep fast enough anon. Daughter, art
thou a happy woman, or no?"

Lady Basset answered by a shake of the head. "Why, what aileth thee?
Is it thy baron, or thy childre?"

"I have no child, Mother."

The Countess heard the regretful yearning of the tone.

"Thank the saints," she said. "Thou wert better. Soothly, to increase
objects for love is to increase sorrow. If thou have no childre,
they'll never be torn from thee, nor they will never break thine heart
by ill behaving. And most folks behave ill in this world. _Ha,
chetife_! 'tis a weary, dreary place, this world, as ever a poor woman
was in. Hast thou a good man to thy baron, child?"

"He might be worser," said Lady Basset, icily.

"That's true of an handful of folks," said the Countess. "And I reckon
he might be better, eh? That's true of most. Good lack, I marvel
wherefore we all were made. Was it by reason God loved or hated us?
Say, my Predicant Friaress."

"Very dear Lady, the wise man saith, `God made a man rightful, and he
meddled himself with questions without, number.' [Ecclesiastes eight,
verse 29.] And Saint Paul saith that `God commendeth His charity in us,
for when we were sinners, Christ was dead for us.' [Romans five, verse
8.] Moreover, Saint John--"

"Hold! There be two Scriptures. Where is the sermon?"

"The Scriptures, Lady, preach a better sermon than I can."

"That's but a short one. Man's ill, and God is good; behold all thine
homily. That man is ill, I lack no preaching friar to tell me. As to
God being good, the Church saith so, and there I rest. Mary, Mother! if
He were good, He would bring my Jean back to me."

"Very dear Lady, God is wiser than men, and He seeth the end from the
beginning."

"Have done, Perrotine! I tell thee, if God be good, He will bring my
Jean to me.