ne before and taken
no harm."

"None shall say that Jeffrey Stokes is afraid of man or priest or
devil," answered the old soldier, colouring. "Your road has been good
enough for me this thirty years, and it is good enough now. If I warned
you it was not for my own sake, who care little what comes, but for
yours and that of your house."

"I know it," said Sir John more kindly. "Take not my words ill, my
temper is up to-day. Thank the saints! here is the hall at last. Why!
whose horse has passed the gates before us?"

Jeffrey glanced at the tracks which the moonlight showed very clearly in
the new-fallen snow.

"Sir Christopher Harflete's grey mare," he said. "I know the shoeing and
the round shape of the hoof. Doubtless he is visiting Mistress Cicely."

"Whom I have forbidden to him," grumbled Sir John, swinging himself from
the saddle.

"Forbid him not," answered Jeffrey, as he took his horse. "Christopher
Harflete may yet be a good friend to a maid in need, and I think that
need is nigh."

"Mind your business, knave," shouted Sir John. "Am I to be set at naught
in my own house by a chit of a girl and a gallant who would mend his
broken fortunes?"

"If you ask me, I think so," replied the imperturbable Jeffrey, as he
led away the horses.

Sir John strode into the house by the backway, which opened on to the
stable-yard. Taking the lantern that stood by the door, he went along
galleries and upstairs to the sitting-chamber above the hall, which,
since her mother's death, his daughter had used as her own, for here
he guessed that he would find her. Setting down the lantern upon the
passage table, he pushed open the door, which was not latched, and
entered.

The room was large, and, being lighted only by the great fire that
burned upon the hearth and two candles, all this end of it was hid in
shadow. Near to the deep window-place the shadow ceased, however, and
here, seated in a high-backed oak chair, with the light of the blazing
fire falling full upon her, was Cicely Foterell, Sir John's only
surviving child. She was a tall and graceful maiden, blue-eyed,
brown-haired, fair-skinned, with a round and child-like face which
most people thought beautiful to look upon. Just now this face, that
generally was so arch and cheerful, seemed somewhat troubled. For this
there might be a reason, since, seated upon a stool at her side, was a
young man talking to her earnestly.

He was a stalwart young man, very broad ab