lant old
Chandos was again on better terms with the Prince, and, coming to
Bordeaux, made two or three expeditions, in which Eustace volunteered
to join, and gained some favourable, though slight, notice from the old
Knight. Fulk Clarenham, too, having received from the Prince the
government of Perigord, was seldom at court, and no active enemy
appeared to be at work against him.

Agnes de Clarenham, always retiring and pensive, and seldom sought out
by those who admired gayer damsels, was sitting apart in the embrasure
of a window, whence, through an opening in the trees of the garden, she
could catch a distant glimpse of the blue waters of the river where it
joined the sea, which separated her from her native land, and from her
who had ever been as a mother to her. She was so lost in thought, that
she scarce heard a step approaching, till the unwelcome sound of "Fair
greeting to you, Lady Agnes" caused her to look up and behold the still
more unwelcome form of Sir Leonard Ashton. To escape from him was the
first idea, for his clownish manners, always unpleasant to her, had
become doubly so, since he had presumed upon her brother's favour to
offer to her addresses from which she saw no escape; and with a brief
reply of "Thanks for your courtesy, Sir Knight," she was about to rise
and mingle with the rest of the party, when he proceeded, bluntly,
"Lady Agnes, will you do me a favour?"

"I know of no favour in my power," said she.

"Nay," he said, "it is easily done, and it is as much to your brother
as to myself. It is a letter which, methinks, Fulk would not have read
out of the family, of which I may call myself one," and he gave a sort
of smirk at Agnes;--"but he writes so crabbedly, that I, for one,
cannot read two lines,--and I would not willingly give it to a clerk,
who might be less secret. So methought, as 'twas the Baron's affair, I
would even bring it here, and profit by your Convent-breeding, Lady
Agnes."

Agnes took the letter, and began to read:--

"For the hand of the Right Noble and Worshipful Knight, Sir
Leonard Ashton, at the court of my Lord the Prince of Wales,
these:--

"Fair Sir, and brother-in-arms--I hereby do you to wit, that the
affair whereof we spoke goes well. Both my Lord of Pembroke,
and Sir John Chandos, readily undertook to move the Prince to
grant the Banneret you wot of the government of the Castle, and
as he hath never forgotten the love he once bore to