with such soft endearing looks that she held down her head, and
a red blush appeared upon her cheek, as if thereupon there had been
reflected the shadow of a rose. For it was not of the deep tinge which
formed the ornament of the complexion of my Waller.

"This is no time for useless dalliance," said the great lady; "let us to
work. By no other means can we root out for ever the hopes of our
enemies."

"Where then, madam," I said, "is the bride?--and who, I pray you, is the
bridegroom?"

"The bridegroom is the Viscount Lessingholm. This maiden is the bride."

"But Alice Snowton, my lady. I did think it was your honourable
grandchild who was to be united to this noble gentleman."

"And so it is--and so it is! She is Alice Snowton no longer. Our good
friend, Master Snowton, the steward on my daughter Pevensey's Wiltshire
manor, was good enough to adopt her as his niece; and for her better
concealment we placed her in the charge of a person whose character for
meekness and simplicity was too notorious to raise suspicion of his
being concerned in such a plot. Even to herself, till lately, her
parentage was unknown, as Master Snowton kept well the secret."

"And one other question," I said; "the child to whom I became bound as
godfather?"

"'Tis the same. This is the poor Lucy Hesseltine, whose orphanship you
witnessed in that lone and yet comfortable death."

The lady Lucy Hesseltine, or rather Alice Snowton, for by that name I
loved her best, did throw her arms about my neck, and kissed my cheek,
and said I had been a kind godfather to her, yea, had been a father to
her, and my excellent wife a mother. At this my heart was much moved,
and I saw tears come to the eyes of several of the bystanders, but no
tear came to the eyes of the great lady herself.

"Let this be enough," she said. "Let us finish what we have yet to do."

And thereupon, all being ready and in their due places, I began; but
when I came to the question--"Lucy Hesseltine, wilt thou have this man
to be thy lawful husband?"--a sudden noise in the court-yard under the
window made me pause; but the great lady commanded me with a frown to go
on, and I concluded the question, and received in reply a sweet but
audible "yes." But the noise was again repeated, and the assistants
sprang to their feet, for it was the sound of the sharp shooting off of
pistols.

"Stir not for your lives till the ceremony is over!" cried the great
lady; and I hurried with t