my soul will ever be that you may
know every blessing which Heaven can bestow upon you." She said no more,
but from that moment began the convalescence of Richard, and the revival
of his parents' drooping hopes.

The youthful pair took courteous leave of each other, he with tears in
his eyes, and she wondering in her soul to see that of Richard captive
to her love. As for him, having been raised from his sick bed by a
miracle, as it seemed to his parents, he would no longer conceal from
them the state of his feelings, but disclosed it one day to his mother,
and ended a long conversation by declaring that they might as well put
him to death as refuse him Isabella, for it amounted to the same thing.
He extolled the virtues of Isabella in such terms, that he almost
brought his mother to think that in becoming her son's wife she would
have the worst of the bargain. Accordingly she gave Richard good hopes
that she would prevail on his father to assent to his wishes, as she
herself did; in this she succeeded, for by repeating to her husband all
Richard's arguments, she easily induced him to approve of the young
man's design, and to find excuses for breaking off the match with the
Scotch lady.

At this time Isabella was fourteen and Richard twenty; but even in that
early spring time of their youth, they were old in sense and judgment.
It wanted but four days of the time appointed by Richard's parents when
he should bend his neck to the holy yoke of matrimony; and wise and
fortunate did they deem themselves in choosing their prisoner to be
their daughter, esteeming her virtues to be a better dower than the
great wealth of the Scotch lady. The preparations for the wedding were
all made, the relations and friends of the family were invited, and
nothing remained but to make known the intended match to the Queen, no
marriage between persons of noble blood being lawful without her
knowledge and consent; but making no doubt of obtaining the royal
licence, they put off applying for it to the last. Things being in this
state, their joy was disturbed one evening by the appearance of one of
the Queen's servants with an order to Clotald from her Majesty,
requiring his appearance before her next morning with his Spanish
prisoner. He replied that he would cheerfully obey her Majesty's
command. The messenger retired, and left the family in great
perturbation; "Alas," said dame Catherine, "what if the Queen knows that
I have brought up thi