d her brothers; she kissed her
brothers, who looked smilingly at her; and then her father, hanging
for a moment on his neck, and whispering a word into his ear; and Hugh
could see the Lord Bigod's face working, as he restrained his tears,
in anguish of heart. Then she smiled palely upon Hugh; her father
lifted her to her horse; and they rode out with a great waving of
handkerchiefs and crying of farewells, the bell of the Castle ringing
as sweet as honey in the tower.

They rode all day in the green forest, with a troop in front and a
troop behind. The air was cool and fresh, and the sun lay sweetly upon
the glades and woodpaths. All things seemed to rejoice together; the
birds sang out of their simple joy, and the doves cooed, hidden in the
heart of great green trees; and the joy of being with the maiden
outweighed all other thoughts in the mind of Sir Hugh. Sometimes they
were silent, and sometimes they talked softly together like brother
and sister. What pleased him best was that she seemed to have put all
care and anxiety away from her mind; once or twice, after a silence,
he saw a tear glisten on her cheek; but she spoke, with no show of
courage, but as though she had formed a purpose, and would take
whatever befel her with a gentle tranquillity. The little services
that he was enabled to do her seemed to him like a treasure that he
laid up for the days to come; and the love which he felt in his heart
had no shadow in it; it was simply as the worship of a pure spirit for
the most delicate and beautiful thing that the world could hold.

At last the sun set when they were yet some miles from the Earl's
Castle; and while Hugh was still counting up the minutes that remained
to him, he saw the troop in front come to a halt; and presently one of
them rode back, and told him with an uneasy air that there was a great
smoke in the wood to the left; and that they thought they were not far
from the haunts of the Red Hound. But Hugh said lightly, not to
terrify the maiden, that the Red Hound was far to the north; to which
the trooper replied with a downcast look, "It was so said, sir." "Ride
on then warily!" said Hugh--and he bade the troop behind come up
nearer. The Lady Mary presently asked him what the matter was; and
though by this time a dreadful anxiety had sprung into Hugh's mind, he
told her who the Red Hound was, and she replied that she had heard of
him; but seeing that he was somewhat troubled she forbore to speak