his hand upon the loins of the horse; and then he turned again, and,
urging the horse forward, disappeared within the wood. There came, as
it were, a chill into Paul's heart that he should be thus unkindly
used; and he vexed his brain to think in what he could have offended
the Knight; but he quickly returned to his thoughts of love; so he
made haste, and soon came down to the place.

Now, when he came near, he thought for a moment of his dream; and
shrank back from stepping out of the trees at the corner whence he
could see the house; but chiding himself for his vain terrors, he went
swiftly out, and saw the house stand as before, with the trees all
delicate green behind it, and the smoke ascending quietly from the
chimneys.

Then he made haste; and--for he was now used to enter unbidden--went
straight into the house; the hall and the parlours were all empty; so
that he called upon the servants; an old serving-maid came forth, and
then Paul knew in a moment that all was not well. He looked at her for
a moment, and a question seemed to be choked in his throat; and then
he said swiftly, "Is the Lady Beckwith within?" The old serving-maid
said gravely, "She is with the Lady Helen, who is very sick." Then Sir
Paul bade her tell the Lady Beckwith that he was in the house; and as
he stood waiting, there came a kind of shame into his heart, that what
he had heard was so much less than what he had for an instant feared;
and while he strove to be more truly sorry, the Lady Beckwith stood
before him, very pale. She began to speak at once, and in a low and
hurried voice told him of Helen's illness, and how that there was
little to hope; and then she put her hand on Paul's arm, and said, "My
son, why did you leave us?" adding hastily, "Nay, it could not have
been otherwise." And Paul, looking upon her face, divined in some
sudden way that she had not told him all that was in her mind. So he
said, "Dear mother, you know the cause of that--but tell me all, for I
see there is more behind." Then the Lady Beckwith put her face in her
hands, and saying, "Yes, dear Paul, there is more," fell to weeping
secretly. While they thus stood together--and Paul was aware of a
deadly fear that clutched at his heart and made all his limbs
weak--the Lady Margaret came suddenly into the room, looking so pale
and worn that Paul for a moment did not recognise her. But he put out
his arms, and took a step towards her; then he saw that she had not
kn