ich might be attributed in part to the
mode in which his ward had been educated. Cedric, to whom the name of
Alfred was as that of a deity, had treated the sole remaining scion of
that great monarch with a degree of observance, such as, perhaps, was
in those days scarce paid to an acknowledged princess. Rowena's will had
been in almost all cases a law to his household; and Cedric himself, as
if determined that her sovereignty should be fully acknowledged within
that little circle at least, seemed to take a pride in acting as the
first of her subjects. Thus trained in the exercise not only of free
will, but despotic authority, Rowena was, by her previous education,
disposed both to resist and to resent any attempt to control her
affections, or dispose of her hand contrary to her inclinations, and to
assert her independence in a case in which even those females who have
been trained up to obedience and subjection, are not infrequently apt to
dispute the authority of guardians and parents. The opinions which she
felt strongly, she avowed boldly; and Cedric, who could not free himself
from his habitual deference to her opinions, felt totally at a loss how
to enforce his authority of guardian.

It was in vain that he attempted to dazzle her with the prospect of a
visionary throne. Rowena, who possessed strong sense, neither considered
his plan as practicable, nor as desirable, so far as she was concerned,
could it have been achieved. Without attempting to conceal her avowed
preference of Wilfred of Ivanhoe, she declared that, were that favoured
knight out of question, she would rather take refuge in a convent, than
share a throne with Athelstane, whom, having always despised, she now
began, on account of the trouble she received on his account, thoroughly
to detest.

Nevertheless, Cedric, whose opinions of women's constancy was far from
strong, persisted in using every means in his power to bring about the
proposed match, in which he conceived he was rendering an important
service to the Saxon cause. The sudden and romantic appearance of his
son in the lists at Ashby, he had justly regarded as almost a death's
blow to his hopes. His paternal affection, it is true, had for an
instant gained the victory over pride and patriotism; but both had
returned in full force, and under their joint operation, he was now bent
upon making a determined effort for the union of Athelstane and Rowena,
together with expediting those other meas