Will Llewelyn
suffer for what he did in an impulse of mad rage, provoked to it by yon
haughty youth, whose words and bearing are hard for any of us to brook?"

"Not if Alphonso can but get his ear; not if this thing is kept secret,
as he desires, as he has commanded. But I fear what Raoul may say and
do. He is treacherous, selfish, designing. The king thinks well of him,
but we love him not. I trust all will yet be well."

"But you fear it may not," added Wendot, completing the sentence as she
had not the heart to do. "I fear the same thing myself. But tell me
again, Lady Gertrude, what would be the penalty of such an act? Will
they --"

"Alphonso has great influence with his father," answered Gertrude
quickly. "He will stand your brother's friend through all; perchance he
may be detained in some sort of captivity; perchance he may not have his
lands restored if this thing comes to the king's ears. But his person
will be safe. Fear not for that. Methinks Alphonso would sooner lay down
his own life than that harm should befall from what chanced upon a day
of sport planned by him and Joanna."

And Gertrude, seeing that a load lay upon the heart of the young Lord of
Dynevor, set herself to chase the cloud from his brow, and had so far
succeeded that he looked himself again by the time a warning shout from
those in advance showed that some tracks of the wild creature of whom
they were in pursuit had been discovered in the path.

"Do not run into danger," pleaded Gertrude, laying a hand on Wendot's
arm as he moved quickly forward to the front. "You are so brave you
never think of yourself; but do not let us have more bloodshed today,
save the blood of the ravenous beast if it must be. I could find it in
my heart to wish that we had not come forth on this errand. The
brightness of the day has been clouded over."

Wendot answered by a responsive glance. There was something soothing to
him in the unsolicited sympathy of Gertrude. He had thought little since
they parted two years before of that childish pledge given and received,
although he always wore her talisman about his neck, and sometimes
looked at it with a smile. He had no serious thoughts of trying to mate
with an English noble's daughter. He had had no leisure to spare for
thoughts of wedlock at all. But something in the trustful glance of
those dark eyes looking confidingly up to him sent a quick thrill
through his pulses, which was perhaps the first dawning l