, in which
he delighted, were familiar to her also; and the _Divina Commedia_ and the
_Vita Nuova_ were, we may well believe, amongst her favourite works. The
great Poet of the Unseen must have had an especial charm for the lovers of
literature in those times of awakening.

The mystic and allegorical style, the quaint and grotesque imagery in which
Dante delighted, must have touched an answering chord in the hearts of
scholars like Philip Sidney and the Countess of Pembroke.

That Philip Sidney was deeply versed in the story of Beatrice--following
her with devout admiration, as her lover showed her in her girlish beauty,
and then in her matured and gracious womanhood--we may safely conclude.

At the time of which we write, he was making a gallant fight against
defeat, in the struggle between love and duty, striving to keep the
absorbing passion for his Stella within the bounds which the laws of honour
and chivalry demanded, at whatever cost. No one can read the later stanzas,
which are amongst the most beautiful in _Stella and Astrophel_, without
feeling that, deep as was his love, his sense of honour was deeper still.

Nor is it unreasonable to feel that, as he followed the great Master
through those mysterious realms, guided by the lady of his love, pure and
free from the fetters of earthly passion, Philip Sidney would long with
unutterable longing that his love might be also as wings to bear him
heavenward, like that of Dante for his Beatrice, whose name is for all time
immortal like his own.

When the grace was said, the company at the upper end of the great hall
rose, and left it by the staircase which led to the private apartments of
the spacious house.

The ladies passed out first, and the Countess of Pembroke, turning at the
foot of the stairs, said,--

'Mistress Crawley, bid Lucy Forrester to follow us with Mistress Gifford
and the boy.'

But Lucy was thinking more of Mr Philip Sidney than of her summons to
attend his sister. She was hoping for a smile from him, and felt a thrill
of disappointment as he put his arm through Sir Fulke Greville's and turned
away to the principal entrance with his friend.

Lucy's eyes followed them, and she was roused from her dream by a sharp tap
on her shoulder.

'Did you not hear my lady's order, child? Methinks you will need to mend
your manners if you wish to enter her service.'

Lucy's face grew crimson, and she gave Mistress Crawley a look, which, if
she had dar