garden with Richard," replied Dame Lovell. "I will
bid him hither."

Little Geoffrey, holding Richard's hand, as if he would not part with
him for a moment, returned to the house at his grandmother's bidding;
but like her, he could not recognise his father, whom he had not seen
for some months, until Lord Marnell's well-known voice assured him of
his identity. He rather shrank from him, as usual; but when Lord
Marnell contrary to his custom, lifted him up and kissed him, he seemed
a little reassured, and sat on his father's knee, staring at him
intently. Lord Marnell gave a cordial greeting to Richard, and then,
observing how earnestly his little son's eyes were fixed upon him, asked
him at what he was looking.

"What have you done with your hair?" was Master Geoffrey's puzzled
answer.

Lord Marnell laughed, and told the child that everybody's hair turned
white as they grew old.

"But your Lordship's hath done so quickly," remarked Richard.

"That were no great marvel," he answered, gravely.

Dame Lovell found it rather difficult to keep up her revengeful
determination. She was naturally a very easy-tempered woman, and the
evident change, moral as well as physical, in Lord Marnell, touched her,
and melted her enmity considerably.

"I pray you, fair mother," he said, looking up, "to leave me tell you
wherefore I came hither. Firstly, it was to give you a letter from
Madge, which she wrote in the Tower unto you." And Lord Marnell,
passing his hand into his breast, pulled out a small square packet, tied
with blue silk, and sealed with yellow wax. It was directed--

"_To the hands of my singular good lady and most dear mother, Dame Agnes
Lovell, at Lovell Tower, be these delivered with speed_."

Dame Lovell kissed the letter, and placed it in her own bosom. She
could not read a word of it, but it was enough that it came from
Margery.

"Secondarily," pursued Lord Marnell, "I would fain ask you, fair mother,
for to keep Geoffrey here a while longer, for I wis not yet what I shall
do."

"That will I, right heartily," said Dame Lovell, in a tone as cordial as
her words.

"Moreover, an' it stand with your pleasure, I would pray you for to take
back Alice Jordan, as you will find in yon letter that Madge did desire
her for to be about Geoffrey, if she would, and she seemeth right fain."

"I will have her with a very good will," answered Dame Lovell, "and she
shall be next in mine house unto Mistress Kath