he murmured. For he held more by that than by
any good fortune of mine; me he loved, but his magic was dearer to him.
"You must indeed tell me," he urged.

My mother approached somewhat timidly.

"You are come to stay with us, Simon?" she asked.

"For the term of my life, so far as I know, madame," said I.

"Thanks to God," she murmured softly.

There is a sort of saying that a mother speaks and a son hears to his
shame and wonder! Her heart was all in me, while mine was far away.
Despondency had got hold of me. Fortune, in her merriest mood, seeming
bent on fooling me fairly, had opened a door and shown me the prospect
of fine doings and high ambitions realised. The glimpse had been but
brief, and the tricky creature shut the door in my face with a laugh.
Betty Nasroth's prophecy was fulfilled, but its accomplishment left me
in no better state; nay, I should be compelled to count myself lucky if
I came off unhurt and were not pursued by the anger of those great folk
whose wills and whims I had crossed. I must lie quiet in Hatchstead, and
to lie quiet in Hatchstead was hell to me--ay, hell, unless by some
miracle (whereof there was but one way) it should turn to heaven. That
was not for me; I was denied youth's sovereign balm for ill-starred
hopes and ambitions gone awry.

The Vicar and I were alone now, and I could not but humour him by
telling what had passed. He heard with rare enjoyment; and although his
interest declined from its zenith so soon as I had told the last of the
prophecy, he listened to the rest with twinkling eyes. No comment did he
make, but took snuff frequently. I, my tale done, fell again into
meditation. Yet I had been fired by the rehearsal of my own story, and
my thoughts were less dark in hue. The news concerning Lord Quinton
stirred me afresh. My aid might again be needed; my melancholy was
tinted with pleasant pride as I declared to myself that it should not be
lacking, for all that I had been used as one would not use a faithful
dog, much less a gentleman who, doubtless by no merit of his own but yet
most certainly, had been of no small service. To confess the truth, I
was so persuaded of my value that I looked for every moment to bring me
a summons, and practised under my breath the terms, respectful yet
resentful, in which I would again place my arm and sword at Barbara's
disposal.

"You loved this creature Nell?" asked the Vicar suddenly.

"Ay," said I, "I loved her."

"You lo