quire I must have lain where I was till I
perished."

Now Lady Carleon raised herself slightly and looked at Hugh and Dick,
who stood together, bewildered and overwhelmed.

"Heaven's blessings be on your heads," she exclaimed, "for these
Venetians would surely have left him to his doom. Ah, I thought that it
was you who must die to-day, but now I know it is I, and perchance my
lord. Physician," she added after a pause, "trouble not with me, for my
hour has come; I feel it at my heart. Tend my lord there, who, unless
this foul sickness takes him also, may yet be saved."

So they carried them both to their own large sleeping chamber on the
upper floor. There the surgeon set Sir Geoffrey's broken bone skilfully
enough, though when he saw the state of the crushed limb, he shook
his head and said it would be best to cut it off. This, however, Sir
Geoffrey would not suffer to be done.

"It will kill me, I am sure, or if not, then the pest which that ship,
_Light of the East_, has brought here from Cyprus, will do its work on
me. But I care nothing, for since you say that my wife must die I would
die with her and be at rest."

At sunset Lady Carleon died. Ere she passed away she sent for Hugh and
Dick. Her bed by her command had been moved to an open window, for she
seemed to crave air. By it was placed that of Sir Geoffrey so that the
two of them could hold each other's hand.

"I would die looking toward England, Sir Hugh," she said, with a faint
smile, "though alas! I may not sleep in that churchyard on the Sussex
downs where I had hoped that I might lie at last. Now, Sir Hugh, I pray
this of your Christian charity and by the English blood which runs in
us, that you will swear to me that you and your squire will not leave
my lord alone among these Southern folk, but that you will bide with him
and nurse him till he recovers or dies, as God may will. Also that you
will see me buried by the bones of my child--they will tell you where."

"Wife," broke in Sir Geoffrey, "this knight is not of our kin. Doubtless
he has business elsewhere. How can he bide with me here, mayhap for
weeks?"

But Lady Carleon, who could speak no more, only looked at Hugh, who
answered:

"Fear nothing. Here we will stay until he recovers--unless," he added,
"we ourselves should die."

She smiled at him gratefully, then turned her face toward Sir Geoffrey
and pressed his hand. So presently she passed away, the tears running
from her faded ey