wed how stricken
the aged man must be; and after his signature was added one still more
trembling line, 'An ye return not speedily, ye will never see the old
grandsire more.'

Berenger scarcely finished the letter through his burning tears of
agony, and then, casting it from him, began to pace the room in fierce
agitation, bursting out into incoherent exclamations, grasping at
his hair, even launching himself against the massive window with such
frenzied gestures and wild words that Philip, who had read through all
with his usual silent obtuseness, became dismayed, and, laying hold of
him, said, 'Prithee, brother, do not thus! What serves such passion?'

Berenger burst into a strange loud laugh at the matter-of-fact tone.
'What serves it! what serves anything!' he cried, 'but to make me feel
what a miserable wretch I am? But he will die, Philip--he will die--not
having believed me! How shall we keep ourselves from the smooth-tongued
villain's throat? That I should be thus judged a traitor by my
grandfather----'

And with a cry as of bodily anguish, he hid his face on the table, and
groaned as he felt the utter helplessness of his strong youth in bonds.

'It can't be helped,' was the next of the unconsolatory platitudes
uttered by Philip, who always grew sullen and dogged when his brother's
French temperament broke forth under any sudden stroke. 'If they will
believe such things, let them! You have not heard what my father says to
it.'

'It will be all the same,' groaned Berenger.

'Nay! now that's a foul slander, and you should be ashamed of doing my
father such wrong,' said Philip, 'Listen;' and he read: 'I will believe
no ill of the lad no more than of thee, Phil. It is but a wild-goose
chase, and the poor young woman is scarce like to be above ground;
but, as I daily tell them, 'tis hard a man should forfeit his land for
seeking his wife. My Lord North sends rumours that he is under Papist
guiding, and sworn brother with the Black Ribaumonts; and my Lady, his
grandmother, is like to break her heart, and my Lord credits them more
than he ought, and never a line as a token comes from you. Then there's
Dame Annora, as proud of the babe as though neither she nor woman born
ever had a son before, and plains over him, that both his brothers
should be endowed, and he but a younger son. What will be the end on't I
cannot tell. I will stand up for the right as best man may do, and never
forget that Berry is her first-b