for her somehow."

"Yes, sir."

There was silence between the two for a minute or two. Mr. Morris had
answered with as much composure as if he had been told to brush a coat.
Ralph began to wonder what he really felt.

"What do you think of all this, Morris?" he asked in a moment or two.

The servant was silent, till Ralph glanced at him impatiently.

"It is not for me to have an opinion, sir," said Mr Morris.

Ralph gave a very short laugh.

"You haven't heard what I have," he said, "or you would soon have an
opinion."

"Yes, sir," said Morris as impassively as before.

"I tell you--" and then Ralph broke off, and rode on silent and moody.
Mr. Morris gradually let his horse fall back behind his master.

* * * * *

They began to come towards Rusper as the evening drew in, by a bridle
path that led from the west, and on arriving at the village found that
they had overshot their mark, and ought to have turned sooner. The
nunnery, a man told them, was a mile away to the south-west. Ralph made
a few enquiries, and learnt that it was a smallish house, and that it
was scarcely likely that room could be found for his party of four; so
he left Morris to make enquiries for lodgings in the village, and
himself rode on alone to the nunnery, past the church and the
timberhouses.

It was a bad road, and his tired horse had to pick his way very slowly,
so that it was nearly dark before he came to his destination, and the
pointed roofs rose before him against the faintly luminous western sky.
There were lights in one or two windows as he came up that looked warm
and homely in the chill darkness; and as he sat on his horse listening
to the jangle of the bell within, just a breath of doubtfulness touched
his heart for a moment as he thought of the peaceful home-life that lay
packed within those walls, and of the errand on which he had come.

But the memory of the tales he had heard, haunted him still; and he
spoke in a harsh voice as the shutter slid back, and a little
criss-crossed square of light appeared in the black doorway.

"I am one of the King's Visitors," he said. "Let my Lady Abbess know I
am here. I must speak with her."

There was a stifled sound behind the grating; and Ralph caught a glimpse
of a pair of eyes looking at him. Then the square grew dark again. It
was a minute or two before anything further happened, and Ralph as he
sat cold and hungry on his horse, began to grow