king man, for all he might outblack Satan in
his soul: straight of body, and strong of limb, and lofty of head. His
hair was the color of my lady's, and there seemed to be ever some
sunshine in it, as he moved his head. Methought his face was fair and
goodly to look upon, albeit his lips went downward at the corners, and
there was a droop in his broad lids. He was clad all in a close suit of
dark velvet, and in his hand he held a black hat with a knot of
heron-plumes.

My lady stood and looked down at him from under her long, white hand,
and he stood and looked up at my lady, as one looks upward at a fair
picture. And the evening light crept between them. I was ashamed of my
own folly, when I did catch myself remembering Marian's silly sayings;
but for all that, they did come back to me, as the words of a foolish
woman will return to the wisest of men. And in truth he did gaze up at
her, as though she were more holy than the heavens above her. And for
all her hand, the sunset found its way unto her cheek.

What I now relate was told me by Marian some three days after. 'Twas on
the night of the day on which Sir John had brought the stranger to
Amhurste, and Marian was carding out my lady's tresses before her
bedroom fire.

Quoth my lady, suddenly, "Nurse, didst thou see Lord Denbeigh ere he
went?"

And Marian said that she had seen him.

"He hath a strange face, nurse."

"How 'strange,' my lady?"

"Why, it seems to me that each feature in it doth contradict the other.
His brow is stern, and saith to his eyes, 'Ye shall not be gentle.' His
eyes say to his nose, 'Spread not thy nostrils so proudly.' His nose
commands his lips that they smile not; but, nurse, there was ne'er a
sweeter smile on the lips o' a saint!"

Marian fell a-thinking, and pulled my lady's hair. My lady heeded it
not, so Marian fell a-thinking yet more deeply.

"It is not a face that tells of a bad heart," continued my lady. "Rather
it speaks of rebellion and misfortune. A sad story--a sad story."

"What is, my lady?" asked Marian; but my lady was far away, whither
Marian could not follow.

"Nurse," she saith, presently, "that were a soul worth saving." Then got
she suddenly to her feet, and turned and took her nurse's hands with
hers. "It shall be saved," she saith, "God helping."

And she kissed Marian, and lay down upon her bed. But Marian did tell me
how that no sleep visited her lady's eyes that night. Through the
darkness she could