ted the boy in his arms, as though he had been a hurt child.

When the other saw that, he laid hold on Lord Denbeigh's arm, saying,
"What mean you? are you distraught? There is but scarce time by the
clock."

And the earl said, "Go you on. I must take this boy where his wound can
be bound."

"Nay," said the man. "I tell you, you are mad!"

And Lord Denbeigh turned on him, and spoke in a harsh voice:

"I have said I will not go. I have done with thee and thine. Go thy ways
ere it be too late;" and he passed on and left the man to swallow the
moonshine with his great gaping mouth.

And he saith unto me, "Follow closely." So by-and-by we came to a great
gray house, and Lord Denbeigh opened the door and bade me enter with
him.

We passed through a vast hall, and up a ponderous staircase, and into a
room. A fire was burning on the hearth, and there was a fantastic kind
of lamp swinging from a silver chain above the bed's foot.

I guessed rightly that this was his lordship's own apartment. He laid
the lad on the bed, and fell to undoing his doublet of black velvet. I
did see him set to shivering, as 'twere, when he noted the red stains on
the shirt underneath, and my heart stood still within me. Then he opened
the red linen, and did put in his hand gently to feel if the heart were
yet beating; but no sooner had he done this than he gave a strange cry,
and drew out his hand dripping with blood, and stood staring and
trembling. At the same moment the lad stirred, and opened his eyes, and
began to clutch feebly at his doublet, drawing it together. I made
naught of it until Lord Denbeigh did turn to me, with the face of a dead
man, and quoth he, "Stay here while I fetch women," and so rushed out
like one in truth distraught.

Then did it all come upon me, and I knew that the face upon which I
looked was the face of my lady.

Ere another second had passed I heard the earl's voice without, and he
spoke with a woman:

"Do thou go instantly and clothe the lady within in some of thy
garments; and have care that thou say no word to any of what hath
happened, else will it not be well for thee."

When I heard the tone in which he spoke, methought in truth it would not
be well for her did she not heed his commands.

Shortly there entered a woman most marvellous fair, with hair that
seemed spun of black taffetas, and a skin like a white jasmine. When
she saw the blood her lips whitened, and she did close them more
closely,