race.

'Heaven has sent you,' said Esclairmonde, with a long sigh, and holding
out her hand to him, as though therewith she conferred a high-souled
woman's full trust.

And Malcolm took it with a strange pang of pain and exultation at the
heart. The trust was won, but the hope of earthly joy was gone for ever.

The Countess broke out with a shout of triumph: 'There, there! they have
come to reason at last. There's an end of her folly.'

Malcolm felt himself a man, and Esclairmonde's protector, all at once, as
he stood forth, still holding her hand.

'Monseigneur,' he said, 'this lady consents to intrust her troth to me,
and be affianced to me'--his chest heaved, but he still spoke firmly--'on
condition that no word be spoken of the matter, nor any completion of the
rite take place until the mourning for King Henry be at an end;' and, at
a sort of shiver from Esclairmonde, he added: 'Not for a year, by which
time I shall be of full age.'

'A strange bridegroom!' said Jaqueline; 'but maybe you do well to get her
on what terms you can. Do you agree, Monseigneur?'

In truth, Monseigneur may have been relieved that the trial of strength
between him and his ward had thus terminated. He was only anxious to
have the matter concluded.

The agreement, binding Malcolm to accept a stated number of crowns in
instalments, as the value of Esclairmonde's lands, under the guarantee of
the Duke of Burgundy and King James of Scotland, had all been long ago
signed, sealed, and secured; and there was nothing to prevent the
_fiancailles_, or espousals, from taking place at once.

It was a much more real ceremony than a mere betrothal, being, in fact,
in the eye of the civil law a marriage, though the full blessing and the
sacramental words of union were deferred for the completion of the rite.
It was the first part of the Marriage Service, binding the pair so
indissolubly to one another, that neither could enter into wedlock with
any one else as long as the other lived--except, of course, by Papal
dispensation; and in cases of stolen weddings, it was all that was deemed
needful.

All therefore that remained to be done was, that the Bishop summoned his
chaplain to serve as a witness and as scribe; and then the two young
people, in their deep mourning dresses, standing before the Bishop, vowed
to belong to none other than to one another, and the betrothal rings
being produced, were placed on their fingers, and their hands were