and her bosom heaved
at the thought of the requital of the devotion of the brave young man,
lying in his blood, so far from his father and his home; but she would
not have these ruffians see her weep and think it was for herself,
and she proudly straightened herself in her saddle and choked down the
rising sob.

On, on they went, at first through the wood by a tangled path, then over
a wide moor covered with heather, those mountains, which had at first
excited the old lady's alarm, growing more distinct in front of them;
going faster, too, so that the men who held the reins were half running,
till the ground began to rise and grow rougher, when, at an order in
German from the knight, a man leapt on in front of each lady to guide
her horse.

Where were they going? No one deigned to ask except Madame de Ste.
Petronelle, and her guard only grunted, 'Nicht verstand,' or something
equivalent.

A thick mass of wood rose before them, a stream coming down from it, and
here there was a halt, the ladies were lifted down, and the party, who
numbered about twelve men, refreshed themselves with the provisions that
the Infanta Yolande had hospitably furnished for her guests. The knight
awkwardly, but not uncivilly, offered a share to his captives, but
Eleanor would have moved them off with disdain, and Jean sat with her
head in her hands, and would not look up.

The old lady remonstrated. 'Eat--eat,' she said. 'We shall need all our
spirit and strength, and there's no good in being weak and spent with
fasting.'

Eleanor saw the prudence of this, and accepted the food and wine offered
to her; but Jean seemed unable to swallow anything but a long draught of
wine and water, and scarcely lifted her head from her sister's shoulder.
Eleanor held her rosary, and though the words she conned over
were Latin, all her heart was one silent prayer for protection and
deliverance, and commendation of that brave youth's soul to bis Maker.

The knight kept out of their way, evidently not wishing to be
interrogated, and he seemed to be the only person who could speak French
after a fashion. By and by they were remounted and led across some
marshy ground, where the course of the stream was marked by tall ferns
and weeds, then into a wood of beeches, where the sun lighted the
delicate young foliage, while the horses trod easily among the brown
fallen leaves. This gave place to another wood of firs, and though the
days were fairly long, here it w