up to his breast; and the ladies' faces that were
so blithe, they were all weeping, ghastly, and writhen; and they were
whirling round a great sea of blood right in the middle of the hall, and
I could--I could bear it no longer.'

Lady Drummond controlled herself, and for the sake both of the sobbing
princess and of her own shuddering daughter said that this terrible
vision came of the fatigue of the day, and the exhaustion and excitement
that had followed. She also knew that on poor Eleanor that fearful
Eastern's Eve had left an indelible impression, recurring in any
state of weakness or fever. She scarcely marvelled at the strange and
frightful fancies, except that she believed enough in second-sight to
be concerned at the mention of the shroud enfolding the young Beauchamp,
who bore the fanciful title of the King of the Isle of Wight.

For the present, however, she applied herself to the comforting of
Eleanor with tender words and murmured prayers, and never left her till
she had slept and wakened again, her full self, upon Jean coming up to
bed at nine o'clock--a very late hour--escorted by sundry of the ladies
to inquire for the patient.

Jean was still excited, but she was, with all her faults, very fond of
her sister, and obeyed Lady Drummond in being as quiet as possible.
She seemed to take it as a matter of course that Elleen should have her
strange whims.

'Mother used to beat her for them,' she said, 'but Nurse Ankaret said
that made her worse, and we kept them secret as much as we could. To
think of her having them before all that English folk! But she will be
all right the morn.'

This proved true; after the night's rest Eleanor rose in the morning
as if nothing had disturbed her, and met her hosts as if no visions
had hung around them. It was well, for Sir Patrick had accepted the
invitation courteously given by the Duke of York to join the great
cavalcade with which he, with his brothers-in-law, the Earl of Salisbury
and Bishop of Durham, and the Earl of Warwick, alias the King of the
Isle of Wight, were on their way to the Parliament that was summoned
anent the King's marriage. The unwilling knights of the shire and
burgesses of Northampton who would have to assist in the money grant
had asked his protection; and all were to start early on the Monday--for
Sunday was carefully observed as a holiday, and the whole party in all
their splendours attended high mass in the beautiful church.

After time