e sword."

At that she put her hand in mine with pride and sweetness, and said,
"I am ready, Robert. I give my heart, my life, and my honour to
you--forever."

Then, with great sweetness and solemnity she turned to the clergyman:
"Sir, my honour is also in your hands. If you have mother or sister,
or any care of souls upon you, I pray you, in the future act as becomes
good men."

"Mademoiselle," he said earnestly, "I am risking my freedom, maybe my
life, in this; do you think--"

Here she took his hand and pressed it. "Ah, I ask your pardon. I am of
a different faith from you, and I have known how men forget when they
should remember." She smiled at him so perfectly that he drew himself up
with pride.

"Make haste, sir," said I. "Jailers are curious folk."

The room was not yet lighted, the evening shadows were creeping in, and
up out of the town came the ringing of the vesper bell from the church
of the Recollets. For a moment there was stillness in the room and all
around us, and then the chaplain began in a low voice: "I require and
charge you both--" and so on. In a few moments I had made the great vow,
and had put on Alixe's finger a ring which the clergyman drew from his
own hand. Then we knelt down, and I know we both prayed most fervently
with the good man that we might "ever remain in perfect love and perfect
peace together."

Rising, he paused, and I went to the door and knocked upon it. It was
opened by Gabord. "Come in, Gabord," said I. "There is a thing that you
must hear."

He stepped back and got a light, and then entered, holding it up, and
shutting the door. A strange look came upon his face when he saw the
chaplain, and a stranger when, stepping beside Alixe, I took her
hand, and Mr. Wainfleet declared us man and wife. He stood like one
dumfounded, and he did not stir as Alixe, turning to me, let me kiss her
on the lips, and then went to the crucifix on the wall and embraced the
feet of it, and stood for a moment, praying. Nor did he move or make a
sign till she came back and stood beside me.

"A pretty scene!" he burst forth then with anger. "But, by God! no
marriage is it!"

Alixe's hand tightened on my arm, and she drew close to me.

"A marriage that will stand at Judgment Day, Gabord," said I.

"But not in France or here. 'Tis mating wild, with end of doom."

"It is a marriage our great Archbishop at Lambeth Palace will uphold
against a hundred popes and kings," said the chaplain w