r a
right great lady at the Court? Why, of course he would. Every man
would that were not a born fool. My honey-sweet _Milisent_, let not
such vain scruples terrify thee. They are but shadows, I do ensure
thee."

"I think thus when I am with thee," saith she, smiling up in his face:
"but when not--"

"Sweet heart," saith he, bending his goodly head, "_not_ is well-nigh
over, and then thy cruel _Puritan_ scruples shall never trouble thee
more."

"It is as we feared," I whispered into the ear of Aunt _Joyce_, whose
face was turned from me: but when she turned her head, I was terrified.
I never in my life saw Aunt _Joyce_ look as she did then. Out of her
cheeks and lips every drop of blood seemed driven, and her eyes were
blazing fire. When she whispered back, it was through her set teeth.

"`As!' Far worse. Worser than thou wist. Is this the man?"

"This is Sir _Edwin_!"

Without another word Aunt _Joyce_ stalked forth, and had _Milisent_ by
the arm ere she found time to scream. Then she shrieked and shrank, but
Aunt _Joyce_ held her fast.

"Get you gone!" was all she said to Sir _Edwin_.

"Nay, Mistress, tell me rather by what right--"

"Right!" Aunt _Joyce_ loosed her hold of _Milisent_, and went and stood
right before him. "Right!--from you to me!"

"Mistress, I cry you mercy, but we be entire strangers."

"Be we?" she made answer, with more bitterness in her voice than ever I
heard therein. "Be we such strangers? What! think you I know you not,
_Leonard Norris_? You counted on the change of all these years to hide
you from _Aubrey_ and _Lettice_, and you counted safely enough. They
would not know you if they stood here. But did you fancy years could
hide you from _Joyce Morrell_? Traitor! a woman will know the man she
has loved, though his own mother were to pass him by unnoted."

Sir _Edwin_ uttered not a word, but stood gazing on Aunt _Joyce_ as
though she had bound him by a spell.

She turned back to us a moment. "_Milisent_ and _Edith_, go home!" she
saith. "_Milisent_, thank God that He hath saved thee from the very
jaws of Hell--from a man worser than any fiend. _Edith_, tell thy
father what hath happed, but say nought of all this to thy mother. I
shall follow you anon. I have yet more ado with him here. Make thy
mind easy, child--he'll not harm _me_. Now go."

_Milisent_ needed no persuasions. She seemed as though Aunt _Joyce's_
words had stunned her, and she followed