et with danger; I
have almost died in my sorrow."

"What time will your absence be discovered?" I asked.

"We are supposed to attend mass at seven o'clock," she said.

I looked at my watch, it only wanted a few minutes to that time.

"Tell me how you came here, and why you are surrounded by dangers?" I
asked.

"I would not marry Nick Tresidder--I could not, Jasper; you know why
now. He tried to force me, and when I refused, he told me you were dead.
At first I did not believe him, and then one of my old servants from
Trevose came and said you had died there." She told me this in a
trembling voice, as though she were frightened, told me in broken
sentences, which revealed to me more than the mere words could express.

"Yes; what then?" asked I, eagerly.

"I became distracted, and knew not what I did. I had no friend, no one
to whom I could go. Then a priest came, and persuaded me to become a
nun. He also brought certain papers which he wanted me to sign."

"And did you sign them?"

"I scarcely knew what I did. I know that I consented to come here. That
was several weeks ago. Oh, Jasper, I have been in sore straits."

I set my teeth together and vowed vengeance on the Tresidder brood, and
then told her to go on with her story.

"I hardly know how to tell you, Jasper. About three weeks ago a young
woman died. The priests told me it was I who died; they also tell me
that I am Gertrude Narcoe, and that I am to be removed to a convent in
France in a day or two. I have not known what to do. Last night I could
not rest, I seemed to be going mad, and after tossing for hours on my
bed without sleeping I came here in the garden, and all the time my
heart was crying out for you."

"And did you not cry out to me?"

"No; only in my heart." And at this I wondered greatly.

A bell began to ring.

"There, I must go, Jasper!" she cried.

"Not yet," I said, folding her more closely to me; and I should have
held her so if the lord of the manor were walking toward us through the
garden.

"Be brave," I continued, "and be here to-night as soon as you can after
the inmates of the house have retired to rest. I shall wait until you
come, and I shall be ready to take you to a place of safety. You can
come, can you not?"

"Yes, I think so, if I am not suspected of anything now. And can you
take me away, Jasper? You will not allow them to harm you, will you? Oh,
I will not be taken away now I know you are alive."

"Do not f