peal to her father, who had said he should as
soon think of wedding the silver-footed Thetis to Polyphemus. "Tilley
valley! Master More," the lady had answered, "will all your fine pagan
gods hinder the wench from starving on earth, and leading apes in hell."

Margaret had answered that Aldonza should never do the first, and Sir
Thomas had gravely said that he thought those black eyes would lead many
a man on earth before they came to the latter fate.

Ambrose hid the parcel for her deep in his bosom before he asked
permission of his master to go to the Dragon court with the rest of the
tidings.

"He always was an unmannerly cub," said Master Headley, as he read the
letter. "Well, I've done my best to make a silk purse of a sow's ear!
I've done my duty by poor Robert's son, and if he will be such a fool as
to run after blood and wounds, I have no more to say! Though 'tis pity
of the old name! Ha! what's this? `Wedded against my will--no troth
plight.' Forsooth, I thought my young master was mighty slack. He hath
some other matter in his mind, hath he? Run into some coil mayhap with
a beggar wench! Well, we need not be beholden to him. Ha, Dennet, my
maid!"

Dennet screwed up her little mouth, and looked very demure, but she
twinkled her bright eyes, and said, "My heart will not break, sir; I am
in no haste to be wed."

Her father pinched her cheek and said she was a silly wench; but perhaps
he marked the dancing step with which the young mistress went about her
household cares, and how she was singing to herself songs that certainly
were not "Willow! willow!"

Ambrose had no scruple in delivering to Aldonza the message and token,
when he overtook her on the stairs of the house at Chelsea, carrying up
a lapful of roses to the still-room, where Dame Alice More was rejoicing
in setting her step-daughters to housewifely tasks.

There came a wonderful illumination and agitation over the girl's
usually impassive features, giving all that they needed to make them
surpassingly beautiful.

"Woe is me!" was, however, her first exclamation. "That he should have
given up all for me! Oh! if I had thought it!" But while she spoke as
if she were shocked and appalled, her eyes belied her words. They shone
with the first absolute certainty of love, and there was no realising as
yet the years of silent waiting and anxiety that must go by, nay,
perhaps an entire lifetime of uncertainty of her lover's truth or
untr