; and she is of opinion
that she has never been the same since."

Sir Richard stroked his beard with meditative gravity, and looked
into the fire.

"It is true that the change has come upon her since that decision
was made; and yet I find it something difficult to think that such
was the cause. Kate never loved the life of the city, and was wild
with delight when she first tasted the sweets of freedom in these
woods and gardens. She loves her liberty right well, and has said a
thousand times how glorious a thing it is to range at will as she
does here. Capricious as the child has often shown herself, it is
hard to believe that she is pining already for what she left with
so glad a heart. It passes my understanding; I know not what to
think."

Lady Frances raised her eyes for a moment to her husband's face,
and then asked quietly:

"Hast thou ever thought whether some secret love may be the cause
of all?"

The knight started and looked full at his wife.

"I have indeed thought some such thing, but I can scarce believe
that such is the case with our Kate."

"Yet it is often so when maidens change and grow pale and dreamy,
and sit brooding and thinking when erst they laughed and played.
Kate is double the woman she was six months gone by. She will sit
patiently at her needle now, when once she would throw it aside
after one short hour; and she will seek to learn all manner of
things in the still room and pantry that she made light of a short
while back, as matters of no interest or concern to her. She would
make an excellent housewife if she had the mind, as I have always
seen; and now she does appear to have the mind, save when her fits
of gloom and sadness be upon her, and everything becomes a burden."

Sir Richard looked aroused and interested. A smile stole over his
face.

"Our saucy Kate in love, and that secretly! Marry, that is
something strange; and yet I am not sorry at the thought, for I
feared her fancy was something too much taken by her cousin
Culverhouse; and since his father must look for a large dower for
his son's bride, our Kate could never have been acceptable to him.
Nor do I like the marriage of cousins so close akin, albeit in
these times men are saying that there be no ill in such unions."

Lady Frances shook her head gravely.

"I would sooner see daughter of mine wedded in a lowlier sphere. My
heart shrinks from the thought of seeing any child of ours in the
high places of this worl