was urgent, and a reply
absolutely necessary. "The ladies," he said, "think too lightly of one
of their own sex, in supposing she could deserve such a fate; or too ill
of ours, to think it could be inflicted upon an innocent female."

"Hear him, my ladies," said Elizabeth; "like all his sex, he would
excuse their cruelty by imputing fickleness to us."

"Say not US, madam," replied the Earl. "We say that meaner women, like
the lesser lights of heaven, have revolutions and phases; but who shall
impute mutability to the sun, or to Elizabeth?"

The discourse presently afterwards assumed a less perilous tendency, and
Leicester continued to support his part in it with spirit, at whatever
expense of mental agony. So pleasing did it seem to Elizabeth, that the
Castle bell had sounded midnight ere she retired from the company, a
circumstance unusual in her quiet and regular habits of disposing of
time. Her departure was, of course, the signal for breaking up the
company, who dispersed to their several places of repose, to dream over
the pastimes of the day, or to anticipate those of the morrow.

The unfortunate Lord of the Castle, and founder of the proud festival,
retired to far different thoughts. His direction to the valet who
attended him was to send Varney instantly to his apartment. The
messenger returned after some delay, and informed him that an hour had
elapsed since Sir Richard Varney had left the Castle by the postern gate
with three other persons, one of whom was transported in a horse-litter.

"How came he to leave the Castle after the watch was set?" said
Leicester. "I thought he went not till daybreak."

"He gave satisfactory reasons, as I understand," said the domestic, "to
the guard, and, as I hear, showed your lordship's signet--"

"True--true," said the Earl; "yet he has been hasty. Do any of his
attendants remain behind?"

"Michael Lambourne, my lord," said the valet, "was not to be found when
Sir Richard Varney departed, and his master was much incensed at his
absence. I saw him but now saddling his horse to gallop after his
master."

"Bid him come hither instantly," said Leicester; "I have a message to
his master."

The servant left the apartment, and Leicester traversed it for some time
in deep meditation. "Varney is over-zealous," he said, "over-pressing.
He loves me, I think; but he hath his own ends to serve, and he is
inexorable in pursuit of them. If I rise, he rises; and he hath shown
him