unless constrained by force--of which, I said, I
could not suppose that any possibility existed--I should not surrender
the Lady Margaret into any hands whatsoever, unless, indeed, I received
the commands of her lawful guardian, King Richard."

"You said well, holy mother," Sir Cuthbert said. "But you see the hawks
scent the danger from afar, and are moving uneasily already. Whether
they consider it so pressing that they will dare to profane the convent,
I know not. But I am sure that should they do so, they will not hesitate
a moment at the thought of the anger of the church. Prince John has
already shown that he is ready, if need be, to oppose the authority of
the holy father, and he may well, therefore, despise any local wrath
that might be excited by an action which he can himself disavow, and for
which, even at the worst, he need only inflict some nominal punishment
upon his vassal. Bethink thee, lady, whether it would not be safer to
send the Lady Margaret to the care of some person, where she may be
concealed from the search of Sir Rudolph."

"I would gladly do so," the abbess said, "did I know of such a person or
such a place. But it is difficult indeed, for a young lady of rank to be
concealed from such sharp searchers as Sir Rudolph would be certain to
place upon her track. Your proposal that she should take refuge in the
house of some small franklin near the forest, I cannot agree to. In the
first place, it would demean her to be so placed; and in the second, we
could never be sure that the report of her residence there might not
reach the ears of Sir Rudolph. As a last resource, of course, such a
step would be justifiable, but not until at least overt outrages have
been attempted. Now I will call Lady Margaret in."

The young girl entered with an air of frank gladness, but was startled
at the alteration which had taken place in her former playfellow, and
paused and looked at the abbess, as if inquiring whether this could be
really the Cuthbert she had known. Lady Margaret was fifteen in years;
but she looked much younger. The quiet seclusion in which she had lived
in the convent had kept her from approaching that maturity which as an
earl's daughter, brought up in the stir and bustle of a castle, she
would doubtless have attained.

"This is indeed Sir Cuthbert," the abbess said, "your old playfellow,
and the husband destined for you by your father and by the will of the
king."

Struck with a new timidi