d from duty for the night. They were a pampered lot, and had no
fancy for late hours when there were no great entertainments being held
which pleased them and gave them chances to receive vails.

Mistress Anne sat in a large chair, huddled into a small heap, and
looking colourless and shrunken. As she heard bolts being shot and bars
put up for the closing of the house, she knew that her own dismissal was
at hand. Doors were shut below stairs, and when all was done the silence
of night reigned as it does in all households when those who work have
gone to rest. 'Twas a common thing enough, and yet this night there was
one woman who felt the stillness so deep that it made her breathing seem
a sound too loud.

"Go to bed, Anne," she said. "You have stayed up too long."

Anne arose from her chair and drew near to her.

"Sister," said she, as she had said before, "let me stay."

She was a poor weak creature, and so she looked with her pale
insignificant face and dull eyes, a wisp of loose hair lying damp on her
forehead. She seemed indeed too weak a thing to stand even for a moment
in the way of what must be done this night, and 'twas almost irritating
to be stopped by her.

"Nay," said my Lady Dunstanwolde, her beautiful brow knitting as she
looked at her. "Go to your chamber, Anne, and to sleep. I must do my
work, and finish to-night what I have begun."

"But--but--" Anne stammered, dominated again, and made afraid, as she
ever was, by this strong nature, "in this work you must finish--is there
not something I could do to--aid you--even in some small and poor way. Is
there--naught?"

"Naught," answered Clorinda, her form drawn to its great full height, her
lustrous eyes darkening. "What should there be that you could
understand?"

"Not some small thing--not some poor thing?" Anne said, her fingers
nervously twisting each other, so borne down was she by her awful
timorousness, for awful it was indeed when she saw clouds gather on her
sister's brow. "I have so loved you, sister--I have so loved you that my
mind is quickened somehow at times, and I can understand more than would
be thought--when I hope to serve you. Once you said--once you said--"

She knew not then nor ever afterwards how it came to pass that in that
moment she found herself swept into her sister's white arms and strained
against her breast, wherein she felt the wild heart bounding; nor could
she, not being given to subtle reasoning, ha