ile.

The Countess still hesitated--and Darby stepped confidently forward and
dropped his hand to put her up.

"Come, my lady," he said.

De Lacy made no move, nor spoke, but his eyes never left the Countess's
face. And she, if she felt any irritation at the awkward situation so
foolishly forced by Darby, concealed it completely and punished him
with a smiling face.

"You may put me on Selim, Lord Darby," she said. "He has carried me
part way home, and since he wishes it he shall carry me all the way."

Darby's dark face flushed and for a moment he drew back his hand in
refusal--then quickly offered it again. But the delay lost him the
favor; for De Lacy, seeing the opportunity, instantly presented his own
palm, and the Countess accepted it, and he swung her to his saddle.

Then she looked at Darby. "If you are very good," she said, with a
little laugh, "you may put me down at the castle."

And Darby laughed, too. "But you must give me time," he replied. "I
am not so nimble as Selim's master."

And so they made their way back to Pontefract, De Lacy walking beside
the Countess, and Lord Darby and Sir James Dacre following on horseback
just behind. Wilda had evidently got down the hill unhurt; in the soft
earth at its foot the deep marks of her running hoofs were very
evident; and a little way from the castle they came upon her, calmly
browsing beside the track. She had lost her bridle and her fright was
quite gone--for she answered to the Countess's call, and permitted De
Lacy to put a strap around her neck and make her captive.

As they crossed the drawbridge the Duke of Gloucester was standing near
the gate tower and he called Lord Darby to him--and Dacre offering to
take Wilda to the stables, Sir Aymer and the Countess were left to go
on alone to the keep. As they drew up at the entrance, and the
Countess shifted position in the saddle, she dropped her kerchief; De
Lacy secured it and put it in his doublet, then reached up to lift her
down.

She shook her head.

"The kerchief first," she said, with calm finality.

There was no mistaking the tone, and without a word he gave it to her.
She slowly tucked it in her bodice, looking the while toward the gate.

"I thought Lord Darby was to put me down," she said, and giving De Lacy
a dazzling smile--"but if you care to act as his substitute, I suppose
you may. . . Good-bye, Selim." She gathered up her skirt and moved
toward the steps. On the botto