again; to see
thee with the man who stole thee from me; with the children, who should
have been mine own.

"Ten minutes later, I rode on to the field. Pushing in amid the gay
crowd, I seemed almost at once to find myself right in front of the
throne.

"I saw the Queen of Beauty, in cloth of gold. I saw the little maiden
and the pages in attendance. I saw Humphry, proud husband and father,
beside them. All this I saw, which I had come to see. But--the face
of Humphry's Countess was not thy face! In that moment I knew that,
for seven long years, I had been fooled!

"I started on a frenzied quest after the truth, and news of thee.

"Thy sister Eleanor had died the year before. To thy beautiful castle
and lands, so near mine own, Eleanor's son had succeeded, and ruled
there in thy stead. He being at Court just then, I saw him not, nor
could I hear direct news of thee, though rumour said a convent.

"Then I remembered my cousin, Alfrida, lying sick at her manor in
Chester. To her I went; and, walking in unannounced--I, whom she had
long thought dead--I forced the truth from her. The whole plot stood
revealed. She and Eleanor had hatched it between them. Eleanor
desiring thy lands for herself and her boy, and knowing children of
thine would put hers out of succession; Alfrida--it shames me to say
it--desiring for herself, thy lover.

"The messenger who brought the letters was bribed to give details of
thy supposed marriage. On his return to England, my letters to thee
and to Humphry he handed to Eleanor; also a lying letter from 'Frida,
telling of her marriage with me, with the Queen's consent and approval,
and asking Eleanor to break the news to thee. The messenger then
mingled with thy household, describing my nuptials in detail, as, when
abroad, he had done thine. Hearing of this, my poor Love did even as I
had done, sent for him, questioned him, heard the full tale he had to
tell, and saw, alas! no reason to misdoubt him.

"By the way, my cousin 'Frida knew where to lay her hand upon that
clerkly fellow. Therefore we sent for him. He came in haste to see
the Lady Alfrida, from whom, during all the years, he had extorted
endless hush-money.

"I and my men awaited him.

"He had fattened on his hush-money! He was no longer lean and out at
elbow.

"He screeched at sight of me, thinking me risen from the dead.

"He screeched still louder when he saw the noose, flung over a strong
bough.

"We