left him hanging, when we rode away. That Judas kind will do the
darkest deeds for greed of gain. The first of the tribe himself shewed
the way by which it was most fitting to speed them from a world into
which it had been good for them never to have been born.

"From Alfrida I learned that, as Eleanor had foreseen, thy grief at my
perfidy drove thee to the Cloister. Also that thy Convent was near
Worcester.

"To Worcester I came, and made myself known to the Lord Bishop, with
whom I supped; and finding him most pleasant to talk with, and ready to
understand, deemed it best, in perfect frankness, to tell him the whole
matter; being careful not to mention thy name, nor to give any clue to
thy person.

"Through chance remarks let fall by the Bishop while giving me the
history of the Order, I learned that already thou wert Prioress of the
White Ladies. 'The youngest Prioress in the kingdom,' said the Bishop,
'yet none could be wiser or better fitted to hold high authority.'
Little did he dream that any mention of thee was as water to the
parched desert; yet he talked on, for love of speaking of thee, while I
sat praying he might tell me more; yet barely answering yea or nay,
seeming to be absorbed in mine own melancholy thoughts.

"From the Bishop I learned that the Order was a strictly close one, and
that no man could, on any pretext whatsoever, gain speech alone with
one of the White Ladies.

"But I also heard of the underground way leading from the Cathedral to
the Convent, and of the daily walk to and from Vespers.

"I went to the crypt, and saw the doorway through which the White
Ladies pass. Standing unseen amid the many pillars, I daily watched
the long line of silent figures, noted that they all walked veiled,
with faces hidden, keeping a measured distance apart. Also that
several were above usual height. Then I conceived the plan of wearing
the outer dress, and of stepping in amongst those veiled figures just
at the foot of the winding stair in the wall, leading down from the
clerestory to the crypt. I marked that the nun descending, could not
keep in view the nun in front who had just stepped forth into the
crypt; while she, moving forward, would not perceive it if, slipping
from behind a pillar, another white figure silently joined the
procession behind her. Once within the Convent, I trusted to our Lady
to help me to speech alone with thee; and our blessed Lady hath not
failed me.

"Now I have