he held something in his palm, which gleamed as the light fell
upon it.

Standing before her, his eyes bent upon that which lay in his hand,
Hugh spoke.

"Mora, I have to tell thee a strange tale, which will, I greatly fear,
cause thee much sorrow and perplexity. But first I would give thee
this, sent to thee by the Bishop with his most loving greetings; who
also bids me say that if, after my tale is told, thy choice should be
to return to Worcester, he himself will meet thee, and welcome thee,
conduct thee to the Nunnery and there reinstate thee Prioress of the
White Ladies, with due pomp and highest honour. I tell thee this at
once to spare thee all I can of shock and anguish in the hearing of
that which must follow."

Kneeling before her, Hugh laid her jewelled cross of office on her lap.

"My wife," he said simply, speaking very low, with bent head, "before I
tell thee more I would have thee know thyself free to go back to the
point where first thy course was guided by the vision of the old
lay-sister, Mary Antony. Therefore I bring thee thy cross of office as
Prioress of the White Ladies."

She laughed aloud, in the great gladness of her relief; in the rapture
of her pride in him.

"How can _thy wife_ be Prioress of the White Ladies?" she cried, and
caught his head to her breast, there where the jewelled cross used to
lie, raining tears and kisses on his hair.

For a moment he yielded, speaking, with his face pressed against her,
words of love beyond her imagining.

Then he regained control.

"Oh, hush, my beloved!" he said. "Hold me not! Let me go, or our Lady
knoweth I shall even now fail in the task which lies before me."

"Our Lord, Who knoweth the heart of a man," she said, "hath made my man
so strong that he will not fail."

But she let him go; and rising, the Knight stood before her.

"The letter brought to me by Brother Philip," he began, "told me
something of that which I am about to tell thee. But I could not speak
of it to thee until I knew it in fullest detail, and had consulted with
the Bishop concerning its possible effect upon thy future. Hence my
instant departure to Worcester. That which I now shall tell thee, I
had, in each particular, from the Bishop in most secret conversations.
He and I, alone, know of this matter."

Then with his arms folded upon his breast, his eye fixed upon the sunny
garden, beyond the window, deep sorrow, compunction, and, at times, awe
in his voi