-is there aught I can do to pleasure thee?"

The tears sprang to his eyes at such words from her.

"Mother dear, have a care of my Lady!"

"I will, so!" answered the Dowager; but she added, with a pang of
jealous love which she would have rebuked sorely in another--"I would
she held thee more in regard."

"She may, one day," he said, mournfully, as if quietly accepting the
incontrovertible fact. "I told you once, and I yet trust, that the day
may dawn wherein my Lady's heart shall come home to God and me."

Maude remembered those words five years later.

"And now, Mother, farewell! I trust to be other-whither ere Wednesday
set in."

His mother kissed him, and blessed him, and let him go.

Le Despenser took his usual leave of the household, with a kind word, as
was his wont, even to the meanest drudge; and then he went back to his
lady's bower for that last, and to him saddest farewell of all.

His grave, tender manner touched Constance's impressible heart. She
took her leave of him more affectionately than usual.

"Farewell, my Lady!" he faltered, holding her to his breast. "We meet
again--where God will, and when."

"And that will be in France, ere long," said Constance, sanguinely.
"You will send me speedy word of your landing, my Lord?"

"You will learn it, my Lady."

Why did he speak so vaguely? Had he some dim presentiment that his
"other-whither" might be Jerusalem the Golden?

No such hidden meaning occurred to Constance. She was almost startled
by the sudden flood of pent-up, passionate feeling, which swept all the
usual conventionalities out of his way, and made him whisper in accents
of inexpressible love--

"My darling! my darling! God keep and bless thee! Farewell once more--
Custance!"

They had never come so near to each other's hearts as in that moment of
parting. And the moment after, he was gone.

In the court-yard little Richard was running and dancing about under
Maude's supervision; and his father stayed an instant, to take the child
again into his arms and bless him once more. And then he left his
Castle by the little postern gate which led down to the jetty. There
were barges passing up and down the Channel, and Le Despenser's
intention was to row out to one of those bound for Ireland, and so
prosecute his voyage. He wore, we are told, a coat of furred damask;
and carried with him a cloak of motley velvet. The term "motley" was
applied to any combination of colours