o Berkhamsted, and the
left to Langley. And all at once there arose before Kent's soul a
haunting memory--a memory which was to haunt him for many a day
thereafter; and between his eyes and the fair face of the Italian
Princess came another face, shaded with soft light hair, and lighted by
sapphire eyes, which, he thought, were probably watching even now from
the oriel window at Langley. He checked his horse, and wavered
irresolutely for an instant.

He did not know that Constance was no longer at Langley. He did not
know that at the very moment when he paused at the cross-roads, she was
passing the threshold of the Tower as a prisoner of state. For that one
moment Kent's better angel strove with his weak nature. But the phase
of "_beaucoup_" was over, and "_point du tout_" was beginning.

Lucia saw the momentary irresolution. She touched her palfrey lightly
with the whip, and turned her splendid eyes on her votary.

"This way, Monseigneur--come!" The struggle was over. Kent spurred on
his charger, and followed his enchantress.

There was another scene enacting at the same time, and not far away.
The Duke of York and Lord Richard of Conisborough were riding home to
Langley. The brothers were very silent; Richard because he was sad and
anxious, Edward because he was vexed and sullen. They had just heard of
their sister's arrest.

The portcullis at Langley was visible, when Edward smote his hand on the
pommel of his saddle--a much more elaborate structure than gentlemen's
saddles now--with a few words of proverbial Spanish.

"Patience, and shuffle the cards! I may yet go to Rome, and come back
Saint Peter."

Richard lifted his mournful eyes to his brother's face.

"Ned!" he said in a low voice, "it were better to abide a forest hind,
methinks, than to come back Jude the Iscariot."

"What meanest, Dickon?"

"Take no heed what I meant, so it come not true."

"So what come not true?" Edward's voice, at any rate, expressed
surprise and perplexity.

"If thou wist not, Ned, I am thereof, fain."

"Save thee All Hallows, Dickon! I can no more arede thy speech than the
man in the moon."

"So better, brother mine."

They rode on for a little while without further words. Just before they
came within earshot of the porters, Richard added quietly--

"I marvel at times, Ned, if it shall not seem strange one day that we
ever set heart overmuch on anything, save only to have `washen our
stolis in the bl