to spell over.
Now let me be."

Isabel thought that the victim was coming round by degrees, and she
wisely forbore to press her beyond the point to which she chose to go of
herself. So the interview ended. It was not till October that they met
again.

Maude fancied that Avice eschewed any renewal of intercourse with her.
She kept herself strictly secluded in the chamber which had been
allotted to the nuns; and since Maude had no power to pass beyond the
door of the guard-room, the choice lay in Avice's own hands. At neither
of the subsequent interviews was she present.

"Well, fair Cousin! what cheer?" was Isabel's greeting, when she
presented herself anew.

"Thus much," replied Custance; "that, leave given, I will go with thee
to London."

"Well said!" was the answer, in a tone which intimated that it was more
than Isabel expected.

"But mark me, Isabel! I byhote [promise] nought beyond."

"Oh ay!--well and good."

"And for thus much yielding, I demand to have again the keeping of my
childre."

"Good lack! thou treatest with the King's Grace as though thou wert
queen of some land thyself," said Isabel, with a little laugh. "Verily,
that goeth beyond my commission: but methinks I can make bold to say
thus much: that an' thou come with me, they shall be suffered at the
least to see thee and speak with thee."

Custance shook her head decidedly.

"That shall not serve."

"Nay, then, we be again at a point. I can but give mine avisement unto
thee to come thither and see."

The point was sturdily fought over on both sides. Isabel dared promise
nothing more than that Custance should be allowed to see her children,
and that she herself would do her utmost to obtain further concessions.
At last it was settled that the King should be appealed to, and the
request urged upon him by his emissary, by letter. Isabel, however, was
evidently gifted with no slight ambassadorial powers; for when she
selected Bertram Lyngern as her messenger, the Governor did not hesitate
to let him go.

But Bertram's projected journey never took place, for a most unexpected
event intervened to stop it.

It was the seventh of November, and a warm, close, damp day, inducing
languor and depression in any person sensitive to the influence of
weather. Custance and Maude had received no visit that day from any one
but Bertram, who was busy preparing for his journey. There were
frequent comers and goers to Kenilworth Castle, so