'And shall you, indeed, see Paris, and all the braveries there?'
asked Philip. 'I thought my Lord would never have trusted you out
of his sight.'
'And now it is to be only with Mr. Adderley,' said Berenger; 'but
there will be rare doings to be seen at this royal wedding, and
maybe I shall break a lance there in your honour, Lucy.'
'And you'll bring me a French fan?' cried Bess.
'And me a pouncet-box?' added Annora.
'And me a French puppet dressed Paris fashion?' said Dolly.
'And what shall he bring Lucy?' added Bess.
'I know,' said Annora; 'the pearls that mother is always talking
about! I heard her say that Lucy should wear them on her wedding-
day.'
'Hush!' interposed Lucy, 'don't you see my father yonder on the
step, beckoning to you?'
The children flew towards Sir Marmaduke, leaving Berenger and Lucy
together.
'Not a word to wish me good speed, Lucy, now I have my wish?' said
Berenger.
'Oh, yes,' said Lucy, 'I am glad you should see all those brave
French gentlemen of whom you used to tell me.'
'Yes, they will be all at court, and the good Admiral is said to be
in high favour. He will surely remember my father.'
'And shall you see the lady?' asked Lucy, under her breath.
'Eustacie? Probably; but that will make no change. I have heard
too much of l'escadron de la Reine-mere to endure the thought of
a wife from thence, were she the Queen of Beauty herself. And my
mother says that Eustacie would lose all her beauty as she grew up-
-like black-eyed Sue on the down; nor did I ever think her brown
skin and fierce black eyes to compare with you, Lucy. I could be
well content never to see her more; but,' and here he lowered his
voice to a tone of confidence, 'my father, when near his death,
called me, and told me that he feared my marriage would be a cause
of trouble and temptation to me, and that I must deal with it after
my conscience when I was able to judge in the matter. Something,
too, he said of the treaty of marriage being a burthen on his soul,
but I know not what he meant. If ever I saw Eustacie again, I was
to give her his own copy of Clement Marot's Psalter, and to tell
her that he had ever loved and prayed for her as a daughter; and
moreover, my father added,' said Berenger, much moved at the
remembrance it brought across him, 'that if this matter proved a
burthen and perplexity to me, I was to pardon him as one who
repented of it as a thing done ere he had learnt to weigh the whole
world against a soul.'