'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.'




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