A Ladder of Swords

hat De la Forêt had been with him to the end. To this was presently added the word that De la Forêt had been beheaded. But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgome

t De la Forêt had not been slain, and

ngers, learned at last to look for her in the fields and upon the shore, and laughed in response, they knew not why, to the quick smiling of her eyes. She even learned to speak their unmusical bu

ecause she was not a Catholic. But even these, when they saw that she never talked religiously, that she was fast learning to speak their own homely patois, and that in the sickness of their children she was untiring in her kindness, forgave the austerity of the gloomy-browed old man her father, who

her eyes were not thus busy, they were searching the lee of the hill-side round for yellow lilies, and the valley below for the campion, the daffodil, and the thousand pretty ferns growing in profusion there. Every night

zel went to Angèle's father and bluntly told him he was ready to forego all Norman-Jersey prejud

ion would, in his own sight, be a high bar to the union. To that the seigneur said that no religion that he had could be a bar to anything at all, and so long as the young lady could manage her household, d

r. She heard the scrunch of his heels upon the gravel, the clank of his sword upon the rocks, and looked up with a flush, her needle poised; for none should know of her presence in this place save her fa

irst that royal favor granted to set up three dove-cotes, one by St. Aubin's, one by St. Helier's, and one at Rozel; and-and," he added, with a lumbering attempt at humor-"and, on my oath, I'll set up another dove-cote without my sovereign's favor, with your leave alone. By Our Lady, I do love that color in yon cheek! Just such a color ha

nd with a little glint of demure humor in her eyes. She loved another man; she did not care so much as a spark for this happy, swearing, swashbuckling gentleman; yet she saw he had meant to do her honor. He had treated her as courteously as was in him to do; he chose her out from all the ladies of his acquaintance to make her an honest offer of his hand-he had said nothing about his heart; he would, should she marry him, throw her scraps of good-humor, bearish tenderness, drink to her health among his fellows, and respect and admire her-even exalt h

zel," she ventured. "Did

his head and

ve said to me?" she asked, not

ek," he answered, with a smirk at what

nt-pot for me," sh

d, bowing finely, and almost carried

e and pluck at the tassel of his sword, embarrassed before this maiden, who changed as quickly as t

you live, your retainers, your men-at-arms, your farming-folk, and your sailor-me

in proudly. He could u

nd your maid-servants, your fields of corn, your orchards, and your larder

he cried, delighted and boisterous. "Let us not

you; but, then, I am but a vain girl at times

derstand so various a creature

here, and get upon your knees, and pray till the candles no more burn and the Popis

nswered, vainly trying for foothold. "Pray as you pleas

tient. Religion to him was a dull r

hat stands between us," she answered, "though they might we

ad slowly clouded

e. Come, come, dost think I'm not a proper man and a gentleman? Dost think I'll not use thee well and 'fend thee, Huguenot though th

upon his arm. "I believe that you would do all that in you lay,"

t he had behaved like some Adonis. Was it n

a brave and valorous gentleman. I must thank you most truly and heartily, but, monsieur, you and yours are not for

comprehended the plain fac

" he blurted out, get

great honor," she said, in her tone a little disdainful dryness,

Domfront?-I've heard that story. But he's gone to heaven, and 'tis

, "do you think, monsieur, that we should f

o you'd lose a good friend for a dead lover? I' faith,

o need friends to lose t

hem to the sea-instinctively towards that point on the shore where she thought it likely

ve noted people walking on the beach. This was no good token, for when that coast may be seen with great distinctness a storm follows hard after. The girl knew this, and, though she could not know that this wa

though he could not guess the cause, he vaguely thought it might be due to his announcement that she had lost

end if not thy husband," he said, with o

and and kissed it, and, turning, ran s

her, then, dumfounded, a

e said, and shook his

little boat Angèle had descried making from France. Glanc

Buonespoir the pirate, in a bla