in her chair with drooping eye and a face so that he had feared at first that her journey had weighed heavily upon her and that the strength was out of her of a sudden however there came a change for a dash of bright color up on to either cheek and her were slowly raised again upon eyes which sparkled with such a lustre as had never seen in human eyes before while their gaze was fixed intently not upon the company but on the dark which draped the wall so transformed and so ethereal was her expression that in his dream of or of had never pictured so sweet so womanly and yet so wise a face glancing at du saw that he was also watching his wife closely and from the of his features and the beads upon his brick colored brow it was easy to see that he was deeply agitated by the change which he marked in her how is it with you lady he asked at last in a tremulous voice her eyes remained fixed intently upon the wall and there was a long pause ere she answered him her voice too which had been so clear and ringing was now low and as th t of who speaks from a distance an k wed with m ae � the hour of has to me l ld we it i ne it he his his with the perplexed and i know in what words to make it dear to yon and to fair wife and to sir and to these other stranger knights my is a one and to word of than to op a matter as this of which i can myself little thi i know that my wife is of a tory race whom god hath in his wisdom endowed with powers so that was known ere i first saw her at yet these powers are need for good and they are the gift of and not of the which is the difference white magic and black perchance it would be as well that we should send for father said sir it would be best that he should come cried the and bring with him a of holy water added the knight of not so gentlemen answered sir it is not needful that this priest should be called and it is in my mind that in asking for this ye cast some slight shadow or upon the good name of my wife as though it were doubtful whether her power came to her from or below if ye have indeed such a doubt i pray that you will say so that may discuss the matter in a fitting way for myself said sir i have heard such words fall from the lips of this lady that i am of opinion that there is no woman save only one who can be in any way compared to her in beauty and in goodness should any gentleman think otherwise i should deem it great honor to run a small course with him or debate the matter in whatever way might be most pleasing to him it would ill become me to cast a upon a lady who is both my guest and the wife of my comrade in arms � aid the of i have perceived also that on her mantle there is marked a silver cross which is surely sign enough that there is naught of evil in these strange powers which you say that she possesses this argument of the s appealed so powerfully to the and to the that they at once intimated that their objections had been entirely overcome while even the lady who had sat shivering and crossing herself ceased to glances at the door and allowed her fears to turn to curiosity among the gifts which have been ed to my wife said du is the wondrous one of seeing into the future but it very seldom upon her and goes as quickly for none can command it the blessed hour of sight as she hath named it has come but thrice since i have known her and i can for it that all that she hath told me was true for on the evening of the battle of she said that the morrow would be an ill day for me and for charles of ere the sun had sunk again he was dead and i the prisoner of sir john yet it is not every question that she can answer but only those i cried the lady in the same muttering far away voice the blessed hour passes use it while you may i will my sweet tell me then what fortune comes upon me danger � deadly pressing danger � which upon you and you know it not the french soldier burst into a laugh and his green eyes with amusement at what time during these twenty years would not that have been a true word he cried danger is the air that i breathe but is this so very close here � now � close upon you the words came out in broken speech while the lady s fair face was d and drawn like that of one who looks upon a horror which strikes the words from her lips da gazed round the room at the the the the the with its silver and the half circle of friendly wondering faces there was an utter stillness save for the sharp breathing of the lady and for the gentle of the wind outside to their ears the distant call upon a s horn the danger may bide said he his broad shoulders and now tell us what will come of this war in spain i can see little she answered straining her eyes and her brow as one who would fain clear her sight there are mountains and dry plains and flash of arms and 