Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-15
THE WHITE COMPANY
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.

was left alive, and SO, poor iamo' she
Lady, cried Alleyne, with catching
breath, us it the Lady Maude Loring OF
whom you speak"
1T is, In sooth.'
'Maude! And In nunnery! Did. then.
the Thought Of her fathers death so move
| he=?"
Her fetherF' cried the lady, smiling.
! think it this young golden-h haired
| squire Of whom l have heard who has
made her turn her back upon the world
And l stand talking here." cried AL
leyne, wildly. Come, John, Gomez
| Rushing to his horse. he swung himself
! into the saddle and was off down the road
! In rolling cloud of dust as fast as his
| good steed could bear him.
| Great had been the rejoicing amid the
Romsey nuns when the Lady Maude Lor-
ing had craved admission into their order
! For was she not sole child and heiress
Of the old knight, with farms and fiefs
4 which she could bring to the great nun
merry! Long and earnest had been the
| talks or the gaunt lady abbeSs, in which
| she had conjured the young novice to
| turn forever from the world and to rest
| her bruised heart under the broad and
| peaceful shelter of the church. And now,
j when all was settled, and when abbess
and lady superior had had their will. 1t
| was but fitting that some pomp and show
| should mark the glad occasion. Hence
| was 1t that the good burghers of Romsey
were all in the streets, that gay flags and
| nunnery to the church. and that a long
procession wound up to the old arched
| door. leading up the bride to these spirit
ual nuptials. There was Lay-sister Aga
| ina with the high gold crucifiX, and the
| three incense bearers, and the two-and-
twenty CARRIED in white, who cast flowers
| upon either side of them and sung sweet
| ly the while. Then with four attendants
came the novice. her dropping head
| wreathed with white blossoms and, be-
hind, the abbess and her council Of older
nuns, who were already counting in their
| minds whether their own bailiff could
manage the farms of Twynham, or
| whether reve would be needed beneath
him. to draw the utmost from these new
possessions which this young novice was
| about to bring them.
| But alas, for plots and plans when love
and youth and nature. and, above all. for
! tune, are arrayed against them Who is
this travel-stained youth who dares to
| ride so madly through the lines of star
| ing burghers? Why does he fling him
| self from his horse and stare strangely
| about him? See how he has rushed through
the incense bearers, thrust aside Lay-sis-
! ter Agatha, scattered the two and-tWenty
| damosels who sung sweetly-and he
! stands before the novice with his hands
| outstretched, and his face shining, and
/ the light of love in his gray eyes. Her
| foot is on the very Intel of the church.
/ and yet he bars the way-and she, she
| thinks no more of the wise words and the
| holy rede of the lady abbess but she hath
1
ward with his arms around her dropping
| body, and her wet cheek upon his breast
| A sorry sight this for the gaunt abbesa,
an i'll lesson, too, for the stainless two
| and-twenty who have ever been taught
! that the way of nature is the way of sin
| But Maude and Alleyne care little for
| this. A dank. cold air comes ont from the
| black arch before them. Without, the
| sun shines bright and the birds sing
| ing amid the ivy on the dropping beeches.
| Their choice is made, and they turn away
| hand in hand. with their backs to the
darkness and their faces to the light
Very quiet was the wedding in the old
priory church at Christchurch. where
Father Christopher read the service. and
there We're few to see save the Lady Lor-
ing ard John. and a dozen bOwmen from
the castle. The Lady of Twynham had
drooued and pinned for weary months so
that her face was harsher and less comedy
than before. yet she still hoped on, for
her lord had come through many dam
gers that she could scarce believe that
| he might be stricken down at last. 1t had
been her wish to start for Spain and to
search for him. but Allevne had persuaded
| her to let him go in her place. There
was much to look after. now that the
lands of Minstead were Joined to those of
Twynham. and Alleyne had promised her
that if she would but bide with his wife
he would never come back to Hampshire
again until he had gained some news,
good or i'll. of her lord and lover.
The yellow cog had been engaged. with
Goodwin Hawtayne in command, and a
month after the wedding Alleyne rode
down to Bucklershard to see If she had
come round yet from Southampton. On
the wav he passed the fisher village of
Pitts Deep and marked that a little
creyer or brig was lacking off the land.
as though about to anchor there. On his
way back, as he rode toward the village.
| he saw that she had indeed anchored. and
| that many boats were round her, bearing
cargo to the shore.
| A bow-shot from Pitts Deep there was
/ inn "a q
/ large and widespread, with great green
! bush hung upon pole from one of the
| upper windows. At this window he mark
| ed as he rode up, that man was seated
| who appeared to be craning his neck in
| his direction. Alleyne was still looking
| mp at him. when woman came rushing
| from the open door of the inn and made
| as though she would climb tree. look
| ing back the while with laughing face.
| Wondering what these doings might
| mean. Alleyne tied his horse to a tree,
| and was walking amid the trunks to-
ward the inn, when there shot from
the entrance a second woman, who made
also for the trees. Close at her
heels came bnr!v brown raced
| laughed loudly with his hand to his side.
"Ahg mes beles!" he cried "and is it thus
YOU treat me? All mes petites! 1 swear
| by these fnger-bones that | would not hurt
A hair of your pretty heads; but l have
| been among the black paynim, and, by my
| hilt! it does me good to look at your
| English cheeks. Come, drink Stoup OF
| nusca dine with me- mes anges for my
| heart is warm to be among ye again"
| At the sight of the man Alleyne had stood
| staring but at the sound of his voice such
"a thrill of joy hubhled up In his heart that
! he had to bite his lip to keep himself from
| shoating outright But deeper pleasure
| vet was in store. Even as he looked. the
window above was pushed outward, and the
/ voice of the man whom he had seen there
came out from It.
| "Aylward." cried the voice, 81 have seen
| lust now n very worthy person come down
| the road, though my ewes could scarce dis
! Germ whether he carried coat-armor. pray
/ you to wait upon him and tell him that
very humble knight of England abides here,
j so that if he be in need of advancement.
( or have any small VOW upon his soul or
desire TO exalt his lady, 1 may help him
| to accomplish it,
| r. Awkward at this order came shuf1ling for
| ward amid the trees. and in an instant
! the two men were clinging in each others
arms. laughing and shouting and pattinP
! each other In their delights while old Sir
| Nigel came running with his sword. under
, the impression that some small pickering
! had broken out. only to embrace and
| he embraced himself. until all three were
i hoarse with their questions and outcries and