The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-03

rigid mourning for her father were over
she would meet him in his pavilion pitched
before the castle gates that they might
converse on weighty matters which he
had to import TO her Meantime the dead
upon the plain We're buried and the body
of Raymond Berenger was escorted with
military pomp to the tomb in the chapel
of the castle
The celebrated Constable of Chester was
scarcely of middle height and his limbs,
though powerful and we'll knit. were cum
berous and ungraceful in movement. His
legs slightly curved outward, and he had a
halt in his gait occasioned by a broken
limb, which had been unskillfully set
years before. Accustomed to converse
with interiors, his language and gestures
were short, sharp and decisive, almost 10
the verge of rudeness. His age was in
reality not much over five and forty, but
the hardships of war in many climes had
added at least 10 years to that age in
his appearance. His brow, however, was
high and noble, and there was both dig
nifty and kindness in the glance of his
eye. Such was the man who when Eve
line met him in his pavilion handed her
q scroll showing that before her father 8
death he had made an agreement to be-
stow upon De Lacey the hand of his
daughter in marriage The Constable came
to the point bluntly like soldier, but
courteQusly like knight.
Briefly he told her the motives of nolicv
winch mad led to the desire of her father
and himself to unite the heiress of the
Berengers with the head of the house OF
Lacy, desire, he said, which now tbat
he had seen her was become a personal
one so powerful as to oyerwhelm all
others Such was the custom Of the times
that short time before that Eveline
would have obeyed unquestionably and
unhesitatingly any arrangement which
her father might have made for the he-
stowal of her hand. And even now her
fathers wishes-and more her VOW be-
fore the sacred picture in the chapel-were
so potent with her that she felt bound
to their fulfilment. But she had seen
Damian de Lacy and her cheek blanched
and she felt sense of suffocation as she
strove to make some fitting answer to the
constable. The constable said that as he
was preparing for the Holy Land he
could not, give her as much time as he
could wish for her decision. He would
not force himself upon her, but if she felt
that she could carry out the promise of
her father his future happiness would be
complete. In the meantime he would es-
cort her to the convent at Gloucester. OF
! which her aunt was abbess and which un.
| der the circumstances would be a more
fitting place Of residence for her thar
| the Garde Doloureuse. Bveline felt tina
duty pointed but one way and yielded.
| SO. escorted b ythe lances of De Lacy
| Eveline set out from the Garde Dolou
reuse The constable forebore thrustin5
himself upon her society more than stric
courtesy required, entrusting the detaill
| for her comfort to young Damian, VIII,
thus found an opportunity to be mucl
| with her and gave him a chance to Sc
lect the most romantic. spots for place
of rest and refreshment. On the wa,
| Eveline received an invitation from he
| great aunt, the Lady of Buckingham, Il
| spend the night at her castle near whicl
the line Of march lay. The Lady Ermen