Year: 1874




The knight was evidently not little dis
mayed at this question. Must he let Matilda
depart for foreign landi Shall he render it
impossible for himself to aid and defend her :
To that he could by no means bring his mind !;
for he had already in his heart charged himself
with the task of restoring Matilda to her
father, and preserving her from every wrong
and insult


He strained, therefore, all his powers of in
yention to devise some other plan which would
not remove her 30 far from him and thinking
he had hit upon such one, he answered, with
an expression of joy lighting up his counte-
nance:


"Certainly, Master Roger, there could not he
q safer retreat for her F; but, according to what
I hear from you, there bodies of French
troops dispersed in different garrsons through
out the whole of Flanders, which seems to me
to render the journey dangerous one for her.
1t would be impossible to furnish her with q
proper escort, for that would only make the
matter worse; and 1 cannot possibly allow
Robert de Bethunes daughter to set out alone
accompanied only by a few servants. Mol
must watch over her as over my souls saliva
tion. that l may not be ashamed to appear
before my Lord Count Robert when he de-
ruands his daughter at my hands,"


"But, Sir Adolf hethink you. you expose
her to still greater danger by keeping her in
Flanders. Who is there to protect her herei
Not you, for you have not the power. The city
ma gistrates will not; they all body and
soul given up to France. The French may
easily get scent of her; and what would be-
come of the poor girl thenf"


baya hefhnuuht me of nrofactnr for
her." answered Adolf. "Maria, send a servant
to the Dean of the Cloth. workers, and pray of
him to come and see me here. Master Roger,
what think you if we place our young lady
under the protection of the commonsH Is not
that a happy thoughtP


"Wefi enough, indeed, if only it
practicable; but the people are TO the last de-
gree embittered against all that calls itself
noble, and will have nothing to do with any
such. And in good truth, Sir Adolf, one cannot
blame them for it; for most part of the mobiles
hold with the enemy, and think of nothing but
how most efectually to destroy the rights and
liberties of the commons"


AZ shall not allow such considerations to
turn me from my purpose; of that assure
yourself, Master Roger. My father was
the good friend of the city of Bruges; it is to
his intervention that they owe many of their
privileges, and do not think that the Dean of
the Cloth workers and his company have for
gotten it. And, after all, if fail here, we can
but look about for All opportunity of sending
away our young lady quietly to Jniters."


After q space of some half an hour, which
they spent in discussing their projects, Master
Peter DecoDiuck, Dean or chief of the guild of
Clothworkers at Bruges, arrived, and was i'm.
mediately introduced into Adoifs chamber.


long gown or evercoat of brown wooleu
stuf covered him from neck to foot; and being
totally without any kind of trimming or orna-
ment, strikingly contrasted with the gay
dresses of the mobiles. 1t was easy to see that
the Dean of the Cloth workers. III affecting this
pIainness of apparel, wished to make ostenta-
tious display of his estate in life, and so to
oppose pride to pride; for, in truth, this course
WOODEN gown covered the most powerful man
In Flanders. On his head he wore fat cap,
from under which his hair hung down half q
foot long over his ears. A lesthern belt drew
in the wide folds of the gown about his body,
and the hiis of cross-bandled knife glittered
at his side. An excessive Paleness, high
cheek bones, wrinhled forehead, threw IN air
Of deep tbeuRht over his eountesapca; whileg