The New Antigone : A Romance : In Three Volumes  VOL. I .  Προβᾶσ᾽ἐπ᾽σχατονθράσους προσέπεςτέκνονπολύ· πατρῷονδ᾽ἐκτίνειςτιν᾽θλον  Antig . 853-857  THE FOLLOWING PAGES , FINISHED ON HER BIRTHDAY , ARE DEDICATED TO MY SISTER  30th January 1887.  PART I THE HOUSE OF TRELINGHAM  CHAPTER I A JOURNEY TOWARDS THE SUNSET  The train had been rushing westward for hours , and the genius of the steam-kettle who drove it along was plainly intent neither on the landscapes that in momentary glimpses might be seen from the carriage-windows , nor on the babble of conversation which , in fitful gusts , rose and fell among the company it was bearing to their several destinies .  All that the scientific , yet not time-keeping , demon cared for was to reach his last station by the shortest route .  Nevertheless , glimpses of scenery caught in this way from the train have an extraordinary fascination , sometimes giving a whole country-side in one vivid sheet of lightning , where every line is fixed as in a daguerreotype and can never be forgotten .  And what confessional or ear of Dionysius can gather up such confidences as may be heard among chance people in railway travelling ?  It would seem that the silent Briton , fenced round about with reserve as with Arctic icebergs , fancies himself stranded on a desert island with the companion who has got into his compartment at Basingstoke or Rugby .  Certain it is that he is apt , after exhibiting the most profound indifference for his vis-à-vis , to unbosom himself under such circumstances , as Robinson Crusoe would have done to the first Englishman landing on Juan Fernandez .  And , as it fell out , the spirit of the steam , or any other , might have witnessed a scene of this kind , had he crept into a certain first-class carriage and lain snug in a corner thereof , watching until a couple of young men who were its occupants should awake from their slumbers .  Each had taken his ticket at the same ticket-office ; each had made for the same compartment , and had established himself in a corner diagonally as regarded the other .  Each had veiled his features behind a newspaper , and tried his best to imagine that the impudent fellow who shared his solitude did not exist .  And each hoped to see the other take himself off when the train stopped .  But in vain ; it was not to be .  One station after another was left behind ; the country grew more countrified ; the towns became of less account ; the clouds began to move slowly towards the west , as though summoned to attend the last moments of a dying king who would shroud his head in their splendours ; the hours drew out to twice their length , as they will do in travelling , and still no sign appeared of these unwilling companions parting from one another .  When they had studied their fill of the daily wisdom purchased at the London bookstall , each glared out of his window , noted what seemed notable along the line , fixed his eyes steadily — upon nothing , and at last , drawing back his head , fell into uneasy sleep .  And the train rushed on .  Its genius might have fallen asleep too , and have been travelling in his dreams , for all the tokens of life in this compartment .  Then the sun 'slight came more slanting , and the train seemed to be moving ever more and more into its pathway , as if in time it would leave the solid earth behind and on its wings of white vapour float into the sunset and be there transfigured among the cloud-splendours .  And as the light filled their compartment , both young men woke up .  That one of them who had been sitting by the dark windows of the carriage , away from the sun , changed his corner , and came and sat opposite the other .  He was desirous , apparently , of catching a glimpse of the sea , which for more then an hour the train had been nearing , as the dull thunder of waves on a shingly beach , somewhere below , had testified .  Being in such close neighbourhood , with only a foot or so of space between them , it would have been incumbent on any except British railway-travellers to exchange some civil speeches .  Perhaps that may have been the reason why one of them , who did not look entirely English , at last , after some hesitation , opened his lips and said ( but still with the haughty indifference which young Englishmen assume towards those to whom they have not been introduced ) , ' Is the next station Yalden ?  '  ' No ; the next but one , ' answered his vis-à-vis , sinking thereupon into stony or , as a Greek might express it , adamantine silence .  The next station appeared , paused a moment , vanished , and a reach of wild country came flying at the carriage-windows .  The first speaker looked at his watch , and began again .  ' The train is due at Yalden now , ' he said ; ' we are late .  '  ' Yes , ' said the other , ' nearly half an hour late ; trains always are on this part of the line .  '  The ice was broken , or rather , part of the iceberg gave way .  A remark about Bradshaw , another to the effect that the tide was coming in , a third suggesting that it would be a stormy night to judge by the clouds , led to the first speaker 'sasking , as he looked once more out of the carriage-window , ' Do you know whether Trelingham Court is far from Yalden ?  ' Now was the time for any hidden , curiosity-loving sprite in the down train to prick up his ears and listen .  ' Trelingham Court ?  ' said the other in an inquiring tone .  ' Why , about six miles if one is a stranger ; under six , a good deal , taking the short cut by St. Mirian .  '  And as he looked across at his companion with more attention than before an idea seemed to strike him as possible , which in a moment or two must have grown from possible to probable , for he said :  ' Excuse me , sir , perhaps you are going to Trelingham .  '  ' Yes , ' answered the other ; ' that is my journey 'send .  '  ' And mine , ' said his questioner .  ' How very odd !  ' He added , after a pause , and with considerable diffidence , ' I am very likely going to ask an absurd question , but I happened to see a portrait in this year 'sAcademy of which you strongly remind me , and my cousin pointed it out as — '  The first speaker interrupted him courteously .  ' My name , ' he said , ' is Rupert Glanville , and a portrait of me there certainly was , hung rather too near the sky-line , on those much-enduring walls .  But you must have observed it closely to see a likeness between it and a chance traveller on the railway .  '  ' I was about to remark , ' said the other , ' that my cousin pointed it out as that of the artist who was coming down to Trelingham to paint the Great Hall .  Else , I know so little of art matters that I should hardly have remembered it .  '  ' Your cousin said so , did he ?  ' asked Mr. Glanville with an accent of surprise .  ' I thought no one — '  ' It was not he , ' said the other , laughing ; ' it was she .  Not my cousin , Lord Trelingham , but his daughter , Lady May , who was inspecting the pictures that afternoon with other young ladies , and made some of us fellows walk in her train .  '  ' Ah , ' said Mr. Glanville , ' I have never met Lady May Davenant ; and I thought , I imagined , that only Lord Trelingham knew what was proposed .  Until I have seen the Great Hall , and heard his plans more in detail , I cannot tell whether anything will come of it , so far as I am concerned .  That is why I am now on my way to Trelingham Court .  '  ' Oh , ' said the Earl 'scousin , or Lady May 'scousin , — but I think Lady May 'scousin sounds the prettier , the more sentimental , as introducing this young gentleman ( he seemed about twenty ) , who should of course , were mine not a story of real life , be our first or second lover , and devoted to the Earl 'sdaughter , — ' my cousin made no secret of it , and I suppose her father made none .  And though I am such an ignoramus that I do n't know one style of painting from another , I remembered your portrait all the more because a great deal was said about you manner — is n't that the word ?  If I understood Lady May , it is quite unlike what they supposed Lord Trelingham would have chosen .  They were all loud in its praise ; but they seemed to agree , or all except Lady May , that you , — that , in short , there was a deal of Paganism in your pictures .  Is that so ?  '  ' Quite , I should fancy , ' said Mr. Glanville , much amused at the courteous bluntness , or blunt courtesy , of this young man , to whom painting was clearly a far-off mystery , like Chinese chess .  ' Paganism would be the word for it in the Earl 'sentourage .  For he himself is by no means a Pagan .  '  ' I should think not , ' said the other emphatically ; ' not at all a pagan , unless Ritualists are Pagans .  But that was the wonder .  For , of course , he will not want painting all round him in which he cannot believe .  '  ' That is just it , ' replied Mr. Glanville ; ' you have hit the nail on the head .  Lord Trelingham does not want pictures in which he cannot believe .  He is no artist ; but of all the men I have come across he has the finest sense of what is genuine art and what is mere make-up and pretence .  He went to certain well-known masters and asked them how they would paint the Epic of king Arthur ; and they designed , every man of them , and impossible boudoir idyll , a medieval dream , in the style of Tennyson .  He looked round for some one that professed , at all events , to paint realities ; and I know how astonished he was on finding the " paganism " of my canvases more real than the " dim rich " Christianity of Launcelot and Guinevere in the Laureate 'sblank verse .  So we are going to make trial whether I can paint the Arthurian history as it must have happened , if it happened at all .  '  To this learned speech the Earl 'scousin made no reply , perhaps because he did not understand it .  About epics , classical or medieval , Homeric or Arthurian , he never had troubled himself since he left school ; and there he cared only for the fighting in the Iliad , in which he would have liked to join .  Poetry meant less to him even than painting ; but he did not lack brains , and he said by and by :  ' Lord Trelingham is fond of art , but I always fancied he mixed it up with religion .  He is ever so High Church , and such a Tory that I heard him say once there were none left but himself and Lord Hallamshire .  Shall you put all that into your King Arthur ?  For unless you do , he will not know what to make of it .  '  ' I may , ' said Mr. Glanville ; ' who knows ?  ' And he laughed as if the suggestion had roused his fancy .  ' King Arthur was certainly High Church , and the Round Table a brotherhood of Tory knights .  But Lord Trelingham is many things besides a Ritualist .  He is an excellent art-critic ; and when he came to my studio he talked much of colouring and gradation of tone , without a syllable of religion .  '  ' He is certainly , as you remark , ' said the other , ' not one man , but several — half a dozen , perhaps .  For instance , when you see him at home , you will take him by his dress for — what do you think ?  ' Mr. Glanville could not say .  ' No , of course , no one could guess .  But with his long velvet coat reaching below his knees , his skullcap , and flowing white beard , he might very well pass in a play for some sort of astrologer .  And the curious thing , as you will find , is that he has been given that way , and practises now occasionally .  '  'Astrology and Ritualism , — a strange mixture !  ' said Mr. Glanville ; ' how does he reconcile them ?  '  ' Beyond me to say , ' replied the Earl 'scousin ; ' but he does .  He will probably draw your horoscope if you can tell him the day , hour , and minute when you were born , and whether the room in which you first saw the light , as he calls it , looked east or west .  '  Mr. Glanville 'slip curled scornfully .  ' He will not draw my horoscope , ' he said ; ' has he drawn yours ?  '  ' I believe so , ' answered the other ; ' but what is to befall the unlucky Tom Davenant nobody knows , for it is apparently something too terrible , and my cousin has locked up the prediction and never speaks of it .  '  A pity if anything should befall him , let me tell the reader , for Tom Davenant , as he sat there with the fun breaking out at the corners of his mouth , was a marvellously good-looking fellow , well-made in every limb , tall and broad-shouldered , with a face so clear and open that to see him was to like him .  The artist , since their conversation began , had been scanning with his practised eye the almost too delicate features of this young English Apollo , meaning hereafter to translate him into his own realm of paganism , putting a little more mind into the great blue eyes ( there was enough in the mobile lips ) , and surrounding him with the graceful Hellenic forms to which , in spite of his modern garb , he was manifestly akin .  ' An Apollo , ' said Mr. Glanville to himself , ' much exercised at the silver bow — that is to say , in slaying birds and beasts , fox-hunting and hare-hunting , but destitute of lute and learning , and very shy of the Muses .  ' And he went on with his mental portraiture .  I wonder what Tom Davenant would have made of these reflections had his companion uttered them .  He was not conscious in the least of the beauty Nature had given him , and thought fishing , hunting , and boating were the only business a man had in life , with smoking for a relaxation .  He was a perfectly beautiful , healthy , guileless , and good-tempered youth , fond of every beast he did not kill .  But as for Apollo and his lute , he preferred a good fowlingpiece to all the lutes in the world .  And he was not exactly shy of the Muses , if Mr. Glanville meant thereby feminine society ; but he thought them uninteresting .  Whether he cared for Lady May the uneven tenor of this chronicle must show .  The train was stopping at Yalden , a steep , scrambling , irregular village that came stumbling down the red sandstone cliff as though it had meant , in a frenzied or heroic mood , to plunge straight into the sea , but had been pulled up at the last moment and was now unable to get back again .  But the sea dealt kindly with it , not suffering trees to grow indeed , and often sending great sheets of spray high up into its face , yet tempering the air and encouraging the fuchsias and rhododendrons to flourish plenteously in the open , so that when our travellers arrived the village was all colour , fragrance , freshness , its houses embowered in the exquisite long creeping plants which knew how to shield themselves from the sea-wind , and the red sandstone glowing , as the rays of sunset kindled it , like a heavy purple cloak flung carelessly on the ground .  The waters were restless under a freshening breeze , thin lines of foam stretching themselves along and curling back as they touched the sands , which at this point make a shelly , narrow , and undulating beach .  A little way beyond the village , where the sandstone yielded to some harder and more primitive rock , might be seen a tiny creek hemmed in by huge cliffs , under which , brawling and defiant , rushed one of those short , swift rivers that delight in quarrelling with every stone they meet and fall into the sea all foam and trouble .  It was the Yale , from which Yalden takes its name ; and its brief journey began on the moor above .  There , too , the railway paused , shareholders not being in love with steep gradients and preferring to economise their resources , while the one or two small inns of Yalden added to theirs by sending flys to meet passengers on alighting .  Mr. Tom Davenant had telegraphed that he might be looked for by such a train , and as he and Mr. Glanville leaped on the platform they saw the Earl 'sbrougham awaiting them .  With windows down and the carriage going at a good pace over the moor , it was a pleasant evening drive ; though Tom Davenant would have preferred riding , which was to him , as to an Usbeg Tartar , the natural way of getting from one place to another .  He had talked a great deal for him , being of a silent and self-contained disposition , in the last half-hour of their journey ; and he was not sorry that Mr. Glanville left him to his thoughts as they drove along .  The artist , indeed , was no more inclined to speak than the hunting-man by his side .  He was all eye , gazing out upon the rolling moor which unfolded itself before them , now up , now down , seemingly boundless , except in one direction where the sky bent over it to the western waters , fringing it in this light with a golden line that never wavered , while on the wide waste there lay a stillness , intensified by the dying murmur of the sea they were leaving behind .  And here again the red sandstone glowed purple , the heather looked glorious as the rain of sunshine fell upon it , the clouds grew more solemn and appeared to be drawing together , trailing after them fiery streamers , and leaving wide spaces of tender pale green vapour , which would melt later on into the dark blue of the evening sky and make room for the stars .  Strange , too , it was to see the lonely boulders , each like a ghost standing in his place on the moor , brought thither in the long past time when a river of ice travelled over it , one knows not how , one cannot reckon when , grinding its slow way onward till it slipped into the ocean , leaving these tokens that once it had been .  There were dips full of verdure and flowering shrubs , reaches of bare sand , and , as the road bent down and away from the sea , a dark copse or two , sheltered , as on a lee shore , by the higher ground , to whose sides they clung timorously .  As the carriage turned a steep corner and began to ascend again , Glanville perceived that they were entering a narrow valley , which widened as it went up to the moor by easy steps , and was clothed to the right with underwood which the sun had now ceased to illuminate , while to the left all was heath and furze .  They were entering the Park .  They passed one gate and then another ; above the trees , which here found no difficulty in growing , came out the turrets of a great house .  A few more minutes brought the carriage to the broad gravel sweep of a terrace facing south-west , along which ran the massive undecorated front of Trelingham Court ; and the Earl himself , who was walking to and fro as if in expectation of his guests , came forward to meet them .  He gave each a hand , and bade the artist welcome .  Lord Trelingham certainly bore out his cousin 'shalf-mocking description of him as ' an astrologer in a play '; neither white beard , nor velvet gown , nor skull-cap was wanting .  He wore on his little finger an amethyst inscribed with Solomon 'sseal ; and his wrinkled , tawny face , dim eyes , and lean , tremulous figure heightened the effect , making him altogether like a man who had stepped down out of a picture and was taking his evening walk , regardless of the fact that he had been buried and his portrait counted among the family heirlooms for a couple of centuries .  He was not so tall as his young cousin , but had an air of dignity which softened to the utmost good-nature when the shyness or embarrassment of others called it forth .  As he stood on the terrace , enjoying the prospect and pointing out the way they had come to Glanville , the artist could not help admiring the beautiful old man , and asking himself whether immense wealth and high rank always did spoil human goodness , as is commonly said .  Here was an unspoiled rich man , one of the great ones of the earth , yet so gentle and unaffected that to live with him would imply neither time-serving nor ceremonious posture-making .  It might , however , involve superstitious practices , if the Earl were bent on winning disciples to astrology .  And Glanville , who had a lively fancy , began to smile at a Burke 'sPeerage recorded in the stars .  They went in , passing through the Great Hall which was to be the scene of Glanville 'sachievements .  It was a magnificent room , opening straight on the terrace , and designed for the solemn banquets of former days , when a man feasted his tenants and neighbours at the same tables and counted his guests by the hundred .  It was lighted from above , but at the farther end an immense window reaching from floor to ceiling gave a view of the inner court , with its lawn and fountain now in shadow , and a screen of dark foliage , the beginning of an extensive plantation .  Trelingham Court was built in collegiate fashion , sheltering its woods from the sea , and sheltered by then in turn from the north-east .  ' In half an hour .  ' said the Earl ; ' we shall dine , but in a less formal dining-room ; ' and he left Glanville in the butler 'scharge .  That stately gentleman , it is needless to observe , was though perfectly well-bred , much more ceremonious than his master .  He perpetuated in a lower sphere what one has heard of the manners of la vieille cour , that Versailles the graces of which must have been hopelessly lost during the French Revolution but for such fortunate survivals .  In this diginfied way Glanville was shown to an apartment overlooking the front terrace , and giving views of the broken and rock-strewn line of coast , beyond which the waters spread out in a golden sheet .  The sun was sinking , clear and ruddy , on their extreme edge .  It was an hour to muse or write verses rather than to dine .  But the great British evenign sacrifice called for its votary , and Glanville proceeded to attire himself in the garb of blackness appropriate thereto .  CHAPTER II SIBYLLINE MUSIC  On entering the drawing-room he found some ten or twelve persons , of whom he knew none but his host , standing about in the mournful way which seems to have been prescribed by a Plutonian master of ceremonies for the minutes preceding dinner .  Every one was hungry , and even the ladies looked pensive or distracted , for the hour was late .  Glanville had no gift of taking in a company at a glance ; he was led forward blindly , introduced to Lady May Davenant , who presided over her father 'shousehold ( for the Earl was a widower ) , and whose face , as she was standing with her back to the light , he could scarcely see , — bowed submissively to another lady whose name he did not catch , but to whom he offered his arm with the readiness required of him , dinner being that instant announced ; and moved on to the dining-room not unwillingly , for all the romantic scene of lights upon the sea which curtains now shut out and the flowers and subdued lamps of a dinner-table replaced .  Dazzled though he often was on coming into a room , Glanville had quick eyes and ears .  When , in Homeric phrase , his mind was getting the better of its desire of meat and drink , — in other words , when an excellent soup and a glass of old sherry left him philosophically calm and capable of observation , — he looked across the ferns and surveyed the assembled guests at his leisure .  Mr. Tom Davenant , who had followed him into the drawing-room , was now sitting opposite by the side of a clerical-looking lady whose partner in life was not far to seek ; for the only clergyman present ( he had said grace , but of course Glanville did not hear him ) at that moment drew all eyes by remarking in a cheerful voice to the Earl that his two volumes of the Life of King Arthur would be out to-morrow .  Glanville , a little alarmed at the announcement , earnestly scrutinised the speker 'scountenance .  It was a bright , good humoured face , betokening no malice , and made veneable by the crown of white hair which set off a noble-looking head .  Lord Trelingham , however , replied that Mr. Truscombe 'swork could not have appeared at a better time ; it would no doubt help Mr. Glanville to more vividly reproduce the local colouring which their frescoes in the Great Hall would demand .  Mr. Truscombe was the clergyman of the parish , expressly invited to meet the artist on the ground of his being learned beyond all others in British antiquities , and already famous by his great book on the holy wells of Cornwall and Cumbria .  Glanville received this piece of news with a polite air , but inwardly began to chafe at the appearance of King Arthur and British antiquities during dinner .  No one could be more sensitive , or less given to the jargon of his trade than he .  So sensitive , indeed , was the man , that he had not yet overcome his vexation on hearing from Tom Davenant that the Earl had spoken of him as ' the artist who was to paint the Great Hall .  ' He did not know that he should paint it .  One thing was certain : if he undertook the design he must be left to his own inspirations , or it would be a failure .  He had hoped to come down as an invited guest with no preliminary flourish of trumpets , to meditate upon the work in solitude , alone with Art , his unseen mistress ; and here was a whole dinner-table ready perhaps to ask him , ' What were his ideas ?  ' or , worse still , to brings out their own by way of suggestion .  Glanville was a fiery , shy , unmanageable spirit , quite beyond Lord Trelingham 'scomprehension .  The Earl could not have dreamt what thoughts were passing through his mind at the mention of Mr. truscombe 'sKing Arthur and the short discussion to which it gave rise .  For an instant the design which had brought Glanville from London was in danger .  He had more than once started at the shadow of interference and flung his work aside .  Could he but have done so now !  Innocent Mr. Truscombe would then have proved himself the Deus ex machina , the divine agency that cuts an otherwise insoluble knot and gives the tragic story a happy ending , — or rather , in this case , the tragedy would never have begun .  But no , the personages of the play , on the very point of falling asunder and going out by their several exits , were drawn once more by invisible threads into a fated group .  Glanville mastered , though not without an effort , the spasm of rage that had seized upon him .  At clever evasions he was skilful ; and , while he took care that there should be no talk of King Arthur that evening , so far as he was concerned , only a very keen observer would have known how angry the allusion had made him .  It was an evil omen .  Instead of the ' auspicious bird ' with which he had hoped to begin , he felt as if a raven or other illboding visitant were flapping its wings over the painted scene in which already his imagination was roving .  Conversation at the Earl 'send of the table floated to a fresh topic .  Another voice struck in , that of Lord Hallamshire , one of his oldest friends , and , like himself , devoted to the interests of the catholicising party in the Church of England .  Lord Hallamshire presided at meeting innumerable for the adoption , defence , or further strengthening of the eastward position ; visited the confessors of the faith in prison ; subscribed handsomely to missionary efforts for explaining to the natives of the Andaman and neighbouring islands the exact difference between a cope and a chasuble ; and was a large , good , dull man , with heavy brows and an immovable countenance .  His enormous nose , as I have often observed in persons of Lord Hallamshire 'stype , indicated solidity rather than sagacity , and a firm grasp of the prosaic side of things .  He was now , after some floundering about , holding straight on in an account of what had been acccomplished by the Guild of St. Austell to get the orders of the English Church fully recognised by their Eastern brethren .  Their success with the Catholicus of babylon , so far , had been all they could wish .  ' The Catholicus of Babylon !  ' said Glanville , who had recovered his good-humour ; ' is that the same as the Pope of Rome ?  '  Tom Davenant looked at the Earl and broke into a very pleasant smile .  But Lord Trelingham , who had no sense of the ludicrous , replied with much gravity , ' The same as the Pope of Rome !  Oh dear , no !  I see your mistake , which was quite natural .  It is true that St. Peter dates an epistle from Babylon which our brethren of the Western Obedience interpret as Rome .  But the Catholicus is independent of Rome , like our own archbishop .  He sits in the place of St. — ' He hesitated , trying to remember the name .  ' St .  Daniel ?  ' inquired Tom Davenant , to the Earl 'sconsternation , who became yet more confused and quite at a loss .  The young man continued innocently , ' I know I learnt some poetry at school about Babylon where Daniel comes in as a sort of bishop .  It began — " ' Belshazzar gave a feast at Babylon in his hall .  ' "  'Be quiet , Tom , ' said lady May , from the end of the table .  ' You might at least quote accurately .  You have spoilt the rhythm of the verse .  ' Then , turning to her father , ' St .  Paphnutius is the name , ' she said .  Glanville , who had not observed Lady May hitherto , looked at her in amazement .  It was rude , but how could he help it ?  Was she an embodied dictionary of ecclesiastical worthies , — a blue-stocking , thus to hand her father a name like Paphnutius as unconcerned and gracefully as though it were a cup of tea ?  What was her age ?  She seemed six or seven-and-twenty ; yes , it was the period when ladies began to do these things .  He disliked learned women ; they seemed to him unfeminine , the most beautiful thing in the world spoilt .  And so he looked too steadfastly at Lady May .  She might have noticed , had not the younger lady whom Glanville had taken into dinner , and who had been hitherto very quiet , added to the bizarre effect of Daniel and Belshazzar by remarking , ' My dear May , I met this very Catholicus of Babylon , who has said such civil things of your church , last week in Paris , at Madame de Mont-Bazeille 's.  An extraordinarily handsome man , of about thirty-six .  He has a face like a statue , and the darkest of dark eyes .  But his beard was not so long as I expected .  His costume was splendid , — a kind of Oriental satin , of which even Worth does not know the name , for I asked him .  And charmingly made up with a ruche , you know , of strange old lace .  I daresay it cost a fortune .  Monseigneur Sidarlik they called him .  '  ' That is the name , ' said Lord Hallamshire ; ' it is odd you should have met him in Paris .  His letter to the Guild was dated Constantinople .  '  ' Oh , he came on account of the slave-trade , ' said the lady .  ' I heard why , but it has gone out of my head .  '  ' Doubtless , ' said Lord Trelingham in his gentle voice , ' it was to ask the French Government whether they could not stop the importation of slaves into Syria .  I hope he succeeded in his benevolent mission .  '  ' I remember now , ' said the young lady ; ' no , it was very amusing .  Monseigneur Sidarlik came to consult a great firm in Paris which gives young girls a dot , — what are they called ?  Ah , yes , the Prix Montyon de l 'Orient ; they send them to the East , and by way of Armenia to Russia , where they marry into the households of our great nobles .  The Catholicus is their agent in his part of the world ; and the number exported had fallen off , and he came to make fresh arrangements .  We were all so much amused at the idea of going to Asia for a husband .  '  Lord Trelingham looked aghast .  ' My dear Countess , ' he said , ' you must be mistaken .  This is dreadful .  The Catholicus would never engage in such proceedings ; he is perfectly orthodox .  You must have heard the wrong story .  '  Lord Hallamshire thought so too .  The Countess shrugged her shoulders and did not argue the point ; but she held her own opinion .  Whether , indeed , she were maligning a blameless prelate , or casting a powerful side-light on the manners and customs of Babylonian Christians , in any case , the subject became too difficult to dwell upon .  Lady May inquired of Tom Davenant what he had been doing .  He bethought himself of the remarkable meeting with Glanville , and drew the artist into the conversation ; and the Earl 'sdaughter , though her sentences were brief , and she guided their talk rather than shared in it , kept them off the dangerous themes of painting and religion .  Her expression , while she thus fulfilled the duties of her place , was somewhat fatigued .  She wore an air of listlessness .  But her lips were proud and firm ; and Glanville found himself comparing her voice to the sound of a harp .  It was a rich contralto , full of depth and resonance , which gave the commonest words a feeling .  What she spoke was not trivial , but it could not be intimate , uttered across a dining-table ; yet there was something , — there was a story to make out , Glanville fancied , though he could not have said why .  If she were a blue-stocking , then blue-stockings might be wonderfully impressive .  Lady May rose , and the gentlemen fell into politics when they were left to themselves .  But Glanville sat considering .  He was haunted by the look and still more by the voice of his hostess .  She was not exactly beautiful — or was she ?  The features were regular , the eyes dark and full ; cheek and throat of a ruddy brown , and hair as black as night .  There was intelligence in the forehead , and a proud decision in her movements .  Yet in those dark eyes was a far-off look , uncertain , questioning , in the closed lips a habit of self-repression .  Could it be that she was unhappy ?  passionate she seemed by temperament , inclinning to despise those about her .  And the voice again , — 'fire and sweetness , ' he said to himself .  ' Am I falling in love ?  ' he concluded , with and inward smile .  But he was glad when the Earl invited them to join the ladies .  He wanted to hear the harp-like tones , to study the character a little more .  He was fortunate .  The windows of the drawing-room opened on the terrace ; and a mild evening , with the moon making daylight all over the land and shimmering softly out at sea , drew them into the open air .  It was not a formal party .  Except Glanville , they were all old acquaintance ; and Mr. and Mrs. Truscombe were , that night , staying like the rest at Trelingham .  Tom Davenant went away to smoke with the clergyman ; the others fell into little groups ; and lady May , in her quality of hostess , came to Mr. Glanville where he stood with the Earl , and inquired whether he found his room comfortable .  Her father turned to her , ' Thank you so much , my dear , ' he said , ' for helping me to the name of St. Paphnutius .  What a wonderful memory you have !  I cannot remember names at all , and it gets one into such difficulties when one has to make a speech .  But you never forget them .  '  ' It is easier , ' said Lady May gently , ' to remember a name for you , papa , even if it is so out of the way as Paphnutius than to see you in trouble over it .  '  ' So , ' thought Glanville , ' she is not a church dictionary after all ; she is only an affectionate daughter .  I am glad of it .  '  Just then Lord Trelingham was called away .  The artist found himself alone with the lady , and was not a little surprised when , after a pause of a moment or two , she began , ' I fear Mr. Truscombe 'snew book will not be so agreeable to you as to the good man himself .  It is a pity the publication should occur just whem you are designing your plans for the great Hall .  '  Glanville could only say in some confusion , ' Really , I do n't know .  Why do you think so ?  Perhaps I did not show sufficient interest in the Life of King Arthur .  I hope I was not in any way rude to Mr. truscombe ?  '  ' Oh no , ' said Lady May ; ' but there was something you did not like .  My father is the most considerate of men , and admires art and artists .  But he does not quite , I think , enter into the nture of their work ; he does not know that inspiration is easily checked .  He would fancy that you and mr. Truscombe might , to some extent , combine your gifts in the decoration on which he has set his heart .  But if I understand — perhaps I do not — the quality of your painting , I should think it impossible for you to do so .  And I saw you were annoyed .  '  ' Well , ' said Glanville , half ashamed of himself , ' I was .  I may not have any inspiration to boast of ; and no doubt Mr. Truscombe could teach me about the local colour .  But I have always worked alone , and a partner would be unendurable to me .  At least , ' he continued , with a sort of laugh , ' there is only one from whom I ask advice , and I seldom take it then .  '  ' He must be a man of genius , ' said Lady May , not sarcastically , but as if she really thought so , ' for your painting has so much that is peculiar .  I cannot imagine two minds , much less two pairs of hands , engaged in it .  '  The artist felt astonished ; had this lady studied his works closely ?  And why was her admiration so unreserved ?  He answered :  ' My friend does not paint , but he knows all that has been done in painting , and everything else , I think .  His advice , like that of the demon of Socrates , is chiefly negative .  But it is the serverest criticism ; it takes down the studio walls and lets in the sun .  '  ' How very interesting !  ' cried Lady May ; ' and is he known ?  Has he written anything ?  '  ' Not a line .  He is quite unknown , and will never be famous .  '  They fell into silence .  The Earl did not return .  His daughter , as if absorbed in thought , looked out over the moor towards the distant sparkle of the waves .  At last she said again , ' I wonder by what secret association it is that one thinks of rain and storm on such an evening as this ?  There is not a cloud to be seen .  '  ' And are you thinking of rain and storm ?  ' said the artist .  ' My imagination , I suppose I must call it , has been whispering to me of rain since we came on the terrace .  Rain , coming down soft and steady , without a moment 'spause ; and the wind sighing through it , yet not blowing it away .  It is strange that fancy should play these tricks .  What is the association with a still landscape and radiant moon ?  '  'Contrast , ' said Glanville ; ' if we only knew why contrasts suggest each other , or why extremes meet .  It is too deep a philosophy .  But , ' he went on slowly , ' there is something in your description of dark rain and wind that reminds me of I know not what musician ; of some one who has put into his composition the voice of a long-continued , hopeless , weeping tempest , which sobs as though it would fain hush itself to sleep and could not .  '  ' Oh , ' said Lady May , looking pleased , ' have you those feelings when you hear music ?  Do you translate it into figures of people moving , scenery , a sense that you are journeying on and on into unknown lands ?  I am constantly doing so .  '  ' And I , too , ' replied he ; ' but in my fanciful accompaniment there are always battles .  mighty conflicts upon which the fate of the world seems to hanf .  Yes , it was a movement of Chopin 'sthat you described , the very spirit of the rain moaning to itself secretly .  Do you play ?  You may have the music .  '  ' Yes , I play , ' said the lady , ' and there are many of Chopin 'sworks in the drawing-room .  ' She turned and looked towards it .  No lights were visible .  The moon made a great square of silver where it shone in at the long windows opening to the ground .  ' Then , ' said Glanville , ' let me ask you to lay the rain-spirit with Chopin 'snocturne .  Let it weep itself to death on the piano .  '  They walked towards the entrance ; and as they were going in the Countess joined them .  ' May , ' she said , ' are you going to play ?  I want you to choose something that will take the moonlight out of my eyes .  It has made me quite sleepy ; and you must wake me up .  ' And she threw herself with the look of a tired child on a sofa near the open window .  ' No , karina , ' replied Lady May ; ' I shall send you to sleep now .  You can wake up afterwards .  ' Glanville lit the wax candles in a pair of antique sconces which adorned the piano .  Their feeble light left a deep shadow in the centre of the room .  The moon looked in at the window ; on the terrace outside nothing stirred .  It was a lovely scene , hushed in silence ; a world all fresh , calm , and beautiful , lifted up into night and poesy .  The music , found as soon as looked for , was opened ; Glanville stood by , to turn over the leaves ; and Lady May , seating herself , struck the opening chords .  A few bars of sad , slow meditation , passing into lament , into longing , expectancy , disappointment ; and then the sighing music seemed to gather the winds out of heaven , and breathe all its sorrow into them and send them wandering abroad ; and by and by , as the listner fancied , the skies had turned to rain , and all round were the falling showers , soft , steady , unbroken , as they had been pictured to him , every moment more sombre , blotting out the light .  He seemed to hear the thunderous harmonies with their muffed , threatening roll ; and fire came into the rain and struck through it ; and the music grew shrill and weird , only to sink down again into faint monotonous sobbing .  All at once , as it seemed coming to an end , there rose up as from the heart of the spent storm a human voice .  With not unlike cadence and alternation of feeling , now proudly defiant , now self-accusing and full of regret , now fainting to utter weariness , it in some way repeated and intensified the passionate throbbings of Chopin 'snocturne .  Glanville started from his reverie .  It was lady May , improvising as in subtle reminiscence of the notes before her a chant in some southern tongue , that recalled the phases of the strange composition and put upon them a definite and heart-shaking meaning .  The words were foreign to Glanville 'sear ; the accents of grief were not ; and he stood motionless and embarrassed , like one who witnesses an outbreak of unsuspected wildness where all has hitherto been self-control .  Lady May took no heed of him ; she had forgotten his existence it seemed , and she went on shaping , as he could not doubt , her words to the music , until in the gentlest whisperings of resignation they became softer and softer , and at last went out in silence .  It was like seeing the curtain fall on a tragedy .  ' Oh , May , ' cried the Countess , starting up , ' do you call that playing me to sleep ?  I am trembling all over .  Where did you find that horrible piece of music ?  It was enough to curdle the blood in one 'sveins .  Do you not think , ' she said to the artist , ' that my cousin ought to be ashamed of frightening us so ?  I always say she has the voice of a Medea , or a stage-murderess .  Do n't you agree with me ?  '  Glanville muttered dissent of acquiescence , it would be impossible to say which , and could not take his eyes off Lady May .  What sort of temperament was it that broke loose in such perilous fashion ?  Was it only te genius of an actress , metamorphosed by fate into an earl 'sdaughter , yet unable to subdue its natural longings and in this way satisfying them ?  A Medea !  There could be no question of it .  Were that untamable disposition to be roused , it would , while the frenzy lasted , be as little capable of pity as the tigress .  And yet how tender had some passages of the improvisation sounded !  He was at a loss ; he could not tell what to think , except that in this high-born , delicately-nurtured lady there were unknown possibilities of good and evil .  She met his glance , and said , with a shade of diffidence , ' I learned to improvise when I was a child in Italy ; and the pleasure of attempting it is sometimes irresistible .  I hope you were not frightened , like my cousin Karina .  She is terrified at everything .  '  ' Indeed , I am not , ' said Karina petulantly ; ' but I never could endure your grand style of singing — you know I adore you when you are quiet — since the day it made me fall off the steps at Genoa with surprise .  '  ' You were a silly child , ' said Lady May , ' and you fell because you would look back and make faces at me , instead of seeing where you were going .  ' And they both laughed at the remembrance .  The rest of the party now came in ; tea was handed by the orthodox ministers that accompanied the urn ; Lady May did all that could be required at the hands of an attentive daughter and hostess ; and Glanville struggled with an eerie feeling , as if he had seen her in the form of panther or tigress vanishing in the twilight , which had now succeeded on the moon 'sgoing down .  When he retired to his room the feeling was still upon him , uncanny , disagreeable .  He was not equal to much railway travelling , and fatigue soon sent him to sleep ; but in the dim caverns of unconsciousness he seemed again and again to hear the falling rain , drip , drip , drip , and the murmurs , fierce or tender , of unassuaged passion , its endless long-drawn sighings , till he sank into depths of slumber where no voice came .  CHAPTER III O RICHEST FORTUNE SOURLY CROST !  When Glanville awoke , rather late next morning , and glanced out of his window , he found that his dream had not been all a dream .  The early hours must have been stormy , for the air had a moist fragrance , and the foliage on every side seemed to be glistening with raindrops .  It would be an uncertain , changing day , rather dark than light , and not favourable for painting had he intended it .  But the painting of the Great Hall was a long way off .  He did not know whether his designs would meet with approval now that a professed ( and probably ridiculous ) antiquarian had come on the scene , to vex him with pedantic theories .  He knew that Lord Trelingham had in these matters sound sense and judgement , however little of either he might display where the ritual of his creed was concerned .  But he wanted no Mr. Truscombe to meddle ; and he was resolved to keep him at arm 'slength .  Whilst girding himself up with these and the like fierce thoughts of combat , he heard the breakfast-bell .  It was , for a wonder , sweet-toned and musical ; and , as he hurried down , he asked himself whether Lady May shared his intense dislike of gongs and other such barbaric instruments , and whether it was by her doing that the first morning-sounds were made pleasant to waking ears .  ' You see , ' he said , on wishing her good-morning , ' it was your prophetic sense that made you think of rain .  It seems to have come in good earnest .  Last night you must have heard it creeping over the sea .  '  ' Then I am a prophetess of evil , ' said Lady May , ' for there has not been such a storm this long while .  I could not sleep for the uproar it made .  '  ' No , ' said Tom Davenant , coming in , ' you are too nervous .  But have you seen what has happened in the picture-gallery ?  '  The Earl followed him in haste .  ' Oh , my dear May , ' he said , ' such a misfortune !  One of the windows in the picture-gallery blew in during the storm , and has been shattered to pieces .  And the portrait of Lady Elizabeth is ruined — utterly ruined .  '  Lord Trelingham never lost his temper at the worst of times .  He would have gone to the scaffold with placidity in a good cause .  But he looked exceedingly distressed now .  ' Lady Elizabeth 'sportrait , ' he murmured ; ' I should not have cared for any other .  '  ' Oh , father , what a pity !  ' said May in a feeling voice .  ' How sorry you will be !  Did it fall , or what was the accident ?  '  His distress instantly called out her sympathy .  ' Ruined , ruined !  ' her father reiterated .  ' It was found this morning by Redwood lying across some chairs ; the canvas not only scratched , but torn in several places , as if it had been paper , and the face of the portrait damaged worse than all the rest .  '  ' It must have been struck bodily from the wall , ' said Tom Davenant , ' by the window frame when it was blown in .  You never saw such confusion .  Glass , woodwork , and canvas all in a heap together .  But can nothing be done ?  Here is Mr. Glanville , ' he went on , turning to the artist ; ' he can tell us better than any one whether the harm can be put right .  '  ' I am at lord trelingham 'sservice , ' replied Glanville ; ' shall I go at once and examine the picture ?  '  ' You are very kind , ' said the Earl , ' but you must not stir till you have breakfasted .  There is no haste .  The workmen have boarded up the window , and laid the picture in a safe place .  '  There was a pause , during which , with subdued mien , the others addressed themselves to the duty of breakfasting .  But the Earl could scarcely eat .  ' We shall feel the loss of it , May , ' he said to his daughter in a husky voice .  ' You will feel it .  '  ' Never mind me , ' she answered ; ' if nothing can be done I shall know how to bear it .  But till Mr. Glanville has said restoration is impossible we ought to hope .  '  ' I have always thought the history was not concluded yet , ' he murmured as if to himself .  Lady May caught the words .  ' No history ever is , ' she said .  The meal ended they moved to the picture-gallery , a long , narrow apartment on the first floor , running half the length of the terrace and with an entrance from the Great Hall .  There were portraits on one side and windows on the other , with one in addition , that which had blown in during the storm , at the end .  Exclamations broke from the lips of all when the havoc met their eyes .  Fragments of the casement were lying on the polished floor , and mixed with them were great pieces of the heavy gilt moulding which had been shattered as the picture fell .  The canvas , rent in more than one place , was set upright against the wall where the light fell full on it .  When Glanville came up the others drew back .  He went close to the picture , and his first exclamation was one of intense surprise .  ' Why , ' he cried , ' it is a Spanish altar-piece .  '  ' And a family portrait , ' said the Earl .  ' I will tell you , ' he continued , with some hesitation , ' the history , or what I can of it , in time — but first examine its condition .  '  Glanville stepped back to take a general view .  The picture had been , undoubtedly , a masterpiece .  He did not recognise the painter .  But whoever he may have been , the school to which he belonged was manifest in the splendour of colouring , the bold design , and the deep religious earnestness that distinguished his composition .  An altar-piece it was , as the Earl said , — an Assumption of the Virgin , but altogether unlike that monotonous repetition which fills our galleries from London to Naples , of a single feminine figure , with a moon beneath her feet shaped to resemble a bent bar of yellow soap , while winged baby-heads float round her on clouds of milliner 'sgauze .  This picture combined the intense realism in the human forms which is characteristic of Spanish painting , with a transparent depth of air , a vastness of prospect , a visionary glory in the distance ; in seemed to draw out on every side as the artist gazed , and to lift him into the serene expanse through which the crowned Madonna rose towards heaven .  She did not float on stationary clouds , as though her journey were ended ; in the upward tending of the hands , in the sweeping forward of kingly messengers clad in glittering raiment and borne along upon eagles wings , as if to herald her coming ; in the whirlwind that seemed to take her waving garments , shot through with gold , as she was rapt away from this lower world , and to have caught up with her the attendant saints — a mighty company , in their pure white and crimson , — the sense of a quickening magnetic motion made itself felt , a rushing onward from sphere to sphere , while in the dim and starry distance portals shone half-opened , and round about them an awful faint-toned halo , like a cloud or a rainbow , hiding yet betokening the mystery that should be revealed .  A glorious work of genius , but ruined .  Yes , it was too true .  That which must have been the perfection of the whole , its central glory — the ecstatic countenance of the Virgin — was defaced , was almost beyond recognition .  The crown , with its jewelled light , could still be made out ; the Madonna 'sfeatures were gone .  ' How very lovely !  ' said Glanville after a long pause .  ' And how hopeless , I fear , to restore it !  Even if the canvas could be joined and the colouring touched again , how could the most daring painter reproduce the head of the Virgin ?  There is nothing to copy from , and , judging by the rest of the figure , it must have been a peculiarly striking and original face .  '  ' Oh , ' replied Lord Trelingham , ' we need be at no loss for an original , if the picture were otherwise capable of being restored .  You have only to look at my daughter , Lady May , and you will see the face that was vanished .  '  ' Indeed !  What an extraordinary thing !  ' cried the artist , turning from the picture to the lady , who stood blushing a little and with her eyes averted .  ' You were saying that this altar-piece , for such it is , was likewise a family portrait .  Did I hear the name of Lady Elizabeth ?  And it was like Lady May .  Yes , I can just fancy , when I look very closely into it , that there is left even now some shadow of resemblance .  But how comes it , if I may ask ?  Do tell me the story whilst I go on with my examination .  I cannot decide in a moment how this should be treated .  '  There was a pause .  The strangers who were present silently withdrew , leaving Lord Trelingham and his daughter with Mr. Glanville .  These three sat down in front of the picture .  ' You have a morning 'swork cut out for you , I should think , ' said Tom Davenant .  ' I will go round to the stables and come back in an hour or so , in case you want me .  ' And that unromantic youth , in whose ears the family chronicles had been repeated without their making the slightest impression on his memory , went off in his careless way with his hands in his pockets .  His cousin looked after him and smiled a little sarcastically .  Then she said , ' Well , papa , Mr. Glanville wants you to begin .  ' Her father seemed to be hesitating ; and one might have fancied that he did not wish to pursue the subject .  He said rather hastily , ' May , my dear , I am not very good at telling a story .  I hardly know where to begin .  The portrait came into my hands soon after my father 'sdeath , during the war of the Spanish succession .  ' He paused again , and with some agitation turned to the artist and laid his hand on his shoulder — ' My dear Mr. Glanville , ' he said , ' the associations this picture brings up to me are very painful ; much more so than my daughter has reason to suspect .  It is years since I spoke of them to any one .  But in the short time of our acquaintance , which , however , should be reckoned since I came to know your paintings rather than from the day when I first called at your studio , I have come to think of you , if you will allow me to say so , as a friend .  It is a sad story .  I do not know the whole of it , but I will endeavour to repeat the chief incidents .  '  Glanville was touched by the old man 'ssimplicity and kindly tone .  A soft light came into his eyes and his swarthy cheek grew ruddier as he murmured , ' You are very good to me , Lord Trelingham ; I shall be happy to do all in my power .  ' And Lady May looked pleased , and eager to hear what was coming .  ' I know , ' she said to Glanville , ' the picture is like my father 'ssister , who died before I was born , and I am told it is like me .  Colonel Valence brought it from Spain .  I have often wondered why he gave it to the family when he has never been a friend of ours .  '  ' He was a dear friend of mine once , ' replied her father .  ' If he was not so later , perhaps I am in a measure to blame .  But the past is past , and we can never recall it .  Let me tell you the history in a few words , Mr. Glanville .  '  He looked down , as if collecting his thoughts , and began in a low meditative voice , like one who watches the scenes of earlier days emerging into daylight , from the dim recesses where they hide , at his summoning .  ' Edgar Valence and I were boys together ; at home , where his father 'slittle estate joined Trelingham Chase , as you may see in your ride this afternoon ; at school , where he was my senior , and I counted it great good fortune that I was allowed to fag for him ; and at Cambridge , where he was so distinguished and I of so little consequence that to be noticed by him was enough to make one proud .  I thought him the finest fellow in the world ; I loved and admired him and everything he did , and took him as my pattern hero .  When he came down from the University my father welcomed him as much for his sake as for mine , and he was looked upon as one of ourselves .  It was a happy time , and I thought it would last for ever .  What a charm there was in his company , his bright fanciful talk , his quick reasoning , his decision and boldness of character !  It enchanted us all ; and my sister , Lady Alice Davenant , who was then a girl of seventeen , fell in love with him and he with her .  They found it out one Long Vacation when he was at home , and they made no secret of it .  My father , not unwillingly , gave his consent .  Edgar Valence had nothing to call wealth , but he was of ancient descent , great talent , and unblemished reputation .  He might be expected to win fame in the world if an opening were afforded him .  My sister need not have despaired of being one day a Prime Minister 'swife did she marry Edgar Valence .  The engagement was not announced .  Both the young people felt that a delay of some years was inevitable ; and Valence went back to pursue his studies at Cambridge .  ' He and I were of the same college , though in very different sets , for my tastes led me in the direction of religious and ecclesiastical subjects — in short , towards the movement which , beginning at Oxford , had now affected Cambridge also ; whilst his , I am sorry to say , had thrown him into society which , intellectual though it may have called itself , was frivolous and unbelieving .  Valence was a young man of the world ; he had never been a fervent Christian , and his studies and associations received that year an unfortunate bent , from which they never recovered .  He became an open , a violent atheist .  He said the most daring things , scoffed at the University authorities , took my own remonstrances by no means in the affectionate spirit which , I trust , dictated them , and saved himself from expulsion only by quitting Cambridge in a fit of passion and taking his name off the books .  He returned , a changed and deteriorated man , to his father 'shouse .  A ruined man , alas !  for it was well known why he had left the University ; and in those days unbelief roused a universal horror and was visited with social excommunication .  It is not so now , ' said Lord Trelingham , interrupting himself .  ' No , ' said Glanville , his eyes falling as he answered ; ' I suppose people are more used to it .  But how did the change affect Lady Alice ?  Did she also give him up ?  '  ' I will tell you , ' resumed the Earl .  ' When my father heard of this extraordinary and painful lapse in one towards whom he cherished the kindliest feelings , he sent for Valence and kept him at Trelingham nearly a week , doing his best by argument and exhortation to bring him into a more suitable frame of mind .  Lady Alice , who knew of what had taken place , joined her entreaties to her father 's; and her evident distress might have wrought upon a more decided temper than that of Edgar Valence , had pride for the moment not dulled his affection .  It proved all in vain .  During their reiterated and , as one may suppose , not very calm discussions , bitter words passed on both sides , and my father could never forgive the harsh , the blasphemous denial by Valence of all that Christians deem sacred .  My sister was no less horror-stricken ; I cannot , however , think she was much to blame if an affection begun in childhood survived even this rude trial .  When my father pointed out to Valence that while he continued an unbeliever his marriage with Lady Alice was out of the question , my sister silently acquiesced .  She did not pretend that her feelings had altered ; though she exhibited much self-control , she could not , in bidding her lover farewell , but whisper that she trusted the sky would clear again and all be as before .  Valence was free , she said , but she had given him her heart and could wait until he was worthy of it .  " That will never be , " replied my father with some anger .  " Valence has no heart himself , and what brain he has will bring him to little good .  If he cannot believe in God , you ought never to believe in him .  He will only deceive you .  " Valence said nothing , looked for an instant into Lady Alice 'sface , bowed haughtily to my father , and turned from the door .  Once , and once only , was he fated to cross that threshold again .  ' The engagement had been secret , and the secret was not told .  After a few days spent in moody seclusion under his father 'sroof , Edgar Valence disappeared ; and when I ran down at the end of term to Trelingham no one could inform me what had become of him .  I was more grieved than I cared to show , for my father 'sanger increased as time went on , and he forgot the pleasant ways of the boy to remember only that they had ended in unbelief and blasphemy .  Lady Alice never spoke of Edgar , and I was afraid to touch that quivering string , for I saw that she suffered .  Two years passed , and still no tidings came .  We had settled down into our accustomed ways , except that my father was now an invalid , and Lady Alice spent most of her time in attending to his comfort .  We were not unhappy together .  I began to think my sister would never marry , for she went into no society , and declined more than one brilliant proposal of marriage without assigning any reason .  I asked her one evening whether she thought Edgar Valence might return , whether she hoped it ; and she replied : " I cannot tell ; but when I gave him my promise it was once for all , and I will never break it .  " I argued that her promise was no longer binding , that Edgar himself had tacitly released her , since he neither came , nor wrote , nor gave sign that he was living .  I might have spared my pains ; they were thrown away upon her loyal and passionate nature .  Poor Alice !  ' said the Earl ; ' you often remind me of her , May , with your enthusiasm and poetic outbursts , and the steady look in your eyes .  There is a wonderful likeness between you and my sister when she was nineteen , in that troubled uncertain time which elapsed from the day of Edgar 'sdisappearance till we heard of him again .  '  ' Yes , ' replied Lady May , ' you did hear of him again , to be sure , and in a singular fashion .  I know that part of the story .  '  ' You know some of it , ' said Lord Trelingham .  ' I will now tell you the rest , so far as I can unravel this tangled skein .  On a certain morning , as we sat at breakfast and the letters were brought in , I noticed that a large one addressed to me seemed quite covered with travel-stains , and before I could think whose writing it was , the post-marks , which were very numerous , caught my attention , and I exclaimed , " A letter from Spain ; who can have sent it ?  " Lady Alice looked up from her own correspondence ; and as I held the letter out , she said with a kind of gasp , " It is from Edgar , " and sank fainting to the ground .  Great confusion ensued , as was natural ; my sister did not recover at once , and when she did her distress was piteous to see .  Joy and grief seemed to be struggling for the mastery ; she put out her hand as if to grasp the letter , and then , whispering like one upon whom a great fear has fallen , she said to me , " Look at the date .  It may be long ago , and perhaps , now , he is dead .  " I cannot express to you the passionate yearning she threw into her words , but I shall never forget them whilst I live .  She sat trembling , and I broke the seal .  It bore a date some twelve months back .  My father , who had been silent until now , though painfully agitated , took the letter from my hand as I was on the point of reading it , and said , " Alice , I promise that you shall hear everything in this which you ought to know ; but there may be — in short , your brother and I will read it first , and you meanwhile lie down in your own room and endeavour to compose yourself .  " She was led with tottering steps from the room .  Even in my haste I was obliged to open the letter carefully , for it was written on the thinnest paper and would have borne very little more ill-usage .  It began , — but stay , — I will bring you the strange document and you shall read its very words .  I have kept it among my papers .  ' And as he spoke the Earl rose and left the picture-gallery .  Lady May turned to the window and gazed out on the sky , which had in nothing abated of its sombreness ; in the heavens was a wild and shifting dance of clouds , directed , as it would seem , by an inconstant breeze , and upon the ear came a long low whisper from the waves which could be seen tossing on the beach and rolling out again to sea .  Glanville was deep in contemplation of the wreck before him .  ' No one , ' he said half aloud , ' can tell me what to do with this , except Ivor Mardol .  '  The lady came back at the sound of his voice .  ' And who is Ivor Mardol ?  ' she said .  Before he had time to answer Lord Trelingham entered .  He bore in his hand a yellow , dingycoloured epistle , which , when it was unfolded , almost fell to pieces .  He spread it out on a table near the window , for it was growing very dark , and said to the artist : ' Your young eyes will decipher this better than mine .  It is written , however , in a beautiful hand .  Edgar Valence did all things gracefully and was noted for his penmanship .  Will you read it aloud ?  My daughter knows part of the story , but never till this moment have I shown her Valence 'sletter .  '  CHAPTER IV THE FACE OF AN IMMORTAL  Glanville looked at the paper before him .  The ink was faded , and in places the lines were uneven ; but no one could mistake the exquisite character of the hand in which they were traced .  There was a date , which I shall not give .  But the letter began abruptly .  ' I do n't know , ' it said , ' by what name to address my old friend , who has perhaps injured me , and who no doubt thinks I have injured him .  What an age it seems since I left Trelingham !  And what an effort to write that word !  I meant to have done with it until I could come back and claim a promise I shall never , never forget .  Ah , Davenant , if you cared for me or her , if you could only understand how brave , how loyal-hearted she was on that day , when heaven and earth , her father and her religion , were against me , you would know whether a man who had once been assured of such an affection could surrender the hope of it .  But what am I doing ?  I may have but a moment before the fever comes on again and my brain takes fire .  And I have something to say , a task to fulfil , if my hurt is not too much for me .  Should I never rise off the bed where I am lying , it will be your task then , not mine .  This letter will reach you somehow .  My nurse tells me I ought not to write ; but I must , though I were dying .  The thing is so strange .  Excuse these cramped lines ; I can hardly see what I have written , my eyes pain me so .  It is the blow that wild fellow gave me across the forehead when I would not let him , — but I am telling the tale askew .  Let me try again .  ' This place is called Sepúlveda .  You never heard of it , I suppose .  A gloomy-sounding name , but a grand , romantic piece of country , some forty or fifty miles from Seville , on the spur of a mountain-range that I can see from my window , stretching across the horizon to the north like the drop-scene of a theatre .  I was brought here wounded , I do n't know how long ago .  A week , a month , an eternity , for all I can tell !  Down below in the valley I can see , too , the waters of a stream where they broaden into the deep pool of San Lucar .  The convent stands on the edge of the pool , and looks at it all day and all night ; for its great ruined windows are all on that side .  " The convent — what convent ?  " you ask .  It is called San Lucar , I tell you .  Ought you not , as a Tractarian , to know who San Lucar was ?  Did he not work miracles somewhere , and live in a cave , or on a column , or on nothing , for a couple of centuries ?  Well , I cannot tell you who this San Lucar may have been , for it is not the evangelist , but a local deity .  And he is dead , and his bones used to be kept in a shrine of fretted silver in a side-chapel , which , I should think , was always dark in spite of the lamps we saw burning all about it .  Oh , my head , my head !  I ramble on , as if I had a thousand years to tell this story .  ' You know I became an atheist and a democrat before I left Cambridge .  I do n't mean to hurt your feelings ; but the history must begin there .  And when I quarrelled with Lord Trelingham , and went home and spent a week brooding over my prospects , the thought struck me that I might as well join these Spaniards , who were doing a fine anti-Christian work since completed by Mendizabal , where it was much wanted , expelling monks , pulling down monasteries , turning the priests adrift , and burning up the foul rubbish that the Inquisition had heaped together and made holy .  '  Glanville , who had hesitated in his reading more than once , now came to a dead pause , and said to Lord Trelingham , ' Ought I to read all this ?  It can only give you pain .  '  ' Never mind , ' said the Earl ; ' I have read it too often to be pained now .  There is not much more of it ; and Valence says truly enough that it is necessary to the understanding of his adventure .  '  The artist read on : ' I sailed from England three days after quitting my home ; and in less than a month was enrolled among the volunteers who fought for progress and against Don Carlos .  I should like , if I had time , to describe some of our wild picturesque doings in the South .  Never had I imagined anything so frantic , strange , stirring ; such a droll medley of old-world romance and unwashed barbarism , of orange-groves , and moonlight , and harsh music , and dusty marches , and raging multitudes of men and women , of flying monks , and shrieking and dancing mobs , not only in the great squares , but in the churches and the long-inviolate cloisters ; and , in brief , as mad a world , with furious clamours , and a high burning sun to add to the excitement , as there ever was in the Middle Ages .  It deadened my feelings of loss to find all things around me going to ruin ; and I was reckless and even happy .  ' I do not mind acknowledging that the ruffian band , of which I became captain , — for promotion is rapid in these parts of the world , — were as savage and motley a crew as ever escaped hanging .  I often seemed to be living over Gil Blas on a grander scale , with all the riff-raff of centuries gathered round me and following the tattered banner of the Revolution .  But dirty work must be done with dirty tools .  These men were good enough to pull down a system that was worse than themselves ; for it pretended to have come from heaven , and they did n't much care whether they came from heaven or hell ; neither did they trouble as to which of the two would have them by and by .  They hated monkery , and they liked a wild life .  Certain of them , however , were fierce fanatics ; and one of these gave me trouble enough .  He was a stalwart young fellow , more gipsy , I should think , than genuine Spaniard .  He had been a monk in Jaen , and had run away from his monastery as soon as he got the chance .  How he delighted in breaking open church-gates , and smashing altars , and pulling the great images down from their pedestals !  You will not suppose I minded that !  There is only one mythology I would spare for its beauty — not the medieval , which is a fantastic dream , — but that calm old Greek world of loveliness , where the gods are the forms of Nature become breathing marble , and the heroes are daring and human , with their glorious limbs and fair faces .  They have no place in this half-African land brooded over by the sultry air from Sahara , and too hot and feverish to bring forth yellow-haired Greeks .  No , I looked on while the churches were defaced and their shrines plundered .  But my gipsy-monk would have gone much further .  He was , as you would say , no gentleman .  And he took my reprimands as sullenly as he dared .  ' It seems such a while , and yet again the picture is so distinct that it might have been yesterday , since we marched out of Seville towards San Lucar .  At this moment I have before my eyes the stains upon a great square flagstone , near a church we passed , where a priest had lately been killed by the mob .  Felayo , the gipsy , pointed them out to me , and said , " I wish I had been there .  " But he added , " We shall catch some of them , if they have not taken to their heels , at San Lucar .  " For that secluded convent we were making .  It was served by a number of clergy , who lived , all except the chaplain of the nuns , up here at Sepúlveda ; for it was not a convent of men .  What led us to make such a long expedition was the knowledge that San Lucar had never been spoiled , nor its cloister invaded , even by the French during the Peninsular War ; and although its treasures were at that time hidden for safety , they had come to light again and were worth seizing .  And then , the delight of ruining an untouched shrine — these were spolia opima to draw us on !  We marched somewhat leisurely , as Southerns will ; but as nobody in Seville quite knew which way we were going , and any one of a dozen convents might have been our attraction , we gained San Lucar without a rumour of the impending catastrophe reaching the good sisters .  They were at their beads from morning till night ; and , as we marched up the valley late in the afternoon , we could hear the loud voices of the priests chanting one of their evening services .  We had come in three days , but had left stragglers on the road , and were now a company of a hundred and twenty .  ... I cannot continue .  The pen drops from my hand .  '  Glanville naturally paused again .  Lady May , who had given him the closest attention , said , in a sort of impatience , ' Please go on .  ' And he resumed :  ' It is some days since I broke off , ' said the manuscript ; ' I wonder when I shall finish , or whether I shall at all .  I have been asleep , they tell me , and raving a good deal in an unknown tongue .  No one here understands English .  But they have caught a name which I seemed to be incessantly repeating — her name !  Ay de mi !  Let me make an end .  But what are the words that some one is faintly singing under my window ?  I can just make them out .  Apt enough they sound to me , — listen — " 'Las venas con poca sangre , Los ojos con mucha noche .  " Little blood in the veins , and heavy night upon the eyelids .  I must hasten while I may .  We did nothing that evening except to keep the passes of the valley .  It was known outside the convent that we had come , and why ; but the peasants had been cowed by the revolutionary frenzy of the towns , and we neither expected resistance nor much cared if it were attempted .  We were stirring next day with the sun .  What a glorious morning broke over the valley and the stream , and drove back the darkness towards the mountains as with a single sweep of some glittering sword in heaven !  Such a clear light came over the white monastery walls , and was reflected from the lake as we marched up to the huge wooden gates that divided the cloister from the world without .  Felayo beat upon them with his thundering club , which had shattered so many before .  But they stood unshaken , and we saw that if we were to enter at that point we must open with a regular assault .  As we hesitated to begin one of the men cried out that the church doors would be easier .  That great building stood outside the cloister and opened on the public highway .  We marched hastily towards it ; and what was our surprise when we drew near to distinguish the solemn sounds of choral chanting and organ accompaniment within !  " They are singing Mass , " cried Felayo ; " I suppose they would like to win the crown of martyrdom , as their good ancestors did when the wicked Moors slew them ; " and again he raised his club , this time with effect , against the sacred gates .  One blow drove in the rusty lock , a second and a third , aided by the pikes of the rest , broke the framework in pieces , and with yells of rage and triumph the men rushed in .  ' Far away , in the dim light , we saw the priests in their vestments at the altar , and ranged on each side in the stalls choristers in white , holding books from which , though now in trembling tones , they were singing .  Just as we entered the voices fell silent ; the organ , which stood away in some recess , took up a softer strain ; and I saw the chief priest kneel , then rise again quickly , and lift up the host on high to be adored by the prostrate throng .  As if maddened at the sight , Felayo , who had paused a moment , went wildly up the church , calling on us to follow , leaped the silver altar-rails , and struck down the priest where he stood .  In an instant all was confusion .  Felayo swept the sacred vessels from the altar ; and , as the choristers ran out from their stalls in deadly terror , some to rescue the priest from being trampled on , others to take up their holy things which lay on the ground , and one or two of the bolder spirits to thrust back Felayo , I looked up and beheld that miscreant standing on the altar like a conquering demon .  Hideous he seemed , with swarthy face and malignant flashing eyes , his arm again uplifted for destruction , and his voice ringing through the church in a defiant shriek .  And as I lifted my eyes the clear morning light came in through the windows of the chancel , flooding the space above him ; and I saw , as in a vision of glory , a face that I knew , with an expression that was all tenderness and divine tranquillity , shining down on the confusion unmoved , and a host of figures in glorious raiment about it .  " Alice !  " I cried , and sprang upon the altar , as Felayo lifted his head and caught sight of the picture .  For it was a picture , not a vision or a dream .  Above the altar , like the tutelary saint of the place , depicted in mysterious attitude and with the symbolism of some Catholic doctrine , Alice , whom I had left in England , of whom I dreamt day and night , was before my eyes ; and her glance seemed to go through my very heart .  I stood bewildered ; the next moment I was recalled to myself by Felayo 'svoice , as he thundered out , " Ho , comrades , mount up here and pull down this Virgin of the monks .  " I caught him by the throat and flung him to the ground , leaping after him as he fell .  " Down , dog , " I shouted ; " you shall not touch the picture .  " He was so taken aback by the unexpected assault that for a little while he stared at me without answering .  Then , gathering himself up for a spring , he strove to get from under my hand ; but I held him fast by the throat , and while the others came round in amazement , I cried out , " You may pull the church to pieces and plunder what you will , but this Madonna remains sacred .  I claim it for myself .  " I cannot say what they thought of me , but none were so fanatical as the gipsy , and they seemed to respect my whim , for they drew back and began to form into parties to despoil the rest of the church and invade the convent .  Even whilst I knelt with Felayo in my grasp , I could see the nuns , who were separated by a carved screen from the body of the church , as they stood shivering in the midst of their cloistered aisle , uncertain whether to flee or remain .  Felayo turned himself under me .  " Let me go , " he said ; " I will not touch your accursed picture .  " — " Do you promise ?  " I asked .  He answered through his teeth , " Yes , I promise .  " I allowed him to rise to his feet ; but , no sooner had he done so , than , drawing his sword , he slashed me across the forehead , and had not my peaked cap partly warded the blow , that would have been the end of Edgar Valence .  I was , however , only half-stunned , and with a rapidity equal to his own , I drove the sword I held in my hand through the villain 'sheart .  With a frightful roar of pain he fell dead beside the priest whose life , in the crush and confusion , had been trampled out of him .  ' Meanwhile , the invaders were breaking down the cloister , tearing from their places silver lamps and the precious gates of the various shrines , rending the vestments to pieces , and hurling the great crucifixes to the ground .  The noise , the riot , were indescribable .  I appointed a couple of men to guard the high altar ; and seeing what was likely to happen now the soldiers were getting infuriated , I made my way over the fallen screen into the nuns 'cloister , and endeavoured to restore a little order amid the confusion .  I told the sisters they were free to depart , but that resistance was impossible .  If they wished to be dealt with kindly , let them go to Sepúlveda and prepare lodgings and refreshments for the wounded , of whom there were several on both sides .  For the younger priests , when their blood was up , did not hesitate to grapple with the soldiers .  There is always in the Spanish temper a wild devil to be roused ; and these sons of the sanctuary were as eager for the fray as their assailants , after they had seen their mass interrupted and the priest flung down .  But they had no weapons , except the fragments of the woodwork and church furniture ; and in no long time they were overpowered .  When the high altar was understood to be my share of the spoils , a general rush was made towards the chapel of San Lucar .  I followed out of curiosity , for I could not bring myself to lay a profane hand upon anything in a place where Alice seemed to be gazing at me , and with her heavenly presence reproving my unhallowed thoughts .  I saw the shrine dismantled , the dust of the saint scattered where his worshippers had knelt for ages to ask his intercession , the lamps quenched and borne away by the soldiery , the huge windows broken , and the church from end to end made a wreck , — all things in it ruined save the exquisite vision looking down upon the high altar .  The men ate and drank about the place , and jeered their prisoners , and would have quarrelled over the spoil , had not an order come towards mid-day from Seville , directing us to quit the convent and take up our quarters in Sepúlveda .  ' I was greatly embarrassed , for I would not leave the portrait of Alice to the mercy of the new imagebreakers ; and yet go we must .  In this perplexity , one of the wounded priests whispered to me that , if I wished to save the Virgin , there was a secure place under the altar where it might be hidden .  Let me send the rest away and he would show me .  I thought the matter out for a while .  We could not get the wounded to Sepúlveda without mules , of which we had very few .  Whatever was to be done must be done at once ; but to stay for the wounded could not be an infringement of orders .  I sent men off to find means of transport ; and , keeping only three whom I knew to be loyal fellows , when the church was cleared I bade the priest show me the hiding-place of which he spoke .  He was badly hurt , but he contrived to reach the altar , and touching the great slab at which mass had been said , he made it move out of its place noiselessly .  There was a dry vault underneath , and several huge coffers in it where treasure had once been stored .  If the altar were broken down , the vault would be discovered ; otherwise , it was safe enough .  We unfastened the great picture , not without difficulty , from its place on the wall ; covered it with remnants of the heavy silk hangings ; and were so fortunate as to come upon a chest which would hold it under lock and key .  I took possession of the key , which is now under my pillow , and will never leave me till the picture is removed to some fitter resting-place .  The priest explained to me the secret of the spring ; and the great slab , revolving once more , concealed from the returning soldiery what we had done .  ' They were anxious to get off with their booty ; we left the convent — bare , a habitation for the beasts of the field , and a shelter for owls and other night-birds ; and by the evening our men were lodged in Sepúlveda .  My head was aching from the sword-stroke of Felayo ; I could get no farther than the farmhouse where I am now lying .  I know that I have had an attack of brain-fever .  The detachment I commanded has gone , I cannot say on what errand ; for it went in haste , leaving me to my fate .  These good nuns look upon me as a guardian angel ; all they saw was that I protected their Madonna from destruction and themselves from insult .  They are not aware that I helped to overturn many a shrine before I came to San Lucar .  They tell me I have been near dying .  Why not ?  Should I live , is there any prospect for me ?  The vision of Alice forbids me to join my old companions ; I cannot bear to think that I might see her face again , looking down on me in the next sanctuary I profaned .  All I desire is to rescue the canvas whereon she breathes and lives , and return with it to England .  If I die before this can be accomplished , I charge you to see to it .  The convent will never be dwelt in again ; and you will have small difficulty in securing this miraculous piece of driftwood .  What its history may be , I do not know .  I have been too weak to put any questions about it ; and these sisters , though well-meaning , are extremely ignorant .  I doubt that they could tell me the true story ; legends , of course , they have in plenty .  ' Davenant , if I get well , you must prepare Lord Trelingham to receive me , if only once , within his threshold .  I will not entrust the portrait of Alice to another .  But when I have put it into his hands , I will turn again and he shall see me no more until he welcomes me as his daughter 'shusband .  ' Thank the kind fates that have suffered me to write this .  I am dead tired .  I shall sleep now ; and perhaps never waken .  But this letter , at all events , will reach you .  Say to Alice , — ah no , you will give her no message from me .  I hear the voice singing again the self-same words beneath my window — " Las venas con poco sangre , Los ojos con mucha noche , Lo halló en el campo aquella , Vida y muerte de los hombres .  " How pretty these old Spanish romances are !  But it was not in the field that either love or death found me ; yet , weak though I may be , I am strong enough to meet my fate , come when and how it will .  E .  V .  '  There was no other signature .  CHAPTER V BUT THOU TO ME ART MORE THAN ALL !  ' Was I not right , ' said the Earl , ' in calling that a strange letter ?  As you have read it to me , so did I read it to my father , keeping an anxious eye on the door at which Lady Alice had gone out , and every moment dreading her return .  What could we say to her ?  Was it possible to hide Valence 'sdanger , or the likelihood of his arrival at Trelingham ?  Breaking a heavy silence , my father observed , " This has taken almost a year to reach its destination .  Should Valence be still living , we must expect him in England soon ; nor can I decline to accept , even from his hands , a portrait which has long been wanting in our gallery .  " I looked at him in surprise .  " What !  " I said ; " has not Valence dreamt the whole story ?  His letter was written during an access of brain-fever ; and must we not suppose that his constant brooding on the loss of my sister , combined with reminiscences of the legend of Lady Elizabeth , has shaped his fancies to this extraordinary result ?  " — " No , " replied my father ; " Valence must have done what he describes .  Either he never knew or has forgotten the story of Lady Elizabeth .  You see he does not once refer to it .  " '  ' And may I ask , ' said Glanville , ' what is the legend of Lady Elizabeth ?  '  ' I will tell you , ' replied his host .  ' Ours , my dear Mr. Glanville , is not itself a very ancient peerage .  It dates from Charles II .  , when Sir William Davenant became Viscount Davenant and Earl of Trelingham .  But in his wife was represented a much older line ; and it was chiefly by reason of his marriage with her that Sir William was raised to the House of Lords .  She was the last of that old West Country stock , the Trelinghams of Trelingham .  Her father died abroad during the usurpation of Cromwell ; and his brothers — the family were Roman Catholic — had taken orders at Rome and St. Omer , but died before him .  Hence the title of Trelingham became extinct .  But Lady Elizabeth inherited in her own right the estates which had gone with it ; and she was in a convent when her father died .  The family chronicles add that the convent was in Spain , but not the name or precise situation .  She was on the point of taking the veil , and had she done so , there is no doubt the estates of Trelingham would have passed to the Commonwealth .  She was persuaded , therefore , to return home .  Her nearest relative , a Protestant cousin , sought her hand ; but he was grasping and ambitious , and twenty years older than the lady .  She refused him , and bestowed herself and Trelingham on Sir William Davenant , who , though not of her faith , was chivalrous enough to respect it .  She loved him so well that , in course of time , she joined our communion , and her children were brought up in the doctrine of the English Church .  She died young , however , and the story ran that she repented of having changed her religion .  Certain it is that a mystery attached to Lady Elizabeth — the name by which she was usually designated in honour of the ancient line .  She would never allow her portrait to be painted ; and when I was a boy its place in the gallery — at the very spot where we are now sitting — was indicated by a purple veil on which in black letter was inscribed the name of Elizabeth , Countess of Trelingham , with the dates of her birth and decease .  What was the explanation ?  Well , here Valence 'sstory came in .  It was said that , when a girl at her Spanish convent , Lady Elizabeth had been chosen , by a painter whose name we never heard , to represent the Virgin in a great altar-piece ; and that an instinct of reverence , mingled perhaps with remorse , determined her never to allow , for ends of pride or vanity , that countenance to be depicted by a worldly artist , which had been dedicated to religion and enshrined above an altar .  We did not often repeat the legend ; we had no picture to show , and assuredly we did not dream that a resemblance existed between the features of my sister and those of her far-away ancestress .  Valence 'sletter was a revelation .  ' While we talked Lady Alice came back , looking so pale that I ran to her , expecting her to faint in my arms .  She thanked me in a feeble voice , but declared that she was strong enough to bear anything save uncertainty .  I gave her the letter ; she sat down and was absorbed in it , reading with eager haste , turning back sometimes as though fearing to lose a word , and quite unmindful of our presence .  She uttered no exclamation when he spoke of seeing her above the altar ; she was too intent on the sequel , and I dreaded to see her come to his last words .  As she did so a fit of shuddering seized her .  But with a strong effort she mastered her emotion , and saying only , " I will wait , I will wait , " she let the paper fall to her feet and came and put her arms about our father 'sneck .  " Papa , " she said , " do not fear me ; I will be a good daughter .  Only let , let Edgar come .  He will not be so unbelieving then .  See how this strange thing has softened him .  By and by he will follow your advice , and we shall be happy .  " Her voice broke , her eyes streamed with tears .  " Very well , " my father replied , " if he comes I will see him .  But you must be patient .  " — " I will , I will , " she whispered , and took up the letter again and was lost in it .  ' Patience !  It was a wise word .  The months passed and he did not arrive .  My sister was falling into a decline , my father hastening to his grave ; and , I confess it with shame , I had fierce thoughts about Edgar Valence .  Why did he not write ?  But perhaps he had expired at Sepúlveda .  I did not think so .  I hated him .  ' On a dark cold evening in November , when the snow was lying deep , my father breathed his last .  We buried him on the bleak hillside , which looks almost as cold and dark this morning .  ' And , interrupting himself , the Earl pointed out to Glanville where the old gray church of Trelingham rose up from the precipitous shore , with the green churchyard and the mounds of the dead on every side of it .  He resumed : ' The next day , late in the afternoon , as I was seated in my study , and Lady Alice was reclining in her own room , too much exhausted to move , a stranger was announced .  He gave no name I bade them show him into the drawing-room .  I entered , and my eyes fell on Edgar Valence .  Through the windows I could see that it was snowing fast .  ' He stood wrapt in furs , bareheaded , and immovable , with the scar quite plain on his forehead .  When he saw me , his movement testified surprise .  " I asked to see Lord Trelingham , " he murmured .  Then he observed that I wore deep mourning .  " Is any one dead ?  " he cried excitedly ; " is Alice — ?  " I interrupted him .  " Lord Trelingham is dead , not my sister .  What is you business , Mr. Valence ?  " The words were cold and unfriendly , but I was much moved .  He looked like one risen from the grave ; his soldierly bearing could not disguise the feebleness of his health .  He had suffered , and the sword-stroke of Felayo had been almost fatal .  But he must not see Alice .  " Did my letter from Sepúlveda reach you ?  " he inquired .  " Yes ; but why did you not write again ?  " He smiled .  " When I quitted my farmhouse , " he said , " I took service in the regular army .  I was wounded again , taken prisoner , carried into Estremadura , and did not escape till seven weeks ago .  Why should I have written ?  Would Alice have seen my letters ?  "  " ' I do not know , " was my answer ; " but had you come in my father 'slifetime , for her sake he would have granted you an interview .  He would have done no more ; and , Valence , unless you are changed neither will I .  "  ' He answered , alas !  in his old firm voice , " I am not changed ; do not think it .  Nor is my love for Alice .  "  ' " Be it so , " was my reply , " then you may look for the same course from me that my father would have pursued .  "  ' " And what is that , may I ask ?  "  ' I knew very well the answer I meant to give .  It was imperative on me as a son and a Christian ; but it would cost me a sharp pang to utter it , when I thought of my poor sister lying dangerously ill , without heart or hope , and the desolate future before us .  I delayed the fatal moment .  Instead of replying , I said to Valence , " Did you return to San Lucar , as you hoped ?  " — " Return ?  " he cried ; " had I not returned and brought away the portrait , do you think I should have ventured hither to-day ?  The picture is waiting at your lodge gates .  Will you receive it ?  Will you tell some of your servants to bring it up ?  Do you know anything about it ?  "  ' I told him the story as briefly as I could .  He was surprised and attentive .  " Why , " he said , " this , if I believed in a special Providence , should be a decisive intimation that Alice and I were made for one another .  You grant it , surely , Davenant .  "  ' I shook my head .  " There are coincidences , " I answered , " which have an evil purport .  I cannot think , if you are unchanged , that this will come to good .  "  ' I gave the order he suggested .  While we sat speechless — for what could we touch upon that would not be painful ?  — awaiting the return of the servants with the picture , I became more and more uneasy lest my sister should come in .  And what was to be the end ?  On such a night I could not turn my bitterest enemy from the door .  Edgar Valence to sleep at Trelingham Court , the night after my father 'sfuneral !  It was strange , it was most undesirable , yet I saw no way out of it .  I could not help asking him , " How long have you been in England ?  My father 'sdeath was announced six days ago .  "  " 'Very likely , " he replied ; " I landed at Plymouth that very day , and came with the utmost speed hither .  At first I thought of preparing you for my arrival .  But you might have declined seeing me , and I judged it better to take you by surprise and trust to the generous impulses " — he spoke with frank courtesy ; how winning I used to think it !  — " which have always seemed to me inherent in the family of Trelingham .  I saw no one — I was not aware of your father 'sillness , much less of what has happened .  "  ' The men were coming in slowly with their burden .  I could not but think , as the door opened , of another and a sad burden that had been carried out yesterday .  I would not have them stay in the hall , or go up to the picture-gallery ; and the tall package was set up against a bookcase in my study .  Lamps were kindled , and Valence and I , with equal agitation , tore off the coverings , and the Madonna of San Lucar broke upon my view .  At first , like Valence , I saw nothing of the accessories which are all that is now left of the painting .  It was the face I sought ; and oh !  how strangely it resembled Alice when she was yet untouched by grief and all her thoughts were of the innocent home in which she had been brought up , or of the heavenly world that religion unfolded to her .  I gazed and gazed .  Can you realise what it is to have the dead beautiful past resuscitated , as at a stroke — the past , which you deemed irrevocable ?  I felt pity and deep regret , and a kind of protest that these things should be — a young life faded and marriage impossible .  The fate of Alice , of Edgar Valence himself , scarred and maimed as he came before me , our friendship turned to estrangement — it was too much .  I knew not how to speak , or what to do ; and when Valence , laying his hand on my shoulder , said , " Do you think I can live without seeing her ?  — have pity on me , " I could only reply that in the morning they should meet , and then — then , if she held to her promise , I would do all that a brother should .  ' On this understanding we parted for the night .  I went to my own chamber , he to his , but there was no sleep for either of us .  How was I to reconcile my father 'swishes and the honour of a family which had ever been true to Church and King , with the opinions , the character , the inclinations of Valence ?  Lord Trelingham , it is true , had exacted no promise from me ; and my sister , though not of age , wanted so few months of it that to all intents she might be deemed her own mistress .  But the very existence of our house was at stake .  Who could say that the succession to name and property would not pass to my sister 'sissue ?  There was no other relative but a distant cousin , and he unmarried , and what if her children were brought up atheists and democrats ?  I shuddered at the thought , and my former resolution shone out in the clearest light of reason as of religious duty .  But , on the other side , was my sister 'shappiness , perhaps her life .  ' With the morning came another anxiety .