de Clifford had not been heard from for many a year. " Might ' he gain a moment's audience of the Lady de Clifford ?" The lady died soon after her lord's departure. " Could he speak with Adam Henrid ?" The good senes-chal had been long dead. His voice faltered as he inquired for Rosamond. An ominous silence was the only reply. " And Jaqueline, the lady's maid ?" She, too, lay in her grave. He ran his eye along the group, and said with a look of embarrassment and pain, "There is none to welcome my return. It was not so in the good days when my lord and my lady rode forth to the chase with their gallant train, and the sound of feast-ing and wassail resounded in the castle hall. Remains there none of Lord "Walter's ,kin to offer welcome or charity in our lady's name ?" A proud boy stepped forth among the listeners, and with princely courtesy extended his hand. " Come with me, holy father," said he, " it shall never be said, that a pilgrim went hungry and weary from the castle of the Cliffords." "With a step that accorded better with his impatience than his assumed character, Henry followed the lad to an inner apartment, where a repast was soon spread before him. As soon as the servants had with-drawn he entered into conversation with his young host. " Thou art a De Clifford," said he, as though it were an undoubted fact. " "What is thy name ?" " William," re-plied the youth ; " and this clerk," pointing to a fair boy who sat reading in the deep embrasure of the window, " is my brother Geoffrey." " And how long have you dwelt at the castle ?" " Some winters," replied the boy, after a mo-ment's hesitation. "Who brought you hither?" "We came with Jaqueline, from our cottage in the wood." " And where is your mother ?" said Henry, making a despe-rate effort to speak with calmness. " She went with Jaque-line so long ago, that Geoffrey does not remember her." " And your father ?" said Henry, with increased agitation. " Jaqueline said our father was a king, and we must never leave the castle till he came for us." "And why did Ja- 12 ELEANOR. 177