“April brought a burst of early summer; and, on the first day of May, I set off for Windsor.

“Passing through Carnforth on my way, I found the town keeping high holiday.  I asked the reason, and was told of a Tourney now in progress in the neighbourhood, to which the Earl had that morning ridden in state, accompanied by his Countess, who indeed was chosen Queen of Beauty, and was to sit enthroned, attended by her little daughter, two tiny sons acting as pages.

“A sudden mad desire came on me, to look upon thy face again; to see thee with the man who stole thee from me; with the children, who should have been mine own.

“Ten minutes later, I rode on to the field.  Pushing in amid the gay crowd, I seemed almost at once to find myself right in front of the throne.

“I saw the Queen of Beauty, in cloth of gold.  I saw the little maiden and the pages in attendance.  I saw Humphry, proud husband and father, beside them.  All this I saw, which I had come to see.  But—­the face of Humphry’s Countess was not thy face!  In that moment I knew that, for seven long years, I had been fooled!

“I started on a frenzied quest after the truth, and news of thee.

“Thy sister Eleanor had died the year before.  To thy beautiful castle and lands, so near mine own, Eleanor’s son had succeeded, and ruled there in thy stead.  He being at Court just then, I saw him not, nor could I hear direct news of thee, though rumour said a convent.

“Then I remembered my cousin, Alfrida, lying sick at her manor in Chester.  To her I went; and, walking in unannounced—­I, whom she had long thought dead—­I forced the truth from her.  The whole plot stood revealed.  She and Eleanor had hatched it between them.  Eleanor desiring thy lands for herself and her boy, and knowing children of thine would put hers out of succession; Alfrida—­it shames me to say it—­desiring for herself, thy lover.

“The messenger who brought the letters was bribed to give details of thy supposed marriage.  On his return to England, my letters to thee and to Humphry he handed to Eleanor; also a lying letter from ’Frida, telling of her marriage with me, with the Queen’s consent and approval, and asking Eleanor to break the news to thee.  The messenger then mingled with thy household, describing my nuptials in detail, as, when abroad, he had done thine.  Hearing of this, my poor Love did even as I had done, sent for him, questioned him, heard the full tale he had to tell, and saw, alas! no reason to misdoubt him.

“By the way, my cousin ’Frida knew where to lay her hand upon that clerkly fellow.  Therefore we sent for him.  He came in haste to see the Lady Alfrida, from whom, during all the years, he had extorted endless hush-money.

“I and my men awaited him.

“He had fattened on his hush-money!  He was no longer lean and out at elbow.

“He screeched at sight of me, thinking me risen from the dead.