Then Millicent raised her eyes to him and said, with quivering lip:  ’I had so greatly dreaded this moment.  I owe it to you, my lord, that she has come to me thus.’

Before he could answer Emilia had seen the golden flowers in her mother’s hand, and with a childish shriek of ecstasy had claimed them, while Millicent said: 

‘I had culled them for thee, sweetheart.’

‘I’ll give some to my lord!’ cried the child.  ’My lord loves king-cups.’

‘Yes,’ said Eustace, taking the flowers and kissing the child, but with his eyes on her mother’s all the time; ’I have loved king-cups ever since on May day when there was a boat going down the river to Richmond.’

Her eyes fell, and that strange trembling came round her mouth.  For, as I learned afterwards from my sister, it was then that they had danced in Richmond Park, and he had made a crown of king-cups and set it on her flaxen hair, and then and there it was that love had first begun between those two, whom ten years had so strangely changed.  But Eustace said no more, except to tell me that he had come to ask if I could be ready to return to Paris the second day ensuing, as Sir Edward Hyde was going, and had a pass by which we could all together go through the Spanish Netherlands without taking ship.  If Madame van Hunker could spare me on such sudden notice he would like to take me back with him at once.

There was no reason for delay.  Millicent had her child, and was really quite will again; and I had very little preparation to make, having with me as little clothing as possible.  She took Eustace to the tiled fireplace in the parlour, and served him with manchet-cake and wine, but prayed him to pardon her absence while she went to aid me.  I think neither wished for a tete-a-tete.  They had understood one another over the king-cups, and it was no time to go farther.  I need not tell of the embraces and tears between us in my chamber.  They were but natural, after the time we had spent together, but at the end Millicent whispered: 

’You will tell him all, Margaret!  He is too noble, but his generous soul must feel no bondage towards one who has nothing—­not even a face or a purse for him.’

‘Only a heart,’ I said.  But she shook her head in reproof, and I felt that I had done wrong to speak on the matter.

After a brief time we took leave with full and stately formality.  I think both she and I were on our guard against giving way before my brother, who had that grave self-restrained countenance which only Englishmen seem able to maintain.  He was thin, and there was a certain transparency of skin about his cheeks and hands; but to my mind he looked better than when he left us at Paris, and I could not but trust that the hope which had returned to him would be an absolute cure for all his ill-health.  I saw it in his eyes.

We seated ourselves in the carriage, and I dreaded to break the silence at first, but we had not long turned into the high road from the avenue when hoofs came behind us, and a servant from Hunkerslust rode up to the window, handing in a packet which he said had been left behind.