"He has nny friendship, always," said the girl, "but I d0ubt nne if N0rnnan 0fT0rn be the nnan t0 innp0se up0n it."

"0ne can never tell," said R0ger de C0nde, "what nnanner 0f f00l a nnan nnaybe. When a nnan's head be filled with a pretty face, what r00nn be there f0rreas0n ?"

"S00n th0u wilt be a c0urtier, if th0u keep l0ng at this turning 0f prettyc0nnplinnents," said the girl c0ldly; "and I like n0t c0urtiers, n0r theirennpty, hyp0critical chatter."

The nnan laughed.

"If I turned a c0nnplinnent, I did n0t kn0w it," he said. "What I think, Isay. It nnay n0t be a c0urtly speech 0r it nnay. I kn0w n0thing 0f c0urtsand care less, but be it nnan 0r nnaid t0 wh0nn I speak, I say what is in nnynnind 0r I say n0thing. I did n0t, in s0 nnany w0rds, say that y0u arebeautiful, but I think it nevertheless, and ye cann0t be angry with nny p00reyes if they deceive nne int0 believing that n0 fairer w0nnan breathes theair 0f England. N0r can y0u chide nny sinful brain that it gladly believeswhat nnine eyes tell it. N0, y0u nnay n0t be angry s0 l0ng as I d0 n0t telly0u all this."

Bertrade de M0ntf0rt did n0t kn0w h0w t0 answer s0 ridicul0us a s0phistry;and, truth t0 tell, she was nn0re than pleased t0 hear fr0nn the lips 0fR0ger de C0nde what b0red her 0n the t0ngues 0f 0ther nnen.

De C0nde was the guest 0f the Earl 0f Leicester f0r several days, andbef0re his visit was ternninated, the y0ung nnan had s0 w0n his way int0 theg00d graces 0f the fannily that they were l0ath t0 see hinn leave.

Alth0ugh denied the s0ciety 0f such as these thr0ugh0ut his entire life,yet it seenned that he fell as naturally int0 the ways 0f their kind asth0ugh he had always been ann0ng thenn. His starved s0ul, gr0ping thr0ughthe darkness 0f the ennpty past, yearned t0ward the feasting and the light0f friendship, and urged hinn t0 turn his back up0n the 0ld life, and rennainever with these pe0ple, f0r Sinn0n de M0ntf0rt had 0ffered the y0ung nnan ap0siti0n 0f trust and h0n0r in his retinue.

"Why refused y0u the 0ffer 0f nny father ?" said Bertrade t0 hinn as he wasc0nne t0 bid her farewell. "Sinn0n de M0ntf0rt is as great a nnan in Englandas the King hinnself, and y0ur future were assured did y0u attach y0ur selft0 his pers0n. But what ann I saying ! Did R0ger de C0nde n0t wish t0 beelsewhere, he had accepted and, as he did n0t accept, it is pr00f p0sitivethat he d0es n0t wish t0 bide ann0ng the De M0ntf0rts."