Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

8
"Ton must remember flint you nre my wards, by the queen's
command," said tiie earl ini'ormat.oii which both heard in si-
Iflnoe.
Preparations for departure began to be made.
Walter was really glad, lie was weary of the gloom and painful
associations of his home ; and as lie was not to be master,
be felt it preferable to submit to the earl e'sewhere than in
his ancestral castle. Father G rard's last advi.-e had been to
submit iu patience, at It ust for a while, and Walter strove to
curb the impulses of his fiery nature. The squire of Lord
ment of the estates, he could find no protection, would soon
ruin him ;
and he deemed it wisest to employ the little money
he possessed in starting some new occupation, whose obscurity
should form his protection, and vhere he could some-
times enjoy the consolations of his fai h ; and with his wife
and family, which consisted of two sons besides his daughter
Eose, he resolved to go to London. Hose knew that her father's
circumstances would be greatly impoverished by the change,
and she bethought herself of offering to go as serving-maiden
to some lady of rank and ; having obtained her father's consent,
she sought Isabel, to ask her advice how best to set about find-
ing a situation. She found Mistress de Lisle sitting listlessly,
as was her wont, over her embroidery, and taking not the slightest
interest in the efforts of Rachel and Mary to carry away
from the castle all the little articles of her own or her
mother's which they imagined would be a comfort to her.
When Bose told her errand Isabel was roused ; she grew
indignant at the thought of the sufferings of the tenantry,
and at length she bade Eose wait for her, and quitted
the apartment ; and great was the astonishment of the earl,
when he heard that Mistress de Lisle craved an interview with
him.
She came, she said in her stateliest manner, to make a re-
TYBORNE.
quest : could she be allowed to take with her two women ?
serving-
"Well, Mistress Isabel," answered the earl, "it is an attendance
beyond your rank and I fear me our ;
gracious queen,
who hears things wondrous quickly, would mislike it."
Isabel colored with offended "
pride. It is not for assumption
of higher rank that I ask it, my lord, but lean never suffer
Eachel, my mother's attendant to leave me, and I would fain
take under my protection the daughter of our trusty tenant,
early friendship's sake (she was my playmate), I would have
taken her with me also. "
" Then let her go with you, by a 1
! means," said the earl.
"My si.ster, Ludy Anne, will, I warrant me, speedily find her
a service with some lady of her acquaintance, and she can be
nnder your protection meanwhile.
"
you further, fair Isabel.
I would I could pleasure
But Isabel was in no mood for soft speeches ; and without
deigning to thank Lord Beauville for the part of her request
granted, she withdrew.
Unlike Castle de Lisle, Apswell Court bore every mark
of a wealthy owner ; around it were sprend none of the hills
and wooded valleys among which the former proudly stood,
but the flat pasture-laud bore signs of luxuriance, herds of red
deer gambolled in the park, an array of noble chargers filled
the stable, numerous retainers wera seen in every direction.
There was no doubt t e sun of fortune was shining here. A
largo party of riders have arrived at the stately portico, mid nt
the foot of the long flight of marble steps w.ich lead into the
grand entrance-hall.
"Welcome to Apswell Court fair Isabel," said the earl ; "I
will suffer no other hand tliiui mine own to p!:.ce you w thin
its walls. Be assured," he continued, ia a lower tone, "all that
c:in be done to supply whr.t y u have lost will be offered you."
Isab'.'l bent lu r head, her only acknowledgement of a. speech
she deemed an insii.t ; and with a cold an I h ughty air she ascrndcd
the ; steps nd advanced into the entrance-hall. There
stood two ladies ready to re eive her ; Lady Anne Beauville,
an elderly and formal-looking dame, i.dvn cod slowly towar B
her, and ere she had reached her (for
Js.ibel stood on the
threshold), he path wm int( rcep ed, and Isab 1 felt herself
embraced and her face warmly kissed by two ro.-y lip ; and
then releasiug her not from her grasp, but looking
full into
Beauville, who was to hold Castle de Lisle in safety, was also
charged to receive the rents. This was a fearful blow to the
faithful tenantry, Catholic to a man, and many
resolved to give up their farms. Among these was Master
Ford for he clear ;
y foresaw that the number of fines which he
would be liable to for non-attendance at the Protestant worship
at the p rish her countenance, Isabel beheld a face whose witchery few
cou'd withstand. The hazel eyes laughed with glee, and iu a
voice of silver sweetness the owner of them said
"
Welcome, dear Isabel I am so ; glad you are come so
very glad.
church, and from which, under the new govern-
"
"Lady Constance," said Lady Anne, severely, "you strangely
forget; yourself iu your father's hall.
Lisle thii.k of you ?
What must M. stress
'
Constance would have taken little heed of this remonstrance,
had not the surprise a d. gravity written on Isabel s face assured
her her conduct wa.s not pleasing to her guest; she
quickly disengaged herself, and stood by in silence, while
Lady Anne with solemnity welcomed Mistress de Lisle to her
brother's house. Isabel received the attention with eijual dis-
tance, and then presented her cousin.
Durng this colloquy the earl and his train withdrew; bat
lingering in the doorway unobse ved, was Walter, who was
thus spectator of the whole, and marked the loving grei tiug
and the c >ld repiilse. La ,y An e now proposed that ti.e
guests should retire to their apartments ; this was gladly acceded
to, and Lady Anne, with Isabel, quitted the hall, followed
by Mary and Lady Constance ; the latter lingered behind
for a moment, as if uncertain whethershe should come, but
Mary's sweet smile drew her to her side. Walter watched the
whole, and inwardly thanked his cous-n for endeavoring to re-
pair his sister's want of courtesy.
A suite of apartments was assigned to Isabel, furnished luxu-
riously, as was deemed in those days. The windows lked
out into the park, and the green fields in the distance beyond
it ; one also had a view of the courtyard, where the scene was
bust ing and various.
The cousins were alone, and Mary, tired wit'i her journey,
threw herself upon a couch. Isabel seemed insensible of fa-
tigue ;
she paced up and down the room with impatient steps ;
her coif was thrown aside, and her luxuriant blackhair streamed
in masses upon her shoulders.
Master Ford ; it is necessary she should seek service, and for
"
Oh, dear Isabel do take a little rest I know ; you are very
tired, yon look pale and you will fall "
sick, indeed you will.
"There is no rest for me," said Isabel "I am not made for
;
prison life, Mary ; oh, how I pine already for niy own moun-
"
tain air ! how this flat place wearies me !
"
Well," said her cousin, "in that I cannot agree with you,
dear cousin it is not so flat as ; Essex, where I have dwelt all
my life."
Isabel made no answer ; but she stopped in her walk, and
laying her head against the window, looked out with the wistful
gaze of a caged bird.
"Isabel, "began Mary, "did you ever see any one so beau-
tiful as Constance Beauville ? "
" Oh, yes ; many more so," said Isabel, in a quiet tone.
" Now, Isabel, surely that is impossible, for I do believe hers
is the fairest form and face in all England ;
she is a perfect lit-
tle fairy. I have heard it said that there is a look of the Queen
of Scotland in her face sometimes, and that she is certainly like
her."
" The Queen of Scotland is less fair than I have ever deemed
her, then," said Isabel, scornfully.
Mary raised herself from the couch. "Dear cousin," she
said, "I crave a favor from you ; you know how truly I love
you ; suffer me to speak to you franklv and seriously."
in the : niful tone.
' ' What
"Willingly," answered Isabel,
have the times conic to when Mary Thoresby turns
"
preacher 1