then!-Time presses, and each man's deeds must now be the interpreter of his motives. Fair countess, pardon me for being a moment turned aside from your especial converse-I play the gallant badly, and perhaps the statesman worse! Nature made me hasty, though not heedless, as you shall find ere long."

"Princely Glocester," replied Jacqueline, "I may not read your secret thoughts, but I can divine the causes that affect them. Lack of happiness sharpens the mind's eye, as want of sight quickens the blind man's touch. Then hear me now at this outset, ere one irreparable step be taken in our most perilous enterprise. If, as I fear me, you repent our mutual pledge, if a realm's good is risked by it, if your great brother Bedford, trammelled by Burgundy, looks on our union with an ill eye, as marring mightier plans of state-this moment I release you from your vow, and will dare alone the manifold dangers of my quarrel. Speak to me frankly, freely, without set phrase, or courtly guile--I wait for your reply."

"Madame Jacqueline!" exclaimed the bishop, in cruel perturbation; "Countess! for the love of the saints-in the name of the holy martyrs, I conjure you to recall these ruinous words! Duke of Glocester, I must not let you answer! As a prelate of the holy church, as a protector of this princess's rights, I put a bar upon your speech, if it would violate a sacred engagement, on which my whole —that is to say, on which all our safety depends? Oh, woman, woman! what little wisdom did the fruit of knowledge give you!--when, indeed, will you bruise the serpent's head?"

While the reverend speaker once more started from his chair, paced the tent, and rubbed, or almost wrung his hands with agitation, Glocester continued seated, and looked firmly on Jacqueline, during both her and the bishop's harangues. When the latter had subsided into interjectional murmurings, the duke calmly spoke.

"If," said he, "I had wanted proof of Jacqueline of Holland's magnanimity, or sought a contrast between woman's greatness and man's littleness, St. George, have I not them before me! But I needed not this. From the day on which you, too beautiful Jacqueline, sought the court and the protection of my late brother, Henry, whom

the King of kings assoil! to this present eventful hour, I have known you for all that is great in spirit and virtuous in heart. I have sworn my life to your service, and no mortal power shall make me swerve from that great duty. It is true I am thwarted in my ardent wishes. When Henry lay on his death-bed, almost his last request was that I should not quit England more, nor embroil myself in the quarrels of France. But I did not heed the dying weakness of even a hero like him. I judged for myself, invaded Hainault, fought for, and lost your cause. Now, Bedford, great and good as he is, reiterates the vow of our royal brother, and urges me, by all the interests of the realm, to abandon you and rest at home. But the wishes of a living regent restrain me no more than the prayer of a buried king, even though Burgundy and Britanny, those intriguing dukes, have gained all Bedford's confidence, and make my conduct the pretext for loosening the ties that bind them to the cause of England. Again, old Winchester, that pieled prelate, that manifest firebrand, whom our late King Henry hated as I do, who never put foot in church but to pray me mischief, he, with some factious lords, dares implicate my motives, in making your cause my own, and fulminates anathema and ban against me on the head of it. But nought shall stay me while I wield the power of England. till my young nephew, Henry VI., may take the reins of state, or till death strikes the sword of office from my hand. Three thousand gallant soldiers, men at arms, bill men, and archers mixed in due proportion--are now on the sea, and, ere three days, they must, if God keeps the wind in its present course, be landed safe in Holland."

"Praise to the Lord of Hosts, and may the wind hold westwardly!" uttered the bishop, at the same moment thrusting his head out of the tent, and raising his palm towards the favouring point of the compass. "May St. Peter blow a strong breath into the canvass, and the Virgin sit at the helm!" continued he, turning again into the tent and laughing outright with joy, on feeling the light breeze which crept gently up from the Zuyder Zee into the forest. "Oh, brave Glocester, how I honour you! Ha, ha, Burgundy! you are forestalled at last. What will the schismatic chapter of Utrecht say now, when they see the heroes of Agincourt level their pikes, and bend their

bows, and point their culverins at my side! Ha, ha! ha, ha! Ah! my fair countess, did I not bid you be of good heart? Let the Zerem Volden ring with joy!"

"By St. Paul, I could almost laugh myself, at the antics of this mitred mountebank!" said Glocester, in a half whisper to Jacqueline, as the bishop walked up and down. "Tis pity he has not a cock's-comb in his cap. No, no, he will not suit our alliance, countess. His mummery reminds me of Judas in the miracle play, which they acted for us at Windsor."

"He may be most useful though not disinterested," said Jacqueline, in the same tone.

"Use him, then, but trust him not," rejoined the duke. "I am no astrologer nor cabalist, nor know I the grand magistery; but King Alphonso's three-sided crystal is not wanting, to show me that this priest will as surely betray us as it may answer his ends to do so."

"Well, your highness," asked the bishop, coming for ward, "what say you to the countess?"

"Something trite, and more true than your last homily, I'll 'gage for it," answered Glocester.

"Whatever your princely protectorship pleases," said the obsequious priest. "I begin to see your humour, and will let it pass. What more does it now suit your highness to communicate to Madame Jacqueline and myself?" "I tell you honestly, prelate, somewhat to her I would not trust to you."

"And well that may be, from a lover to his betrothed. Would you that I should walk abroad awhile?" said the prelate, with a significant leer.

Another gloomy blush and frown passed over Glocester's brow. Jacqueline saw it, with pain and pride. She felt her colour rise as her heart swelled; and she rapidly said,

"Duke, have we more to hear of your design? If so. his reverence may again be seated-if not, let us seek the greenwood, and try the fortune of the forest."

"In sooth, fair countess, I have not more of moment to communicate just now; but this, which you may kindly construe as important-I must return this night to England."

"Return this night to England!" echoed the bishop.

"To England?" said Jacqueline.

"Ay, by my faith! and sorely against my will. I might dare to stay, and at once peril my life in thi test!"

"What! will you not fight, then, in this cause-no your troops to quell my factious citizens?" asked the bi with panting anxiety, while Jacqueline silently gaze Glocester.

"Reverend count," said the latter, "I may not lea troops even in a better quarrel. But I will fight, ay t death, or God abandon me in her just cause! Know dam, that my duel with tyrant Burgundy is all de on. His last acceptance of my terms of combat rea me four days gone, ere I quitted Westminster. My bro Bedford is our umpire; the place of fight not yet arrang the day not named. But in the interim, I am bound solemn pledge of knighthood to hold myself unharmed take or give no 'gage of combat with another, to keep body whole for my opponent's revenge, and to hold my apart from any less noble quarrel. Thus, then, it is. I Fitz-walter commands the coming troops-he being, b different pledge, bound not to fight in person against E gundy, but free to battle with all the world beside.

heart is in every blade, and my prayer for victory sh thrill in every bowman's string! That it may wait on th valiant legions, I shall daily visit the shrine of St. Erk wald, our great city's patron, and ere long I shall myse with the blessing of St. George, for England, and St. A chael for chivalry, do justice on the body of false Burgu dy, and free you from your thrall. For the rest I arrang the whole plan of conduct with Fitz-walter and Va Moonfort, in the bold lion's den of Urk last night, and our passage from the island to the main this morning We will confer with them anon, if so it please you, Ma dam; and then I must away once more for England, to f me for the issue of the coming combat with our deadl enemy."

"But, your highness," said the bishop, impatiently seiz ing the first pause in Glocester's speech, "you have no yet said one word of the main point of all-the contractthe marriage 'twixt the countess and yourself—"

JACQUELINE OF HOLLAND.

19

rk! By St. Hubert's bugle, the hounds have caught ent! Come, Madam, to horse, to horse! and one wurst into the forest !" exclaimed Glocester, starting is seat and rushing out of the tent.

CHAPTER III

cry of the dogs, which had afforded Glocester so ne an excuse for escaping from Bishop Zweder's tions, was indeed caused by one of the stragglers caught the scent of a stag. When the duke saln the tent he saw every thing without in a state of commotion; the brachs wildly strove to escape è men who held them in leash; the greyhounds I their long necks, convulsively moved their pointnd strained their sharp sight into the wood. The eighed and pawed the earth, and the varlets and looked anxiously for some signal that might tell begin the chace.

a! Fitz-walter! Van Monfoort !" cried Glocester, into the forest, there is a stag on foot-to horse,

summons the two warriors appeared, with Benie pages, and all the attendants sprang forward every necessary preparation. The bishop somenished at Glocester's abruptness, came forward wildered look as if he was more at fault than any he pack; and Jacqueline never showed so little on hearing the music of the chace, though the rished and the bugles blew in stirring discord eep voices of the dogs. She grasped her bow, her quiver at her back instinctively; but she ly of the duke's strange manner, and his looks nfusion at every mention of the marriage-conmore unaccountable when coupled with his soof devotion to her cause. While she stood in enly musing on this manifest inconsistono»