"Look there, Grace!" exclaimed her father, "There seems to be something white tied under the wing of the bird."
There was indeed a small strip of paper, fastened with a bright thread of gold. Grace very eagerly untied it, wondering what kind of message her bird could have brought.
"There is something written, but I cannot read it. Please, father, tell me what it is!" cried Grace.
There was silence round the table, as Seele read aloud the contents of the paper to the circle of curious listeners. The writing was as follows:
"The child who gave this dove will be welcomed,
if she come alone to the Castle at noon."
Grace to go to the Castle—Grace to be expressly sent for by the lord of the manor! Father, mother, brothers, and sisters all wondered at the message sent to the child. There could be no mistake about it; the lord's own signature was at the end of the note. It was read and re-read a dozen times over. Grace said less than did any one else, though she thought far more than them all.
"Won't you be afraid to go alone into the presence of the lord of the manor?" asked one of her sisters.
"I should be very, very much afraid," she replied, "only he has invited me to come."
"And what will you do when you see him?" inquired a brother.
"I will just give back Heartslove to her master," simply answered the child.