“And as, in the same solemn procession, they glided back towards the convent, there was not a man present, no, not even the hardened Redgill, who would not, like Sir Charles, have bent his knee to Leoline.
“Once more, Sir Charles plunged into the wild revelry of the age.
“His castle was thronged with guests.
“Night after night the lighted halls shone down athwart the tranquil lake.
“The beauty of his French bride, and the wealth of Sir Charles, attracted all the chivalry from far and near.
“Yet gloom seized him in the midst of gladness, and the revel was welcome only as the escape from remorse.
“The voice of scandal, however, soon began to mingle with that of envy at the pomp of Sir Charles.
“The fair bride, it was said, weary of her lord, lavished her smiles on others.
“The young and the fair were always most acceptable at the castle.
“And above all, her guilty love for Redgill scarcely affected disguise.