Lady Sybil made no answer, and when Merrylips looked up into her face, she saw that there were tears in her eyes.
"I remember me," said Merrylips. "'Twas in the portrait that I saw it—the miniature of your fair sister, Lady Venetia. She wore that ring."
"Nay, not this ring, my darling, but its mate," Lady Sybil answered. "'Tis the crest of our house, of the Fernefoulds of Barrisden. The two rings were wrought for us, two sisters, and given us by our father. 'Twas the last token ever he gave unto us, while love was still amongst us three."
Merrylips took the ring from the fingers that yielded it, and caressed it with her hand and with her lips.
"Poor Lady Venetia!" she whispered. "And poor godmother!"
The storm had now passed over Larkland. On the roof the rain pattered softly, and from the garden rose the keen scent of drenched herbs. In the hush Lady Sybil's voice sank almost to a whisper.
"I said that one day thou shouldst hear her story—my poor, pretty sister! We were our father's only children, Venetia and I, and sorely he grudged that we should both be daughters. He was a stern man, and wont to have his will in all things. He was fain to make great marriages for us, since he had no sons, but in that purpose he was thwarted. He who should have been my husband died a month before the wedding day. When thou art older, thou mayst understand.
"My father was angered for that I would not take another mate, and he vowed that he would bring his younger daughter to do his will. But she—my poor Venetia!—had given her heart already out of her keeping. His name was Edward Lucas, a gentleman of good birth and no fortune, who was master of horse in our father's household. When she found that our father would force her to a marriage with one whom she loathed, she did madly, yet I cannot think her all to blame. By stealth she was wedded to Edward Lucas, and with him she left the kingdom."
"And did you never see her more?" asked Merrylips.
She felt that she must not look upon her godmother's face, so she bent her eyes upon the ring. She had now slipped it upon her own finger.