“Pardon me—is it right?”
“Right!—what is the wrong? She is my wife, in God’s sight—she and none other. What do I care for Pope or King? Is not God above both? We plighted our vows to Him, and none but He could part us.”
“Let me break it to her, then,” said Beatrice, feeling scarcely so much convinced as overwhelmed. “It will startle her if she be not told beforehand.”
Richard’s only answer was to release Beatrice from his grasp. She passed into Margaret’s bower, and, was surprised to see a strange gleam in the eyes of the dying girl.
“Beatrice, Richard is here. I know I heard his voice. Bring him to me.”
“God has told her,” said Bruno, in an undertone, as he left the room, with a sign to Beatrice and Doucebelle to follow.
They stood in the ante-chamber, minute after minute, but no sound came through the closed door. Half an hour passed in total silence. At last Bruno said—
“I think some one should go in.”
But no one liked to do it, and the silence went on again.
Then Hawise same in, and wanted to know what they were all doing there. She was excessively shocked when Doucebelle told her. How extremely improper! She must go in and put a stop to it that minute.