“That were no great marvel,” he answered, gravely.
Dame Lovell found it rather difficult to keep up her revengeful determination. She was naturally a very easy-tempered woman, and the evident change, moral as well as physical, in Lord Marnell, touched her, and melted her enmity considerably.
“I pray you, fair mother,” he said, looking up, “to leave me tell you wherefore I came hither. Firstly, it was to give you a letter from Madge, which she wrote in the Tower unto you.” And Lord Marnell, passing his hand into his breast, pulled out a small square packet, tied with blue silk, and sealed with yellow wax. It was directed—
“To the hands of my singular good lady and most dear mother, Dame Agnes Lovell, at Lovell Tower, be these delivered with speed.”
Dame Lovell kissed the letter, and placed it in her own bosom. She could not read a word of it, but it was enough that it came from Margery.
“Secondarily,” pursued Lord Marnell, “I would fain ask you, fair mother, for to keep Geoffrey here a while longer, for I wis not yet what I shall do.”
“That will I, right heartily,” said Dame Lovell, in a tone as cordial as her words.
“Moreover, an’ it stand with your pleasure, I would pray you for to take back Alice Jordan, as you will find in yon letter that Madge did desire her for to be about Geoffrey, if she would, and she seemeth right fain.”
“I will have her with a very good will,” answered Dame Lovell, “and she shall be next in mine house unto Mistress Katherine, and shall eat at the high table.”
Lord Marnell thanked her sincerely for her readiness to comply with his wishes. He said that Alice should come down to Lovell Tower as soon as she could conveniently set out, and old Christopher, as the most trusty of his household, should escort her. There was silence for a short time, and then, with a kind of shadow of a smile, Lord Marnell said suddenly—