“You are better than yonder lot,” answered Rubi, with a scornful wave of his hand towards Carfax behind them. “Ay, I suppose the Blessed One has some mercies even for Gentiles—decent ones such as you. Well, remember you’ve been warned. Good night!”
“Good night, Rubi, and God go with thee!”
As Gerhardt stepped into the Walnut Tree, Isel’s voice greeted him from the top of the ladder leading to the upper chamber.
“Who is that—Gerard or Haimet?”
“It is I, Isel,” said the German pastor.
“Well, now, don’t put out your lantern, but do, like a good man, take this girl back to the Castle. I’ve been on thorns how to get her back, for I’ve kept her talking a bit too long, and there hasn’t a creature come near that I could ask. It’s Leuesa, that Aliz de Norton spoke about, and we’ve settled she’s to be Derette’s maid. It’s a mercy you’ve come just in time!”
“The next step!” said Gerhardt to himself with a smile. “Well, this at least is no hard one.”
The girl who came down the ladder and entrusted herself to Gerhardt’s escort, was very young-looking for an anchorhold: slim, fair, and frail in appearance, with some timidity of manner. They set out for the Castle.
“You know the girl who is to be my mistress?” asked Leuesa. “Will she be easy or hard to serve?”
“Very easy, I think, so long as you obey her. She has a will of her own, as you will find, if you do not.”