‘She is in the chapel now, Sir, at vespers,’ the nun answered. ‘If you will wait till the service is over I will ask her.’
‘I am sorry, but waiting is impossible,’ said Giles. ‘Pray take her my regrets for this disturbance and say the reason for my coming here is most urgent.’
The Sister hurried away.
While she was gone Giles moved back and pretended to busy himself with the trappings of his horse. He felt that the less talk he had with Barbara from now on, the better. But presently she came to his side.
‘What do you want the Abbess for?’ she asked. ‘What do you mean to do with me?’
‘Nothing very terrible,’ he answered, tugging at a strap. ‘But I beg your Ladyship not to interfere in it, nor to oppose me farther. If you do, you will have to answer for it to the King. You are under arrest. It will be no good to raise an uproar or to make a scene. I have sent word that I will bring you to the palace by tomorrow evening. We will have to hasten, but I will do my best to see that your Ladyship travels as comfortably as may be.’
She said no more in answer. But her manner by no means looked like giving in.
Giles was therefore on his guard. And when the gate swung open again he was quick to get back to it ahead of her. This time there were two nuns standing in the archway.
‘Mother Abbess,’ said he, addressing the older one, ‘I crave your pardon for calling you from your prayers. But I do assure you I am forced to. I have to take this lady to the capital at once and I need your aid.’
Barbara made a step forward into the light of the lantern. The Abbess’s keen eyes looked at her searchingly. Perhaps it was some resemblance to her mother, or the look of annoyance on her face, that made the Abbess pause a moment before she answered.