“How doth thy leech-craft prosper, good Sir Friar?” demanded he at length, evidently from no other desire than to talk away his present feelings, seeing that he had already put the same question more than half-a-dozen times before.
“I do trust that, under God, thy sons will yet be well,” replied the Franciscan. “But be not impatient, my Lord; their cure must be the work of time. Meanwhile, be thankful to a merciful Providence, who doth thus restore to thee all those of whom thou didst fear thou wert bereft.”
“All!” cried the Wolfe, shuddering, “nay, not all; all but Andrew, and he did perish horribly in the flames of the Maison Dieu, whither I did myself enforce him. Heaven in its mercy pardon me!”
“Andrew!” cried the Franciscan, with surprise; “trust me, my Lord, Sir Andrew Stewart is safe.”
“Safe!” cried the Wolfe, clasping his hands together in an ecstacy—“then thanks be to a merciful God, who hath saved me from the torturing thought of having been the cause of working my son’s death. But where, I pray thee, was he seen?” demanded the Wolfe eagerly.
“He was seen in the Chapel of the Maison Dieu with a lady, whom he did thereafter lead through the garden of the Hospital,” replied the Franciscan.
“What, the Lady Beatrice!” demanded the Wolfe; “for that is all the name I did ever know her to bear as a woman, albeit I do well recollect her masculine appellation of Maurice de Grey.”
“The same,” replied the Franciscan.
“Then hath Andrew preserved her life,” replied the Wolfe. “By the beard of my grandfather, but I do greatly rejoice to hear it. There is still some virtue in the caitiff after all. My efforts to save the lady were vain; I did even gain her chamber, but I found her gone; from which I was compelled with grief to believe that she had surely perished. But whither hath my son Andrew conveyed her?”
“Nay, that I have not yet discovered,” replied the Franciscan; “but Sir Andrew Stewart saved not the Lady Beatrice from the flames. One of the sisters of the Hospital did teach her how to escape; and as they crossed the Chapel together, Sir Andrew Stewart, who had fled thither for safety——”