The Young Visiters or, Mr. Salteena's Plan

for his open features, his frank voice, his deeds of arms and his great courage. He stretched forward his hand towards the Young Lovell, b

endered dim. And he was determined, if he could, to render aid to his friend, for twice already he had befriended the young man, once after the battle of Kenchie's Burn, and he had done it since. For indeed, when he had had time, he had gone to the township of Castle Lovell, and had talked with the lawyer Stone and with the witch called Meg of the Foul Tyke. With the Decies he had not talked, but he had heard him on that day in the Great Hall and knew him for a false knave. He ha

am, he would be able to bring their perjuries to light. So he was very certain that the lording had been taken by Gib Elliott and held for ransom, and well he knew that no one in the Castle would ransom him, so that it was small wonder if they had heard nothing of it. The Decies and his confederates would conceal any news they had from Elliott, an

box of straw covered with a rug that was his bed and again marvelled at the face of his friend. For the long, brown hair was blanched by the sun, the closed eyes were sunken, the lids gone bluish, the lips parched as if with desire. And so, whilst the lordin

But then he considered that it might be a penitent of one of the other monks, and when he looked towards the window again, the woman and t

d when that fair woman had looked in at the cell. His breathing made a heavy

nths long I have looked upon the whitenes

ipped down

" he cried out an

backwards away from that sinner until he crouched against the wall. Then the

ok his courage t

quickly, "lording, and my friend,

ined him and he her? Had he eaten of fruits from her dishes? Had he done deeds of dishonesty with a willing heart? How did he know her for a fai

ed that they might the more quickly be affirmed or denie

! All that is a weary folly

he crie

o word.... Three months went by and I knew not of the wheeling of the stars, or the moon in her course, no

accounted holy and had taken religious habits; others, truly had been deemed accursed and burned or set in chains; and yet again others had proved later true knights of God, had fought with Saracens and the heathen, and at their deaths had been accounted saints. And he looked upon his friend whom he had loved, and he considered how tarnis

ly blood of God. Of none of these things had Sir Hugh Ridley that was afterwards the monk Francis, heard tell, when he had been a knight of the world. He had considered rather h

were come t

hat proper

rd he was t

left na' ge

ght well have other knowledges. And certain it was that the monk Francis had never heard him speak otherwise than decorously of the lords set over him, charitably of the poor,

g might have made this lording mad. And he deemed it his duty rather to bring his mind back to regaining

re he s

and my son, what it was that befel

e gained in this conviction the more when he heard how Behemoth, Leviathan, Mahound, Helen of Troy, the Witch of Endor and Syrians in strange robes had visited the young man and had tempted him there in the darkness. A

ugh to tempt any man to follow her, looking into his cell. For he remembered her as the fairest woman he had ever seen, with dark and serious eyes; though she smiled mockingly too, which was what, in the life of this world, this m

l sin, and when it came to the story of the very fair woman sitting upon a white horse amidmost of doves and sparrows and gre

done with his tale. The mo

can you tell this lady from one of th

that," the young lording said

e wicked? Had you not fasted long? Had you dwelt especially upon lewd thoughts before that time? Sho

ad done my best, but we are all so black with

not let him fin

guile as the dove'? For the sparrows we have the words of our Lord God His well-loved Son, that the Almighty had them in His especial keeping, and many such may well flutter about the fair courts of heaven. So that if you had seen serpents that are horrible monsters you need not have been abashed, yet you saw only doves and sparrows. And for the white horse, it was upon such a beast that the blessed Katharine, the spouse of Our Lord, rode to the confrontation of the forty thousand doctors. It may well have been that most happy and gracious Lady; though if you did not mark that she had a wheel, which as I think is the symbol of that saint, perhaps it was not she. Or again it may h

ll of exhortation. But now he approached the Young Lovell and set

ving recourse to the courts temporal upon a false charge. You say to me that ever since you saw that lady's face this world has seemed as a mirror and an unreality to you so that you cannot cease from sighing and longing. I will tell you that those very same words were written of Gudruna, Saint, Queen and Martyr of these parts. Being an evil and lascivious queen she had in sleep a vision of the joys of paradise and so she said that she never ceased from sighing for them all the days of her life. Yet nevertheless that did not hinder her from waging war against the heathen and winning a great part of this kingdom from Heathenesse, so that she converted forty thousand souls. And, for the fact that three months have passed, I will have you remember the case of the founder of this monastery-blessed Wulfric. For walking in the fields here, Our Lady came to him and so he remained upon his knees by the space of forty and nine days in a swoon or trance, being fed by such as passed by or as gradually flocked there to see that wonder. And so, being restored to himself, he said that Our Lady had but just gone from him, having staid, as he thought, but a very short while. And that is explained by this, that to the dwellers in heaven and in the sight of God, even as marriage is not, so time is not, it being written that in His courts one day is as a thousand years. So it may well be that that angel-and by that I think it may have been rather an angel than a saint-having no knowledge of time and none either of the necessity of mankind for shelter or food-for the heavenly host hav

heard rather the voice of a friend that sought to enhearten him

God, it shall be to His greater glory, if so I may. And for what you have bidden me believe I will seek to believe it, but strong within me

itent's face to light up at the me

bade the young lord lay off the heavier of his garments and unbrace his clothes, for it was hot weather. And so food and a table were brought and the lay brother washed the feet of the lord

ap his string of great pearls and this he pledged t

other hundred should remain with the good monk. And this should pay for the keep of thirty men for a fortnight, at the rate of fourpence a man, and that would be seven pounds. And the men should have arms from the armourer of the monastery and from the men-at-arms the

e these things for less. Moreover, he perceived that in talking of these things the Young Lovell appeared

ir, but sufficient to make the journey to Durham. And all these things having taken many hours, it was decided that they should put off their departure until the next day at dawn when the Young Lovell should tak