tribution, e'en though its lightning fell to scorch me unto death the very moment that my vengeance was complete. Thoughts of the wrong the cruel, crying wrong I suffer-are ever present to mesleeping as when awake-for my dreams are of it!"

"Dear Robert, thou knowest well the affection I have ever born to thee from childhood, thou knowest too, that were it only for my sister's sake, I fain would see thee righted, - thou righted, — thou dost but grieve me by these sallies, and this the more as I lack power to aid thee in thy wishes. Let us not speak more of it at present; -compose thyself, and we'll again converse of it anon."

CHAPTER XIV.

Ir might be some two or three months after the conversation related in the preceding Chapter, that the Count of Artois being in his apartment in the palace, for there was it that he resided-a page entered, and presented him with a parcel, in which, on opening it, he found a letter addressed to himself. He broke its seal, and read as follows:

Very excellent and most injured Lord.

"Little booteth it who I am. You have

been much wronged; but, God and our Lady

aiding, I will give a medicine which shall cure the wound.

"Your late father, of happy memory, 'spousing Blanche of Brittany, an act was made, and-in presence of many witnesses -signed by Robert the Second of Artois, your grandsire; and this act bore:

"Imprimis. -We, Robert the Second of "that name, Count of Artois and Peer of France, promise at our death to cede to our beloved son Philip, that land of Artois wherewith we be now seized,-upon condi"tion of his taking to wife Blanche, daughter of the Count of Brittany.

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Sec: do. And we give it to him in ex"clusion of all females, and will-seeing that "some have ineptly doubted whether the said

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County of Artois were not liable to fall en "quenouille (to the distaff)-that henceforth it be governed, as is the Kingdom of France, "of which it holds-by males.

"Item.-We, Robert the Second of Artois, Count and Peer of France, do make over this land to our said beloved son, Philip,

upon the condition that he leave to us the

usu fruit thereof, during our natural life."

"Seek not, Sire, to discover who he is who now writes to you. It is enough that he informs you that such a document exists, and lieth concealed within the Abbey of St. Bertin.

"On your late Sire's death, much was put in motion to secrete the deed. You and your brother being infants, the Countess of Burgundy seeing you unable to defend yourselves, bribed. no matter whom-one who now grieves for it—to destroy the parchment. He who was intrusted with the business did but half his duty; for wishing to possess the papers, and with them a lien on the future generosity of Matilda, 'stead of burning, secreted them.

"When your Lordship shall come to St. Omer, the rest will be made known.

"Your Lordship's devotedly,"

The Count read this letter and re-read it. "Whence can it have come? Who is the writer?" He turned it over and over againthe writing, the seal, the fold of the letter, were all unknown to him. He could form not the most distant idea as to who the author

might be. "Who brought it to my gate?Etienne! Etienne, I say!"

"My Lord;" replied the same page, who instantly made his re-appearance.

"Who was the bearer of this letter?-the packet thou didst just now give to me."

"My Lord! I know him not, he was a stranger to me, I ne'er before beheld him." "What fashion of garments did he wear

"His dress, my Lord, was such as is worn by monks of a certain order-I know not of which. It was a long black tunic, descending to the ancles, and confined to the waist by a hasp; and he wore a cowl upon his head, so large as to completely shelter his countenance from observation."

Thinkest thou, Etienne, that, should he e'er again cross thy path, thou couldst recognise him?"

That is far more, my Lord, than I will venture to assert; nathless I will not either say I should not, for as he spoke to me, and as his hands were busy in drawing forth the parcel from his gown, his cowl in part flew back,