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Hast thou indeed come from the spirit world to mock me in my last moments? I know thee now, Raymond de Brocas! I have seen thee before thou knowest how and where. Methinks the very angels of heaven must have spirited thee away. Why art thou here now?"
"And Raymond de Brocas is the plighted husband of thy daughter, good Sir Hugh," said Master Bernard, coming up to help his old friend out of his bewilderment "plighted, that is, by themselves, by the right of a true and loyal love.
"Thou knowest, uncle mine, how the Prince and the King did long ago confirm to me the rights of the De Brocas to the ancient Castles of Orthez and Saut. If he would but give me his royal warrant for mustering men and recovering mine own, I trow, be the walls of Saut never so strong, that I would speedily make mine entrance within them!
Joan had not changed much since the day she and Raymond had plighted their troth beside the dying bed of John de Brocas. As a young girl she had looked older than her years; as a woman she looked scarce more. Perhaps in those great dark eyes there was more of softness; weary waiting had not dimmed their brightness, but had imparted just a touch of wistfulness, which gave to them an added charm.
It seemed to them as though they had been invaded by some denizens from another world, and murmurs of wonder and reverent admiration mingled with the cheering with which Gaston de Brocas was received as Lord of Saut. But there was still one more person to be faced.
She knew, too, that it was probably some fear of treachery alone that withheld them from making cause at once with the De Brocas treachery having been only too much practised amongst them by their own fierce master and again her voice rang out clear and sweet. "Men, listen again to me.
And a De Brocas will reign once more at Saut, as of old! What dost thou think of that?" "Brother, I am glad at heart. It seemeth almost like a dream. Thou the lord of Saut and I of Basildene! Would that she were living yet to see the fulfilment of her dream!" "Ay, truly I would she were.
Not two days later, she fled from her gloomy home, and not knowing where else to hide her head, she fled hither, trusting that her lover would shortly come to free her from her uncle's tyranny, as he had sworn, and believing that the home which had sheltered the infancy of the De Brocas brothers would give her shelter till that day came."
Whereupon Master Bernard de Brocas had stood forward and told the story of the parentage of the twin brothers, claiming kinship with them, and speaking in high praise of Raymond, who, since the death of John, had been employed by his uncle in a variety of small matters that used to be John's province to see to.
He heard it at the Brocas; a bargeman told him about a quarter of an hour ago. 'Here is Wentworth! Here is Wentworth! a hundred voices exclaimed, and they formed a circle round him. 'Well, what did you hear, Wentworth? asked Sedgwick.
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