looking brother Gregory uttered an exclamation of surprise to portly Paul. "Holy Mother!" said little Peter, "but here's a vision of paradise come amongst our ugly brotherhood. Oh! for a painter, to make a drawing of the Virgin for our chapel. Who, and what can she

be ?"

"I'll tell you," said the jester of Daundelyonne Castle, who had been with the hawking party, and just at that moment entered the harbinge, "what she is in a trice, most reverend fathers and sanctimonious brothers-she's neither more nor less than the attendant of Old Mother Midnight, the conjurer, who has been over in Margate spelling fortunes till she got herself apprehended for witchcraft. The lass is some poor creature she stole in early youth from her parents. Best leave this place," he continued in a whisper, gliding close to her, or you may chance to find yourself in durance vile. There's as much danger for one of your profession and beauty here, as amongst the rabble. A word to the wise. Salmstone hath strong

walls and deep dungeons The night-shriek hath been heard before now in the breeze around. You understand me? I say nothing; but if ever the fiend laughs at all, it must be at hypocrites. They are his faithful dupes; they serve him without wages, and submit to greater mortifications for his sake than the sincerest christian to get to heaven.' Now, my masters," he continued aloud, "I want a cup of your liquor to wet my cock's-comb, and then I'll tell you the news abroad this morning, ere I foot it towards Daundelyonne

The monks looked at each other at the intelligence of the jester, and shook their pale bald

heads.

"Witchcraft! quotha," said Father Peter, body o' me, I feel quite queer. What a grace there is about her. She steps like a fawn upon the hill-side. Witchcraft!" said little Peter, telling his beads with amazing rapidity, "by'r lady, I think I shall be bewitched myself, ere long. I never saw such luxuriant locks even in a picture. St. Bride, St. Benedict, St. Rada

gund, and St. Christopher be amongst us all! I vow to our chapel six tapers, weighing threefourths of a pound of wax each, to keep us clear of utter confusion in the convent.

"I knew how it would be," said the jester, finishing off his draught, "the convent's in a state of mutiny already, and the monks demented. There's the great bell been tolling for mass for the last half-hour in the chapel, and not one of these bullet-headed staring idiots can hear it. A rope's end, ye sinners, a rope's end!" he shouted as he left the apartment, your backs will suffer for this, my masters

all.

Here comes the superior."

CHAPTER III.

DAUNDELYONNE CASTLE IN THE REIGN OF
JOHN.

O worthy fool! Motley's the only wear.

What fool is this?

One that hath been a courtier

And says, if ladies be but young and fair

They have the gift to know it: and, in his brain,

Which is as dry as the remainder biscuit

After a voyage, he hath strange places cramm'd
With observation, the which he vents

In mangled forms.

SHAKSPERE.

THE ancient seat of Daundelyonne stood, in the year 1200, about half a mile from the seashore, and consisted of a strong keep with several flanking towers, a court-yard and a moat, the whole being encompassed by a massive wall.

The green mounds, however, which served to mark its very ruins are now hidden from view. A modern rick-yard pens the steer and sheep, where the court-yard often rang to the warriors' clanking stride, and on the site of the donjon-keep of the once proud family of Daundelyonne, stands a modern farm-house. Nay, many a race since theirs has died out and been forgotten upon the spot which once owned them. as Lords; which witnessed all the pomp and circumstance of their feudal pride-saw the musterings and gatherings of their men-at-arms-and heard the war-cry upon the battlements of their

own towers.

The ancestor of Sir Gilbert Daundelyonne, we have mentioned in this veritable story, had helped Duke William with his good sword at Hastings, and received a grant of the estate for his services on that memorable day.

The family of Sir Gilbert consisted at this period of a son and a daughter, his wife having died some years before. During the pre

ceding reign, the two children had been left pretty much to their own guidance. Sir Gilbert,