"Damsel," interrupted the Lady Bonville, in amazed contempt, "the hand
of Lord Hastings! Look ye indeed so high, or has he so far paltered
with your credulous youth as to speak to you, the daughter of the
alchemist, of marriage? If so, poor child, beware!

"I knew not," replied Sibyll, bitterly, "that Sibyll Warner was more
below the state of Lord Hastings than Master Hastings was once below
the state of Lady Katherine Nevile."

"Thou art distraught with thy self-conceit," answered the dame,
scornfully; and, losing all the compassion and friendly interest she
had before felt, "my rede is spoken,--reject it if thou wilt in pride.
Rue thy folly thou wilt in shame!"

She drew her wimple round her face as she said these words, and,
gathering up her long robe, swept slowly on.




CHAPTER III.

WHEREIN THE DEMAGOGUE SEEKS THE COURTIER.

On quitting Adam's chamber, Hilyard paused not till he reached a
stately house, not far from Warwick Lane, which was the residence of
the Lord Montagu.

That nobleman was employed in reading, or rather, in pondering over,
two letters, with which a courier from Calais had just arrived, the