grace, see this fair ribaude no more! What, man, are there not ladies
enough in merry England, that thou shouldst undo thyself for so
unchristian a fere?"

"My king! how can this poor maid have angered thee thus?"

"Knowest thou not"--began the king, sharply, and changing colour as he
eyed his favourite's mournful astonishment,--"ah, well!" he muttered
to himself, "they have been discreet hitherto, but how long will they
be so? I am in time yet. It is enough,"--he added, aloud and
gravely--"it is enough that our learned [it will be remembered that
Edward himself was a man of no learning] Bungey holds her father as a
most pestilent wizard, whose spells are muttered for Lancaster and the
rebel Warwick; that the girl hath her father's unholy gifts, and I lay
my command on thee, as liege king, and I pray thee, as loving friend,
to see no more either child or sire! Let this suffice--and now I will
hear thee on state matters."

Whatever Hastings might feel, he saw that it was no time to venture
remonstrance with the king, and strove to collect his thoughts, and
speak indifferently on the high interests to which Edward invited him;
but he was so distracted and absent that he made but a sorry
counsellor, and the king, taking pity on him, dismissed his
chamberlain for the night.

Sleep came not to the couch of Hastings; his acuteness perceived that
whatever Edward's superstition, and he was a devout believer in
witchcraft, some more worldly motive actuated him in his resentment to
poor Sibyll. But as we need scarcely say that neither from the
abstracted Warner nor his innocent daughter had Hastings learned the