"On that condition I'll tell you. He is nothing to me more than any other man. And when I add that no other man is anything either, you'll understand me."

"But, sister dear, do you mean to say you _love_ no one?"

"I mean to say that--flat."

"And never have?"

"That's a queer question to be asked; above all by you, you who so often preach the virtue of constancy, crying it into my ears! If I ever had loved man, I think I should love him still. But as it chances, I don't quite comprehend what the sensation is; never having experienced it.

And more, I don't wish to; that is, if it were to affect me as it seems to do you."

"What do you mean, Vaga?" asked the more sage sister, bristling up at the innuendo. "Love affect me! You're only fancying! Nothing of the sort, I a.s.sure you."

"Oh! yes; much of the sort; though you might not yourself perceive it.

Everybody else does, at least I do--have for a very long time--ever since he went off to the wars."

"What he?"

"Again counterfeiting. And vainly. Well, I won't gratify you by giving his name this time. Enough to say that ever since you last saw him you haven't been like you used to be. Why, Sab, I can remember when you were as full of frolic as myself, or Hector here. Yet, for the last two years you've been as melancholy as a love-sick monkey. True, there's been a little brightening up in you of late--no doubt due to that letter. Ha--ha--ha!"

Sabrina laughed too, despite the unmerciful way she was being bantered.

The allusion to "that letter" was not unpleasant. Its contents, very gratifying, had restored her heart's gladness and confidence. Not that she had ever doubted her lover's fealty, but only had fears for his life. She said nothing, however, leaving the other to rattle on.

"And now, Miss Prim-and-Prudery, I want your reason for prying into my secrets, after being so chary of your own; I demand it."

"Dear Vaga! you shall have it and welcome. After what you say, there need be no shyness in my telling you now. I was anxious about you on father's account, and my own, too, as your sister."

"Anxious about me! For what?"

"Your relations with yonder individual."

She nodded towards the horseman with the red feather in his hat.

"Very good of father and you to be so concerned about me; but don't you think I can take care of myself? I'm getting old enough to do that."

She was only a little over seventeen, but believed herself quite as much a woman as Sabrina, who was three years her senior. She had the proud, independent spirit of one, and brooked no control by her older sister; on the contrary, rather exercised it herself. She was her father's favourite; a circ.u.mstance that would appear strange to those acquainted with his character. Hence, in part, her a.s.sumption of superiority.

"Of course you can," returned Sabrina, a.s.sentingly. "And I'm glad of it."

"I suppose, then, it's owing to your and father's united solicitude on my behalf that Master Rej Trevor hasn't shown his face at Hollymead for the last couple of weeks."

"I've had nothing to do with it, Vaga."

"Which seems to say that somebody has, then. I suspected as much, by your having said nothing about it. As you seem to know something, Sab, you may as well tell it me."

"I will--all I know. Which is, that father has forbidden his visits to Hollymead. I only learnt it from our maid Gwenthian. It appears, that the last time Mr Trevor was at the house, she overheard a conversation between father and him; father telling him as much as that he would be no more welcome there."

"And what answer did the fine gentleman make? I suppose the eavesdropping Gwenthian heard that, too."

There was such evident absence of all emotion on the part of her who interrogated, she could not well be making believe. The other, seeing she was not, responded with confidence,--

"Nothing, or nothing much, except in mutterings, which the girl failed to catch the meaning of. But the nature may be imagined from the way he went off--all scowling and angry, she says."

"Gwenthian has never mentioned the circ.u.mstance to me; which I take it is a little strange on her part."

She thought it so, for of the two she was more a favourite with the waiting maid than her sister, and knew it. Between her and Gwenthian--a Forest girl of quick wit and subtle intelligence--many confidences had been exchanged. Therefore her wonder at this having been withheld.

"Not at all," rejoined Sabrina, entering upon a defence of Gwenthian's reticence. "There was nothing strange in her keeping it from you. She supposed it might vex you--told me so."

"Ha--ha--ha! How thoughtful of her! But it don't vex me--luckily, no-- not the least bit; and Gwenthian should have known that, as you know now, Sab. Don't you?"

"I do," answered Sabrina, in full conviction. For Vaga's laugh was so utterly devoid of all regret at what had been revealed to her, no one could suppose or suspect there was within her breast a thought of Reginald Trevor, beyond looking on him in the light of a mere acquaintance. To prove this it needed neither her rejoinder, nor the emphasis she gave it, saying,--

"_I don't care that for him_!" the _that_ being a snap of her fingers.

"I wish father had but known you didn't."

"Why?"

"Well, it might have saved him the scene Gwenthian was witness to; and which must have been rather painful to both. After all, it may have been for the best. But, worst or best, I wonder where Master Trevor is making for now? It can't be Hollymead."

"Not likely, after what you've told me. But we shall soon see--at least whether he be coming up this way."

Both were familiar with the Forest roads--had ridden if not walked them all--knew their every turning and crossing. Where that from Mitcheldean descended into the Drybrook valley it forked right and left at the ford of the little stream where now there is a bridge known as the "Nail."

Left lay the road to Coleford, right, another leading back out of the Forest by the Lea Bailey. And between these two branchings a third serpentined up the slope for Ruardean, over the ridge on which they stood.

While they were still regarding the horseman on the grey, and his groom behind, two other hors.e.m.e.n came in sight, riding side by side on the same slope, just commencing its descent. Again Sabrina's eyes flashed up with delight--that must be her expected one--riding alongside his servant.

While indulging in this pleasant conjecture, she was surprised at seeing still another pair of mounted men, filing out from under the trees, side by side also, and following the first two at that distance and with the air which seemed to proclaim them servitors.

"It may not be he, after all!" she reflected within herself, her brow again shadowing over. "He said he would be alone with only Hubert, and--"

Her reflections were brought to an abrupt termination by seeing the grey horse, after plunging across the stream, turn head uphill in the direction of Ruardean.

There was no time to make further scrutiny of the _quartette_ descending the opposite slope. In twenty minutes, or less if he meant speed, he on the grey would be up to them; and if Reginald Trevor, that would be awkward, whether on his way to Hollymead or not.

It was Sabrina who now counselled hastening home; which they did with a quick free step their country training and Forest practice had made easy, as familiar, to them.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

A HOUSE IN TUDOR STYLE.

It would be difficult to imagine a more enchanting spot for a dwelling-place than that where stood Hollymead House. Near the north-western angle of the Forest of Dean, it commanded a view of the Wye where this beautiful stream, after meandering through the verdant meads of Herefordshire, over old red sandstone, a.s.saults the carboniferous rocks of Monmouth, whose bold, high ridges, lying transversely to its course, look as if no power of water could ever have cut through them. But the Wye has, in its flow of countless ages, carved out--in Spanish-American phrase _canoned_--a channel with banks here and there rising nigh a thousand feet above the level of its bed.

Between these it glides with swift current; not direct, but in snake-like contortions, fantastically doubling back upon itself, almost to touching. Here and there cliffs rise sheer up from the water's edge, grand mural escarpments of the mountain limestone, such as show the "tors" and dales of Derbyshire. The Codwell rocks below Lydbrook, forming the base of the famed "Symonds' Yat," are of this character, their grim facades seamed and broken into separate battlements, giving them resemblance to ruined castles, but such as could have been inhabited only "in those days when there were giants on the earth."

The view from Hollymead House--better still from a high hill or "tump"

above it--took in the valley of the river where it enters the carboniferous _strata_ near Kerne bridge. There was no Kerne bridge then; the stream being crossed by ford and ferry, a mile further up.

Looking is that direction, in the foreground was Coppetwood Hill, an oblong eminence embraced by one of the great sinuosities of the river, more than six miles in the round and less than one across the neck or isthmus. At this neck, perched on a spur of the hill o'erhanging the stream, stood a vast pile of building, the castle of Goodrich, on whose donjon floated a flag long ere Norman baron set foot on the soil of England. For there the Saxon Duke G.o.dric lorded it over his churls and swineherds; his iron rule at the Conquest replaced by that of the Marshalls, and later the Talbots, alike stern and severe.