Lady," said the young man, "Europe would never permit such an outrage upon the person of an independent sovereign!" "Once mistress of my hand, either by fraud or violence," observed Eleanora, "Louis would sustain the rights of his vassal. How his cold, monkish spirit would rejoice," she added, "to see the woman who had torn from her brow the crown of France, reduced to enrich it with his vassal's coronet! Never! never!"

"But your subjects?"

"Are too distant to rescue me," she answered; "still they may avenge me; but I would rather die a thousand deaths than consent to this degrading union! Roland," she continued, "but one way remains for me, and that is flight!"

"Flight!" repeated the page.

"My reception of Thibaut has lulled his suspicions to sleep: he thinks I came only to be wooed and won-nay, scarcely deems it necessary to guard his willing captive. His men are mostly landed; and my bark-by directions which I gave the captain-has fallen by this two leagues down the river."

66 I understand!"

"The difficulty is to leave the chateau; you must find the means."

"That, too, I promise!" said the boy.

"It must be done to-night!"

"This very hour!" exclaimed Roland. “I swear, dear lady, sleep shall not visit my eyelids till you have quitted Blois !"

CHAPTER V.

Row, brothers, row, the stream runs fast;
The rapids are near, and the daylight's past.

CANADIAN BOAT SONG.

So convinced was the Count of Blois that the Duchess of Aquitaine was his willing guest, that he never once thought of taking the slightest precaution against her escape. His fortress, in consequence of the festival which had taken place, was even guarded with less than usual vigilance. Roland-who, since his arrival, had been a close observer of everything which had occurred-informed his mistress that escape was more than possible; but added, that she must make the attempt alone.

"Alone!" repeated the ex-queen of France.

"That is to say, madame, none of your female attendants can accompany you. I may be enabled to procure horses for two, but not for the entire party."

Still she hesitated.

"Do you doubt me ?" demanded the youth, mournfully.

"No," replied Eleanora, whom a few moments' reflection had re-assured; "it is not your devotion or fidelity that I doubt-but success ; to be taken would be ruin to my hopes."

"And mine!" thought the page; but he remained silent. "How do you propose that I should quit the chateau unobserved?" she demanded.

Roland explained to her that the castle was crowded with guests and minstrels, who had been invited in honor of her visit; that it would be no difficult matter to provide her with one of the long, loose cloaks worn by the latter, plenty of which were lying in the outer hall; and that, by the aid of such disguise, she might venture unsuspected.

"It is a desperate chance!" she said, with a sigh.

"And our only one," added the youth.

"That consideration at once decides me; how soon will you be ready?"

"I will but secure a couple of steeds, and lead them to a short distance from the chateau, and then return.”

Wild as the adventure seemed, the duchess felt that it was her only chance of safety. She was one of those determined characters, who, when they have once made up their minds to an enterprise, shrink not from danger or difficulty in attempting it.

"You will need gold!" she said.

"Then I should fail, madame!"

"Why so?"

"Were I to attempt to offer a bribe to quit the castle or procure the disguise we seek, we should be at once arrested. If the Count of Blois has formed the desperate scheme of confining your grace a prisoner here till you give your consent to marry him, rest assured that he has garrisoned the fortress with trusty men. No," he added, we must rely on our own presence of mind, the aid of our Lady, and our cause!"

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"Be it so!" answered Eleanora, after a few moments' reflection; "I believe that you are right. I leave the entire arrangement to you. If we succeed, and I reach my native Aquitaine, your recompense shall surpass your wildest hopes. I shall think no mark of gratitude too great for him who has preserved at once the honor and liberty of his sovereign!"

Fired by the promise-which the poor youth construed in a very different sense from the one in which it was spoken-he bent the knee, and, kissing the small, jewelled hand so graciously extended to him, left the apartment without a word.

"Poor boy!" sighed Eleanora-for her woman's heart was touched by his devotion-" he little deems that the love he would aspire to is given, madly, devotedly, to another. Yes, Henry!" she added, apostrophizing the Duke of Normandy; "either I am thy bride, or never more will Eleanora of Aquitaine become a wife!" How tedious seem the moments when anxiously listening for the step of one who comes not! Although Roland was not absent

more than an hour upon his double errand of securing the horses, leading them from the chateau, and procuring the disguise-which he was obliged to steal from the hall—to her impatience it seemed an age till he returned to the apartment, where she waited for him with feverish anxiety.

"Have you succeeded ?" she demanded.

Roland pointed to the long dress, not unlike the robes of a priest, which he carried upon his arm.

With the assistance of her women, upon whose fidelity she could rely-for they were not only her subjects, but had been her companions in the unfortunate crusade which, at the instigation of St. Bernard, Louis had undertaken—the duchess proceeded to array herself in the garments of the troubadour. Carefully gathering her long silken tresses in a knot at the back of her head, she pulled the hood, from which a scarf depended, over her brows. The scarf was afterwards fastened to the embroidered girdle which confined her flowing dress. In a few minutes the disguise was complete.

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Now is the moment!" observed the page. guests have already departed."

"And the count?"

"Some of the

"Intoxicated with wine and vanity, is still at the table, toasting the health of the future Countess of Blois."

A disdainful smile lit the features of the beautiful fugitive, at the thought of such a man presuming to obtain the prize for which the greatest sovereigns of Europe were ready to risk their thrones.

"Roland," she said, "have you a weapon?"

The page pointed to his sword.

“Good! and you know, doubtless, how to use it. If we are followed, strike for your mistress against her foes!"

"Fear not!" replied the youth; "they shall hack me piecemeal ere they intercept our flight!"

"Should you fail, or be surrounded by numbers," she added, "there is a still sterner duty to perform!"

"And that is

"To strike to your mistress's heart!" said the duchess, with an air of resolution, which inade her women weep, and drove the blood from the cheek of her defender. "Eleanora of Aquitaine has worn a crown, and her hand must not become the prize of the first petty count or vavasour who may waylay her, like some mountain brigand!"

Seeing the effect which her words had produced upon the young man whose hopes her woman's penetration had read, despite the distance which fortune seemed to have placed between them-she added, in a more gracious tone:

"To the man I loved I could perchance resign my pride of sovereignty, my vanity, and rank; but never to the insolent robber, who would force me to forget them. Eleanora of Aquitaine does not understand such wooing!"

Once more the blood beat freely in the veins of the aspiring page, for hope had returned to his young heart.

After giving directions to her women to maintain the secret of her departure to the latest moment possible, the fair speaker glided from the apartment, which was situated in that massive tower still shown to the curious traveller as the place in which the Cardinal of Bourbon was afterwards imprisoned and put to death, after the murder of the Duke of Guise, the head of the Catholic league.

Although his heart beat wildly, Roland passed down the great staircase into the courtyard of the chateau with an unconcerned and swaggering air. He dared not once look back to ascertain if the duchess followed. As he passed the great hall he heard the voice of the Count of Blois, who was evidently heated with wine, calling on the guests who remained to pledge a health to his future countess, the lovely Eleanora of Aquitaine. The poor youth trembled with indignation and jealousy.

Fortunately for the fugitives, many of the guests were departing. As no orders had been given respecting the attendants of the lady, he passed unchallenged; but it was not till he had crossed the bridge that he ventured to look round. He saw that the duchess was close upon his footsteps.