"She is a wondrous beauty," many murmured as they saw her.

"Dazzling, by God!" whispered some of the masculines that stood apart,
and there were others that spoke not a word, but stood spell-bound
at her majestic mien. A gorgeously apparelled figure swept to his
Lordship's side, and a little hand crept into his and black flashing
eyes looked up, and a soft voice whispered,--

"Thou didst never speak of--this, the most charming of thy
possessions, heretofore, Cedric. I knew not thou didst inherit so
beauteous a being from thy father. But Sir John,--England has not
heard of his death--"

"Sh! sh! she does not know," Cedric answered.

"Not know--ah!" and Lady Constance drew from him and looked at
Katherine with malice and thought evil; "'tis not Sir John's daughter,
'tis some trick Cedric plays upon his guests and me; it goes to show
that his relations to her are ill, and his intentions are to raise her
to our level. Nay, nay, Cedric, I will lift thee beyond such a thing.
When he has time alone, I will gain his ear and taunt him with a
debauched youth; free from heart or conscience; a rake to betray; and
I will win him from beauteous, youthful Bacchante. 'Tis his pleasure
to swear and swagger; but at twenty-three he should not begin to
carouse with female beauty. 'Tis time, and I will tell him so, for him
to bring a lady as wife to the castle. I will speak to him at once. He
has gone too far."

Lord Cedric drew Katherine to inspect the trophies of the chase, and
explained their kind and the mode of capture. She with others followed