added, turning to Cecily St. John, 'hold not you with us in this
matter?'

'I scarce comprehend it, my Lord,' was the gentle reply. 'I knew
not that it was possible to dissolve the tie of wedlock.'

'The Pope's decree will suffice,' said Lord Walwyn.

'Yet, sir,' still said the ex-nun, 'methought you had shown me that
the Holly Father exceeded his power in the annulling of vows.'

'Using mine own lessons against me, sweet sister?' said Lord
Walwyn, smiling; 'yet, remember, the contract was rashly made
between two ignorant babes; and, bred up as they have severally
been, it were surely best for them to be set free from vows made
without their true will or knowledge.'

'And yet,' said Cecily, perplexed, 'when I saw my niece here wedded
to Sir Marmaduke, was it not with the words, 'What God hath joined
let no man put asunder'?'

'Good lack! aunt,' cried Lady Thistlewood, 'you would not have that
poor lad wedded to a pert, saucy, ill-tempered little moppet, bred
up that den of iniquity, Queen Catherine's court, where my poor
Baron never trusted me after he fell in with the religion, and had
heard of King Antony's calling me the Swan of England.'

At that moment there was a loud shriek, half-laugh, half-fright,
coming through the window, and Lady Thistlewood, starting up,
exclaimed, 'The child will be drowned! Box their ears, Berenger,