making, smiled and sighed. She wished that Alazais were there to see them
play together.

Not long after the disastrous building incident Sir Walter appeared one
day with surprising news indeed. Sir Stephen Giffard, the elder brother,
was about to marry and come to live in the old Norman chateau. The new
chatelaine was a rich widow of Louvain. Sir Stephen and Lady Adelicia
would be the lord and lady of the castle, and would have the tapestry
chamber.

"Oh, moth-er!" cried Eleanor piteously. No other room in the castle would
ever be so pleasant. She could not understand her mother's untroubled
acceptance of the change.

"But my dear child," Lady Philippa went on, "we shall not be here; we are
going away. King Henry has given your father a great estate in a wild
country in the west of England, and he is building a castle for our home.
You will be an English maiden, sweetheart, and have your tapestry of Saint
George for your very own room."

Eleanor's eyes were starlike. Then her mouth began to droop a little. "Is
Roger to stay here?"

"Roger will be with us. His father's castle is only a few leagues from
ours, and he is going to leave Roger at our home for a year or more while
he is away."

This made it quite perfect. Roger rejoiced openly at the prospect of going
back to England. In stray moments Eleanor wondered a little how Lady Ebba
liked it. She rather doubted whether Lady Adelicia would be as content