THE CHRONICLE OF CLEMENDY
stopping now and then for a moment to lay her hand upon the tombs of the old lords, for she had scarce strength to walk. And as the false monk heard those footsteps, his heart also leapt, but joyfully, and when she was within a few paces of him he started up, and then those poor trembling limbs of hers were, you may be sure, rarely sustained, and the red maiden lips felt what delight there is in a kiss. Some there are who say that all this rapture is a mere fantasy, the concept of a mind extravagant and delirious, but I believe, for my part that it is as real as any other earthly thing. At all events young people will always take a certain pleasure in the business, and certainly this penitent and confessor did so kiss, fondle, hug, and caress, murmuring such fervent endearments and pretty phrases, that poor Eva de Braose must have heard them from her monument hard by, and moved her right hand a little nearer to her stony heart. In fine Mistress Torlesse made a very famous shrift, confessing in the first place that her name was Edith, and in the second that she accepted Sir Philip's service, and would take him for her true loyal lover. But she bade him by no means come before her window any more, since her father had a keen eye and a cool aim, "and," said she, "I would rather never see your face again, my darling, than have you die for love of me and my poor loveliness." Then Sir Philip (after that he had answered in a proper manner to this nice speech) began to enquire as to the old governess, and found that she was somewhat favourably inclined towards him, though she
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