It was late in the evening when the earl, after delighting the boatman's heart by a prolonged visit, and much pleasant discourse upon divers matters, political and religious, intermingled with many a gay tale of court life, to all of which Primrose listened with eager ears, returned at length to the castle, and entered his wife's boudoir, a small yet richly-furnished apartment, with deep mullioned windows, overlooking the river. At one of these windows sat Lady Bryn Afon, in a listless attitude, her arms resting upon the sill, and her gaze fixed abstractedly upon the valley below, where the evening shades were rapidly gathering, dimming the silvery surface of the river, and veiling the boatman's cottage in their deepening gloom. So she had sat for hours, almost without moving, with thoughts presumably far from cheerful, to judge by the wan, weary look in the pale face which she turned from the window for an instant as her husband entered. "Why, verily, sweet Guinevere, thou hast not moved from the spot where I left thee!" he said carelessly, as he kissed her pale cheek. "What strange fancy holds you spellbound to this casement?" "Since I cannot come out with you, and share in your enjoyment of the beautiful river and the summer sunshine," answered Lady Bryn Afon, with a weary sigh, "is it not surely natural that I should enjoy what I may from my window? And what view from the castle is so fine as from this spot, whence the silver line of yon fair Gwynnon may be traced mile after mile through the valley, and whence one may watch the purple shades of evening creep slowly over the folding hills, till they veil in gloom e'en the proud crest of the lonely Craig Aran?" "It is, in sooth, a fine view," said the earl, "and you do well, dear love, to enjoy it to the utmost. Yet, since it is to you but a distant and melancholy pleasure, I doubt each time I yield to your entreaties that I do wisely in bringing you hither." "It is not often I urge it, Morveth!" she pleaded, looking earnestly into his face. "For your sake it is but rarely I plead the indulgence! Three times only, for a few short weeks, since our marriage, and one visit of the three in secret! This is only the second time you have shown your face here since our marriage." "I hate the place!" said Lord Bryn Afon impatiently. "The atmosphere is haunted with the curse!" "Break the curse then!" said his wife, rising suddenly and standing before him, her figure drawn to its full height, and her eyes dilating with eagerness. "Be a man, Morveth, and break the curse! Trample it under foot! Do not let it crush you as it has crushed your forefathers for generations!" "I am powerless to break it, Guinevere!" answered the earl helplessly, that strange irresolution of eye and mouth betraying itself only too conspicuously as he spoke, and destroying all the dignity of the handsome features and lofty brow. "It has as firm a hold on me as ever it had upon my