The story of his marriage reached the ears of the ladies of the castle, and hardly a day passed without some of them coming to see her, and Lord St. Ledger gave orders that fruit and flowers were to be hers as she craved for them.
Just a month after the marriage her coffin was brought back to her native village and laid in a grave in a sunny part of the yard.
"Make a double grave," said Richard to the sexton. A double grave was made.
When the funeral was over, his old master, the squire, went to him, took his arm, and said, "Oh, Richard, you have had a terrible loss."
"I have had a great gain, sir."
"A gain!"
"Yes, sir. I could never have been happy had she not been mine. But she became mine, and she is mine—for ever."
He returned to his duties.
*****
I have not quite done the story of Richard. For years there worked in Lord St. Ledger's woods a man, somewhat rough in manners,
