Ambition and power were the glories to which he aspired; he wanted wealth, for that would enable him to keep up a large force of men-atarms, and place him high amongst the rival barons; and he cared but little, whether it came through the hands of beauty or deformity, although the former might render it more wel

come.

They had by this time reached the palace, and as a savoury steam, greeted them while passing the kitchen, they lost no time in appeasing their appetites, which was then as keen, as that of a famished peasant's.

CHAPTER III.

He has lifted her on a milk-white steed,
Himself on a dapple-gray,

With a buglet-horn hung down by his side;
And slowly they rode away.

O they rode on, and on they rode,
And all by the light of the moon,
Until they came to yon wan water,
And there they lighted down.
They lighted down to take a drink

Of the spring that ran so clear.

Old Ballad.

THE narrow forest-path in which we left Edwin and Margaret, under the guidance of Royston Gower, in a former chapter, only led to deeper and more perplexing thickets, along which they journeyed with difficulty, without either discovering the signs of a more beaten road, or any human habitation.

Margaret also grew more timid as the scenery around her darkened, owing to the dense canopy of branches overhead, which scarcely a moonbeam could penetrate; and as she endeavoured, every now and then, to bring her palfrey abreast of Edwin's, she even retarded the slow progress which the little cavalcade was then making. Royston was already champing the end of the leathern strap which secured his helmet, and internally cursing in his heart all lovers; for he was conscious, that, had the lady remained behind, they would long ago have found some hut, in which they might have procured both a bed and supper. Edwin, also, in the midst of all his love, could not forget sundry cravings of the stomach, and turned his thoughts alternately to his lady and the larder. While Margaret felt her lips glued together with thirst, and bent her beautiful head every now and then, to listen for the plashing of a brook; for which sound, she more than once mistook the sleepy rustling of the gloomy foliage.

They journeyed along, however, without venturing to exchange their thoughts to each other; like a party who, having been dispatched to bear sorrowful tidings, look upon one another

in silence, each expecting that the next will open the communication. Even Edwin, as he occasionally grasped the hand of his fair companion, when the road permitted them to ride abreast, sometimes suffered his thoughts to wander away after the food that perisheth, and entirely forgot for the moment, that the whitest fingers in Christendom, were enfolded within his gauntlet.

Margaret's mind was also absent at intervals, and wandered back to her father's castle, and the silver cup, whereon the belted hunter blew his bugle-horn, with swollen silver cheeks; and glittering hounds, pursued the polished stag, that was bounding midway between the handle; and from which she had so often sipped the cooling draught, flavoured with spices and honey.

As Royston's appetite increased, his imagination also expanded, and he conjured up the shapes of haunches and sirloins in the boles and branches of the trees; and where, a straggling moonbeam chanced to fall upon the broad surface of an agaric, his ready fancy changed it to the brown coverlet of some remembered pasty, where either sleek pheasants, or slices of venison, slept lovingly side by side.

Two or three attempts did he make to

chaunt forth an old stave, but it was like trying to masticate the wind,-an empty hollow sound without any words; so he again took to chewing the leathern thong, and then wondered what could have induced him to participate, in such a wild adventure.

"Marry, Sir Edwin," said he at last, weary alike of the way and the silence; "methinks forests were only made for men to find huge appetites therein, and be mocked at, when we have grown hungry; for, by my troth, the very trees seem to point at me; and I would snap off their leaves to be revenged on them, were they not so bitter. I should not mind a little fighting now, just to make me forget that I have not eaten since noon."

"Think not of that, 'good Royston,” replied Edwin, munching a sour crab which had chanced to dash against his open visor in the darkness; "let us at least show ourselves brave soldiers, while even Margaret puts up with the hardships of our journey without a murmur."

"I would that we could reach a brook," said the lady, in a voice, faint with both hunger and thirst; "a draught of the cool water of the forest would do more to revive my spirits than