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The mother flourished amid all this

"Better have theirls, in turn, suffered bitterly Ursula was

just co left

behind for the "Idylls of the King" and romantic

love-stories

"Elaine the fair Elaine the lovable,

Elaine the lily h in her chamber in a tower to the east

Guarded the sacred shield of Launcelot"

How she loved it! How she leaned in her bedrooh hair on her shoulders, and her warazed across at the churchyard and the little church,

which was a turreted castle, whence Launcelot would ride just

noould wave to her as he rode by, his scarlet cloak passing

behind the dark yew trees and between the open space: whilst

she, ah, she, would reh up and isolated

in the tower, polishing the terrible shield, weaving it a

covering with a true device, and waiting, waiting, always reh

At which point there would be a faint scuffle on the stairs,

a light-pitched whispering outside the door, and a creaking of

the latch: then Billy, excited, whispering: "It's locked--it's locked"

Then the knocking, kicking at the door with childish knees,

and the urgent, childish: "Ursula--our Ursula? Ursula? Eh, our Ursula?"

No reply

"Ursula! Eh--our Ursula?" the name was shouted now Still

no answer