“And you put the lady back in the place that was hers,along with her champion?”

“He was a decent, good man, and had spoken up for hernobly. She would not grudge him house-room. I have alwaysthought,” confided Cadfael, “that she was notdispleased with us. She has shown her power in Gwytherin since thattime, by many miracles, so I cannot believe she is angry. But whata little troubles me is that she has not so far chosen to favour uswith any great mark of her patronage here, to keep Robert happy,and set my mind at rest. Oh, a few little things, but nothing ofunmistakable note. How if I have displeased her, after all? Wellfor me, who know what we have within there on thealtar—and mea culpa if I did wrongly! But what ofthe innocents who do not know, and come in good faith,hoping for grace from her? What if I have been the means of theirdeprivation and loss?”

“I see,” said Hugh with sympathy, “thatBrother Mark had better make haste through the degrees ofordination, and come quickly to lift the load from you.Unless,” he added with a flashing sidelong smile,“Saint Winifred takes pity on you first, and sends you asign.”

“I still do not see,” mused Cadfael, “whatelse I could have done. It was an ending that satisfied everyone,both here and there. The children were free to marry and be happy,the village still had its saint, and she had her own people roundher. Robert had what he had gone to find—or thought he had,which is the same thing. And Shrewsbury abbey has its festival,with every hope of a full guest-hall, and glory and gain in goodmeasure. If she would but just cast an indulgent look this way, andwink her eye, to let me know I understood her aright.”