Leoline, Miranda, and Hubert, are sisters and
brother."
Some misty idea that such was the case had been struggling
through Sir Norman's slow mind, unformed and without shape, ever
since he had seen the trio, therefore he was not the least
astonished when he heard the fact announced. Only in one thing
he was a little disappointed.
"Then Hubert is really a boy?" he said, half dejectedly.
"Certainly he is. What did you take him to be?"
"Why, I thought - that is, I do not know," said Sir Norman, quite
blushing at being guilty of so much romance, "but that he was a
woman in disguise. You see he is so handsome, and looks so much
like Leoline, that I could not help thinking so."
"He is Leoline's twin brother - that accounts for it. When does
she become your wife?"
"This very morning, God willing!" raid Sir Norman, fervently.
"Amen! And may her life and yours be long and happy. What
becomes of the rest?"
"Since Hubert is her brother, he shall come with us, if he will.
As for the other, she, alas! is dead."
"Dead!" cried La Masque. "How? When? She was living, tonight!"
"True! She died of a wound."
"A wound? Surely not given by the dwarfs hand?"
"No, no; it was quite accidental.
Pages:
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370