re met, coming down the High Street, a procession of
horsemen headed by Will Cary, who, clad cap-a-pie in a shining armor,
sword on thigh, and helmet at saddle-bow, looked as gallant a young
gentleman as ever Bideford dames peeped at from door and window. Behind
him, upon country ponies, came four or five stout serving-men, carrying
his lances and baggage, and their own long-bows, swords, and bucklers;
and behind all, in a horse-litter, to Mrs. Leigh's great joy, Master
Frank himself. He deposed that his wounds were only flesh-wounds, the
dagger having turned against his ribs; that he must see the last of
his brother; and that with her good leave he would not come home to
Burrough, but take up his abode with Cary in the Ship Tavern, close to
the Bridge-foot. This he did forthwith, and settling himself on a couch,
held his levee there in state, mobbed by all the gossips of the town,
not without white fibs as to who had brought him into that sorry plight.

But in the meanwhile he and Amyas concocted a scheme, which was put
into effect the next day (being market-day); first by the innkeeper, who
began under Amyas's orders a bustle of roasting, boiling, and frying,
unparalleled in the annals of the Ship Tavern; and next by Amyas
himself, who, going out into the market, invited as many of his old
schoolfellows, one by one apart, as Frank had pointed out to him, to a
merry supper and a "rowse" thereon consequent; by which crafty scheme,
in came each of Rose Salterne's gentle admirers, and found himself, to
his considerable disgust, seated at the same table with six rivals, to
none of whom had he spoken for the last six months. However, all were
too well bred to let the Leighs discern as much; and they (though, of
course, they knew all) settled their guests, Frank on his couch lying
at the head of the table, and Amyas taking the bottom: and contrived, by
filling all mouths with good things, to save them the pain of speaking
to each other till the wine should have loosened their tongues and
warmed their hearts. In the meanwhile both Amyas and Frank, ignoring the
silence of their guests with the most provoking good-humor, chatted,
and joked, and told stories, and made themselves such good company, that
Will Cary, who always found merriment infectious, melted into a jest,
and then into another, and finding good-humor far more pleasant than
bad, tried to make Mr. Coffin laugh, and only made him bow, and to
make Mr. Fortescue laugh,