took me
into a large room very sparely furnished, where an elderly man sat
writing at a table with his back to the light. He rose when we entered,
and I had a sudden sense that I was coming to school again, as indeed I
was. Amroth greeted him with a mixture of freedom and respect, as a
well-loved pupil might treat an old schoolmaster. The man himself was
tall and upright, and serious-looking, but for a twinkle of humour that
lurked in his eye; yet I felt he was one who expected to be obeyed. He
took Amroth into the embrasure of a window, and talked with him in low
tones. Then he came back to me and asked me a few questions of which I
did not then understand the drift--but it seemed a kind of very informal
examination. Then he made us a little bow of dismissal, and sat down at
once to his writing without giving us another look. Amroth took me out,
and led me up many stone stairs, along whitewashed passages, with narrow
windows looking out on the plain, to a small cell or room near the top
of the castle. It was very austerely furnished, but it had a little door
which took us out on the leads, and I then saw what a very large place
the fortress was, consisting of several courts with a great central
tower.

"Where on earth have we got to now?" I said.

"Nowhere '_on earth_,'" said Amroth. "You are at school again, and you
will find it very interesting, I hope and expect, but it will be hard
work. I will tell you plainly that you are lucky to be here, because if
you do well, you will have the best sort of work to do."

"But what am I to do, and where am I to go?" I said. "I feel like a new
boy, with all sorts of dreadful rules in the background."

"That will all be explained to you," said Amroth. "And now good-bye for
the present. Let me hear a good report of you," he added, with a
parental air, "when I come again. What would not we older fellows give
to be back here!" he added with a half-mocking smile. "Let me tell you,
my boy, you have got the happiest time of your life ahead of you. Well,
be a credit to your friends!"

He gave me a nod and was gone. I stood for a little looking out rather
desolately into the plain. There came a brisk tap at my door, and a man
entered. He greeted me pleasantly, gave me a few directions, and I
gathered that he was one of the instructors. "You will find it hard
work," he said; "we do not waste time here. But I gather that you have
had rather a troublesome ascent, so you can rest a litt