ved on occasion to come forth and take a share in the
life of the house, and work with the busy wenches under the
mistress's eye at the piles of fruit from the successive summer and
autumn crops as they came in rotation.

"And where be the dear children?" she asked once; "I have not set
eyes on them the livelong day. Methought the very smell of the
cherries would have brought them hither, as bees and wasps to a
honey pot."

The lady smiled slightly.

"I doubt not they will be here anon; but doubtless they have paid
many visits to the trees ere the store was garnered. I think they
are in the tilt yard with Warbel. It is there they are generally to
be found in the early hours of the day."

"They be fine, gamesome lads," said the old woman fondly--"chips of
the old block, true Chads every one of them;" for the custom with
the common people was to call the lord of the manor by the name of
his house rather than by his own patronymic, and Sir Oliver was
commonly spoken of as "Chad" by his retainers; a custom which
lingered long in the south and west of the country.

"They are well-grown, hearty boys," answered the mother quietly,
though there was a light of tender pride in her eyes. "Bertram is
almost a man in looks, though he is scarce seventeen yet.
Seventeen! How time flies! It seems but yesterday since he was a
little boy standing at my knee to say his light tasks, and walking
to and fro holding his father's hand. Well, Heaven be praised, the
years have been peaceful and prosperous, else would not they have
fled by so swiftly."

"Heaven be praised indeed!" echoed the old woman. "For now the
master is so safely seated at Chad that he would be a bold man who
tried to oust him. But in days gone by I have sorely feared yon
proud Lord of Mortimer. Methought he would try to do him a
mischief. His spleen and spite, as all men say, are very great."

The lady's face clouded slightly, but her reply was quiet and calm.

"I fear me they are that still; but he lacks all cause of offence.
My good lord is careful in all things to avoid making ill blood
with a jealous neighbour. That he has always cast covetous eyes
upon Chad is known throughout the countryside; but I trow he would
find it something difficult to make good any claim."

"Why, verily!" cried the nurse, with energy. "He could but come as
a foul usurper, against whom would every honest hand be raised.
But, good my mistress, what is the truth of the whisper I have