ainst the door-post of the cot and seeing
men-at-arms riding by in white armour, and one of them throwing an apple
to me, and I raised my arm to throw it back at him, but my nurse (for
somehow I knew she was not my mother) caught my hand and drew me back
indoors, and I heard the men laughing behind me. And then a little after
my nurse took me into the Castle court, and there was again the man who
had thrown me the apple, sitting on a bench therein, clad in a scarlet
gown furred with brown fur; and she led me up to him, and he stooped
down and chucked me under the chin and put his hand on my head, and
looked at my nurse and said: 'Yea, he is a big lad, and groweth apace,
whereas he is but of six winters.' 'Nay, Lord,' said my nurse, 'he is
but scantly five.' He knit his brows and said: 'Nay, I tell thee he is
six.' She shook her head, but said nought, and the great man scowled on
her and said: 'Mistress, wilt thou set thy word against mine? Know now
that this child is of six years. Now then, how old is he?' She said
faintly: 'Six years.' Said he: 'Look to it that thy head and thy mouth
forget it not, else shall we make thy back remember it.' Then he put his
hand on my head again, and said: 'Well, I say thou art a big lad for six
years;' and therewith he gave me a silver penny; and even as he spake,
came up a grey-clad squire to him and looked on me curiously. Then I
went away with my nurse, and wondered why she was grown so pale, whereas
she was mostly red-cheeked and jolly. But when she had brought me into
the cot again, she kissed me and clipped me, weeping sorely the while;
wherefore I wept, though I knew not why. Sithence, I soon came to know
that the man was the lord and governor of the Castle, as ye may well
wot; but to this hour I know not what he meant by threatening my nurse."

Said Jack: "And how old art thou now, Christopher mine?"

Said the youngling, laughing: "By my lord the Castellan's reckoning I am
twenty and two years; but if thou wilt trow my good and kind nurse, that
yet liveth a kind dame, thou must take twelve months off the tale."

Jack sat silent a little; then he laughed and said: "Well, thou art a
mickle babe, Christopher, and it may be that one day many a man shall
know it. But now tell me again; thou hadst said to me before that thou
hast known neither father nor mother, brother nor sisters: is it so,
verily?"

Said Christopher: "Never a kinsman of blood have I, though many
well-wishers."