of him with some reason, being
left lone with her childre in Ludlow Castle. It was the 13th of October
that we came to Nottingham. My Lord of Hereford, that was Lord High
Constable, was at that time too sick to execute his office (or thought
he was); maybe he desired to keep him well out of a thing he foresaw:
howbeit, he writ his excuse to the King, praying that his brother Sir
Edward de Bohun might be allowed his deputy. To this the King assented:
but my Lord of March, that I guess mistrusted more Sir Edward than his
brother (the one having two eyes in his head, and the other as good as
none), counselled the Queen to take into her own hand the keys of the
Castle. Which she did, having them every night brought to her by Sir
William Eland, then Constable thereof, and she laid them under her own
pillow while the morning.

The part of my tale to follow I tell as it was told to me, in so far as
matters fell not under mine eye.

The King, the old Queen, the Earl of March, and the Bishop of Lincoln,
were lodged in the Castle with their following: and Sir Edward de Bohun,
doing office for his brother, appointed my Lord of Lancaster to have his
lodging there likewise. Whereat my glorious Lord of March was greatly
angered, that he should presume to appoint a lodging for any of the
nobles so near the person of Queen Isabel. (He offered not to go forth
himself.) Sir Edward smiled something grimly, and appointed my Lord of
Lancaster his lodging a mile forth of the town, where my Lord of
Hereford also was.

That night was dancing in the hall; and a little surprised was I that
Sir William de Montacute [Note 3] should make choice of me as his
partner. He was one of the bravest knights in all the King's
following--a young man, with all his wits about him, and lately wed to
the Lady Katherine de Grandison, a full fair lady of much skill [Note 4]
and exceeding good repute. It was the pavon [Note 5] we danced, and not
many steps were taken when Sir William saith--

"Dame Cicely, I have somewhat to say to you, under your good leave."

"Say on, Sir William," quoth I.

"Say I well, Dame, in supposing you true of heart to the old King, as
Dame Alice de Lethegreve's daughter should be?"

"You do so, in good sooth," I made answer.

"So I reckoned," quoth he. "Verily, an' I had doubted it, I had held my
peace. But now to business:--Dame, will you help me?"

I could not choose but laugh to hear him talk of business.

"That