n bed, and listened.

"Is it my Lord coming home?" I said.

"What, all alone, with no company?" answered Isabel, who is four years
elder than I. "Silly child! It is some news for my Lady my mother.
The saints grant it be good!"

Of course we could hear nothing of what passed at the portcullis, as our
window opened on the base court. But in a few minutes we heard the
horse come trotting into our court, and the rider 'lighted down: and
Isabel, who lay with her head next the casement, sat up again and put
her head out of the curtain. It was a beautiful moonlight night, almost
as bright as day.

"What is it, Ibbot?" said Kate.

"It is a man in livery," answered Isabel; "but whose livery I know not.
It is not ours."

Then we heard the man call to the porter, and the door open, and the
sound of muffled voices to and fro for a minute; and then Master Inge's
step, which we knew--he was then castellan--coming in great haste past
our door as if he were going to my Lady's chamber. Then the door of the
large nursery opened, and we heard Dame Hilda within, saying to Tamzine,
"Thou wert better run and see." And Tamzine went quickly along the
gallery, as if she, too, were going to my Lady.

For a long, long time, as it seemed to us--I dare say it was not many
minutes--we lay and listened in vain. At length Tamzine came back.

"Good tidings, or bad?" we heard Dame Hilda ask.

"The saints wot!" whispered Tamzine. "My Lord is 'scaped from the
Tower."

"_Ha, chetife_! will he come here?" said Dame Hilda: and we saw that it
was bad news in her eyes.

"Forsooth, nay!" replied Tamzine. "There be hues and cries all over for
him, but man saith he is fled beyond seas."

"Amen!" ejaculated Dame Hilda. "He may win to Cathay [China] by my good
will; and if he turn not again till mine hair be white, then will I give
my patron saint a measure in wax. But what saith my Lady?"

"Her I saw not," answered Tamzine; "but Mistress Robergia, who told me,
said she went white and red both at once, and her breast heaved as
though her very heart should come forth."

"Gramercy!" said Dame Hilda. "How some folks do set their best pearls
in copper!"

"Eh, our Lady love us!" responded Tamzine. "That's been ever sith world
began to run, Dame, I can tell you."

"I lack no telling, lass," was Dame Hilda's answer. "Never was there
finer pearl set in poorer ore than that thou and I wot of."

I remember that bit of talk because I puzz