wel of the blessed Nicodemus is in the
sacristy of our Lady at Warwick, cannot I tell for why. Very certain am
I that he never gave her any reason.

We reckoned those six months dreary work. There were no banquets in
hall, nor shows came to the Castle, nor even so much as a pedlar, that
we children saw; only the same every-day round, and tired enough we were
of it. All the music we ever heard was in our lessons from Piers le
Sautreour; and if ever child loved her music lessons, her name was not
Agnes de Mortimer. All the laughter that was amongst us we made
ourselves; and all the shows were when Jack chose to tumble somersaults,
or Maud twisted some cold lace round her head, and said, "Now I am Queen
Isabel." Dreary work, in good sooth! yet was it a very Michaelmas show
and an Easter Day choir to that which lay ahead.

And then, one night,--ah, what a night that was! It was near our
bed-time, and Jack, Kate, and I, were playing on the landing and up and
down the staircase of our tower. I remember, Jack was the stag, and
Kate and I were the hunters; and rarely did Jack throw up his head, to
show off his branching horns--which were divers twigs tied on his head
by a lace of Dame Hilda's, for the use whereof Jack paid a pretty penny
when she knew it. Kate had just made a grab at him, and should have
caught him, had his tunic held, but it gave way, and all she won was an
handful of worsted and a slip of the step that grazed her shins; and she
was rubbing of her leg and crying "Lack-a-day!" and Jack above, well out
of reach, was making mowes [grimaces] at us--when all at once an horn
rang loud through the Castle, and man on little ambling nag came into
the court-yard. Kate forgat her leg, and Jack his mowes, and all we,
stag and hunters alike, ran to the gallery window for to gaze.

I know not how long we should have tarried at the window, had not
Emelina come and swept us afore her into the nursery, with an
impatient--"Deary me! here be these children for ever in the way!"

And Jack cries, "You always say we are in the way; but mustn't we be any
where?"

Whereto she makes answer--"Go and get you tucked into bed; that's the
only safe place for the like of you!"

Jack loudly resented being sent to bed before the proper time, whereupon
he and Emelina had a fight (as they had most nights), and Kate and I ran
into the nursery to get out of the way. Here was Margery, turning down
the beds, but Dame Hilda we saw no