n the nursery, and Jack turned a somersault, and
stood on his hands, with his heels up in the air.

"Call me Jack any more, if you dare!" cries he. "I am my Lord John of
March, and I shall expect to be addressed so, properly. Do you hear,
children?"

"I hear one of the children, in good sooth," said Meg, comically. And
Maud saith--

"Prithee, Jack, take no airs, for they beseem thee but very ill."

Whereon Jack fell a-moaning and a-crying out, that Dame Hilda thought he
was rare sick, and ordered Emelina to get ready a dose of violet oil.
But before Emelina could so much as fetch a spoon, there was Jack
dancing a hornpipe and singing, or rather screaming, at the top of his
voice, till Dame Hilda put her hands over her ears and cried for mercy.
I never did see such another lad as Jack.

We heard but little, and being children, we cared less, for the events
that followed--the beheading of my Lord of Kent, and the rising under my
Lord of Lancaster. And the next thing after that was the last thing of
all.

It was in October, 1330. We had no more idea of such a blow falling on
us than we had of the visitation of an angel. I remember we were all
gathered--except the little ones--in my Lady's closet, for after my
marriage I was no longer kept in the nursery, though Beattie, on account
of her much youth, was made an exception to that rule. My Lady was
spinning, and her damsel Aveline carding, and Joan and I, our arms round
each others' waists, sat in the corner, Joan having on her lap a piece
of finished broidery, and I having nothing: what the others were doing I
forget. Then came the familiar sound of the horn, and my Lady turned
white. I never felt sure why she always turned white when a horn
sounded: whether she expected bad news, or whether she expected our
father. She was exceeding afraid of him, and yet she loved him, I know:
I cannot tell how she managed it.

After the horn, we heard the tramp of troops entering the court-yard,
and I think we all felt that once more something was going to happen.
Aveline glanced at my Lady, who returned the look, but did not speak;
and then Lettice, one of the other maidens, rose and went forth, at a
look from Aveline. But she could scarcely have got beyond the door when
Master Inge came in.

"Dame," said he, "my news is best told quickly. The Castle and all
therein is confiscate to the Crown. But the King hath sent strict
command that the wardrobe, jewels, and al