dst thou know," he made answer, "that to suffer a second
quarry to turn thee from thy first is oft-times to lose both."

"Verily, Jack, I conceive not thy meaning."

"Why, look on yon last piece. It begins with thee coming home from
vespers. Then it flieth to me, to the potter and his glasses, to the
knavery of his charges, and cometh back to the man whom thou didst meet
coming forth of the door--whom it hath no sooner touched, than it is off
again to the cold even; then comest thou into the Queen's lodging, and
down `grees' [degrees, that is, stairs] once more to the landlord's
bill. Do, prithee, keep to one heron till thou hast bagged him."

"_Ha, chetife_!" cried I. "Must I have firstly, secondly, thirdly, yea,
up to thirty-seventhly, like old Father Edison's homilies?"

"Better so," saith he, "than to course three hares together and catch
none."

"I'll catch mine hare yet, as thou shall see," saith I.

"Be it done. Gee up!" saith he. [Note 9].

Well, up came I into the Queen's antechamber, where were sat Dame
Elizabeth, and Dame Isabel de Lapyoun, and Dame Joan de Vaux, and little
Meliora. And right as I came in at the door, Dame Joan dropped her
sewing off her knee, and saith--

"Lack-a-day! I am aweary of living in this world!"

"Well, if so," saith Dame Elizabeth, peacefully waxing her thread, "you
had best look about for a better."

"Nay!" quoth she, "how to get there?"

"Ask my Lord of Winchester," saith Dame Isabel.

"I shall lack the knowledge ill ere I trouble him," she made answer.
"Is it he with the Queen this even?"

"There's none with the Queen!" quoth Dame Isabel, as sharp as if she
should have snapped her head off.

Dame Joan looked up in some astonishment.

"Dear heart!" said she, "I thought I heard voices in her chamber."

"There was one with her," answereth Meliora, "when I passed the door
some minutes gone."

"Maybe the visitor is gone," said I. "As I came in but now, I met one
coming forth."

"Who were it, marry?" quoth Dame Joan.

"It was none of the household," said I. "A tall, personable man,
wrapped in a great cloak, wherewith he hid his face; but whether it were
from me or from the November even, that will I not say."

"There hath been none such here," saith Dame Elizabeth.

"Not in this chamber," saith Meliora.

"Meliora Servelady!" Dame Isabel made answer, "who gave thee leave to
join converse with thy betters?" [Note 10].

The sub-damsel looked set