ginal ideas and very
independent spirit, the audacious notion which she was now entertaining
would never have visited her mind.

This was no less than a visit to the Castle, to beg one of the cast-off
gowns of the women of the household. Dresses wore long in the Middle
Ages, and ladies of rank were accustomed to make presents of half-worn
ones to each other. Derette was not quite so presumptuous as to think
of addressing the Countess--that, even in her eyes, seemed a
preposterous impossibility; but surely one of her waiting-women might be
reached. How was she to accomplish her purpose?

That she must slip away unseen was the first step to be taken. Her
mother would never dream of allowing such an errand, as Derette well
knew; but she comforted herself, as others have done beside her, with
the reflection that the excellence of her motive quite compensated for
the unsatisfactory details of her conduct. Wedged as she was in the
midst of the family group, and encumbered with her basket, she could not
hope to get away before they reached home; but she thought she saw her
chance directly afterwards, when the baskets should have been discharged
of their contents, and every body was busy inspecting, talking about,
and putting away, the various purchases that had been made.

Young girls were never permitted to go out alone at that time. It was
considered less dangerous in town than country, and a mere run into a
neighbouring house might possibly have been allowed; but usually, when
not accompanied by some responsible person, they were sent in groups of
three or four at once. Derette's journey must be taken alone, and it
involved a few yards of Milk Street, as far as Saint Ebbe's, then a run
to Castle Street and up to the Castle. That was the best way, for it
was both the shortest and comparatively the quietest. But Derette
determined not to go in at the entrance gate, where she would meet
Osbert and probably Anania, but to make for the Osney Gate to the left,
where she hoped to fall into the kindlier hands of her cousin Stephen.
The danger underlying this item was that Stephen might have gone to the
fair, in which case she would have to encounter either the rough joking
of Orme, or the rough crustiness of Wandregisil, his fellow-watchmen.
That must be risked. The opportunity had to be bought, and Derette made
up her mind to pay the necessary price.

The Walnut Tree was reached, the baskets laid down, and while Agnes