d a scowling face upon the
knight as he answered, malevolently:

"Swamped, water-logged, foundering. You are a pretty parrakeet to
come between me and my musings."

The tone of Halfman's speech, the way of Halfman's demeanor were so
offensive that the knight's cheap dignity took fire. He swelled with
displeasure, flushed very red in the gills, and cleared his throat
for reproof.

"Master Majordomo, you forget yourself."

Halfman proved too indifferent or too self-absorbed to take umbrage.
He stared into the garden again with a sigh.

"No, I remember myself, and the memory vexes me. I dreamed I was a
king, a kaiser, a demigod. I wake, rub my eyes, and am no more than a
fool."

Sir Blaise was patronizingly forgiving. He was thirsty, also the
morning was chilly.

"Let us exorcise your devil with a pottle of hot ale," he suggested.
Halfman shook his head wistfully.

"I should be happier in a sable habit, with a steeple hat, and a rank
in the Parliament army."

It was plain to Sir Blaise that a man must be very deep in the dumps
who was not to be tempted by hot ale.

"Lordamercy, are you for changing sides now?" he asked.

As Halfman made him no answer but continued to stare gloomily into
the garden, Blaise concluded that the interest lay there which made
him thus distracted. So he came down to the table and looked over
Halfman's shoulder. In the distance he saw a man and woman walking
among the trees. The man was patently the Puritan prisoner, the woman
was the chatelaine of Harby. The pair seemed very deep in converse.
As Sir Blaise looked, they were out of sight round a turning. Halfman
gave a heavy groan and spoke, more to himself, as it seemed, than to
his companion.

"Look how they walk in the garden, ever in talk. Time was she would
walk and talk with me, listen to my wars and wanderings, and call me
a gallant captain."

"Are you jealous of the Puritan prisoner?" Blaise asked, astonished.
Halfman answered with an oath.

"Oh, God, that the siege had lasted forever, or that she had kept her
word and blown us sky high."

Blaise began to snigger.

"'Ods-life! do you dare a love for your lady?" he said. He had better
not have said it. Halfman turned on him with a face like a demon's
and the plump knight recoiled.

"Why the red devil should I not," Halfman asked, hoarsely, "if a
bumpkin squire like you may do as much?"

Blaise tried to domineer, but the effort was feeble before the
fierceness in H