d her visitors. She thought old Muriel looked reliable;
she was amused with the bewildered reverence of Agnes; and as to Avice,
a child more or less in Windsor Castle mattered very little. She would
do to feed the peacock when Princess Margaret did not choose to attend
to it. So the bargain was soon struck; and almost before she had
discovered what was going to happen to her, Agnes found herself the
day-nurse of the Lord Richard, the little Prince who was then in the
cradle. Muriel was made mistress of the nurses; and even little Avice
received a formal appointment as waiting-damsel on the Princess
Margaret, the little girl who was feeding the peacock. They were then
dismissed from the royal presence.

"Thou hadst better go with them, Margaret Bysset," said the Queen, with
a rather amused smile, to the young lady who had brought them in;
"otherwise they may wander about all day."

Guided by Margaret Bysset, they retraced their steps through the suite
of rooms, down winding stairs, and across the hall, to the great door
which led into the courtyard of the Castle.

"Can you find your way now?" asked the young lady.

"Nay, we can but try!" said Agnes. "Pray you, my mistress, how many
chambers be there in this Castle?"

"Truly, I have not counted them," was the laughing answer.

"Eh, dear, but I marvel if I can ever find mine own when we come to
dwell here!"

"That will you soon enough. Look, here cometh your serving-man. Give
you good morrow!"

A few days saw them safely housed in the Castle, where two of them were
to dwell for ten years before they returned to their own home at
Lincoln. But old Muriel was never to return. She lived through half
that time, just long enough to hear of the death of Bishop Grosteste,
who passed away on the ninth of October 1253. He literally died weeping
for the sins of his age.

"Christ came into the world to save souls," were the words uttered with
his last breath. "He who takes pains to ruin them, shall he not be
called Antichrist? God built the universe in six days; but it took Him
thirty years to redeem fallen man. The Church can never be delivered
but by the sword from the Egyptian bondage in which the Popes hold her."

The good old Bishop could say no more. His voice broke down in tears;
and with one great sob for England he yielded up his soul.

CHAPTER THREE.

AT UNCLE DAN'S SMITHY.

The royal baby for whose benefit Muriel and Agnes had been engaged