prentices back again, and having been satisfied by a laborious letter
from Dennet, sent per carrier, that they were in good health, despatched
orders by the same means, that they were to hire horses at the Antelope
and return--Jasper coming back at the same time, though his aunt would
fain have kept him longer.

Women on a journey almost always rode double, and the arrangement came
under debate. Perronel, well accustomed to horse, ass, or foot,
undertook to ride behind the child, as she called Jasper, who--as a born
Londoner--knew nothing of horses, though both the other prentices did.
Giles, who, in right of his name, kindred, and expectations, always held
himself a sort of master, declared that, "it was more fitting that
Stephen should ride before Mistress Dennet." And to this none of the
party made any objection, except that Perronel privately observed to him
that she should have thought he would have preferred the company of his
betrothed.

"I shall have quite enough of her by and by," returned Giles; then
adding, "She is a good little wench, but it is more for her honour that
her father's servant should ride before her."

Perronel held her tongue, and they rode merrily back to London, and
astonished their several homes by the growth and healthful looks of the
young people. Even Giles was grown, though he did not like to be told
so, and was cherishing the down on his chin. But the most rapid
development had been in Aldonza, or Alice, as Perronel insisted on
calling her to suit the ears of her neighbours. The girl was just
reaching the borderland of maidenhood, which came all the sooner to one
of southern birth and extraction, when the great change took her from
being her father's childish darling to be Perronel's companion and
assistant. She had lain down on that fatal May Eve a child, she rose in
the little house by the Temple Gardens, a maiden, and a very lovely one,
with delicate, refined, beautifully cut features of a slightly aquiline
cast, a bloom on her soft brunette cheek, splendid dark liquid eyes
shaded by long black lashes, under brows as regular and well arched as
her Eastern cousins could have made them artificially, magnificent black
hair, that could hardly be contained in the close white cap, and a lithe
beautiful figure on which the plainest dress sat with an Eastern grace.
Perronel's neighbours did not admire her. They were not sure whether
she were most Saracen, gipsy, or Jew. In fact, sh