the cook's men who climbed the wall early one
morning was shot by the watchman."

"Aye," said Myles, "I knew of him who was shot, and it did go somewhat
against my stomach to venture, knowing what had happed to him.
Ne'theless, an I gat not the ball, how were we to play more to-day at
the trap?"

"Marry, thou art a bold fellow, I do believe me," said the young lady,
"and sin thou hast come in the face of such peril to get thy ball, thou
shalt not go away empty. Whither didst thou strike it?"

"Over yonder by the cherry-tree," said Myles, jerking his head in that
direction. "An I may go get it, I will trouble ye no more." As he spoke
he made a motion to leave them.

"Stay!" said the Lady Anne, hastily; "remain where thou art. An thou
cross the open, some one may haply see thee from the house, and will
give the alarm, and thou wilt be lost. I will go get thy ball."

And so she left Myles and her cousin, crossing the little plots of grass
and skirting the rosebushes to the cherry-tree.

When Myles found himself alone with Lady Alice, he knew not where to
look or what to do, but twisted the piece of clematis which he still
held in and out more industriously than ever.

Lady Alice watched him with dancing eyes for a little while. "Haply thou
wilt spoil that poor vine," said she by-and-by, breaking the silence and
laughing, then turning suddenly serious again. "Didst thou hurt thyself
by thy fall?"

"Nay," said Myles, looking up, "such a fall as that was no great matter.
Many and many a time I have had worse."

"Hast thou so?" said the Lady Alice. "Thou didst fright me parlously,
and my coz likewise."

Myles hesitated for a moment, and then blurted out, "Thereat I grieve,
for thee I would not fright for all the world."

The young lady laughed and blushed. "All the world is a great matter,"
said she.

"Yea," said he, "it is a great matter; but it is a greater matter to
fright thee, and so I would not do it for that, and more."

The young lady laughed again, but she did not say anything further, and
a space of silence fell so long that by-and-by she forced herself to
say, "My cousin findeth not the ball presently."

"Nay," said Myles, briefly, and then again neither spoke, until
by-and-by the Lady Anne came, bringing the ball. Myles felt a great
sense of relief at that coming, and yet was somehow sorry. Then he took
the ball, and knew enough to bow his acknowledgment in a manner neither
ill nor awkward.

"D