I there and then made up my mind that if ever
I went shooting with him again I would keep my eyes open. For I now saw
that he was not only false, but also treacherous. Indeed, I was somewhat
minded to go to my uncle and tell him what had taken place between us,
but I remembered that the good knight was not fond of carried tales, and
therefore I refrained.

After that there was peace for some years, Dame Barbara having evidently
made up her mind to take things as they were. She was mortally afraid of
offending Sir Thurstan, for she had no jointure or portion of her own,
and was totally dependent upon his charity for a sustenance. This made
her conduct herself towards me with more consideration than I should
otherwise have received from her. Possibly she thought that it might be
well to keep in good favor with me in view of my succeeding Sir
Thurstan at no distant period. At any rate I had no more trouble with
Jasper, and I overheard no more unpleasant discussions between Dame
Barbara and the knight.

From our tenth year upwards Jasper and myself daily attended the
vicarage, in order to be taught Greek, Latin, and other matters by the
Reverend Mr. Timotheus Herrick, vicar of Beechcot. He was a tall, thin,
spindle-shanked gentleman, very absent-minded, but a great scholar. It
was said of him, that if he had not married a very managing woman in the
shape of Mistress Priscilla Horbury, he would never have got through the
world. He had one child, Rose, of whom you will hear somewhat in this
history, and she was three years younger than myself. When Jasper and I
were thirteen and Rose ten years of age, she began to learn with us, and
presently made such progress that she caught up to us, and then passed
us, and so made us ashamed of ourselves. After that she was always in
advance of us, and we used to procure her help in our lessons; then she
lorded it over us, as little maidens will over big lads, and we were her
humble slaves in everything.

CHAPTER II.

PHARAOH NANJULIAN.

Now it chanced that one afternoon in the June of 1575 Jasper and I were
on our way from the vicarage to the manor, our lessons for that day
being over. We had to pass through the village of Beechcot on our
homeward journey, and it was when we were opposite the inn, then kept by
Geoffrey Scales, that there occurred an incident which was to have a
greater influence upon our future lives than we then imagined. In the
wide space by the inn, for