e. She is expecting you; and, my faith, it would not be
safe to leave you standing here long, for I see you would shortly be
engaged in splitting the weasands of my comrades."

There was another roar of laughter from the men, and Walter, somewhat
abashed, followed his conductor into the house. Leading him through the
hall and along several corridors, whose spaciousness and splendour quite
overpowered the young apprentice, he handed him over to a waiting woman,
who ushered him into an apartment where Dame Vernon was reclining on a
couch. Her little daughter was sitting upon a low stool beside her, and
upon seeing Walter she leapt to her feet, clapping her hands.

"Oh! mother, this is the boy that rescued us out of the river."

The lady looked with some surprise at the lad. She had but a faint
remembrance of the events which occurred between the time when she
received a blow from the sword of one of her assailants and that when
she found herself on a couch in the abode of her kinsman; and when
she had been told that she had been saved by a city apprentice she had
pictured to herself a lad of a very different kind to him who now stood
before her.

Walter was now nearly sixteen years old. His frame was very powerful
and firmly knit. His dark brown hair was cut short, but, being somewhat
longer than was ordinary with the apprentices, fell with a slight wave
back on his forehead. His bearing was respectful, and at the same time
independent. There was none of that confusion which might be expected on
the part of a lad from the city in the presence of a lady of rank. His
dark, heavy eyebrows, resolute mouth, and square chin gave an expression
of sternness to his face, which was belied by the merry expression of
his eyes and the bright smile when he was spoken to.

"I have to thank you, young sir," she said, holding out her hand, which
Walter, after the custom of the time, raised to his lips, bending upon
one knee as he did so, "for the lives of myself and my daughter, which
would surely have been lost had you not jumped over to save us.

"I am glad that I arrived in time to be of aid," Walter said frankly;
"but indeed I am rather to be blamed than praised, for had I, when I
heard the plotting against the safety of the boat, told my master of
it, as I should have done, instead of taking the adventure upon mine own
shoulders, doubtless a boat would have been sent up in time to prevent
the attack from taking place. Therefore,