or this purpose she descended, making a
deep acknowledgment to the generally supposed sanctity of the pilgrim's
vocation. So much occupied, however, did he appear by other concernments
that he scarcely noticed her approach, but continued to pass with hasty
and irregular steps across the chamber.

"By what quality or appearance may Sir Osmund Neville be distinguished?"
he abruptly inquired.

"A right goodly person, and a brave gentleman! He gave me a sousing
kiss, and a pair of mittens to boot, the last choosing of knights to the
parliament," said the Dame.

"Hold thy tongue, Madge!" angrily exclaimed Giles. "Good father, heed
not a woman; they are caught by the lip and the fist, like my lord's
trencher-man. This Sir Osmund is both lean and ill-favoured. I wonder
what the Lady Mabel saw above his shoe to wed with an ugly toad spawned
i' the Welsh marshes. Had ye seen her first husband, Sir William
Bradshaigh--rest his soul! he was killed in the wars--you would have
marvelled that she drunk the scum after the broth."

"Lady Mabel and Sir Osmund are now at Haigh?" cautiously inquired the
palmer.

"You have business there, belike?" sharply interrogated the
indefatigable host.

"I have slight matters that require my presence at the hall. Does the
knight go much abroad, or keeps he close house?"

"Why, look ye, it is some three months or so since I smelt the fat from
her ladyship's kitchen. Dan Hardseg smutted my face, and rubbed a
platterful of barley-dough into my poll, the last peep I had through the
buttery. I'll bide about my own hearth-flag whilst that limb o' the old
spit is chief servitor. I do bethink me though, it is long sin' Sir
Osmund was seen i' the borough. Belike he may have come at the knowledge
of my misadventure, and careth not to meet the wrath of a patient man."

Here the malicious dame burst into a giddy laugh.

"Thee! why Sir Osmund knoweth not thy crop from thy crupper, nor careth
he if thy whole carcase were crammed into the dumpling-bag. I'feck, it
were a rare pastime to see Sir Osmund, the brave Welsh knight, give the
gutter to Giles of the Merry Maypole."

Giles was speechless with dismay at this aggravating insult; but the
dame continued:--

"I think, good stranger, the knight does keep house of late. Grim told
me that last week he was a-sporting once only by way of the higher park;
and he appears something more soured and moody than usual. If thou
crave speech with him though, to-mo