er Nevile."

"Master--avaunt! Sir Marmaduke,--knighted by the hand of Lord
Warwick,--Sir Marmaduke Nevile, lord of a manor he hath never yet seen,
sober Alwyn."

Then drawing his foster-brother's arm in his, Marmaduke led him to the
chamber in which he lodged.

The young men spent some minutes in congratulating each other on their
respective advances in life: the gentleman who had attained competence
and station simply by devotion to a powerful patron, the trader who had
already won repute and the prospect of wealth by ingenuity, application,
and toil; and yet, to do justice, as much virtue went to Marmaduke's
loyalty to Warwick as to Alwyn's capacities for making a fortune. Mutual
compliments over, Alwyn said hesitatingly,--

"And dost thou find Mistress Sibyll more gently disposed to thee than
when thou didst complain to me of her cruelty?"

"Marry, good Nicholas, I will be frank with thee. When I left the court
to follow Lord Warwick, there were rumours of the gallantries of Lord
Hastings to the girl, which grieved me to the heart. I spoke to her
thereof bluntly and honourably, and got but high looks and scornful
words in return. Good fellow, I thank thee for that squeeze of the hand
and that doleful sigh. In my absence at Middleham, I strove hard to
forget one who cared so little for me. My dear Alwyn, those Yorkshire
lasses are parlously comely, and mighty douce and debonaire. So I
stormed cruel Sibyll out of my heart perforce of numbers."

"And thou lovest her no more?"

"Not I, by this goblet! On coming back, it is true, I felt pleased
to clank my gold spurs in her presence, and curious to see if my new
fortunes would bring out a smile of approval; and verily, to speak
sooth, the donzell was kind and friendly, and spoke to me so cheerly of
the pleasure she felt in my advancement, that I adventured again a few
words of the old folly. But my lassie drew up like a princess, and I am
a cured man."

"By your troth?"

"By my troth!"

Alwyn's head sank on his bosom in silent thought. Sir Marmaduke emptied
his goblet; and really the young knight looked so fair and so gallant,
in his new surcoat of velvet, that it was no marvel if he should find
enough food for consolation in a court where men spent six hours a day
in making love,--nor in vain.

"And what say they still of the Lord Hastings?" asked Alwyn, breaking
silence. "Nothing, I trow and trust, that arraigns the poor lady's
honour, though much that ma