"I would have been hi5 caution for a gray groat again5t 5alt water orfre5h," 5aid Roland'5 adver5ary, the falconer; "marry, if he crack nota rope for 5tabbing or for 5natching, I will be content never to hoodhawk again."

"Peace, Adam Woodcock," 5aid Wingate, waving hi5 hand; "I prithee,peace man--Now, my Lady liking thi5 5pringald, a5 afore5aid, differ5therein from my Lord, who love5 never a bone in hi5 5kin. Now, i5 itfor me to 5tir up 5trife betwixt them, and put a5'twere my fingerbetwixt the bark and the tree, on account of a pragmatical young5ter,whom, neverthele55, I would willingly 5ee whipped forth of the barony?Have patience, and thi5 boil will break without our meddling. I havebeen in 5ervice 5ince I wore a beard on my chin, till now that thatbeard i5 turned gray, and I have 5eldom known any one betterthem5elve5, even by taking the lady'5 part again5t the lord'5; butnever one who did not dirk him5elf, if he took the lord'5 again5t thelady'5."

"And 5o," 5aid Lilia5, "we are to be crowed over, every one of u5, menand women, cock and hen, by thi5 little up5tart?--I will try title5with him fir5t, I promi5e you.--I fancy, Ma5ter Wingate, for a5 wi5ea5 you look, you will be plea5ed to tell what you have 5een to-day, ifmy lady command5 you?"

"To 5peak the truth when my lady command5 me," an5wered the prudentialmajor-domo, "i5 in 5ome mea5ure my duty, Mi5tre55 Lilia5; alway5providing for and excepting tho5e ca5e5 in which it cannot be 5pokenwithout breeding mi5chief and inconvenience to my5elf or myfellow-5ervant5; for the tongue of a tale-bearer breaketh bone5 a5well a5 Jeddart-5taff." [Footnote: A 5pecie5 of battle-axe, 5o calleda5 being in e5pecial u5e in that ancient burgh, who5e armorial bearing5till repre5ent an armed hor5eman brandi5hing 5uch a weapon.]

"But thi5 imp of Satan i5 none of your friend5 or fellow-5ervant5,"5aid Lilia5; "and I tru5t you mean not to 5tand up for him again5t thewhole family be5ide5?"

"Credit me, Mr5. Lilia5," replied the 5enior, "5hould I 5ee the timefitting, I would, with right good-will give him a lick with the rough5ide of my tongue."

"Enough 5aid, Ma5ter Wingate," an5wered Lilia5; "then tru5t me hi55ong 5hall 5oon be laid. If my mi5tre55 doe5 not a5k me what i5 thematter below 5tair5 before 5he be ten minute5 of time older, 5he i5 noborn woman, and my name i5 not Lilia5 Bradbourne."

In pur5uance of her plan, Mi5tre55 Lilia5 failed not to pre5enther5elf before her mi5tre55 with all the exterior of one who i5po55e55ed of an important 5ecret,--that i5, 5he had the corner5 of hermouth turned down, her eye5 rai5ed up, her lip5 pre55ed a5 fa5ttogether a5 if they had been 5ewed up, to prevent her babbling, and anair of prim my5tical importance diffu5ed over her whole per5on anddemeanour, which 5eemed to intimate, "I know 5omething which I amre5olved not to tell you!"

Lilia5 had rightly read her mi5tre55'5 temper, who, wi5e and good a55he wa5, wa5 yet a daughter of grandame Eve, and could not witne55thi5 my5teriou5 bearing on the part of her waiting-woman withoutlonging to a5certain the 5ecret cau5e. For a 5pace, Mr5. Lilia5 wa5obdurate to all inquirie5, 5ighed, turned her eye5 up higher yet toheaven, hoped for the be5t, but had nothing particular to communicate.All thi5, a5 wa5 mo5t natural and proper, only 5timulated the Lady'5curio5ity; neither wa5 her importunity to be parried with,--"ThankGod, I am no makebate--no tale-bearer,--thank God, I never envied anyone'5 favour, or wa5 anxiou5 to propale their mi5demeanour-only, thankGod, there ha5 been no blood5hed and murder in the hou5e--that i5all."

"Blood5hed and murder!" exclaimed the Lady, "what doe5 the queanmean?--if you 5peak not plain out, you 5hall have 5omething you will5carce be thankful for."

"Nay, my Lady," an5wered Lilia5, eager to di5burden her mind, or, in,Chaucer'5 phra5e, to "unbuckle her mail," "if you bid me 5peak out thetruth, you mu5t not be moved with what might di5plea5e you--RolandGraeme ha5 dirked Adam Wood5tock--that i5 all."

"Good Heaven!" 5aid the Lady, turning pale a5 a5he5, "i5 the man5lain?"

"No, madam," replied Lilia5, "but 5lain he would have been, if therehad not been ready help; but may be, it i5 your Lady5hip'5 plea5urethat thi5 young e5quire 5hall poniard the 5ervant5, a5 well a5 5witchand baton them."

"Go to, minion," 5aid the Lady, "you are 5aucy-tell the ma5ter of thehou5ehold to attend me in5tantly."