risoners, thou and I. How doth it like thee?"

"It liketh me well, Dame, if so I may serve your Grace."

"Well said! Thou shalt be meet for the Court ere long. But, child,
thou hast not borne years of it, as I have: sixteen years with a hope of
release, and eight with none. Tell me thy history: I have no list to
sleep, and it shall pass the time."

"If it may please your Grace, I reckon I have had none."

"Thou wert best thank the saints for that. Yet I count 'tis scarce
thus. Didst grow like a mushroom?"

"Truly, no, Dame," said Amphillis, with a little laugh. "But I fear it
should ill repay your Grace to hear that I fed chickens and milked cows,
and baked patties of divers sorts."

"It should well repay me. It were a change from blue silk and yellow
twist, and one endless view from the window. Fare forth!"

Thus bidden, Amphillis told her story as she lay in the pallet,
uninterrupted save now and then by a laugh or a word of comment. It was
not much of a story, as she had said; but she was glad if it amused the
royal prisoner, even for an hour.

"Good maid!" said her mistress, when she saw that the tale was finished.
"Now sleep thou, for I would not cut off a young maid from her rest. I
can sleep belike, or lie awake, as it please the saints."

All was silence after that for half-an-hour. Amphillis had just dropped
asleep, when she was roused again by a low sound, of what nature she
knew not at first. Then she was suddenly conscious that the porter's
watch-dog, Colle, was keeping up a low, uneasy growl beneath the window,
and that somebody was trying to hush him. Amphillis lay and listened,
wondering whether it were some further nonsense of Agatha's manufacture.
Then came the sound of angry words and hurrying feet, and a woman's
shrill scream.

"What ado is there?" asked the Countess. "Draw back the curtain,
Phyllis, and see."

Amphillis sprang up, ran lightly with bare feet across the chamber, and
drew back the curtain. The full harvest moon was shining into the inner
court, and she discerned eight black shadows, all mixed together in what
was evidently a struggle of some kind, the only one distinguishable
being that of Colle, who was as busy and excited as any of the group.
At length she saw one of the shadows get free from the others, and speed
rapidly to the wall, pursued by the dog, which, however, could not
prevent his escape over the wall. The other shadows had a further short
scuf