athless ecstasy--

"The Duke! O Mistress Perrote, the Lord Duke!"

"Is it so?" said Perrote, only a little less agitated than Amphillis.
"Is it surely he? may it not be a messenger only?"

"I think not so. There is an ermine pennon, and the foremost knight
hath a circlet on his helm."

"Pray God it so be! Phyllis, I will go down anon and see how matters
be. Go thou into our Lady's chamber--she slept but now--and if she
wake, mind thou say not a word to her hereupon. If it be in very deed
my Lord Duke, I will return with no delay."

"But if she ask?"

"Parry her inquirations as best thou mayest."

Amphillis knew in her heart that she was an exceedingly bad hand at that
business; but she was accustomed to do as she was told, and accordingly
she said no more. She was relieved to find the Countess asleep, the cry
for admission not having been loud enough to wake her. She sat down and
waited.

Perrote, meanwhile, had gone down into the hall, where Lady Foljambe sat
at work with Agatha. Sir Godfrey was seated before the fire, at which
he pointed a pair of very straight and very lengthy legs; his hands were
in his pockets, and his look conveyed neither contentment nor
benevolence. In a recess of the window sat young Matthew, whistling
softly to himself as he stroked a hawk upon his gloved wrist, while his
brother Godfrey stood at another window, looking out, with his arms upon
the sill. The only person who noticed Perrote's entrance was Agatha,
and she pulled a little face by way of relief to her feelings. Lady
Foljambe worked on in silence.

"Sir," said Perrote, addressing herself to the master of the house,
"Phyllis tells me a party be making hither, that she hath seen from the
window; and under your good pleasure, I reckon, from what the maid saw,
that it be my Lord's Grace of Bretagne and his meynie."

Sir Godfrey struggled to his feet with an exclamation of surprise. His
elder son turned round from the window; the younger said, "_Ha, jolife_!
Now, Gille, go on thy perch, sweet heart!" and set the falcon on its
perch. Agatha's work went down in a moment. Lady Foljambe alone seemed
insensible to the news. At the same moment, the great doors at the end
of the hall were flung open, and the seneschal, with a low bow to his
master and mistress, cried--

"Room for the Duke's Grace of Brittany!"

As the new arrivals entered the hall, Lady Basset came in from the
opposite end. The Duke, a fine, rathe